Coconut Pudding

This is easy, but you have to pay attention to the milk mixture as it heats and you need to keep whisking.

Ingredients (4 to 6 servings):

 

2 cups milk

1/3 cup sugar

3 tablespoons cornstarch

good pinch salt

1 egg + 1 egg yolk

2 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2/3 cup shredded sweetened coconut

whipped cream 

toasted coconut for garnish

 

In a pan, heat milk, sugar, cornstarch, salt, egg and egg yolk over medium heat, whisk constantly until thickened, then remove from the heat. (Note: Put the ingredients in at the very start, this will let the egg/egg yolks gradually heat up and that, along with constant whisking, will keep the eggs from scrambling. You CANNOT heat the milk and other ingredients and then just add the eggs, they will curdle.) Whisk in vanilla and butter (the butter will melt in the hot pudding), then stir in the shredded coconut. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Serve with whipped cream and toasted coconut (toast in dry skillet over low heat until it starts to brown, stirring and shaking the skillet to prevent having the coconut burn).

WORD HISTORY:

Citadel-This word is related to "city" and to "civil," words of Latin derivation and borrowed by English from Latin-based French, and it is distantly related to "cemetery," a word of Greek derivation borrowed by Latin and taken by Latin-based French and then borrowed by English. "Citadel" goes back to Indo European "k(h)ei," with the meaning "settle, lie down;" thus, "homestead," and also the figurative noun sense, "family." This gave Latin "civis," meaning "resident of a town;" thus, "citizen," and this produced Latin "civitas," which meant "the rights of being a citizen (originally of Rome);" thus, "citizenship." This produced Old Italian "cittade," meaning "city," the diminutive form of which in Italian became "cittadella." Cities were often walled many years ago, but people began settling outside of city walls in increasing numbers. These expanded cities often had the old walled city in the interior of the city; thus, the meaning developed for "citadel" as a fortress within a city, a strongly fortified part of a city." French borrowed the word from Italian as "citadelle" and English borrowed the word from French in the mid 1500s.

Sicilian Bucatini With Sardines: Pasta Chi Sardi

This is one of the dishes associated with the city of Palermo on the Italian island of Sicily, although Sicilians beyond Palermo make the dish. Legend has it that an Arab cook invented the dish in the 800s (yes, 800s) on Sicily by using fish and wild fennel, both plentiful on Sicily.  

 

On Sicily, they have a type of wild fennel common to the island they use, but you'll likely have to settle for the fennel from your produce store or from your garden. Bucatini is a type of Italian pasta that is much like thick spaghetti, but with a hole running through the middle. There is an abundance of sardines in the waters off of Palermo, which is a port city in northwestern Sicily; thus, Sicilians use fresh sardines for this dish, but you can use canned sardines, and I use boneless and skinless sardines. I'm not a fan of having to pick bones out of fish, and I've found that many people who say they do not like fish, it is because of bones in the fish, not the taste of fish.

 

Ingredients (5 to 6 servings):

 

8 ounces bucatini

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 large onion, peeled and chopped

1/4 cup pine nuts

1/4 cup golden raisins

1/2 cup chopped fennel (including fronds), divided use

good pinch of saffron threads + 1 tablespoon tomato paste + 3 tablespoons water

3 anchovy fillets

two cans sardines (4.4 to 5 ounces each) 

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 

1/3 cup coarse breadcrumbs (panko is fine) toasted in 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

salt for the pasta water

If you use whole cleaned sardines, they will need to be butterflied and have the bones removed. Canned sardines should begin to sound better now. Haha 

Add the water, tomato paste and saffron to a cup or small bowl, stir and set it aside. In a skillet, heat the extra virgin olive oil over medium heat, then add the onion and saute until it begins to soften. Add the raisins, pine nuts, 1/4 cup chopped fennel, anchovy fillets; saute for 3 to 4 minutes, then add one can of sardines and cook for another 3 minutes, breaking up the sardines and anchovies (which will begin to dissolve) during that time. Now add the saffron, tomato paste and water mixture; stir well. In the meantime, cook the bucatini in boiling water, seasoned with the other 1/4 cup chopped fennel and the fronds of fennel and salt. Cook until nearly al dente. Remove the bucatini from the water with a slotted spoon or a sieve and add it to the skillet, then add 1 cup of the seasoned cooking water to the skillet and increase the heat to medium high. Add the other can of sardines (but don't deliberately break up these fish) and the ground black pepper. Stir frequently and cook until much of the liquid is gone (I used low heat). Use a small skillet to heat 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add the bread crumbs and toast them until golden, stirring lightly, but constantly, to prevent the breadcrumbs from getting too dark or burning. Serve the bucatini and sardines with some of the breadcrumbs sprinkled over the top. 

 

WORD HISTORY:

Vigor (British spelling: vigour)- This word is related to "vegetable," a Latin-derived word borrowed by English from French, and it is distantly related to "watch" and "wake," words from the Germanic roots of English. "Vigor" goes back to Indo European "weg/wek," which had the notion, "to be active, to be lively. This gave Latin "vigere" meaning, "to be lively, to thrive." This produced the Latin noun "vigor" (accusative: vigorem), with the meaning, "liveliness, activity;" thus also, "strength." This passed to Latin-based Old French as "vigor" (also "vigur?"), and this then became "vigour," including in the Anglo-French dialect spoken in England, all with the meaning of "strength to exert oneself in activity." English borrowed the word in the early 1300s as "vigour," and later the American spelling returned to the Latin spelling "vigor." 

Kenyan Kidney Bean Stew: Maharagwe

Some people make this as a soup (more liquid), while others limit the liquid content somewhat and make this as a stew. It is often served with "ugali," a very thick kind of porridge of white cornmeal and water (it seems a few add some salt, and even fewer add butter or oil). I use a 2 to 1 ration of water to cornmeal, but I've seen recipes that use 2 1/2 or 3 to 1 ratio, but on the other hand, I've also seen a couple of recipes with a slightly less than 2 to 1 ratio. The cornmeal and water is cooked and stirred until the mixture is no longer fluid and essentially you can stand a spoon up in it (it requires LOTS of stirring). In this way it is very much like some recipes for Italian polenta or American cornmeal mush used for frying, and both of these are also made from cornmeal, although often yellow cornmeal. There are many names for this basic cornmeal dish across Africa, with "fufu," "nsima," "nshima" and "pap" being just a few of the names.  

Ingredients (5 to 6 servings):

 

2/3 cup chopped white onion

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 inch piece ginger, peeled and grated

1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper

2 tablespoons vegetable oil + 3 tablespoons water

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 1/2 teaspoons ground turmeric

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 medium jalapeno or serrano chili pepper, chopped

1 can diced tomatoes (14.5 ounces) with juice

2 cans (15 ounces each) kidney beans, drained

1 tablespoon honey

1 teaspoon salt

1 can coconut milk (14 to 15 ounces)

1/2 to 1 cup water

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro (also called coriander by some)

 

In a heavy bottom pan or pot, add the oil over medium heat, and when it's hot, add the onion and saute for about 2 minutes, then add the garlic and ginger and saute another minute. Now add the 3 tablespoons of water followed by the chopped red bell pepper and the chopped jalapeno or serrano chili pepper. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, then remove the pan from the heat and add the dry spices (ground coriander, ground turmeric, ground cumin, ground cardamom, ground black pepper), stirring to mix, then add the diced tomatoes with juice. Put the pan back onto the heat and let cook until the vegetables are all softened, stirring often. Add the drained kidney beans, honey and salt; cook for 3 to 4 minutes, then add the coconut milk and 1/2 cup water, and stir to mix. Let the stew come to a simmer (adjust the heat to maintain a steady simmer, not a full boil). Simmer the stew for 6 to 7 minutes, and add the other 1/2 cup of water if the stew is too thick (if you want more of a soup, add the amount of water to make the consistency you want), return to a simmer and cook for another 8 to 10 minutes. Add the chopped cilantro (coriander) and stir. Serve hot.     

 

 

WORD HISTORY:

Anvil-This is a compound word, with the second part of the word related to "felt," the noun for a type of fabric, which is from the Germanic roots of English, to "filter," a word with a Germanic base that was borrowed and expanded by Latin and then borrowed by English from Latin, with Latin-based French reinforcement, to the main body of "appeal," a Latin derived word borrowed by English via French, and to the second part of "compel, also Latin-derived and borrowed by English via French. The first part of "anvil" goes back to Indo European "an/(h)an/(h)aen," meaning "on, onto, above." This gave Old Germanic "ana," meaning "on, onto, upon." The second part of "anvil" goes back to the Indo European root "pel" (there were several forms of "pel," with varied meanings), with the idea of "beat, hit, beat down;" thus also, "compress." This gave Old Germanic "filtan/feltan," meaning "to beat, to hit, to strike," and gave the West Germanic compound form "anafalt(a)/anafilt(a)," meaning "a place to beat metal into various forms." This gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "anfilt(e)/anfealt," with the same meaning, and this then became "anfilt/anvelt," before the modern form "anvil." Forms in the other Germanic languages: German had "Anafalz," and Low German had "anfilts, and Dutch had "anavilt" (also "anevilt?"). NOTE: Modern German has "Amboss," Low German has "Ambolt/Ambeld," Dutch has "aambeeld," West Frisian has "ambyld" (also "aambyld"), Danish has "ambolt." These all came from other forms of "anvil," with these forms going back to the Old Germanic ancestor of "bolt." (The German form "Amboss" is spelled with double s because of a sound shift in the high Germanic dialects long ago that made many 't' sounds into 's' or 'ss;' for example: English "water," but German "Wasser," English "kettle," but German "Kessel," English "vat," but German "Fass.")      

Jamaican Jerk Seasoning (Dry)

Jamaica is located some 90 miles or so south of Cuba in the Caribbean Sea. Jamaica gained its independence from Great Britain in the early 1960s, although Queen Elizabeth II is the queen of this island nation, and she is represented there by her appointed governor-general, but Jamaica has its own governing system and prime minister. It is tough to think of Jamaica without thinking of reggae music, musician Bob Marley and Olympic runner Usain Bolt.  

 

Jamaica is famous for "jerk" cooking; that is, foods, usually meat, especially chicken, that is marinated with a spice rub and/or liquid marinade, and then grilled or roasted. Foods prepared this way in Jamaica are spicy hot, as they contain hot chili peppers, including the famous "scotch bonnets," named after their shape, but which might make you flip your bonnet from the intense heat they can produce. I've given my version of the dry spice/herb rub here, and I may soon do a version of the liquid marinade, which uses scotch bonnet chilies. Of course, you can adjust the heat level up or down to your own preference with these types of spice mixtures. 

 

Ingredients:

 

1 tablespoon onion powder

1 tablespoon garlic powder

2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper

2 teaspoons brown sugar

2 teaspoons dried thyme 

2 teaspoons ground allspice

1 1/2 teaspoons sweet smoked Spanish paprika

2 teaspoons dried parsley

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground red chili pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons dried red pepper flakes

 

Add the ingredients to the container you will use for the seasoning, put the lid on and shake the container until everything is well mixed together. Shake the container again before each usage of the seasoning. 

 

WORD HISTORY:

Felt-This is the noun for the type of fabric, as in "felt-tip or felt-tipped pen." It is related to "filter," a word borrowed by English from Latin (with French influence and reinforcement), with Latin having borrowed the base of the word from Germanic, and it is related to "pelt," the verb form meaning "to hit or beat," plus, "to hit with objects thrown, launched or fired in some way," a word from Latin long ago, going back to Old English, and it is related to the second part of "anvil," a word from the Germanic roots of English. "Felt" goes back to one of the Indo European roots, "pel" (there are several with varied meanings), with the idea of "beat, hit, beat down;" thus also, "compress." This gave Old Germanic "felt(az)," with the same meanings, and this gave the West Germanic branch of Germanic "feltaz/filtiz," meaning "wool or wool combined with other fur beaten until compressed into a fabric." This gave Old English "felt," where it has remained ever since. Relatives in the other Germanic languages: German has "Filz," Low German has "Filt," West Frisian "filt," Dutch "vilt," Danish "filt" (from Low German), Swedish "filt" (also borrowed from Low German, seemingly with the initial meaning of  "felt," but with the wool fabric meaning coming to mean "blanket," although that meaning seems to have also been in Low German).   

Welsh Stew: Tatws Pum Munud

While the Welsh name of this dish, "Tatws Pum Munud," means "five minute potatoes," the dish takes longer than that to prepare. Original recipes for the dish call for long thin flat slices of potato, carrot, onion and bacon, so with the preparation of the ingredients this way, likely the dish cooked quickly in a hot pan over a fire, earning it the name it still bears, but this is just a guess on my part. Understand, in more modern times, not everyone cuts the ingredients this way, but rather they cut the ingredients into various shapes and sizes, according to their own preferences. Some prefer to cook the stew in the oven. In researching this dish, I found that some people sprinkle a little flour into the skillet early on, which then helps to thicken the broth into a gravy, and this type of Welsh Stew is often served on a plate, while others keep the broth to a minimum, or some others serve a small amount of broth over the meat and vegetables in shallow bowls (see photos, below).

 

Serve with crusty bread with butter and baked beans as a side dish; plus, Worcestershire sauce to sprinkle on for those who desire to do so (it's my understanding that this is pretty common ... I didn't say EVERYBODY does so).

 

 Ingredients:

 

1 large potato, sliced into long slices about 1/3 inch thick

1 carrot, sliced into long slices about 1/3 inch thick

4 to 6 thick slices of smoked bacon, cut into 2 inch long pieces

1 large onion, peeled, halved, and cut into half rings

1 tablespoon vegetable oil or olive oil

2 1/2 cups beef stock

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt (remember, the beef stock has salt, so you may not even need this)

(optional for thickening) 1 1/2 tablespoons flour mixed with 3 tablespoons water

Worcestershire sauce for serving 

 

In a large skillet, add the tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Fry the bacon pieces for about 2 minutes, then turn the bacon pieces over. Now add the onion and let the bacon and onion cook for about 2 more minutes, then add the carrot and potato pieces and sprinkle on the pepper and salt. Add the broth and let the broth come to a boil, then adjust the heat to maintain a steady simmer. Cook until the carrots and potatoes are tender ("about" 25 minutes), and optionally you can thicken the broth with flour and water.

 

  

 

WORD HISTORY:

Vassal-"Vassal" is closely related to "valet," a word with much the same history of "vassal," and it is distantly related to "up," a word from the Germanic roots of English, and it is related to the prefix "sub" and to the "supp" part of words like "supply" and "supple" ("supp" is from "sub"), forms of Latin derivation, and English words with "sub" or "supp" are borrowings from Latin or Latin-based languages, commonly from French. "Vassal" goes back to the Indo European root "upo," with the notion of "from under" or "from below;" thus in terms of direction, "to go over/above." This gave Old Celtic "wasso" (perhaps actually 'wassos'?) meaning, "young male servant, squire"^ (thus, "one who is 'subservient' to another"), from the notion of "man who stands below another." This was borrowed by Latin as "vassus," meaning "a servant," which later produced the more extended form of Latin "vassallus," meaning "male servant, domestic servant," and this passed to Latin-based Old French as "vassal," meaning "subordinate, servant, subject (person under the authority of another)." This was borrowed by English in the early part of the 1300s, with the more specific meaning "tenant of a feudal lord to whom he has pledged fealty;" thus, "a subject of the feudal lord." The more general meaning, "servant, one under the control of another," has continued into modern times.

^ "Squire" once simply meant "young man who is an attendant/servant to a knight," and it wasn't until later that it acquired the meaning "landowning country gentleman."

Cajun Meatball Fricassee

This is a dish from Louisiana, and it is traditionally served over white rice, but I love it over my favorite, mashed potatoes! Or you can try it with cornmeal & sage dumplings see: https://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2019/07/cornmeal-sage-dumplings.html 

Ingredients (about 5 or 6 servings):

For the meatballs:

 

1 pound ground beef

1 pound ground pork

3 slices smoked bacon, finely chopped or ground 

2/3 cup finely chopped onion (white/yellow/red)

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/3 cup fine breadcrumbs

1 egg, beaten

1/3 cup chopped green onions/scallions

2 tablespoons creole seasoning* (or Cajun seasoning)

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons salt (if your creole seasoning has lots of salt, you may not need this)

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

For the fricassee sauce:

 

1/2 cup chopped white/yellow onion

1/3 cup chopped green bell pepper

1 stalk celery, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 1/2 cups beef stock

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1/3 cup flour 

1 teaspoon Gravy Master/Kitchen Bouquet 

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

3 or 4 chopped green onions for topping

You certainly don't have to do this, but I suggest putting the ground beef, ground pork and the bacon into a processor to get it more finely ground, as it makes the meatballs more tender, but if you choose not to do this, the world won't end because of it. Put the meat into a bowl and add all of the other ingredients for the meatballs to the meat and then mix everything together very well (use your hands). Cover and let the mixture sit for about 20 to 30 minutes (if you have time, make the meatball mixture the day before, cover it and keep it in the refrigerator until you're ready to make the dish the next day). To make the dish: I use a 12 inch skillet, but a dutch oven pot is another good choice, and you will very likely have to brown the meatballs in a couple of batches. If you've had the meatball mixture refrigerated for more than 20 or 30 minutes, let it sit out on your counter for about 10 or 15 minutes first, then form and roll the meatballs in your hands. I make them about golf ball size, but you can make them smaller if you prefer, although I wouldn't make them much larger, as I've found that golf ball size or smaller works well in letting the meatballs cook properly, without having to go through putting them into the oven to cook. Add the oil to the skillet and heat it over medium heat. Add the meatballs and let them brown lightly, turning them to brown them all over. Remove them to a plate or platter, and then brown the rest of the meatballs, then remove them to the plate. The meatballs do not have to be cooked through at this time, just lightly browned, as they will cook further shortly. Add the onion, green pepper and celery to the skillet with the oil used to brown the meatballs. Cook for a couple minutes or so until the vegetables soften a good deal, then add the garlic and saute another minute. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables in the skillet, then mix everything into the oil to form a roux; let cook about 2 to 3 minutes, stirring to prevent sticking or burning (this should remove any uncooked flour taste). Gradually begin to add the beef stock (I add 1 cup at a time, but that isn't gospel), stirring continuously until the sauce begins to thicken, then add more stock and do the same thing until the stock is all incorporated and the sauce thickened into a nice gravy. I generally like thick sauces/gravies, but this isn't supposed to be like concrete for a new sidewalk. Stir in the Gravy Master or Kitchen Bouquet and the chopped parsley. Add the meatballs, turn the heat to low or very low and cover the pot or skillet with a lid or foil. Let cook for about five minutes, uncover and turn the meatballs, cover the pot/skillet again and cook another five minutes, and then do the same thing. Check to make sure the meatballs are done (my experience has been that the meatballs are done and tender after 15 minutes, but you want to check). I use 2 meatballs per serving, topped with chopped green onions.    

* For homemade creole seasoning (and Cajun seasoning too) here is the link: https://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2021/09/homemade-cajun-seasoning-creole.html 

 

 

WORD HISTORY:

Throng-This word goes back to Indo European "trenk," which had the notion of "push, press, squeeze together." This gave Old Germanic "þrenkhan" (þ=th), with the same basic meaning. This gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "þringan," meaning, "to press, to press through, to press on, to squeeze together," this produced the noun "geþrang" (=gethrang), meaning "a crowd, a throng, the loud noise made by a large gathering of people," and it then became "thrang," before "throng." German has "Gedränge," meaning, "throng, crowd, hustle and bustle, pushing and shoving," German also has "Drang," meaning, "drive;" that is, "something that makes a person or people go on;" thus also, "an urge, an impetus, a motivation," and the same is true of Dutch "drang," and Dutch also has "gedrang," "a crowd, a throng, a crush of people." Icelandic has "mannþröng," meaning "crowd, throng." The original English verb "throng" seems to have been derived from the Old English verb "þringan," and it simply meant "to press, to squeeze together, to crush," but by the 1500s it had picked up the meaning from the noun that has remained into modern times: "to move along as a crowd, to amass at a particular place or event." Not sure about the usage for the verb in England and in Britain, in general, but the verb is pretty rare in American English.