Shirley Temple Mocktail

The story is, this non-alcohol "cocktail-like" drink was devised for child actress Shirley Temple at a restaurant where she was having dinner with her parents, who both had cocktails. You can use either Sprite, 7 Up, ginger ale or the more potent ginger beer, which has a spicy kick to it.* Grenadine is a type of syrup made from pomegranate juice. It is VERY red and it adds that red color, as well as and a sweetness, to numerous drinks. It is easily found in supermarkets and liquor stores, although it is non-alcohol.

 

Ingredients (per drink):

 

2/3 cup ginger ale or ginger beer or Sprite or 7 Up

2 teaspoons fresh lime juice

2 tablespoons grenadine

2 maraschino cherries 

ice

10 to 12 ounce glass

NOTE: Add 2 ounces of vodka for what is called a "Dirty Shirley Temple Cocktail" 

Start with just a little ice in the glass, then add the 2/3 cup of whatever carbonated beverage you choose, lime juice and grenadine; stir well, then add more ice. Garnish with a couple of maraschino cherries. 

* Brewed ginger beer seems to have been first made in England in the 1700s and it became a popular drink in all of the British Isles and in numerous (then) British colonies and possessions like Canada, Jamaica, Australia and South Africa. It is my understanding that the original fermentation process produced both an alcohol content, as well as the sparkling fizz of the drink, which was made with yeast; but that later, the process was altered to make an alcohol free brew, and later still, the carbonation process (injecting carbon dioxide under pressure) was used to give the drink its fizz.   

WORD HISTORY:

Fledge (Fledgling)-"Fledge" is the main word here, and it is related to a number of words, including to: "fly" (also the the noun used for "a flying insect"), "float," "flow" and "fowl," all words from the Germanic roots of English, and it is distantly related to "pulmonary," a word borrowed by English from Latin, with influence via French. "Fledge" goes back to Indo European "pleu" (extended form "pleud"), which meant, "to flow, to run (of water/fluids), to stream;" thus also with implications of "to fly." This gave Old Germanic "fleugan(an)," the ancestor of "to fly," and this gave Old Germanic (perhaps just West Germanic?) the adjectival "flugjaz," meaning "feathered to be able to fly." This gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "flycge," meaning "capable of flight, feathered to be able to fly," which then became "flygge," then "flegge," before the modern form. Often used as "full(y)-fledged;" that is, "one totally capable of flying, one capable of being out on their own, one now passed into young adulthood." The noun "fledgling" developed from "fledge" in the 1830s (?), the basic meaning of which is, "a young bird or insect that has matured to the point of flight;" with the expanded meaning, "inexperienced or unproven person or animal;" thus also, "a young naive person, someone new at something." German has "flügge," Low German has "flügg," both meaning "fledged, capable of flight," Dutch has "vlug" meaning "swift, fast," from the old notion of being able to fly.       

Portuguese Black-Eyed Peas & Tuna Salad: Salada de Feijão Frade com Atum

Black-eyed peas are really a type of bean originally from Africa and brought to the New World by African slaves. They are eaten in several African countries like Senegal, Nigeria and others, as well as on many of the Caribbean islands, and they are popular in the American South and in parts of Brazil, especially in the Bahia region of that large South American country. The Portuguese likely took black-eyed peas back to Portugal from Africa and also from Brazil, which was a colony of Portugal for over 300 years until the 1820s. 

To keep things simple, I use canned black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained, but you can certainly use dried black-eyed peas, soak them and then cook them (2/3 cup dried black-eyed peas makes about 2 cups cooked). Further, I use canned tuna in olive oil, although sometimes I buy tuna in olive oil in a jar.   

Serve as a lunch dish or as a light evening meal with some crusty bread, or serve as a side dish or appetizer for a bigger meal.

 

Ingredients (4 to 6 serving, depending upon main dish or appetizer): 

 

2 cans black-eyed peas (15 to 16 ounces each), rinsed

1/2 cup red onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons chopped parsley (or cilantro)

1 or 2 cans tuna in olive oil, flaked*

3 teaspoons white wine vinegar 

(optional) sugar to taste

3 tablespoons olive oil

3/4 teaspoon ground white (or black) pepper

1 to 1 1/2 teaspoon salt  

3 hard boiled eggs, chopped or cut into wedges

In a bowl, add the black-eyed peas, onion, garlic, parsley and flaked tuna; in a cup or a small bowl, add and mix the vinegar and oil (and sugar, if using), then pour it over the salad ingredients, toss to mix; season with white or black pepper and salt; top with chopped hard boiled eggs or hard boiled egg wedges.

 

* I use one 12 ounce can (it has 9 ounces of drained tuna), but you can use smaller cans, like 6 ounces with "about" 5 ounces drained; so, you should buy two for this recipe.  

 

 

WORD HISTORY:

Cologne-This word is both the name of a city and a name for a product of alcohol, water and fragrant oils. "Cologne" is closely related to "colony," a word from Latin, and it's related to "culture," another word from Latin. "Cologne" 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." What became the city of "Cologne" was founded by the Germanic tribe the Ubii" a few decades before the Christian Era and it was known to the Romans as "Oppidum Ubiorum." Agrippina, the daughter of a famous Roman general, Germanicus, was born there circa 15 AD/CE, and she later was the wife of the Emperor Claudius, whom she persuaded to raise the city's status to that of a "colony;" with the name "Colonia Agrippina" being used, although often rendered as simply "Colonia," which in German became "Köln." The name for the scented product came in the 1740s from Italian born^ Giovanni Maria Farina who moved to the city of Cologne in the early 1700s (he then apparently took the German form of "Giovanni;" that being, "Johann"), and he founded a company making "cologne," known to some by its French name, "Eau de Cologne" ("Water of Cologne") 

^ Farina was born right by the border with the Italian part of Switzerland (about 8% to 8 1/2% of Swiss are Italian speaking).

Malibu Sunset

This is a really good drink in my opinion, "apparently" invented in the 1980s, as coconut rum wasn't really marketed to the public until the early 1980s, so that pretty much shoots a year like 1977 in the hind end. With the "Malibu Sunset," the coconut flavor comes through and the sweetness of the grenadine mixes well with the fruit juices. Grenadine is a type of syrup made from pomegranate juice. It is VERY red and it adds that red color and a sweetness to numerous drinks. It is easily found in supermarkets and liquor stores. It is non-alcohol. 

 

For coconut rum, there are quite a number of choices, but "Malibu Coconut Caribbean Rum" and "Bacardi Coconut Rum" are likely the easiest to find. To my knowledge, "Malibu" is the best selling coconut rum in the world.    

 

Ingredients (per drink):

 

2 ounces coconut rum

3 ounces pineapple juice

2 ounces orange juice

1 tablespoon grenadine

1 orange slice

1 or 2 pineapple chunks

2 maraschino cherries

ice

tall glass (12 ounce)

 

Fill the glass with ice, add the rum and juices, stir to mix, then add the grenadine along the side (it will sink). Garnish with orange slice, chunk or two of pineapple and 2 or 3 cherries.  

 

 

WORD HISTORY:

Doom-This word is related to "do," "deed" and "deem," all words from the Germanic roots of English, and it is distantly related to "defect," a Latin-derived word borrowed by English from French, and to "deficient," another Latin word, but in this case borrowed by English directly from Latin. "Doom" 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 (into place)." This gave Old Germanic "domaz" meaning "a decision made, a judgment," and this gave Old English "dom" meaning "a judgment, decree, a law, a sentence (in legal sense)." This later became "doom(e)," and "doom." The idea of judgments having bad consequences for some seems to have led "doom" more and more toward its more modern ominous meaning, with its use in Old English as "dómdæg," meaning "judgment day," also "domes dæg," using the genitive case and meaning, "day of judgment," both later becoming modern English "doomsday," and both having a major influence on the direction of the meaning, with the meaning in the religious sense (per 'doomsday'), "undesired or bad fate" taking firm hold as a strong meaning, and with that broadening to "impending danger, feeling of inevitable destruction" becoming the main meaning by the latter part of the 1500s and early 1600s. The verb developed in the latter part of the 1300s, as "domen," from the noun and initially meant "to judge, to give a judgment about," but its meaning followed that of the noun to "give a bad judgment to someone as to their fate;" thus also, "to condemn someone to an undesired punishment or fate," and further, "to bring about a severe or destructive consequence," as in, "The amount of damage inflicted by the iceberg doomed the Titanic." The other Germanic languages have: German once had "tuom" (judgment), Dutch has "doem" (a condemnation, a curse/jinx) and the verb "doemen" (to condemn), both Low German and Frisian once had "dom" (judgment), Icelandic has "dómur " (judgment, legal sentence/punishment), Norwegian "dom" (judgment), Danish "dom" (verdict, judgment, conviction, but also "damnation," maybe this sense borrowed from English?), Swedish "dom" (judgment, verdict).

Tequila Sunrise

What has been known as a "Tequila Sunrise Cocktail" for the last few decades is not the same cocktail as had first been given that name in the 1930s. Back then it was made of tequila, lime juice, club soda, and creme de cassis (liqueur made from black currants), served over ice, and invented at the "Arizona Biltmore Hotel," in Phoenix, Arizona. (Note: I've seen the supposed "original" also include some grenadine, for what it's worth.) Now typically served in a tall glass with the basic ingredients below, not totally mixed together, it was seemingly developed in the San Francisco area in the first part of the 1970s.

 

Grenadine is a type of syrup made from pomegranate juice. It is VERY red and it adds that red color and a sweetness to numerous drinks. It is easily found in supermarkets and liquor stores. It is non-alcohol.  

Ingredients (per drink):

3 or 4 tablespoons tequila (depending up desired alcohol content)

1/2 cup orange juice

1 tablespoon grenadine

orange slice

cherries

ice

tall glass of about 12 ounce size, to hold the ice and the cocktail ingredients properly 

Add plenty of ice to the glass. Add the tequila, then the orange juice, stir to mix, THEN add grenadine slowly along the side of the glass (it will sink to the bottom). DO NOT STIR! Garnish with an orange slice and some maraschino cherries.

 

WORD HISTORY:

Strict-This word is related to "strain" (verb and sometime noun, with the verbal meaning of "overexerting, to stress a point to the utmost, to pour a liquid through a sieve"), to "strait" (noun and adjective, meaning "tight or narrow"), both Latin-derived words borrowed by English from French, and to "stringent," another Latin-derived word, borrowed by English from Latin. "Strict" goes back to Indo European "streygh," which had the notion, "to press, to exert pressure on;" thus also, "to pull with force." This gave Latin "stringere," meaning, "to pull tightly, press together." The past participle of "stringere" was "strictus," meaning, "tightened, drawn close;" thus also, "narrowed," and English borrowed this, initially as "stricte," in the first part of the 1400s. By the second half of the 1500s, the word was being used in reference to rigorous adherence to laws, but shortly thereafter this meaning broadened beyond adherence to laws, but to rules or procedures of any kind.   

Homemade Mayonnaise

There is nothing wrong with buying mayonnaise at the supermarket or at your corner store, but if you want to make your own mayonnaise, it is simple to do, but it does require a raw egg. If using raw eggs makes you worry about safety, you can pasteurize the egg or eggs yourself by heating water in a pan to 140 degrees F (and yes, you'll need a thermometer, see further). Add the egg or eggs in a single layer and leave them in the hot water for 3 to 3 1/2 minutes (only add the eggs to the water when it has reached 140 degrees F, and that begins the time keeping). Remove them immediately and put them into cool water. You will need a thermometer, because if the water gets much hotter than 140, the eggs will cook; so, you will need to monitor the temperature the entire time. There are pasteurized eggs sold in supermarkets, and while most of these are pasteurized egg whites, you can find pasteurized whole eggs, and you use them just as regular non-pasteurized eggs. Pasteurized eggs are more expensive, but likely most buyers of these pasteurized eggs aren't using them in large quantity, as you only really need them for things like mayonnaise, some salad dressings, eggnog, certain sauces and meringue; after all, we don't really need pasteurized eggs, since we much more typically fully cook eggs anyhow, either to be eaten in some cooked manner themselves (fried, sauteed, boiled), or as part of some recipe, like custard, or we bake them as part of recipes, like in some breads and cakes. In many parts of the world, eggs are NOT kept refrigerated, but in the U.S., we buy eggs from refrigerated cases in shops and supermarkets and then we put them into our refrigerators at home. When I was a kid, some small markets (like produce markets or what are now called 'farmers' markets') sold eggs that were not refrigerated, as did some truck-based businesses, where a guy traveled the streets and alleyways shouting what items he had for sale, often also shouting out the price or specials he was offering. Many, if not most, of these people were farmers selling their own goods, or they were directly connected with farmers for the items they sold; that is, the farmers directly supplied their products, like eggs, butter, milk or cheese.   

 

As for the oil, there are lots of choices: vegetable oil, corn oil and canola oil are all good, but you can also try avocado oil (I haven't tried this yet myself) or peanut oil. If you like more flavor, you can replace all or some of whatever oil you're using with extra virgin olive oil. 

I use a stick blender to make mayonnaise (also called an immersion blender). If you have a glass jar (like from a large jar of jelly or jam, with a wide enough opening for the stick blender), that should be ideal, or you can use the container that often comes with a stick blender, or a good, sturdy glass measuring cup is another good choice; as a matter of fact, that's what I used when I made the mayonnaise for this article, and I then covered it with plastic wrap. 

 

One other thing, you can add sugar if you'd like, but it is optional. The lemon juice, vinegar and mustard add tartness to the mayonnaise (the lemon juice and vinegar also help in preserving the mayo), but if you want to lessen the sourness, as I commonly do, use the sugar. 

 

For a long time I did what many people do in making mayonnaise; that is, I added the ingredients, BUT I added the oil a little at a time (I also used a small food processor/blender), literally drop by drop. I'm not sure what I thought would happen if I added all of the oil and if I used a stick blender ... maybe the mayonnaise police would get me and as punishment I'd be condemned to eat baloney sandwiches without ketchup for a period of time? (I'd REALLY scream loudly!)    

 

Ingredients (for 1 cup +):

 

1 whole egg, recommended to be room temperature

1 teaspoon lemon juice

2 teaspoons white vinegar

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 

good pinch of salt

(optional) 1 teaspoon sugar

1 cup oil 

If you keep eggs in the refrigerator, remove the egg or eggs and let it/them sit out for just a few minutes to come to near room temperature. I sometimes rinse eggs from the refrigerator under some warm (not hot) water to help speed up the process. Add all of the ingredients to the container you are using, including all of the oil, and let everything sit for about 45 seconds. Put the stick blender into the container so that it goes clear to the bottom. Turn the blender on and keep it firmly at the bottom until the ingredients thicken up a great deal, then you can move the stick blender up and down to get all of the ingredients mixed in thoroughly. When the mayo thickens completely, it's done. Understand, blending the ingredients into mayonnaise won't take place in ten seconds, or likely not in 25 seconds, so be prepared to hold the stick blender until the mayo thickens up well. My experience is about 1 minute total, but admittedly, I have an older stick blender, which I bought with economy in mind. (So Randy, you mean it's a cheap stick blender?... Ah, you didn't have to be so blunt, but YES!)

Homemade mayonnaise on some sliced tomato ...

WORD HISTORY:

Prove -"Prove" is closely related to "probe," a Latin-derived word borrowed by English from Latin, and it is related to "probable," a Latin-derived word borrowed by English from French, to "probate" (both the noun and verb forms), both Latin words borrowed directly from Latin, and to "future," another Latin-derived word borrowed from Latin-based French, and it is distantly related to the verb "(to) be," a word from the Germanic roots of English. "Prove" is from a compound Indo European form "per-bhuho," which had the notion "to be to the fore, to be in front." Indo European "per" meant, "before, in front of, forward;" thus also figuratively, "first, main, chief;" thus also, "superior, excellent." The "bhuho" part is a form from Indo European "bheu," which had the notion, "to exist, to be;" thus also, "to grow." This gave Latin the adjective "probus," meaning "superior, worthy, upstanding," and this produced the Latin verb "probare," meaning, "to show (something) to be of value, or to be good;" thus also, "to demonstrate;" that is, "to test in order to show/demonstrate value or goodness in something"),  also, "to commend;" thus, "to approve." This was borrowed by some Germanic languages, including Old English, which had the verb "profian," meaning "to try, to test, to show goodness or benefit of something," but also, "to hold in high regard." Meanwhile, Latin "probare" (see above) passed to Latin-based Old French as "prover" (also as "pruver), meaning, "to prove, to show or demonstrate abilities or capabilities of something;" thus also, "to evaluate." "Apparently" the Old French form influenced changes in the Old English form to produce "proven/pruven," circa 1200, with the same general meanings, and as the conjugation of English verbs changed 250 to 300 years later, the form became "(to) prove."       

Chilean Salsa Americana (American Sauce)

This Chilean sauce is an important part of Chile's food scene, especially as one of the toppings for one of the most popular Chilean foods, hotdogs; that is, more specifically, "Completo Chileno" (I am working on an article about these), or "Complete Chilean." There are variations in recipes for this sauce, and some add more ingredients, but sometimes keeping things simple is better. You can blend this sauce until smooth or leave it a little chunky. You don't want a lot of the cooking water added to the cooked vegetables, or the sauce will be runny. DUH! While not traditional, I use a little sugar in the sauce, as strong sour flavors are not something I really care for. So, I included this option for others who may want to tame the sourness a bit. 

Ingredients:

 

1 cup chopped carrot

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup chopped cucumber (if the cucumber has large seeds, use a spoon to scrape them out)

2 cloves garlic

1 tablespoon Spanish sweet paprika

1/4 cup white vinegar

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/4 cup water for cooking, with 1 level tablespoon salt

2 to 5 tablespoons reserved cooking water 

(optional) 1 teaspoon sugar (or to taste)

The carrot, onion and cucumber don't have to be finely chopped, just cut up, and the garlic cloves can be left whole, as everything will later be blended. Put the chopped vegetables (carrot, onion, cucumber and garlic) into a pan with the salted water, bring to a boil, adjust to a steady simmer, and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, until the veggies are softened, but not mushy. Let this cool down somewhat, drain and reserve the cooking water, then put the cooked vegetables into a blender or use a stick blender, add 1/4 cup white vinegar, 2 tablespoons of the reserved cooking water, 2 tablespoons olive oil, Spanish sweet paprika and sugar (if using), blend until smooth (or leave it a little chunky, if you prefer). If the sauce is too thick, add more cooking water by the tablespoon until you reach the desired consistency.

 

WORD HISTORY:

Total-The origin of this word is unknown. It goes back to the Latin adjective "totus," which meant "all, everything together, entire," and this produced Latin "totalis," "entire, everything together, absolute," and this was taken by Old French as "total" and English borrowed the word in the latter part of the 1300s. The noun form developed in the mid 1500s with the meaning "the sum, the complete amount." The verb form is from the first quarter of the 1700s with the meaning "to come to the entire amount of, to add numbers to come to a sum." The adverb "totally," meaning "in a complete way," developed in the early 1500s (1510?).   

Finnish Salmon Soup: Lohikeitto

This salmon soup can also be called salmon chowder, and it is a fairly common dish in some parts of Finland, which is understandable, as it is wonderful! You can certainly cut some of the fat and calories by substituting canned evaporated milk (NOT sweetened condensed milk) for the heavy cream. Of course too, you can adjust the salt and pepper amounts to your taste preference.

 

Ingredients  (5 or 6 servings): 

 

1 1/4 pound salmon, in bite-size pieces 

2 cups sliced leeks, mainly white and light green part

5 tablespoons butter

2 cups diced potatoes

1 cup chopped carrot

4 1/2 cups fish stock

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt (remember, the butter and the stock have salt)

3 tablespoons chopped dill, divided use

 

In a heavy-bottom pan, melt the butter over medium heat, add the leek slices and saute until they soften. Add the carrot and potatoes and saute a further two minutes, stirring often (you don't want the veggies to actually brown), then add the fish stock, bring to a boil and adjust the heat to maintain a steady simmer until everything is tender, but not mushy. Add the salmon pieces and simmer another 5 to 6 minutes. Add the cream, black pepper, salt and 1 tablespoon of the chopped dill, stir to mix in. Let the now cream laced soup heat up, but do not boil. Remove from the heat, top each serving with some chopped dill. 

 

  

 

 

WORD HISTORY:

Normal (Norm)-The ultimate origin of this word is shaky, but it seems to go back to Indo European "gnoh/gneh," meaning "to know," making it a distant relative of English "know," "can" and "ken/kenning," which are all from the Germanic roots of English, and it is related to "quaint" and to "cognizance," both Latin-derived words borrowed by English via French. The Indo European form gave transliterated Greek "ginosko," meaning "to know." This seemingly gave transliterated Greek "gnomon," which meant "carpenter's square." Latin borrowed this from Greek ("perhaps" via Etruscan?^) as "norma" also meaning "carpenter's square," but also, "a pattern, a model." This was taken by Latin-based French as "norme," essentially meaning "pattern, model, something to be followed (a "rule," both "the piece of wood used for measurement and drawing straight lines," AND, "a policy to be followed"), and English borrowed the word by the 1820s. Latin "norma" (mentioned above) spawned the Latin adjective "normalis," meaning "done following a carpenter's square;" thus also, "done by the rule, done following a pattern or model;" thus, "done in the common way." English borrowed the word from Latin initially in a rather limited way as a mathematics (geometry) term for "having to do with perpendicular, being at a right angle" (later also used with the meaning "perpendicular" as a noun), but later with the meaning "having to do with doing things in the established or standard way," and the word's usage began to become much more common by the early part of the 1800s. The latter part of the 1800s saw usage as a noun for "the common state of something," as in, "The normal for our family is to eat dinner on Sundays at 4 o'clock," and adjectivally as, "A normal Sunday for us is to eat dinner at 4 o'clock." Close English relative, German, also borrowed "normal" from Latin during the 1700s, also meaning, "(pertaining to) normal, usual, regular, standard." Example: "Ich hätte gern(e) einen normalen Kaffee" ("I would like a regular coffee"). 

 

^ Etruscan is a mystery language, "possibly" related to some languages of the Aegean Sea area, including "Minoan." In ancient times, 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 Etruscan words were borrowed into Latin. "Etruscan" lies behind the words "Tuscan" and "Tuscany" (Italian: Toscana), a region in western Italy, the regional capital being Florence (Italian: Firenze).      

Golden Girls Epsiode: Clinton Avenue Memoirs

"The Golden Girls" was a comedy series set in Miami, Florida (it wasn't filmed in Miami) and originally telecast on the NBC network from 1985 through 1992. The basic gist of the show is that four women, 3 widowed and 1 divorced, share a house together and develop such a strong family-like friendship, they deal with and overcome their differing personality conflicts, as they support each other in life's challenges, including that of aging. 

 

This episode originally aired on NBC in February 1990.

 

Episode Cast: 

Bea Arthur as Dorothy Zbornak

Estelle Getty as Sophia Petrillo

Betty White as Rose Nylund

Rue McClanahan as Blanche Devereaux 

Sid Melton as Sal Petrillo (Sophia's deceased husband, Dorothy's father)

David Correia as Mr. Hernandez (the tenant in the Petrillo's former apartment)

 

Sophia forgets that Dorothy is taking her out to eat for her wedding anniversary, something Dorothy does every year since Sal died. Dorothy is concerned that her mother is getting more forgetful, and this concern only increases when she sits down with Sophia to look through her mother's photo album of pictures from the past. At one point Sophia says that her late husband Sal had carved a heart and "Sal loves Sophia" on the inside of the kitchen pantry door at their former apartment in Brooklyn. Dorothy corrects her mother by saying that the kitchen pantry door was where her mother and father kept the children's height marked. Sophia gets upset that she can't recall everything. Dorothy takes her mother to the doctor, who tells them Sophia may have a nutritional imbalance that is causing her memory problems. Dorothy also suggests that they talk about old times to refresh her mother's memory about the past. 

 

Sophia decides to go back to Brooklyn to help stir her memories of Sal and her earlier life. She makes a poignant statement to Dorothy, Blanche and Rose, "I hate getting old, you always seem to be losing something. First it's your eyesight, then people tell you to turn down the TV set, when you can barely hear it, and you could live with that, but this, they're trying to take something from me I just won't give. I can't let this happen, Dorothy. I can't lose my Sal, not again." 

 

Sophia and Dorothy travel to Brooklyn and go to their old apartment. They explain to the current tenant that they once lived there and that they would like to look around, for old times' sake. He agrees and they enter the apartment. Sophia recognizes some of the old wallpaper that is still on the wall, but when they go to the kitchen and open the pantry door, there is no heart carved on the inside of the door, but rather the height markings for the Petrillo children. Sophia is discouraged and she decides to go upstairs to the bedroom. She takes a photo of Sal out of her purse and sets it on the nightstand. When she asks the photo "What's wrong with me," Sal appears and cracks a one liner. At first, Sophia wants sympathy from Sal, but Sal tells her she is losing her spunk and that he originally liked her because she was a survivor. When he then mentions one of Sophia's deceased female friends, Sophia warns Sal that he'd better not be messing around with the woman in heaven. Sal tells Sophia she still has some fire and he tells her that when the time is right, he'll be waiting for her. Sal disappears. 

Dorothy comes into the room with the tenant and when he opens the bedroom closet door, there is the carved heart with "Sal loves Sophia." Now Sophia is reassured about her memory, as she tells Dorothy she got the kitchen pantry mixed up with the bedroom closet, because Sal used to hang salami in the bedroom closet. haha 

       

 

Photo is from the 2006 Buena Vista Home Entertainment & Touchstone Television Fifth Season Set

WORD HISTORY:

Die-This is the verb meaning, "to lose life, to pass into a state of death," not the noun meaning, "little cube with dots on it," most commonly used in the plural "dice" in English. The verb "die" goes back to Indo European "dheu," which meant "to die, to pass away." This gave Old Germanic "dawjanan," which seems to have meant both "to die," but also, at least in certain contexts, "to kill." Now, some believe Old English had a form derived from the Old Germanic word which either died out (no pun intended), or remained in use among the common folk, and therefore was not written down.^ The common "written" word for "to die" in Old English became modern English "starve," now meaning the more specific "die from hunger;" compare close relative German, "sterben," which still has the more general meaning "to die." By the 1100s the word began to spread in usage, either through reinforcement of an existing, but unwritten form of "die," with the reinforcement coming from Old Norse "deyja," or by a direct borrowing of "deyja." Various spellings were used: dege, dien, and then deien, before the modern spelling. The pronunciation likely emphasized the "e" sound, rather than the more common long "i" sound of modern times, although in Scotland the pronunciation "dee" is still common. Forms of the word died out in many of the other Germanic languages, but Danish and Norwegian still have "dø," Icelandic has "deyja," Frisian has "deagean," Swedish has "dö." 

 

^ Old Saxon, the close relative of Old English, had "doian," and another close relative, Old High German, had "touwen," for example, which would suggest that English too had a form of the word, perhaps "diean" or "diegan."

Cleveland Polish Boy Sandwich

This sausage sandwich was invented here in Cleveland in the World War Two era by Virgil Whitmore, who owned a barbecue restaurant on Cleveland's East Side. The idea was to put something of a typical grilled kielbasa lunch or dinner of grilled kielbasa, french fries, coleslaw and barbecue sauce all together on a bun. I suggest using hoagie rolls that you can split yourself, and then only cut about 2/3 of the way through the roll. If you can't grill the sausage, broil or fry it until it gets a little brown. This is a BIG sandwich and it is often identified as one of the foods folks should try when visiting Cleveland. It has been touted on national television as one of America's best sandwiches. The napkin industry loves it, because you'll need plenty of napkins. 

Ingredients (per each sandwich):

1 kielbasa (6 to 8 inches)

1 hotdog or hoagie bun

2 to 3 tablespoons coleslaw (not with lots of liquid)

1 "good" handful french fries

2 to 3 tablespoons barbecue sauce

Grill, broil or fry the kielbasa so that it has some brown color to it. Toast the bun lightly, add the ingredients however you choose, as some people like to add the coleslaw or french fries first, then lay the kielbasa on top of that, before adding the other ingredients. I generally put the kielbasa, then the coleslaw, then the french fries and top everything with the barbecue sauce.

 

On this day, I had the Polish Boy Sandwich along with some potato salad ...

WORD HISTORY:

Kielbasa-This word has an "uncertain" origin, so I am going to work backward on its history. In American English, "kielbasa" was first used in the early 20th Century, and in American English it generally means a Polish sausage with rather coarsely ground pork, beef, or a combination of the two, in a casing, and the sausage is seasoned somewhat with garlic and then smoked. Kielbasa often comes in a "U" shape, but it can also come looking more like a hotdog. American English borrowed the word from Polish "kiełbasa," which means "sausage," in general. Polish "likely" got the word from its parent, Old Slavic "kelbasa" (other Slavic languages have forms too), meaning "grilled/roasted meat." This "probably" came from Turkish "kulbasti," with the same meaning, but literally "pressed on the coals/ashes," but transliterated Hebrew "kolbasar," a general term for "meat," is also a possible candidate.    

Carrot & Raisin Salad, American Style

In the United States, carrot and raisin salad often is a dish more associated with the southern part of the country. I'm often an "overkill" guy on sauces, gravies and salad dressings; and what I mean is, I don't skimp on those things in recipes, but that's not for everyone, and some people just barely coat this salad with dressing.  

 

Ingredients (5 servings): 

 

2 1/2 cups shredded carrot

3/4 cup raisins (dark or golden or mixed)

1/3 cup pineapple bits 

2 tablespoons pineapple juice 

1 heaping tablespoon finely chopped green onion (mainly white part)

1/3 cup mayonnaise (reduced fat type is fine)

1/4 cup sour cream (or thick yogurt)

1 or 2 tablespoons honey

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1/3 teaspoon salt

2 1/2 teaspoons sunflower seeds (1/2 teaspoon for each serving), garnish 

In a bowl, add the mayonnaise, sour cream (or yogurt), honey, lemon juice, pineapple juice and salt; mix together very well. Add the shredded carrot, raisins, pineapple bits and green onion; keep folding to coat all of the ingredients with the dressing. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour. Top each serving with some sunflower seeds.  

 

 

 

WORD HISTORY:

Monkey-This has become a well known word for smaller primates in the English language, but its history is not easy; therefore, I'm going to work backwards. (NOTE: "Ape" had been the common word for primates, regardless of size, and it remains the word for larger primates to this day.^) The word "monkey" came into English circa 1530 as a noun. It is "likely" a borrowing from Low German "Moneke," the name of the son of Martin the Ape in "Reynard the Fox," a story from the Middle Ages. Low German likely got its form from a French diminutive, as French had "monne" (ape), likely borrowed from either Spanish "mona" or Old Italian "monna," with the later Italian diminutive being "monnicchio;" thus, "small ape, monkey." The story character name was rendered in Old French as "Monequin" and "Monnekin" 1300s (?). The source of these words is unknown, although some have suggested transliterated Arabic "maimum" (small ape), seemingly a euphemistic, indirect form actually meaning "highly favorable, advantageous, auspicious," as many Arabic speakers thought monkeys to be a bad omen and unlucky. The mid 1600s saw the verb develop from the noun, initially with the meaning, "to imitate," from a monkey's tendency to mimic actions of others, and later, with the imitations often being comic to humans; thus also, "to mock," and "to spend time with no particularly big purpose" ("monkey around"), but also, "to tease or taunt someone" ("to monkey with someone"), "to interfere with, to tamper with," after a monkey's curiosity to inspect, touch or bother things" ("to monkey with something").  

^ The history of the word "ape" is here at the end of the article at this link: https://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2022/05/crab-louie.html