Chicken Tikka Masala

Chicken Tikka Masala is a curry that "may" have been developed in the United Kingdom in the 1960s or early 1970s, but no firm history of the dish is available, and it is certainly similar to dishes from the Indian Subcontinent, namely Butter Chicken, a dish that originated in northwestern India, and one of the "stories" about the origination of Tikka Masala has it developed by a man in the UK from East Pakistan, a region that was then becoming the independent modern country of Bangladesh. I checked at least 20 recipes, and almost all included some amount of paprika, a spice and coloring agent not "commonly" found in recipes from the Subcontinent; so, that gives the possible UK origin of Tikka Masala a boost, but the dish is certainly heavily influenced by the cuisine of the Indian Subcontinent. It consistently ranks as one of the most popular dishes of all in the United Kingdom. The chicken is traditionally cooked in tandoori ovens, at least in restaurants, giving it some blackened spots and a somewhat smoky flavor, but most of us are usually confined to using a regular oven, or a good skillet, something that shan't see you banned from the Indian restaurants nearest you.  

Serve with rice and naan bread.

Ingredients:

Seasoning and tenderizing the chicken:

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces
3 tablespoons Greek or Indian yogurt
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 to 1 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt

For frying the chicken:
2 tablespoons butter + 1 tablespoon olive oil 

Sauce:

1 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon chopped ginger
2 tablespoons butter + 1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 to 2 teaspoons ground red pepper (if you have ground Kashmiri chili pepper, definitely use it, but cayenne is fine) 
1 1/2 cups pureed tomatoes (use a stick blender on some diced tomatoes)
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2/3 to 1 cup heavy cream 
fresh coriander, also known as cilantro, chopped for garnish

To a bowl, add the chicken seasoning/tenderizing ingredients, mix together well, then mix in the bite size chicken pieces to coat them. Cover the bowl, refrigerate for at least 2 hours, but 6 or 8 hours is better. Prior to cooking the chicken, remove it from the refrigerator and allow it to warm a bit. Add the butter/oil to a skillet over medium heat. When the butter/oil is hot, add the chicken pieces and cook on both sides until the pieces are well browned, with some deep brown color on some pieces. Best to cook the chicken pieces on one side then use tongs to turn them to the other side. All together, this should take about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the chicken to a separate dish and set aside. Wipe the skillet of any dark residue, then add another 2 tablespoons of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and ginger, stir and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the paprika, ground cumin, ground coriander, ground cardamom and ground red pepper, stir to mix well, then add the chicken pieces (with any of the juices collected while it's been sitting), the pureed tomatoes and 1/2 cup water, stir well again, let come to a simmer. Adjust the heat downward to just maintain a steady gentle simmer for about 6 to 8 minutes, until the sauce reduces and thickens a bit. During this time, stir in the black pepper, then gradually stir in the heavy cream and the chopped coriander (cilantro). Let the mixture come back to a bare simmer, then remove it from the heat. Sprinkle each serving with a little chopped fresh coriander. Serve with rice and Indian naan bread.

     

WORD HISTORY:
Feral-This word is related to "fierce" and "ferocity," both words of Latin derivation borrowed by English via French, and to "ferocious," borrowed by English from Latin. It goes back to Indo European "gwher," which meant, "wild animal, wild beast." This gave Latin the adjective "ferus," meaning "wild, untamed, savage," from a "likely" Italic form of "feros" (wild, savage).^ This gave Latin "fera bestia," meaning, "wild animal." French took the word as "feral," meaning "wild," but why French added the "l" or "al" is unclear to me. "Perhaps" a mistaken notion that the Latin word "feralis" was a derivative of "fera" or "ferus?" But "feralis" was an adjective meaning, "having to do with death, fatal." Whatever the explanation, English borrowed the word from French circa 1600 with the meaning, "wild, untamed, undomesticated."      

^  Italic is a branch of the Indo European family of languages and includes Latin, Umbrian, Venetic, and others, most of which have died out. Latin's own limited use today is mainly because its dialects evolved into several modern languages: Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Rumanian, Catalan, Sardinian, and several others.

Portuguese-Style Beef Pot Roast/Stew (Alcatra)

This very easily prepared Portuguese recipe, called "Alcatra" ("rump steak") in Portuguese, is from the Azores (Portuguese: Açores, see Word History below), more particularly from the island of Terceira, one of the nine islands in the Atlantic that form the Azores, which lie more than 800 miles from mainland Portugal. The Azores compose a part of the Portuguese Republic. I read over a number of recipes for this dish and some called for white wine, some for red wine and some had either. I used white wine, because I already had a bottle! The next time, I will use red wine. All but one recipe used either chuck roast or rump roast, which was then cut into chunks, but the one used already cut stewing meat, and that's what I chose to use also. From what I read, rice is often served with this dish, although a couple of recipes served it with potatoes cooked with the meat, including one that kept the skins on. The dish is traditionally cooked in a clay pot in Portugal. As I've noted many times before, I'm a mashed potatoes guy, so that's what I had with this beef dish.  

Ingredients:

4 pounds beef stewing meat chunks
5 strips thick sliced bacon, cut into smaller pieces (you can trim some of the fat off, if you'd like)
2 large onions, sliced
5 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil (not extra virgin)
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon ground cloves
10 black peppercorns
2 teaspoons salt
3 1/2 cups white (or red) wine
2 tablespoons butter
water, as needed (or enough to cover, see below)

Heat oven to 375 F. Use the olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan or ovenproof dish you will be using. Add the pieces of beef, bacon, onion and garlic. Mix things around, so that the bacon, onion and garlic mix in with the beef. Add the bay leaves, the ground cloves, the peppercorns and the salt, then pour in the wine, and add water to make sure the beef is covered. Float the butter on top. Cover and bake for one hour fifteen minutes, then reduce heat to 325 F, bake until meat is tender, likely "at least" another 90 minutes, but well worth the wait, even if it takes two more hours. You can take the lid off for the last half hour or so of cooking, if you'd like, even if the meat is no longer covered in liquid. 

WORD HISTORY:
Azores-This word for the Portuguese islands in the Atlantic, the first part of which is distantly related to "edge," with the second part distantly related to "feather,'' with a closer relationship to "pen" (writing implement), goes back to Indo European "ak," which had the notion of "sharp, pointed." This gave Latin "acies," meaning, "point, edge," which provided a form for the first part of Latin "accipiter," which meant "hawk." The second part of "accipiter" goes back to Indo European "pethr/pethn," which meant "feather." This gave Italic "petn," meaning "feather, wing feather," and this provided Latin with the "piter" part of "accipiter." This gave Portuguese "açor," meaning, "hawk, goshawk" (a more specific type of bird of prey, literally, "goosehawk"). The plural in Portuguese, "açores," came to be applied to the islands in the 1500s, "supposedly" because the birds were often seen there. This was borrowed by English with the spelling "Azores."   

Salad Niçoise, Sort Of

The word "niçoise" (pronounced: nee-swaz) simply refers to olives cured in the French city of Nice, which is located in the well known resort region of the French Riviera in southeastern France, along the Mediterranean coast.* So "niçoise" essentially means "from Nice, of Nice." The small dark olives are commonly grown in that general area of France. There are many variations on this common French salad, but I'm using my own "no cook" recipe. Often in France, fresh green beans are briefly cooked, keeping some crispness, for this salad, and boiled potato slices or chunks may also be added. Further, the dressing used is a vinaigrette, which includes Dijon mustard, but I used a little different homemade dressing. (Note: The mark under the letter 'c' in the French rendering of "niçoise" is called a 'cedilla,' and it indicates that the 'c' is pronounced as an 's.' Besides French, it is most notably used in Portuguese and Catalan, a language of eastern Spain and a part of southern France.)  

INGREDIENTS:

Niçoise olives (or other black olives in olive oil, or Kalamata olives)
3 Roma tomatoes, quartered (or about 12 to 15 grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise)
1 small can chunk tuna in olive oil
5 anchovy fillets in oil, rinsed, left whole or chopped
3 hard-boiled eggs, quartered
1/2 medium red bell pepper, cut into strips
1/2 medium red onion, sliced thinly
salt & pepper to taste
a few basil leaves, torn into thirds or quarters
lettuce to line the serving plate
dressing (see recipe link below **)

Line a plate or platter with lettuce leaves (you can use any type: head lettuce, butter lettuce, Boston lettuce). Place the tuna in the center, then arrange the tomatoes, onions, red bell pepper, and olives around the tuna. Top the arrangement with the egg quarters and anchovies, then add the torn basil leaves, finish with salt and pepper, or leave this to the individuals to add per their own taste. I used no salt, as the anchovy fillets and dressing add salt, so I would be careful how much salt you add, if any. The salad dressing can be placed on the table in a dish with serving spoon, and the individual servings can be topped with the dressing per the person's own taste.
 
* On the Italian side of the border is the Italian Riviera, located in the Liguria region of Italy, but within the French Riviera is one of the world's smallest countries, Monaco.

** This is the link to the recipe article I did for French salad dressing: http://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2016/07/homemade-creamy-country-french-dressing.html

I used some whole black olives in oil, but the store was out of the other cured black olives they carry in their olive bar. I also added some Kalamata olives (the smaller brown colored olives), but they are in a brine. Niçoise olives might be difficult to find, so you may have to substitute other types. I kept the anchovies whole, so they could be seen in the photo, but you can chop them.

WORD HISTORY:
Sumptuous-This word, related to "consume," is a compound meaning, "splendid, seemingly expensive;" thus, "luxurious."  I will do its history from more recent to ancient. English borrowed the word from French "somptueux" in the second half of the 1400s. French, a Latin-based language, had the word from Latin "sumptuosus" (expensive), itself from Latin "sumptus," which meant "expense." This came from the Latin verb "sumere," meaning "to take, to acquire;" thus, "to buy." This came from the prefix "sub" (under, from below), the origins of which are unclear,^ and from "emere" (to take), "likely" from Italic^^ "emer/emo," derived from Indo European "em/um," with the notion of "take, acquire."

^ I "may" do a separate history of the prefix "sub," which "may" be an Italic form related to the Old Germanic word which gave English the modern word "up."

^^ Italic is a branch of the Indo European family of languages and includes Latin, Umbrian, Venetic, and others, most of which have died out. Latin's limited use today is mainly because its dialects evolved into several modern languages: Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Rumanian, Catalan, Sardinian, and several others.

Steak & Ale Pie

Steak And Ale Pie

While today many Americans would think of pies as being made with fruit or other sweet filling, meat pies have a longer history. Steak and Ale Pie (also made with stout, including the famous "Guinness") is well known in Britain, as well as in some former British colonies. I have included potatoes in this recipe, although they are not always used, but rather "steak fries" (called "steak chips," in Britain) are served as a side dish.

INGREDIENTS (for one 9 inch pie)
3/4 pound chuck steak, cut into bite size chunks
3 tablespoons flour
1 or 2 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup mushrooms, chopped
1/3 cup carrots, diced or shredded
1/2 cup potatoes, diced
1 cup fresh kale or fresh spinach (loosely packed, it will cook down)
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 cup beef stock/broth (low sodium is fine)
1 cup dark ale
1 teaspoon Gravy Master
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
2 to 3 tablespoons of flour mixed with the same amount of water
2 sheets pie dough (ready made is fine)
1 egg, beaten (optional, for coating the pie crust for browning and for a nice sheen)
steak sauce for serving

Coat the meat in flour and fry in the oil over medium heat in a heavy pan until brown. Add the onions, garlic, rosemary and thyme, mushrooms, carrot, potatoes, salt and pepper, cook until the onions have softened. Add the tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce and stir well. Add the kale or spinach and let cook down just a little, before adding the beef stock, the Gravy Master and the dark ale. Let the stew come to a gentle boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for one hour, stirring occasionally. Check the meat and potatoes for tenderness; allow for a few more minutes cooking time, if needed. Slowly add the flour and water mixture, stirring constantly, until the sauce is very thick. Cook for just a couple minutes more, uncovered. Meanwhile, line a 9" pie pan with the bottom crust and put the crust into the freezer for several minutes to firm and chill it. I used store bought frozen pie crust, sold in their own pie pan. They generally come 2 frozen pie crusts to a package, so you let the second crust thaw a bit, and when ready, remove it from its pie pan, and place on top of the filled crust. Seal around the edges and cut a few slits in the top of the pie. Brush with beaten egg. Bake at 350 degrees (F) for about an hour and fifteen minutes. Let cool a bit before slicing. Serve with steak sauce on the side.

I "squished" the piece of pie to show the dark brown sauce and filling.

WORD HISTORY:
Beef-This word, distantly related to "cow," goes back to Indo Eiropean "gwou/gwous," which meant "cow, ox." This gave its Italic^ offspring "gwos," with the same meaning, and this "seemingly" gave Latin "vos," which then became "bos," under influence of a dialect variant or another Italic language, the genitive form of which gave Latin the adjectival, "bovinus," meaning, "having to do with cows, oxen." This gave Old French, a Latin-based language, "boef," and this was borrowed into English as "beef," in the late 1200s as the name for the meat of  "cows and oxen," although later in American English "cowboy jargon," the word was used for a steer, often in the plural of "beefs" or "beeves."

^ Italic is a branch of the Indo European family of languages and includes Latin, Umbrian, Venetic, and others, most which have died out. Latin's limited use today is mainly because its forms evolved into several modern languages: Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Rumanian, Catalan, Sardinian, and several others.