Super Macaroni & Cheese

The actual history of macaroni and cheese is not really known, although Italy may have a strong claim to being the originator, with its long time use of pasta and cheese, but that's just my opinion. Certainly some Italian dishes were taken to France where they were then adopted into French cuisine. American Thomas Jefferson liked macaroni and cheese, and I suppose we owe him some degree of gratitude for "popularizing" the dish, as he even served macaroni and cheese when he was president, although "apparently" it was seen as a type of pasta casserole in those times, and it was not actually called by the name "Macaroni and Cheese." It is a VERY common dish with Americans, and dry packaged forms have been around for decades. It is not uncommon to see packages of macaroni and cheese included in many food drives to help needy people.    

This is NOT low fat or a diet food or for anyone with partially clogged arteries, because if you eat this once a week for a couple of months, your arteries won't be partially clogged anymore, this dish will finish the job, although you might well die with a smile on your face. So eat it only on occasion. Macaroni and cheese is a dish that is best eaten right after it's prepared. Once it's refrigerated, it loses its creaminess. You can make things better by reheating it over low heat with some milk and give it a stir often. Over time I've made this when I've used more flour, less flour, no flour and Mayflower ... oh wait, that's the name of a ship... pilgrim! (My John Wayne impression) I prefer the less flour version, although if you cook the mixture long enough without flour, it can thicken greatly. Please don't be afraid of blue cheese. I know it can be rather strong when eaten on salads or on its own, but it gives the cheese sauce that forms for this dish a nice flavor, and it's not strong. I'm a big fan of blue cheeses and I often have Gorgonzola (picante), Roquefort, or other blue cheeses just along with some fruit or bread.  

Ingredients:

2 cups dried macaroni
1 can evaporated milk (12 ounces)
1 cup heavy cream
1 to 2 tablespoons butter
1 to 2 tablespoons flour (or you can leave it out)
1 cup sharp yellow cheddar, shredded (or sharp white cheddar)
1 cup Monterey Jack, shredded
1 cup Muenster cheese, shredded
1/3 cup blue cheese, in small pieces/chunks
(Optional) breadcrumbs sauteed in butter w/some white pepper

Cook the macaroni per the instructions of the brand of macaroni you use, but remove it from the heat a minute or two before the recommended cooking time (it is going to cook more in the oven). Drain the pasta well and leave it for a few minutes until you are ready to bake it. While the pasta cooks, melt the butter in a heavy bottomed sauce pan over medium heat. If using flour, add it to the pan and keep stirring to form a roux, and it's okay if it just begins to brown a little. Mix the milk and cream together and add the dairy mixture slowly if you're using flour, and keep stirring or whisking to let the liquid thicken a bit from the roux (you don't have to have this like you're making cement for a new sidewalk, just a little thickened, although a number of years ago I used much more flour. You should see how well my sidewalk has held up over the years too, and people love the macaroni design in it). Hahaha! If you aren't using flour, just add the milk and cream to the melted butter and let them heat up. Add the shredded cheeses a little at a time, stirring to get them on their way to melting. (NOTE: Keep a little bit of the cheeses, except the blue cheese, to top off the mac and cheese before putting it into the oven.) Keep the heat low, even very low. The sauce will thicken some more from the cheese, dairy mixture and the roux. I let this very gently cook, no lid, for about 10 to 12 minutes, stirring often. If you want to top the macaroni with breadcrumbs, melt some butter in a skillet, then add some breadcrumbs and sprinkle them with some white pepper. Let the breadcrumbs lightly brown. Butter or oil a casserole dish. Add the drained and cooked macaroni to the cheese sauce and mix everything together well. Pour the macaroni and sauce into the casserole, smooth out the top and sprinkle over the reserved shredded cheeses. Bake at 350 F for 35 to 45 minutes, until bubbly and browned. Optional, sprinkle each serving with the toasted breadcrumbs.    

WORD HISTORY:
Coagulate-This word is related to "cogent," a Latin-derived word borrowed by English from Latin-based French, and to "agenda," a word borrowed from Latin, and it is more distantly related to "act," a Latin-derived word borrowed by English from both Latin and French. "Coagulate" is actually a prefixed word, with the beginning coming from the prefix "com," which goes back to Indo European "kom" which had the notion "by, with, near, beside." This gave Latin "com" and its variant form "con," meaning "together, with." The main part of the word goes back to Indo European "ag/eg/ak," which had the notion of "to drive, to drive forth, to move, to put into motion;" thus also, "to do, to make." This gave Latin the verb "agere," with the same Indo European meanings. The two parts together gave Latin "cogere," meaning, "to curdle" (pretty much literally, "to drive or move together"). This produced Latin "coagulare," meaning, "to cause to come together and curdle." English borrowed the word in the first part of the 1400s more so from the Latin verb's participle form, "coagulatus," and with the same meaning as in Latin: "to cause liquid to form into a thick mass, to clot, to gel, to curdle." By the way, the Latin noun form "coagulum" means "rennet;" that is, "an enzyme that causes liquid to thicken and curdle." 

Indian Vegetable Fritters: Pakoras

"Pakoras" are fried "clumps" of seasoned batter made of chickpea flour which is filled with a mixture of chopped vegetables, or just individual vegetables like onion, cauliflower or chili peppers (mild or hot). Another word used for them in India is "pakoda," although potatoes fixed this same general way are generally called "bajii" or "bhaji."* Pakoras are often served with tea or spiced tea (masala chai) and some also serve some chutney on the side. Myself, I like some ranch dressing for dipping. To make your own ranch dressing, here is the link:  https://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2016/06/homemade-ranch-dressing.html 

Pakoras are easy to make and I made mine somewhat larger than is likely typical in India (most recipes call for the use of a tablespoon of batter, but I used a serving spoon). Once you are ready to cook, fry the pakoras in batches and do not overcrowd the pan or they will likely soak up the oil and become soggy. The temperature of the oil has to be maintained (350 F, about 180 C), and a small cube of bread should sizzle and brown when dropped into the oil. Remove each batch of fried pakoras with a slotted spoon and drain them on paper towels. Also remove any small bits that may have broken off into the oil while frying, or these bits will burn and discolor the oil, as well as imparting their burnt flavor to the oil and to the next batches of pakoras. 

Ingredients (for about 15 to 25 pakoras, depending upon the size):

1  2/3 cups chickpea flour
2/3 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 to 1 teaspoon ground red pepper (according to your heat preference)
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 inch piece of ginger, grated
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup onion, finely chopped (larger pieces likely won't cook properly)
1/4 cup mild green chili pepper, like banana pepper, chopped
1/4 cup mild red pepper, like red bell pepper, chopped
1 to 2 green hot chili peppers (I use serranos), seeded and finely chopped (again, according to your heat preference)
1/4 cup chopped spinach leaves (no stems)
1/4 cup coriander/cilantro leaves
water (enough to make a thick batter)
oil for frying

In a bowl add the chickpea flour, baking powder, ground red pepper, turmeric, garlic, ginger and salt; mix together well. Now add the chopped vegetables and the coriander/cilantro leaves. Slowly add water and mix to incorporate the water until a thick batter forms. I use my hand to do the mixing. The batter should be a bit thicker than pancake batter. Let the batter sit while the oil heats, then use a table spoon (or the somewhat larger serving spoon) and put the batter into the hot oil. Fry the pakoras in small batches until they are golden brown, which should only take a few minutes for each batch. If you use a smaller amount of oil that won't cover the pakoras, you will need to turn the pakoras to cook them on both sides.

* For such a recipe for potatoes, here is a link. This is based upon heavy Indian influence in Kenya, where the potatoes are called "bhajias" : https://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2020/03/kenyan-potato-bites-potato-bhajias.html

WORD HISTORY:
Bungalow-This word for a "low level one story house" is related to "Bangladesh" and to "Bengal," words from the Indian subcontinent borrowed by English. The origin of the word likely goes back to the name of an ancient god from some parts of the Indian subcontinent which formed the basis of the words "Bengal" and "Bengali." Transliterated Hindi, an Indo European language, and one of the main languages of the Indian subcontinent, had "bangla," which meant "a low level house with a thatched roof." This gave Gujarati, an Indo European language now spoken by about 60 million in the Gujarat area of India, the transliterated "bangalo," with the same general meaning. English borrowed the word in the latter part of the 1600s from Hindi and Gujarati from British involvement in India and it conveyed the meaning, "low level house of the Bengali style, with a covered terrace." 

How "Some" Go Off The Rails

Sometimes people and events from the past pop into my mind. This man was one of those people I have never forgotten, even though I didn't really know him all that well. The final part of his life (mentioned below) certainly reinforced my memory about him, although time has taken a toll on many of the details I once knew.   

Back in the 1980s this man rented an apartment at a building I managed. He was older, smoked a pipe and had retired (about 1984?). The 1980s saw the rise and explosion of AIDS around the world. This man was very solitary, which certainly isn't a crime, but did it contribute to an increasing eccentricity that eventually overwhelmed him? Now, when I say "he was solitary," I don't mean he never spoke to others, because he did, but it was limited and he was not a conversationalist, and the housekeeper for the building had known him for quite a number of years, and she had told how he could be somewhat to the abrupt and cantankerous side. There was a legal case pending in the court system about the building, a battle between the building owner and the owner of an office building next to it, over "air rights," so many things were on hold, but I offered to have the man's apartment painted, as he had been there for a number of years, but he said he didn't want to be bothered. Basically the man stayed in his apartment and watched television news (nowhere as extensive in those days compared to today) and listened to talk radio, which became a focus of a conservative to a growing right wing effort in the time of Ronald Reagan, who was the then president of the U.S.

One day in I'd say about 1987 the man came down to the office just as the serviceman for the elevator company was having me sign his paperwork for his regular maintenance visit. The man was agitated about some things he had heard on talk radio about AIDS. I cannot recall the radio show host who had helped work the man into a hateful frenzy. The tenant condemned everyone to death who had AIDS, and when the elevator guy asked him if that meant children, he said "Yes," without any hesitation. The two of us tried to reason with him about the things he was saying, but he was adamant. I have no idea what his overall religious beliefs were; and by that I mean, whether he had some strong religious belief about AIDS and its ties to gay people in those times, as some so called "religious" leaders of the "religious right" loved to condemn others to death or suffering, until of course, they got busted for some transgression, which then miraculously turned them into preachers of forgiveness and redemption for themselves. Then again, the man said "EVERYONE with AIDS" should die, including children, so maybe there was no religious connection. I never saw the guy intoxicated and he certainly did not seem to be "under the influence of any alcohol" that day. I don't believe he drank alcohol. The man with the elevator company was totally appalled by the tenant's hateful rant.

Well the man eventually rented part of a house approximately a mile away, and about 10 to 12 years later, when I worked at a different building, a report came over the radio that a man was shooting at people from a house that had been then surrounded by police. A little while later came the report that the man had been killed. I don't believe he killed or wounded anyone before his end came, but I just cannot remember. It was not until further reports came in and the man's name and address were released that I knew it was the former tenant from the other apartment building.

WORD HISTORY:
Mercury (mercurial)-The ultimate origin of the name/word "Mercury" is uncertain, with it possibly being a Latin borrowing from Etruscan,^ and the Etruscan word that "may" have provided the basis for the word "market." There is a tie between the name "Mercury" and "market" in meaning, as the Roman god Mercury was the god of trade and business initially, with other powers added over time. If true, "Mercury" would go back to Latin "merx," a noun meaning "things for sale, wares," which then would have spawned "Mercurius," the name for the god of business. English borrowed this as "Mercurie" in the mid 1100s, with the planet name also being taken from Latin in about 1300. Latin "Mercurius" came to be applied to the silvery scientific element, "perhaps" because of its quick flowing characteristic, as "Mercury," the god, had also come to be seen as the god of news, and was often depicted with wings on his shoes to convey his fleetness as a messenger. This scientific use was borrowed by English in the latter part of the 1300s. "Mercurial" came as a borrowing in circa 1400 from the Latin adjective "Mercurialis," which meant "associated with or having to do with the god Mercury;" thus from Latin "Mercurius." It "seems" astrologists also added the meaning, "influenced by the planet Mercury," which was supposed to have characteristics from the god Mercury; thus, "quick, fleet;" but also, "quickly changeable, volatile in temperament," the meaning that has remained in English since the middle of the 1600s. 
 
^ Etruscan is not an Indo European language, or at least, linguists have not thus far connected it to Indo European. The modern Italian region of "Tuscany" is named after the Etruscans. Latin is an Indo European language related to English further down the family tree, and it obviously came into much contact with Etruscan in Italy. Etruscan is a mystery language, but it was "possibly" related to some languages of the Aegean Sea area, including "Minoan." Etruscan was spoken in a fairly large part of what is now Italy, but it eventually died out when Latin came to the area, although some of its words were borrowed into Latin.               

Kenyan Potato Snacks: Potato Bhajias

This is an appetizer or snack that shows the Indian influence on the food culture of Kenya, although such a recipe as I have done here would not be out of place in India, where there are a number of terms used for this dish, including "aloo bajji" and "aloo pakora" (aloo=potato). This dish uses chickpea flour, a common flour used in cooking within the Indian subcontinent, and which has passed into the Indian influenced cuisines of other areas of the world.* Chickpea flour, also called "gram or besan flour," is gluten free.

There are two key things about making this potato snack. First, the batter cannot be too thin, nor can it be too thick. When I first made this, I made the batter too thin and it didn't adhere to the potato slices, so I had to thicken it up. The next time I made the batter, I added 1/2 cup of the water and mixed it in, then I added more water slowly, mixing it into the other ingredients as I went. That way I was able to tell how thick the batter was and I could then add an appropriate amount of water to achieve a kind of pancake batter thickness. Second, if you slice the potatoes too thick, it will be hard to cook the potatoes through without burning the coating. Some people don't make a batter, but rather they mix the chickpea flour together with some herbs and spices, but with no liquid component, except that the potato slices are rinsed and left damp. They then add the potato slices and toss them through the flour mixture to coat them and then fry them. I tried this method, but I didn't find the potatoes to be as good as with the batter. 

Ingredients (about 4 to 5 servings):

2 potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick
2/3 cup chickpea flour, also called gram flour
1/4 cup rice flour, or you can substitute 3 tablespoons of cornstarch 
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 heaping teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
2 to 3 serrano peppers, seeded and finely chopped
1/4 cup chopped cilantro (also called coriander)
2/3 teaspoon salt
2/3 to 3/4 cup water
oil for frying

To a bowl add the chickpea flour, rice flour or cornstarch, ground cumin, ginger, garlic, chili peppers, coriander/cilantro and salt. Add 1/2 cup water and mix until it is absorbed. Gradually add more water, stirring to mix, until the batter reaches the consistency of slightly thick pancake batter. Let the batter sit while you heat the oil to 350 F over medium heat (you can use a deep fryer, or you can use a skillet with a minimum of 1/2 inch of oil. Naturally, you'll need to turn the potatoes to make sure they cook and brown properly. Add the potatoes to the batter and transfer the slices individually to the hot oil (I just do it by hand, no spoons, forks or tongs), and let them cook until browned, turning the slices. The potatoes should have a kind of crispy outside. You can drain the potatoes on paper towels. Serve with tomato chutney** or ketchup.   

* Kenya came under British control in the latter part of the 1800s, initially as part of the "East African Protectorate," then later as an outright "colony." This brought a number of immigrants to Kenya from India, itself a British colony at that time. In those times, India included what later became the separate countries of Pakistan and Bangladesh.

** For Kenyan Tomato Chutney, here is the link: https://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2020/03/kenyan-tomato-chutney.html


With tomato chutney ...

WORD HISTORY:
Colony-This word is closely related to "culture," a word borrowed by English from Latin, and it is the source of the name for the German city "Cologne" (German: Köln), which long ago was a Roman settlement. It goes back to Indo European "kwel," which had the notion, "move around, to turn or turn around;" thus also, "upend, revolve." This gave Latin "colere," meaning, "to till the land" ("move and turn the land over for planting"); thus by extension, "to cultivate, to farm;" thus also by extension, "to settle, to dwell." This produced the Latin noun "colonus," meaning, "settler, farmer;" thus also, "tenant farmer." This then gave Latin the noun "colonia" meaning, "settlement, large amount of cultivated land;" thus, "an estate," then also used for "land conquered, settled and occupied by Roman soldiers beyond Rome." This then broadened beyond the military settlement by soldiers. Borrowed by English circa 1400.

Herbal Syrup: Rosemary

If you like rosemary as I do, you'll like this; you may even LOVE this. It is great in certain cocktails and added to green tea (I add a little lemon juice too). Remember, this is not a drink in itself, but rather a concentrate used to flavor other beverages; thus, it is meant to be very sweet and heavily flavored with rosemary, as it will be diluted in the drinks you make. I consulted the article at this link to do this article:
https://www.foodandwine.com/cocktails-spirits/rosemary-syrup-cocktails

Of course, you can make a smaller amount by reducing the amounts of the ingredients.

Ingredients (for 1 cup +):

6 to 8 stems (each about 5 to 6 inches long) of fresh rosemary
1 1/3 cup fresh water
1 cup sugar

Put the rosemary into a pan with the water, bring to a light boil, then reduce to a simmer for 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and add the sugar, stirring as best you can to make sure the sugar dissolves. Let the rosemary steep for about 20 to 30 minutes, then remove the rosemary stems and strain the liquid through a sieve into a pitcher or a jar, cover it and store it in the refrigerator. 


Picture is of green tea with rosemary and lemon ...

WORD HISTORY:
Theme-This word is related to a number of words including "do" and "deed," both from the Germanic roots of English, and "thesis," a word borrowed by English from Latin, which had borrowed it from Greek. It goes back to Indo European "dhe," which had the notion, "to make, to bring about (later in English, as in, "to do harm"), "to be engaged in an activity (later in English, as in, "they got ready to do battle"), to put." This gave transliterated Ancient Greek "théma," meaning, "that which is set down;" thus, "a statement or assertion that brings further discussion about a matter;" thus, "a subject, a proposal, a topic." Latin borrowed this as "thema," with the same meanings, which passed to Latin-based Old French as "tesme" (seemingly the 's' was silent) also with the same meanings. English borrowed the word as "teme" (seemingly in some cases) and "theme," in the first half of the 1300s, from French, and with reinforcement by Latin. German, a close cousin of English, borrowed the word directly from Latin as "Thema" (pronounced "tay-mah"), and it is the standard word in German for "subject."    

Kenyan-Style Tomato Chutney

Kenya has been influenced by the foods and flavors of the Indian Subcontinent going well back in history, from trade and by the settlement of people from the Indian Subcontinent in Kenya. I'm calling this "Kenyan Tomato Chutney," but it is really a recipe I devised myself, but it could certainly be similar to recipes from others, including by people from the Indian Subcontinent, as there isn't really any one thing that makes this "Kenyan."

Ingredients:

1 can tomato sauce, 15 ounces 
3 green chilies (jalapeño or serrano chilies are good for this), seeded and finely chopped
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 to 3 tablespoons finely chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped cilantro (also called coriander)
 
Add all ingredients to a bowl and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour or two before serving. Kenyans serve a similar tomato chutney with fried potatoes. (Note: for a type of fried potato recipe common in Kenya, and heavily influenced by people from the Indian subcontinent, here is the link:  https://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2020/03/kenyan-potato-bites-potato-bhajias.html  

WORD HISTORY:
Kitchen-This word is related to "cook," a word from the Germanic roots of English, but it was an ancient borrowing by Old Germanic from Latin. "Kitchen" goes back to Indo European "kwekwo," "perhaps" a variant form of "pekwo," which seems to have meant "to ripen;" the notion being to prepare inedible raw food until it is 'ripe;' that is, ready to eat. This gave Old Italic "kekewo," and this gave Latin "coquere," meaning "to cook," which gave Latin "coquus," a noun meaning, "the act or process of cooking" and thus, "a person who cooks." This gave Latin the adjective "coquinus," meaning, "about cooking or a cook." This produced "coquina," often rendered in Latin as "cocina," both meaning, "room or area for cooking." Apparently West Germanic (not Old Germanic) borrowed "cocina" as "kokina/kukina," and this gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "cycene/cicene" (kitchen), which then became "ky(t)chyn/kychene" before the modern version. Relatives in the other Germanic languages: German has "Küche," Low German has "Köök," but some areas seem to have "Köken,"^ West Frisian has "koken," Dutch has "keuken," Danish has "køkken," Norwegian has "kjøkken," Swedish has "kök." The Danish, Norwegian and Swedish forms are all from Low German, one of the West Germanic languages, along with English, German, Dutch and Frisian. As noted above, the ancestor of "kitchen" was borrowed by West Germanic, which explains to some extent why I could not find any reference to a form in Old Norse, from the North Germanic branch. Icelandic, a North Germanic language still often close in forms to Old Norse, and somewhat distant from its continental Germanic cousins, does not have a form either. This also explains the borrowings of forms of "kitchen" from Low German by Danish, Norwegian and Swedish, as all are from the North Germanic branch of the Germanic family of languages. 
 
^ Low German has no standard form and it is a series of dialects; thus, there are often various forms of words. 

Tarragon Gimlet or Rickey

I'm not a big fan of strained cocktails, so I almost always make cocktails with ice ("on the rocks"), but you can certainly mix them with ice and then strain them into a glass. A gimlet has a very definite lime taste, but the addition of tarragon syrup gives the drink a bit of anise flavor, as well as taking the edge off of the lime juice. By adding some club soda you can make this into a "rickey," a drink supposedly named for a Democrat and lobbyist from Missouri, although initially is was made with bourbon.   

I consulted this great website for this cocktail: https://thecocktailnovice.com/

Ingredients:

1 to 1 1/2 ounces gin 
1 ounce lime juice
1 to 1 1/2 ounce tarragon syrup*
ice

Add the ingredients to a rocks glass (also called an "old fashioned glass"), stir. 

For a rickey use a somewhat larger glass and the same recipe, but:
add club soda or mineral water to fill

* For easy to make tarragon syrup:  https://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2020/03/herbal-syrups-tarragon.html


Tarragon Gimlet ...

WORD HISTORY:
Miser (Misery)-The origin of "miser" is unknown, but Latin had "miser" as an adjective meaning, "unhappy, in a distressed mental state;" thus also, "worthy of pity." This was borrowed by English in the mid 1500s, but as a noun meaning, "very sad person," which then seems to have taken on the meaning, "a sad person who hoards money to the point of being contemptible, a money-hoarding wretch," still the general meaning of the word today. The idea is that a miser uses the hoarding of money to compensate for their overriding unhappiness. The Christmas tale by Charles Dickens is a great example of this. The Latin adjective form gave Latin the noun "miseria," meaning, "condition of woe, state of suffering some physical pain or mental anguish," also, "state of being poor." This passed into Latin-based Old French as "miserie" (later "misère"), "situation of suffering and distress," including "poverty." This was borrowed by English in the latter part of the 1300s as "misery," meaning, "state of serious and debilitating physical suffering," but also, "condition of visible pain or unhappiness." 

Herbal Syrup: Tarragon

One day recently I was looking up something, I don't even remember what it was, but I came across this website, and it went a long way toward making me want to do this article (and I will be doing others along this line very soon):  https://thecocktailnovice.com/

I use lots of herbs and I grow several herbs on my window ledge. Remember, this is NOT a drink in itself, but rather a syrup used to make other drinks; so don't think, "Wow, he's got too much sugar in this." It is supposed to be super sweet, because it will be diluted with other ingredients in various drinks, which don't necessarily have to be drinks with alcohol (hic... I'm saying YOUR drinks don't necessarily have to have alcohol... hahaha!). The basic business of Coke and Pepsi is to sell syrups to bottling companies all over the world, and these bottling companies mix the syrups with carbonated water to make the colas we consumers buy in bottles, cans and disposable cups. Another term to go with syrups is "concentrates," because they are concentrated flavors that are made into beverages by the addition of carbonated water. This syrup has a light green tint and has the superb taste of sweetness accompanied by the anise flavor of the tarragon. The photo below is of a great refreshing drink of some tarragon syrup, a squeeze of lime juice and some club soda.  

Ingredients:

1 cup fresh water
1/3 cup fresh tarragon leaves
1 cup sugar

Bring the water to a boil in a pan. Add the tarragon leaves and reduce the heat to maintain a light simmer. Simmer the leaves for 3 or 4 minutes, then remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the sugar and make sure the sugar is dissolved. Let the leaves steep until the liquid cools. Pour the liquid through a sieve into a small pitcher or a jar to remove the leaves. Cover or put on a lid and refrigerate.

WORD HISTORY:
Dragon/Drake (Tarragon)-The origin of "dragon" "seems" to go back to Indo European "derk/drak," which had the notion of "to see, to look." This gave transliterated Ancient Greek some words associated with "see, look, glance, stare," especially "drakein," with those general meanings, which spawned the transliterated noun "drakon," with the initial meaning of, "serpent, snake," but later, "a large snake," with that meaning bringing about tales of creatures with wings and the ability to breathe fire, and it was used as a word for a monster, including for a sea monster (perhaps from the overall notion of, "a beast or creature with a piercing look or stare," as representations of dragons have long depicted their fierce gaze as a distinguishing characteristic)^. Latin borrowed the word as "draco," which was borrowed by Old Germanic as "drako," and this gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "draca," meaning, "large serpent, often, but not always, of the sea." This then became "drake" (second half of the 1100s?).^^ Meanwhile, Latin "draco" passed to Latin-based Old French as "dragon," and the Normans carried this to England, where it seems to have been altered to "dragoun," and where it was borrowed by English as such circa 1250. Relatives in the other Germanic languages: German "Drache," Low German "Draak," West Frisian "draak," Dutch "draak," Icelandic "dreki," Danish "drage," Norwegian "drage" and "drake," Swedish "drake." Tarragon is a word derived from "dragon," as this plant has long been called "dragonwort." This all began with transliterated Greek "drakóntion," as a word for the plant, a word borrowed by Arabic as transliterated "tarkhun/tarkhon," then borrowed by Medieval Latin as "tragonia." English borrowed the word in the mid 1500s, "apparently" from the Latin form, although it's possible it may have come from French "targon" (itself from the Latin form), with reinforcement by Latin.    

^ The Romans used the representation of such a creature on their military banners, likely taken from their military adventures in the area of the Nile River, famous to this day for its crocodiles; thus, a kind of "dragon." Later the term was used by some in Christianity as a word for Satan, likely from the evil look of caricatures of dragons.

^^ This form of "drake" is unrelated to the word of the same spelling meaning "a male duck," although the two words seemed to have been mixed during the Middle Ages.  

German Swabian Sour Tripe: Schwäbische Saure Kutteln

First for those unaware, tripe is the lining from the stomach of animals. In the U.S. it is sometimes referred to as "honeycomb tripe," because indeed, it does look like a honeycomb, and it is from a cow, but tripe from other animals is used the world over as a food source. Tripe dishes developed from its usage by peasants, but as time passed, it moved into the kitchens of people well outside the peasant world. In the German areas of Europe it is more common in many parts of the south, running from Swabia into Bavaria and into Austria, although it is not unknown in the northern areas, as a long time Prussian dish, "Königsberger Fleck," is still around (Königsberg was the provincial capital of East Prussia. After World War Two, East Prussia was divided between the Soviet Union/Russia and Poland, and what was Königsberg is now Kaliningrad, Russia). As is common in German, there are regional names for this dish, with "Saure Kutteln" being common, but also "Flecksuppe," "Kuttelflecksuppe," "Pansensuppe," and I've even seen "Kaldaunensuppe." English once had "cwiþ" (=cwith), that meant, "belly," and it was a relative of modern German "Kuttel/Kutteln," and English still has "chitterlings," another relative of the German form, as is "cud;" that is, "food brought from the stomach to be chewed a second time by some animals." German speakers "tend" to use "Kutteln," which is the plural form, although "Kuttel," the singular, is sometimes said. In English, "tripe," a word of possible Arabic origin, but borrowed by English from French, is generally used as a plural, and "tripes," the true plural form, sounds somewhat strange, at least to the American ear, and perhaps to English speakers in general. The word tripe is also used as a slang term for "nonsensical talk." 

Besides the Prussian dish, Swabia, in southwestern Germany, is well known for their own tripe stew, "Schwäbische Saure Kutteln," and the Austrian state of Steiermark, in southeastern Austria, has "Steirische Flecksuppe." Outside of Swabia the tomato paste is often replaced with (ground) paprika, a seasoning Austro-German cuisine got from the Hungarians. Lard has long been used for this dish, but I use a mix of butter and olive oil. This is an easy dish to make, but it does take some time to cook the tripe initially. There are certainly some variations to recipes for this dish. "Schwäbische Saure Kutteln," is often served with fried potatoes (German: Bratkartoffeln).

Ingredients:

To cook the tripe:

2 pounds beef tripe
water to cover by about 1 inch
2/3 cup salt, divided use
2/3 cup white vinegar, divided use

For the stew:

cooked tripe, cut into strips or bite size pieces
2 baseball size onions, peeled and chopped
4 tablespoons butter or olive oil (I use a mix of the two)
4 tablespoons flour
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup dry red wine
1 1/2 to 2 cups beef stock
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar (or white vinegar is fine)
2 teaspoons sugar (more to taste)
2 bay leaves
6 to 8 juniper berries (cracked or crushed)
1 teaspoon pepper
salt to taste (remember, the broth likely has a good deal of salt)

To cook the tripe: in a pot, cover the tripe with water, add 1/3 cup salt and 1/3 cup of white vinegar. Bring to a boil and adjust the temperature to keep the water at a good steady simmer. Cook the tripe about 35 to 45 minutes, then pour off the water (it will likely be a little foamy), add fresh water to the pot, the other 1/3 cup of salt and 1/3 cup of white vinegar. Increase the heat again to bring the tripe to a boil, then as before, adjust the heat to keep a good steady simmer. Cook until the tripe is tender, then drain it and let it cool a little. Cut the tripe into strips or cubes.

To cook the "Sour Tripe": add the butter and oil to a pan (I use a large skillet) over medium heat, then add the chopped onions and let the onions cook until softened. Turn the heat to low and stir in the flour. Let cook 2 to 3 minutes, stirring the flour coated onion pieces constantly to prevent burning. In a bowl or measuring cup, add half of the red wine and stir in the tomato paste, then stir to break up the tomato paste and combine it well with the wine. Add this to the skillet gradually and keep stirring and let the mixture begin to thicken, then use the same technique to gradually add the rest of the wine and then the beef stock. Before adding the other ingredients, taste the stew and then stir in the sugar. I use 2 teaspoons of sugar, but I then taste the stew again, and at times I actually add an extra "good pinch" of sugar (I'm not generally a big fan of sour foods), so add what suits you, but remember, the stew is supposed to be tart; after all, it's called "Sour Tripe," but that doesn't mean it should take you an hour and a half to "unpucker" your mouth after eating some of this stew. Anyway, after you add the sugar, add the bay leaves, the juniper berries and the ground black pepper. It's good if you press down on the juniper berries with the back of a spoon or with a knife blade to just crush or crack them a little. This helps them to give off their flavor. Juniper berries look a lot like dried blueberries or black peppercorns, but they are much more like peppercorns, because they are hard in texture, although cooking softens them. By the way, juniper berries give the distinctive taste to gin. They are generally available in supermarkets and spice shops. Continue to cook the stew over low heat until the tripe is very tender. In spite of some of the names in German containing "suppe" (soup), this is more of a stew, but if you'd prefer a thinner version more like true soup, just add extra beef broth.         

Schwäbische Saure Kutteln with fried potatoes and tomato, radish and cucumber salad ...

WORD HISTORY:
Father-This goes back to Indo European “phater/phter/phaeter,” which meant, "father." This then gave Old Germanic “fader,” with the same meaning, which in turn, gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) “faeder,” and like with the word “mother,” the “th” spelling didn’t take place until the 1500s, but it seems to have been pronounced well before that time. Also like with “mother,” forms are common throughout the other Germanic languages, as German has “Vater” (the “V” is pronounced as an “f”), Low German Saxon has “vadder,” Dutch has “vader,” Danish and Swedish have “fader,” Norwegian has “far” (see note in “mother” above), Icelandic has “fathir,” East Frisian has "fadder" and West Frisian "faar" is an antiquated form, replaced by "heit," a word of VERY sketchy history.

Watermelon Cocktail (With Alcohol or Without)

Watermelon is a fruit that is about 90% water and with lots of vitamins and minerals, including vitamins A and C, plus lycopene, which is found in many red colored fruits and vegetables, like tomatoes. It also has a good deal of fiber. This refreshing drink is easily non alcohol or you can give it an alcohol content with some vodka, or watermelon vodka or watermelon schnapps, both available at a number of liquor outlets. If the watermelon is not all that sweet, you can add some honey or some blue agave. As you can see in the photos below, I used a large glass (with ice) for the non alcohol type, and a smaller cocktail glass (with ice) for the alcoholic cocktail. 

Ingredients (about 3 to 5 servings, depending upon glass type and amount of ice used):

2 1/2 cups seedless watermelon chunks (pieces of a size to be easily fed into your blender)
3 to 4 inch piece of cucumber, peeled and the seeds scraped out
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
(optional) 2 tablespoons honey OR 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon blue agave
ice cubes
(optional) garnish each serving with a piece of lime 

To a blender, gradually add the watermelon and then the cucumber, then the lime juice and sweetener, if using. Blend until smooth. Add ice cubes to a glass and fill with the watermelon mixture. 


Non alcohol watermelon cocktail ....

Watermelon with watermelon vodka ...

WORD HISTORY:
Glad-This word is related to "glee" and to "glisten," both words from the Germanic roots of English. It goes back to Indo European "ghel," which had the notion "to shine, to cause or to bring light." This gave Old Germanic "gladaz," meaning, "bright, shiny, glossy;" thus also figuratively, "brightly cheerful and happy, joyous," and the further figurative meaning, "smooth, flat" (that which provides a basis to be bright, glossy and shiny). This gave Old English "glæd," meaning, "cheerful, pleasant" as an adjective, but it was also used with this same spelling as a noun (later as "gladness") meaning, "joy." "Glæd" later became "glad," but also "gled" to some (seems northern England and southern Scotland?), with "glad" eventually prevailing as standard. Relatives in the other Germanic languages: German has "glatt," meaning, "smooth," from the notion of "shiny and glossy" often coming from smooth objects; "slippery," although typically used most often about ice and not about greasy objects; and German also uses the word as English uses "smooth," in the figurative sense, "no problems;" as in, "We had a smooth trip to the beach and everything was wonderful" (one way to say this in German: "Wir hatten einen glatten Ausflug zum Strand und alles war wunderbar"); Low German is interesting, because it has "glatt," the primary meaning of which is "smooth," but I have a strong suspicion that this form has worked its way into Low German from standard German, as its comparative form is "gladder" (smoother), and Low German once had "glad" and the compound noun "gladmod," literally "glad mood;" that is, "cheerfulness;" West Frisian has "glêd," meaning, "smooth, shiny;" Dutch has "glad," meaning, "smooth, slick, slippery;" Danish has "glad," meaning, "cheerful," and it also has "glat," meaning, "smooth, slippery," but this is a borrowing from German (with likely reinforcement by Low German), Icelandic has "glaður" (=glathur), meaning, "happy, cheerful;" Norwegian has "glad," meaning "cheerful, happy;" Swedish has "glad," meaning, "happy, cheerful, merry."  

What's In A Name: Derek, Meaghan

Derek-Also spelled "Derrick," with some other less common spellings used. This male name goes well back in history as a contracted form of Germanic "Theodoric," meaning, "ruler of the people." Its continued use in various forms certainly was helped by it being the name of "Theodoric the Great," dating to his birth in the 400s A.D. He was the ruler of the Ostrogoths, a branch of the Germanic Gothic tribes. The Gothic dialect/language was from the East Germanic branch of the Germanic languages. All of the East Germanic dialects have now died out. English is from the West Germanic branch. The first part of "Theodoric" goes back to Germanic "theudo," which meant, "popular, of the same people, tribal or national (in the sense of closely related people." It is this Germanic ancestor that lies behind the modern words "Deutsch" and "Dutch," and English once had "þeod," which can also be rendered as "theod," with "þ," called a "thorn," and which is still in use in modern Icelandic, representing the "th" sound. The last part of "Theodoric" developed from Germanic "rikija," which meant, "rule/ruler." The general Germanic form is the ancestor of "rich" and of Old English "rice," not pronounced like the grain product, but pronounced "rye-keh," the close relative of German "Reich." The English form was later replaced by the borrowed word "empire." In English a shortened form of Theodoric was "Deodric," also "Dederick," although the use of the shortened forms either ended or became very limited by 1400, the name was either reintroduced into English or provided reinforcement for its limited use by Flemish, a Dutch dialect of Flanders (now part of Belgium), where "Derck" was in use, and by Dutch, where "Derk" was in use in the northern Dutch-speaking areas.      

Meaghan-Also spelled "Meagan," "Megan," "Meghan," and some others. The female name came into English from Welsh, which originated the name as a nickname for "Margaret." * It gradually became a name in its own right in Wales, but its popularity in other English speaking areas didn't materialize until the 1900s. 

* For the name "Margaret," here is the link: https://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2014/12/whats-in-name-nathan-margaret.html

I consulted the following for this article: 1) "A World of Baby Names," by Teresa Norman, published by Perigee/Penguin Group, New York, 2003. 2) www.behindthename.com 

WORD HISTORY:
Attorney-The main part of this word is closely related to "turn." It goes back to Indo European "tereh," which had the notion, "to turn, to twist, to rub or wear down during a turning process." This gave Ancient Greek transliterated "tórnos," meaning, "a lathe," which was borrowed by Latin as "tornus." This produced the Latin verb "tornare," meaning, "to fashion by turning on a lathe, to polish by rubbing while turning." This gave Latin-based Old French "torner," which meant, "to turn around;" thus also, "return" (as well as, "turn on a lathe"), which spawned Old French "atorner," which meant, "to turn to someone, to turn over something to someone;" thus, "to assign, to designate." Its past participle form was "atorné" (later "atourné"), which also was used as a noun to mean, "one assigned or designated to (do something)." English borrowed the word seemingly about 1300 with the meaning, "one designated to represent and act for another," with specialized meanings developing thereafter for people trained in particular legal matters (civil and business, criminal, etc). Initially spelled with one ''t," with a second "t" added in the 1400s by influence of Latin "attornare," which meant, "to turn over a right or responsibility to another." The word "attorney" has not been used in the British court system since the second half of the 1800s, as the word is used disparagingly there and it was replaced by the word "solicitor" in most contexts.   

Basque Codfish: Bacalao a la Vizcaina

"Bacalao a la Vizcaina" is a dish from the northern Basque region of Spain, especially the area bordering on the Bay of Biscay, known as Vizcaya, with Balboa being the provincial capital and the major city. The Basques are a people "thought" to have inhabited parts of western Europe prior to the arrival of Indo European speakers. Their language is not Indo European, and attempts to connect it to other non Indo European languages have left many questions, although it "appears" to be a part of "Vasconic," an ancient language family that was eventually replaced, with a few exceptions, by Indo European speakers. The origin of the Basques and their language is a highly controversial subject, but "apparently" the Basques are a pretty unique people among the modern peoples of the world, and they can "bask" in their uniqueness ... hm, okay, so that wasn't such a good one. The Basques inhabit part of northern Spain and part of southern France, both in the general area of the Pyrenees Mountains. Quite a number of Basques emigrated to America, primarily in the mid 1800s.

While "Bacalao a la Vizcaina" is from the Basque region of Spain, it is known and served in many other parts of Spain. Traditionally in much of Spain, and certainly in the Basque region, the red peppers used are "choricero peppers" (Spainish: "Pimiento choricero"), which are mild. I like the peppers roasted, and you can certainly buy roasted red peppers in a jar. Further, salt cod (bacalao) is used in Spain, and it has to be soaked for a day or two in advance, with several changes of water, but you can use fresh or thawed cod fillets. As with just about all popular recipes, there are variations in recipes for "Bacalao a la Vizcaina," including in how the cod should be cut and cooked. Some people fix the fish in oil, as I have done here, but others simmer the fish in water, with some also then using some of the cooking liquid to prepare the recipe. Some cut the fish into small pieces, some flake the fish, some cut larger pieces of cod, as I have done. There are a number of other variations too, and some of Spain's former colonies have recipes for this dish with their own variations.    

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds cod
1 1/2 cups of sliced onion
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2/3 cup roasted sweet red pepper, chopped
3/4 cup chopped tomatoes (I use grape tomatoes, halved) 
5 tablespoons (3 regular olive oil & 2 extra virgin olive oil, use more oil if needed)
1/4 cup halved pimento stuffed olives
parsley for garnish
a pinch to 1/2 teaspoon salt, to taste

Heat the oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the cod pieces and cook for about 3 minutes per side, then carefully remove the fish to a separate plate (it will cook more in a little while). Add the onion to the same skillet and saute for 3 to 4 minutes, then add the garlic and saute for a further two minutes. Add the red pepper and the tomatoes, stirring well to mix (if you feel you need more olive oil, add it now). Stir in the olive halves and then add the cod back to the skillet (with any juices that may have accumulated on the plate) and sprinkle some salt over the top. Its good if you cover the skillet with a lid or foil to reheat and finish cooking the fish (you'll want to check thick pieces of cod to be sure they are cooked through). Add some chopped parsley to each serving for a garnish.

WORD HISTORY:
Skipper-While English has more than one word of this spelling, this is the most common of those words, with the noun meaning, "a ship's master." "Skipper" is closely related to "ship," as it is actually derived from that word. The ultimate origin of "ship" is unknown, although some tie it to an Indo European source, "skei(b)," that meant "cut, rip," and then Old Germanic used it with the idea being of a ship "cutting through the water, ripping up the water," or of, "cutting or ripping out logs to make floating vessels." The idea of a "water going vessel" does seem to come from Old Germanic, which had "skipam" or "skipan," with that meaning, "water going vessel." This then helped produce Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "scip," with the same meaning. This then became "ship," and was expanded to "shipper" (1300s?), but in the sense, "a ship's master," but also, "a sailor." About 1400 English took on "skipper" from its Dutch relative, which had "scipper," with that same "ship's master" meaning. Interestingly, the harder sounding "skipper" won out over "shipper," although "shipper" redeveloped in a different sense. The verb form of "skipper," meaning, "to command a ship," simply came from the noun. In the 1300s German too developed a form of the word as "Schiffer" (owner of a ship," then broadened to "ship's commander") and Low German in that same era had "schipper" ("master of a ship") and Dutch has the modern form "schipper" (ship's master, sailor). It's important to remember, the form "shipper" in English and its cousins in the other Germanic languages are a natural progression of the noun forms and the verb forms, with the addition of "er," a common Germanic ending which shows, "one who does a particular action;" thus, "shipper," "one who operates a ship," but also, "a person or company that sends goods by ship" (initially by ship, but later broadened to include any kind of transport).

Ethiopian Spicy Chicken Stew: Doro Wat

I saw this dish made on television about 25 years ago, but I don't recall the television program. About a year ago I saw it made online by an Ethiopian woman and I decided I wanted to try making this myself (I've now made it three times in the last year). I checked probably 25 recipes, and there were naturally some variations, as this is a popular dish in East Africa, and like with just about all popular dishes, many people have their own versions, but generally the differences weren't all that great. The common similarity was the use of a lot of onion, although some chopped the onion finely by hand, others chopped the onion into more medium sized pieces and others used food processors to grind the onions into a fine texture, which is what I did the third time I made this dish (see photo below), and I recommend that you also use a food processor, it makes it all much easier. What makes this dish is the spice mix, called "berbere." You can read my note below, and if you make it yourself, you can control the "heat," or you can buy some and then "doctor" it more to your own preferences, especially if you like more heat. I bought some berbere, and it was far too mild, but I dry and grind my own hot chilies, so I easily remedied the "heat shortage." I keep two kinds of ground red chilies; one "hot," but not scorching, and a second type that is much hotter. As is almost always the case here, this is my version of "doro wat," which means "chicken stew," but it's certainly similar to many of the recipes I checked, including one I have in a cookbook I've had for over 20 years. Ah... I don't care for the recipe in the cookbook. While I mentioned that "doro wat" is a popular dish in East Africa, it is not typically served on a regular basis in most households, as it is more of a holiday dish or used for family celebrations, although restaurants catering to tourists are likely to have it on the menu. You can serve this with rice, but traditionally it is served with "injera," a crepe like flatbread common in East Africa. Injera is used to line serving plates and trays, just like you might line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and then various foods are served right on top of the injera. Then pieces of the injera are torn off, beginning at the edges, and used by diners to scoop up or pinch off foods from the injera covered plate/tray.*

You could certainly use a slow cooker to prepare this dish, but I cooked it in a pot over low heat on the stove top. The first time I made this, I used bone-in chicken pieces, although I had seen several recipes that used boneless chicken; so the second time I made it, I used boneless chicken. The third time I compromised between the two and I used bone-in whole chicken legs, but boneless chicken breast. The problem is, if you keep the bones in, when you serve the chicken, you have to be careful of pieces of bone that have come off into the stew. To be honest, it's better to use boneless chicken, BUT I put some of the removed skin into the stew for added flavor. If you keep the skin in big pieces, you can fish it out later.  

I believe I wrote about this in one of my articles about Germany some time back, since that's where it happened, but it is certainly relevant here. I met my first Ethiopian in Germany back when the country was still divided. When I say "Ethiopian," I mean a person born and raised there. I was returning from Berlin to Frankfurt by train, and a young man from Ethiopia was in my compartment. The political situation was somewhat tense, as there were periodic flare ups in those days between East and West Germany and their respective allies, with the United States then leading the support for West Germany, and the Soviet Union leading the support for East Germany, a then communist dominated country. At that time in particular the tensions were higher than normal, because an East German spy or two had been discovered in the West German government or military, I just forget the details. Read this carefully, because it is a bit hard to follow here. The Ethiopian man was young, and if I remember correctly, he had been, or perhaps still was, a student in the Soviet Union, in Moscow. In those times, Ethiopia had a pro-Soviet government, and this young man had a Soviet passport. The only reason I knew anything about him was that he was fluent in French and a young German man from the Württemberg region of Germany was quite good with French and he translated for us (there was also a middle aged German couple in the compartment), and also for the guards and train personnel who periodically entered the compartment. So, if you are confused, you have undoubtedly followed the story well: Ethiopian man, Soviet passport, speaks French, traveling in West Germany; hey, what's so unusual about all of that? Well, later the West German guards got on the train at the border between the two Germanies and when they saw the Ethiopian man's Soviet passport, they examined everything the man had on him, including his toothbrush. I distinctly remember that, even after all of these years. I felt so sorry for him, but it was a sign of those times.

Ingredients (6 servings):

3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken pieces (or about 4 pounds skinless chicken pieces with bones)
3 large onions (softball size), chopped or put into a food processor
4 tablespoons butter (or clarified butter, or spiced clarified butter**)
1/3 cup berbere spice mix***
2 inch piece of ginger, peeled and finely chopped/minced
3 garlic cloves, minced 
4 tablespoons tomato paste
3/4 cup chicken stock (you can add a little more, if needed)
1 teaspoon salt (if the chicken broth is salty, you can omit this)
6 eggs (hard boiled and peeled)
1/2 lemon, juiced
2 inch x 1/2 inch piece of fresh lemon peel

You will need a good sized pot to make this dish. Peel the onions and chop them, but it is easier, including on the eyes, to cut the onions into fairly large pieces and put them into a food processor and process until the onions are finely ground. Onions have a lot of liquid, so don't be surprised if you see the processed onions with "puddles" of onion juice on them (see photo below). I also add the garlic and the ginger to the processor and just do this all together. In the pot over low heat, add the butter and oil (or clarified butter), after a minute or two, add the ground onion/garlic/ginger mixture and cook the mixture, uncovered, for about 30 minutes. Add the berbere spice mix, tomato paste, lemon peel and chicken broth; stir well and cook for another 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure the tomato paste breaks up and blends into the mixture. Add the chicken making sure that all pieces are submerged in the sauce, or at least coated with the sauce. This is another argument to use boneless chicken pieces, because if you use bone-in chicken and you want to move it around a bit during cooking, this can cause pieces of bone to fall off into the stew. Let the chicken cook, covered, over low heat until tender. Add the lemon juice, and then nestle the hardboiled eggs into the pot and let the stew cook for about 8-10 more minutes.  

* You can make your own injera bread and it's pretty easy: https://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2019/04/east-african-flatbread-injera.html

** Ethiopians use a clarified butter that is made with other ingredients to spice it up. Clarified butter has had the milk solids removed and this allows it to cook at higher temperatures or for longer periods of time without burning. The Ethiopian version is called "niter kibbeh/nitr qibe," and you can find it in some spice shops or in African grocery shops, or online. It depends upon how "authentic" you want to try to be, but you certainly can use 4 tablespoons of butter and add a pinch each of some, or all, of the following: ground cinnamon, ground cardamom, ground cloves, ground coriander, ground cumin, ground fenugreek. If you don't want to get this involved, just use 3 tablespoons of butter and 1 tablespoon of regular olive oil or vegetable oil. The oil will "help" to keep the butter from burning quickly.

*** Berbere spice mix can be found in some spice shops, African grocery shops or online. If you keep a large variety of spices at home, you can also simply make your own berbere. While the butter used is not quite as important, this spice mix is very important to make "Doro Wat." To make your own berbere spice mixture, here is my own recipe, but remember, many East Africans have their own recipes: https://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2019/04/east-african-spice-mix-berbere.html
    
1) "Doro Wat" with whole piece of chicken  2 & 3) Longer cooked "Doro Wat" with off the bone chicken  4) The onions for the stew in the pot, and you can see the onion juice on top   (Note: a boiled egg and some collard greens accompany some servings) 

WORD HISTORY: 
Skip-English has more than one word of this spelling, with one simply being a shortened form of "skipper" ("a ship's captain or commander"). Then there is "skip" meaning "basket, trash bin," in  British English, a variant form of "skep," which was borrowed from Old Norse "skeppa" (basket), but with an unknown further history. Then there is the most common word of this spelling, meaning, "to hop along between a walk and a run," also, "to jump over." This led to figurative usages like, "to leave out, as in 'to ignore a part of written text or music" (for example, "I'm busy, so I'll skip reading the middle part of the article and go to the end"), and also of people, often coupled with "over," as in, "Actually Johnny is next in line, but I'll "skip over" him, because I prefer the next person"; then later also, "to deliberately fail to attend some function or event" (for example, "I'm so tired, I think I'll skip going to the council meeting tonight"). This is all from North Germanic "skupan," meaning, "to hop, to leap," and English likely borrowed the word from some form brought to England by Old Norse, which had "skopa," meaning, "to make a run, to leap." English borrowed the word, as "skyppen," in the early 1300s. It then became "skippen," before the modern version. The noun form was derived from the verb in about 1450, initially meaning, "a bound, a short hop," but then it later also followed the figurative meanings of the verb, "a leaving out  or ignoring of something," and a common usage in the prominent days of vinyl records was, "a defect or scratch in the record causing it to "jump" out of sequence."