Spanish Garlic Soup: Sopa de Ajo

This is one of those simple, but outstanding bread soups which seem to be available in so many cultures; although understandably so, as they are great ways to use up bread before it gets moldy, which can easily happen with bread not loaded with preservatives. The Spanish have many variations for garlic soup, with some of the variations being subtle. This is my adaptation of the garlic soups more commonly found around Castile in northwestern Spain. If you don't like spicy hot food, you can use all sweet paprika and just a pinch of cayenne pepper, or just flip flop the paprika amounts by using 1 1/2 tablespoons sweet paprika and 1 teaspoon of hot paprika. You can also beat some eggs and drizzle them into the simmering soup and gently mix the egg into the soup to form strands of egg.  

Ingredients:

1/3 cup olive oil
5 slices dried Italian bread, cut into about 1 inch pieces
10 garlic cloves, sliced thinly
1 1/2 tablespoons hot Spanish paprika
1 teaspoon sweet Spanish paprika
4 cups chicken stock
eggs (1 per serving)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
salt to taste (remember, the chicken broth likely has salt)

In a pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Lightly toast the bread pieces in the hot olive oil for 2 to 3 minutes, then add the garlic, paprika and the remainder of the olive oil, stir well and allow the garlic to begin to soften. Add the chicken stock and bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer the soup for about 5 minutes. Add a couple of eggs to the top of the simmering soup (it should be fairly thick, because of the bread), cover the pan and poach the eggs for a few minutes until they are cooked to your preference.

The egg white has been covered and colored by the paprika laced broth, but believe me, it is there ... 

WORD HISTORY:
Epitaph-This compound word is composed of "epi-" which goes back to Indo European "epi," which meant, "on, upon, at, near." This gave Ancient Greek (transliterated) "epi," used as a word forming part meaning, "upon, near;" thus also, "in addition." It is part of quite a number of words, including "epicenter," "epidermis" and "epidemic," none of which are native English words, but rather borrowings that have enriched the English language, as in the famous song, "I've Got You Under My Epidermis" ... ah, I think I've got the title wrong?  haha! The second part of the word goes back to Indo European "dhembh," meaning, "to bury." This gave transliterated Ancient Greek "thapto/tapto," also meaning, "bury, inter," which produced the noun, "tăphos," meaning, "burial, tomb, common practice of a funeral." Together these gave transliterated Greek the adjective "epitaphios," meaning, "having to do with a burial or funeral." This then produced the noun "epitaphion," meaning, "the words spoken at a funeral;" thus, "eulogy, public speech at a funeral," and this was borrowed by Latin as "epitaphium," with the same meaning. This passed into Old French, a Latin-based language, as "epitaphe," but more so with the meaning, "words written about a person for a funeral;" thus also, "an inscription for the deceased's burial." English borrowed the word in the mid 1300s, and it has developed the meaning further to, "inscription on a tombstone or on some other memorial to a deceased person."   

Bratwurst with Onions and Paprika

I tend to like paprika a lot and this uses the smoky flavored Spanish paprika. This is my version of a similar German recipe. You can use fresh bratwursts or the precooked type commonly sold in supermarkets.

Ingredients:

4 bratwursts
2 red onions, cut into rings or chopped
1 cup chopped mild red pepper
1 heaping tablespoon mild Spanish paprika
1 teaspoon hot Spanish paprika
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup beef broth
2 tablespoons oil
(optional) salt (how much salt does the broth have?) 

Brown the bratwursts in 1 tablespoon of oil (they don't have to cook through, as they will cook more in a few minutes). Braise the onion rings and the chopped red pepper in the other tablespoon of oil over low heat, until softened, but not heavily browned. Add the mild and hot paprika, the tomato paste, the sugar and the beef broth. Mix well and cook until the tomato paste is dissolved into the mixture, then add the bratwursts and cook until the brats are cooked through. Good served with mashed potatoes.

WORD HISTORY: 
Lick-This word is somewhat distantly related to "lecher," a word borrowed by English from French, and which French got from Germanic Frankish.^ "Lick" goes back to Indo European "leygh," which meant, "to lick." This gave its Old Germanic offspring "likkon(an)," with the same meaning. This gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "liccian," which then became "likken/licken," before the modern form. Old English had the noun "liccung," which meant, "licking" (more precisely, "take in a small amount of food or drink"), and "licking" became the form in circa 1400, but it wasn't until the early 1600s that shortened form "lick" became more common. The modern verb and noun have a number of meanings, but the meaning, "to beat/defeat," is somewhat puzzling, although it "may" come from the notion of "beating with a whip," as the end of a whip is like a tongue, and that meaning may have then broadened into "beat or defeat," which is more or less what happened with the word "beat," meaning, "strike someone or something, usually repeatedly," but which eventually took the meaning, "to defeat in battle," then also, "defeat in competition." A famous slogan for Timex watches was when they would perform some rough treatment of a Timex watch, then show that it was still running, and then ad the slogan, "It takes a licking, but it keeps on ticking." Relatives in the other Germanic languages: German has "lecken" (to lick, and German "lecker" means, "delicious;" that is, "that which makes one lick their lips, that which is worth licking"), Low German "licken," Dutch "likken," West Frisian once had "likja/likje," but I could not find a modern form. The Brothers Grimm note that a form of ''lick'' is "missing from the Scandinavian language area" (that is, North Germanic), but why is unclear, although these languages use what seems to be a prefixed form (with "s") of "lick," as does modern West Frisian. A form of this prefixed word is missing from English, as far as I can tell, which "may" indicate that it developed after Anglo-Saxon was established in England.  

^ Provençal, the language of Provence (southeastern France), had "liquar/lichar," and Italian has "leccare," perhaps both of which were borrowed from French (?), although the Italian form could have been borrowed directly from German. 

Honey-Paprika Salmon

This is easy to make and it is delicious. If you give it a try, I think you'll find yourself making it again.... and again. Good served with rice or a salad, or both. 

Ingredients (4 to 6 servings):

1 1/2 to 2 pounds salmon fillets, rinsed and cut into pieces (leave the salmon pieces wet)
2 tablespoons butter
6 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons Spanish paprika (it's smoked)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 to 1 teaspoon ground white pepper (you can use black pepper)
1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt
cornstarch mixed with water to thicken the sauce

In a large skillet or sauce pan, melt the butter over medium heat, add the honey, the teriyaki sauce and the lemon juice, stir to mix. Do not brown the butter, so remove the pan from the heat and reduce the heat if necessary. Add the salmon pieces and mix them into the sauce to coat all of the pieces (as I've noted for other recipes, the wide surface of a skillet makes it easier to maneuver). Sprinkle on the salt, pepper and Spanish paprika, then mix in the seasonings. Cook until the salmon is cooked through. If you'd like to thicken the sauce (the juice from the salmon will also add to the liquid component), mix together a teaspoon or two of cornstarch in a couple of tablespoons of water, then carefully mix the cornstarch into the sauce a little at a time, or you can remove the salmon pieces and then thicken the sauce. Garnish with a slice or wedge of lemon for those who like a squeeze or two of lemon juice on their fish.

Honey-Paprika Salmon with a tomato and green onion salad ...

WORD HISTORY:
Canny/Uncanny-This adjective, closely related to "cunning," is derived from the verb "can" (meaning: "to be able to do, to have the knowledge to do something"). The meaning of "canny" tends toward, "shrewdly, but often warily, knowing how to do something, often, but not necessarily, in financial matters." In northern England and southern Scotland it tends to mean, "nice or pleasant." The derived form "uncanny," which means, "weird, mysterious," came from the notion of "beyond knowledge;" thus, "mysterious," and it was originally used in reference to the supernatural and magic. For the history of its close relative "cunning," here is the link: http://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2015/05/is-it-rumania-or-romania-part-6final.html

Spicy Spanish Potatoes: Patatas Bravas

This dish is common for "tapas" in Spain, especially in Madrid and Barcelona, and there are variations in recipes. "Tapas" are "snacks," which in Spain are something of a whole segment of the Spanish food and beverage business, as tapas bars specialize in the serving of a variety of snacks, or "appetizers," if you prefer another word for this type of food. "Patatas Bravas" are crispy fried potato pieces served with a spicy tomato sauce (salsa brava); and in Barcelona, they are served with aioli (garlic mayonnaise). In Spain, the potatoes are most often fried in extra virgin olive oil. 

Ingredients:

2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 1/2 cups olive oil + 2 tablespoons
2 teaspoons salt (divided use)  
1 teaspoon mild smoked Spanish paprika
1 teaspoon hot smoked Spanish paprika
2 tablespoons chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 small fresh red chili, or 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes or 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1  14.5 ounce can tomatoes, drained
aioli* 

Simmer cubed potatoes in salted water until just beginning to soften. The potatoes should not be cooked through; thus, they will still be relatively firm. Drain and put the potatoes on some paper towels to help dry them. Fry potatoes in 1 1/2 cups of olive oil over medium heat until browned and crispy (the inside should still be sort of creamy), which will finish cooking them through. Remove potatoes to paper towels and season with one teaspoon of salt. In the meantime, in a saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and saute for about a minute. Add the garlic, the chili (or chili flakes or cayenne pepper), saute for another minute. Add the sweet and hot paprika, one teaspoon of salt and the tomatoes. Cook for about 2 to 3 minutes, stirring. Add all to a blender or food processor; combine until it's a relatively smooth sauce. Serve the potatoes with some of the tomato sauce poured over it, and then with some dabs or streaks of aioli on top.  

* Aioli is essentially a garlicky mayonnaise, although in some parts of Spain it is more olive oil, garlic, lemon juice and salt. Here's the link to the article for "aioli:" http://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2017/10/aioli-is-it-garlic-mayonnaise.html
  

WORD HISTORY: 
Brave-For what is a pretty common word today, the history of "brave" is more than a little shaky, and, to be totally honest about it, I must say the word's overall history is "uncertain," if not "unknown." One theory, which I like, has it going back to Ancient Greek "barbaros," which meant "not of Greek background;" that is, "foreign," and further, "uncivilized, wild." There is a theory that this may go back to an Indo European form "bar bar" or, "barbar," with the notion of being "unintelligible, incapable of being understood." Anyway, the Greek form, also the basis of "barbarian" and "barbarous," two other words borrowed by English, was borrowed by Latin as "barbarus," also meaning, "foreign, uncivilized, wild;" thus also, "fierce." This then produced Latin "brabus," then the altered, "bravus," meaning, "wild, fierce," and where "barbarus" was not only contracted, but where the "ar" reversed to "ra," a process called metathesis, a linguistic change that is not totally uncommon.^ This then gave Italian "bravo," where the "wild, fierce" meaning was coming to indicate "bold;" thus, "courageous (brave)." This was borrowed by French as "brave" (pronounced "brahv") and this then was borrowed by English in the late 1400s. 

^ For example, "bird" was once "brid/bridd," in English.