Ground Beef Quesadillas

"Quesadillas" are a Mexican dish of tortillas filled primarily with cheese, but often with other ingredients like meat and seasonings. In some form, the idea of quesadillas "likely" date back to the Aztecs, but there seem to be all sorts of stories about the origin of this popular food, although no one story has persuaded me to view it as conclusive. I use 6 inch diameter flour tortillas to make quesadillas, and I got eight quesadillas from the amounts in the recipe below, but naturally the amount of filling used in each quesadilla is the deciding factor, so let's say this recipe will make 6 to 8 quesadillas.

 

Ingredients (8 six inch quesadillas):

 

8 flour tortillas (6 inches in diameter)

1 pound ground beef

1/2 cup thinly sliced onion

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 teaspoons olive oil

2 teaspoons ancho chili powder

1 heaping teaspoon dried Mexican oregano (or regular), crumbled in the palm of your hand

1 chipotle (chopped) with a tablespoon of adobo sauce*

2 teaspoons (dry) adobo seasoning**

2 tablespoons thick ketchup

1 tablespoon Maggi or Gravy Master seasoning

2 teaspoons Spanish sweet paprika

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

(Optional) 1/2 teaspoon salt (the cheese and some seasonings already have salt)

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese or chihuahua cheese

 

Add the olive oil to a skillet over medium heat; when heated, add the onion and saute for about 2 minutes, then add the garlic and saute a further 1 minute, stirring the contents about the skillet, then add the ground beef and keep moving it around and breaking it up so that no large clumps of meat are present. Add the salt, pepper, ancho chili powder, dried Mexican oregano and adobo seasoning; mix the seasonings in well throughout the meat. Add the chipotle pepper and adobo sauce, ketchup and Maggi or Gravy Master and mix everything well. Saute further for about 2 minutes, stirring everything around often. Put some of the meat mixture onto 1/2 of each flour tortilla, sprinkle a good amount of shredded mozzarella and some Monterey Jack or Chihuahua cheese over the meat, then fold the other half of the tortilla over the filled side. Fry for 2 to 3 minutes on each side in a nonstick skillet (I don't use any oil in the pan) over medium heat (or you can bake 6 to 8 minutes on a foil or parchment paper lined baking sheet at 400 F). Pay very close attention when frying the quesadillas, and use a cake turner to make sure they don't stick to the pan (nonstick skillet or not, foods still stick).    

 

 * If you are not familiar with chipotle peppers, they are smoked jalapeno peppers. They are typically sold in small cans packed in adobo sauce. Adobo sauce is a dark red sauce made from ground chilies and some seasonings. It is spicy and kind of earthy in flavor.  

 

 ** "Adobo seasoning" is not the same as "adobo sauce." "Adobo seasoning" is a mixture of dry ingredients that form a kind of seasoned salt. It is very popular in Puerto Rico, where many people make adobo seasoning according to their own family recipes. Of course, there are commercial brands of adobo seasoning too. Here is the link to dry adobo seasoning ingredients: https://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2017/11/adobo-seasoning.html

 

 

 

WORD HISTORY:

Vehicle-This word is related to many words, including: "via," a word borrowed by English from Latin, to "voyage" and to "convey," Latin-derived words borrowed from French, and it is distantly related to "wagon," "way" and "weigh," all words from the Germanic roots of English. "Vehicle" goes back to Indo European "wegh" which had the notion of "movement, travel, ride." This gave its Italic offspring "weyo" meaning "to carry, to bear, to convey," and this gave Latin "vehere" with the same meanings, which produced the noun "vehiculum" meaning "means of transport, conveyance;" thus also, "carriage or cart." This passed to Latin-based French as "vehicule" and English borrowed the word in the first quarter of the 1600s with likely Latin reinforcement and with the idea of "transport," including that of "a means to administer medication to patients," and "a device used to transport people or other livings things or objects;" seemingly, more and more common in usage as motorized transport became increasingly popular. 

Barbecue Pork Pie with Potatoes

This is my own recipe and I use pork shoulder steak because it tends to remain moist (if you don't eat pork, you can certainly use boneless chicken white meat, dark meat or mixed, although I haven't actually used chicken for this specific recipe). You can make your own pie crusts, but it's much easier to use store bought pie crusts, the type you have to unroll, as you will need 2 crusts for each pie. You can cook the pork on the stove top in a skillet, or on the grill or in the oven, but I prefer to bake it for a longer period of time at relatively low heat (started at 325F, but after 20 minutes, turned down to 275 F) until it is nice and tender (the time naturally depends upon how thick the pork steak is). Regardless of the way you choose to cook the pork, first season it with (dry) adobo seasoning, a common dry seasoning mix in some Latino cultures, especially in that of Puerto Rico, a territory of the United States,* and it is easily available in supermarkets and grocery stores and it is not expensive. This is an excellent dish, but it requires balance in getting the filling to a proper thickness; too little and it will be runny, too much and it won't have a good texture. It took me a couple of times making this to get it fine-tuned, but then again, I was a senior in high school before I could recite the alphabet beyond just "A-B-C."

 

Ingredients (for 10 inch pie):

1 to 1 1/4 pound cooked chopped pork shoulder steak (seasoned with adobo seasoning before cooking)

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1/4 cup finely chopped onion (red or white) 

2 tablespoons butter + 1 tablespoon olive oil

1 1/2 tablespoons flour mixed with water

1 to 1 1/4 cups barbecue sauce (your preference)

1 1/2 cups potato, peeled and diced into small pieces

1 can (15 to 16 ounces) corn kernels, well drained

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon adobo seasoning

2 pie crusts 

 

First, season both sides of the pork steak with adobo seasoning. In a skillet over medium heat, add the butter and olive oil. Fry the pork steak until done and nice and brown; remove to a plate. In the same hot skillet, add the onion and garlic and saute until softened (it doesn't have to be totally cooked, as it will cook further in the oven with the pie). Slice the pork into bite size pieces and set it and the onion/garlic aside. Simmer the diced potatoes in some lightly salted water until they are just done (you don't want to overcook them and make them mushy, and again, they will cook a little more in the pie), then remove them from the heat, drain them and add them back into the pan. Add the pork pieces, drained corn kernels, pepper, adobo seasoning, barbecue sauce and stir carefully to mix well (you don't want to break up the potatoes). Cook until bubbling, then gradually add the flour/water mixture to thicken the sauce (you may not need all of the flour mixture, or you may need to add a little more, but the sauce needs to be thick, or when you later slice the pie the filling will run out and you'll have to chase it down the street; on the other hand, you don't want the finished pie to be so set, that you need a hammer and chisel to eat it; it requires some balancing here). Heat the oven to 400 F. Put the bottom crust into the pie pan or dish and cover the crust with parchment paper or foil, then fill with dried beans or rice. Bake for 7 or 8 minutes, remove, empty out the beans or rice and carefully remove the parchment or foil. Alternatively, poke numerous holes in the crust with a fork and bake for 7 or 8 minutes until it firms up a good deal, but it doesn't have to be completely baked. (NOTE: If you don't prebake the crust somewhat, the bottom will become soggy when you add the filling and bake it. Poking holes in the crust allows the steam from the baking crust to escape, thus keeping the crust from puffing up. If you use the other method, using parchment/foil and then filling with beans or rice weighs down the crust to prevent puffing up, and it also helps prevent the sides from sagging. Pies like apple or cherry generally don't need to have the bottom crust prebaked, but cream pies or pies with a good deal of liquid will not allow the crust to bake properly and it will be soggy.) Fill the pie crust with the thick barbecue pork mixture (you may have a little left over) and then add the top crust and crimp the edges to seal it to the bottom crust. Cut a few slits in the top crust and bake at 375 F until the top is golden brown (about 60 to 80 minutes, so you need to keep checking once the baking time reaches 45 minutes). Remove the pie from the oven and let it sit for about 20 to 30 minutes, or let it cool and then refrigerate it (you can then slice it and briefly microwave slices for about 30 seconds before serving). 

* To make your own adobo seasoning, here is the link to the recipe: https://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2017/11/adobo-seasoning.html

WORD HISTORY:

Fair (1)-English has two words of this spelling, and this is the noun for a "place or an event where people gather to buy, sell or trade goods, or to promote products." "Fair" is related to "feast" and "festival," both words of Latin derivation borrowed by English via Latin-based French, and to "fest," a word borrowed from German, which had gotten it from Latin (note: the noun is not related to the adjective/adverb;^ which is from a different source). "Fair" goes back to Indo European "dhes," meaning, "holy, sacred, of a deity or deities." This gave Latin "feriae," with "dhes" taking on an "f" sound in Italic and the derived Latin. "Feriae" meant "religious days;" thus, "holidays," ^^ as seen from the perspective of such days recurring, but then the singular form developed as "feria." The religious holidays brought people together to celebrate with food, drink and entertainment, and the meaning was expanded to include such. The word passed into Latin-based Old French as "feire/faire/foire," and in the increasingly Anglicized French dialect in England as "feyre" (also "fayre?), and English borrowed the word, initially as "feyre/fayre," before the modern form. The idea of places, usually outdoors, that marketed food and drink for special occasions added this element to the meaning of the word, which still continues today, although the products marketed have since expanded beyond food and drink to all sorts of things, like: books, paintings, sculptures, etc, and these are sometimes held indoors (example: "The university is sponsoring an art fair next week"). 

 

^ "Fair" the adjective/adverb has many meanings, including: "relating to pretty and clear or light features" (usually of face and/or complexion and/or hair), "clear" (of weather conditions), "just, imparital" (usually of someone's judgment), and "proper, fitting, not foul" (often of batted baseballs, of certain American-style football catches, points in a debate, then as 'fair game').   

 

^^ German borrowed the word from Latin in the 1400s with the "religious holiday" meaning, but by the 1700s, the idea of being off from work to celebrate the holidays broadened the meaning and gave modern German "Ferien," which means "holiday, vacation." 

Roasted Little Red Potatoes With Dill

These potatoes are a great side dish or even as a single lunch dish, served with some good bread. I've found that using the dill from the beginning of roasting simply causes it to darken and dry out or even burn. I add the dill when I turn the potatoes during roasting.

Ingredients:

1 pound small red potatoes, thoroughly washed and dried, then halved (quartered for larger potatoes)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
about 2 tablespoons dry adobo seasoning*
1 to 2 teaspoons chopped dill (fresh or dried) 

Heat the oven to 450 F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place the potato pieces in a bowl, add the extra virgin olive oil and dry adobo seasoning. Mix well to coat all of the potato pieces. Arrange the potatoes on the baking sheet in a single layer. Roast the potatoes 20 minutes, then remove them from the oven and sprinkle some dill over them, then turn them over, sprinkle some dill over that side and return the potatoes to the oven until fork tender (about a total of 30 minutes or a little more). Optional: sprinkle on more chopped dill and drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil over the roasted potatoes before serving.

WORD HISTORY:
Smith-This word, often used in compounds over the centuries,^ is also the source of the family name. It goes back to Indo European "smei," with the meaning, "to cut and work with a cutting tool or tools." This gave its Old Germanic offspring "smiþa(n)" (þ=th) meaning "craftsman, skilled worker." This gave Old English "smiþ" meaning "one who works with metals or wood, a craftsman, a carpenter." This then became "smith/smyth." The earliest recorded use as a name in England was in 975. The verb form in Old English was "smiþian," meaning "to shape and create objects from metal or wood." This then became "smythen," by which time the meaning had narrowed to "metal work, often involving heat and hammering the metal to shape it." Relatives in the other Germanic languages: German has "Schmied," meaning "metal worker, blacksmith," and like its English cousin used for a family name (with variants like Schmitt, Schmidt), and the verb "schmieden" meaning "to work metal with heat and hammer, to design, to plan"), Low German has "Smitt" and the verb "smeden," West Frisian "smid"(?), Dutch "smid," with the same spelling used for the noun and the verb, Danish "smed" and the verb "smede," Icelandic "smiður," and the verb "smíða," Norwegian "smed" and the verb "smi," Swedish "smed," with the same spelling used for both the noun and the verb.   

^ For example: blacksmith, tinsmith, goldsmith, silversmith, locksmith, gunsmith, hammersmith and others.

Fried Green Tomatoes

While fried green tomatoes have a reputation for being a dish from the American South, Robert F. Moss, a food historian and author from South Carolina, has written that mentions of fried green tomatoes first appear in the northern and mid western part of the U.S., not in the South.* He also speculates that Jewish immigrants may have had some part in the beginnings of this dish which gained popularity with the release of the movie "Fried Green Tomatoes" in the early 1990s. When I was kid and teenager, we had fried green tomatoes on occasion, and this was like from the late 1950s and through the 1960s. I don't ever recall hearing anyone say they were "southern," or for that matter, that they were "northern" or "mid western." I always liked them, and some people made/make them by simply tossing the green tomato slices in some seasoned flour and then frying them, while others coat the tomato slices in flour, then dip them into beaten egg and then coat them with breadcrumbs or cornmeal, but others, including me, prefer to dip them into a seasoned batter.

Give yourself an extra treat, and serve them with Louisiana remoulade sauce, here is the link to the remoulade recipe: https://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2020/08/louisiana-remoulade-sauce.html

Ingredients (about 4 to 6 servings):

These amounts may need to be adjusted, as the size of the tomato slices will determine how much batter you'll need, but naturally, if you mix the batter and it is too thick, mix in a little more buttermilk, or even a little water. If, by chance, the batter is too thin, just add a little more flour or breadcrumbs. These are hardly decisions we'll need to summon Einstein to make for us, but if you do summon him, good luck with that one ... he's likely busy with E=CQ2, ah, E=TMSquare, ah, E=H2O, oh, whatever the hell it is!   

4 large green tomatoes
3 eggs
2/3 cup buttermilk
1 1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup cornmeal (yellow or white)
1/4 cup panko bread crumbs (or the finely ground type)
3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 1/2 tablespoon (dry) adobo seasoning** or seasoned salt
oil for frying (rendered bacon fat added, see below)

Fried green tomatoes are often, but not always, fried in bacon fat, but you can skip this, or you can add some bacon fat to your oil. Rather than go with all bacon fat, first fry 5 or 6 slices of bacon (you can fry it for breakfast or perhaps for a bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich for lunch) and keep the rendered bacon fat. When you get ready to make fried green tomatoes, add half the bacon fat to the oil you will use to fry the tomatoes (enough oil and bacon fat to make about 1/2 inch depth in your skillet; after you've fried some tomatoes you'll periodically need to add more oil, and you can add some of the remaining bacon fat each time). Cut tomatoes into slices of about 1/3 inch. In a bowl, mix together the eggs, buttermilk, flour, cornmeal, bread crumbs (I use panko, which are 'chunky' and coarse, but the finely ground type is certainly okay), black pepper and adobo seasoning or seasoned salt. Heat the oil (and bacon fat, if using) in a skillet over medium heat until a small piece of bread sizzles when dropped into the oil. Put individual tomato slices into the batter to coat, letting excess drip off before putting the slices into the skillet. Keep the tomatoes separated in the skillet. Fry the tomatoes on both sides until golden brown, removing the finished tomatoes to a plate covered with paper towels. Repeat the process until all of the tomatoes are fried. Serve with Louisiana remoulade sauce. 

* You can read Robert Moss's complete article for yourself at this link: https://alforno.blogspot.com/2007/08/fried-green-tomato-swindle.html 

** Adobo can mean different things in different Latino or Spanish influenced cultures. The adobo for this recipe is the dry seasoning commonly used in Puerto Rico. It is very easily found in supermarkets or Latino grocery stores in the U.S., but it is also easy to make (it takes all of about 2 minutes). Here is the link to the recipe: https://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2017/11/adobo-seasoning.html 

Fried green tomatoes with Louisiana remoulade sauce on the side ...

WORD HISTORY:
Scot (as in "scot free")-This word is related to "shot," "shoot" and "sheet," all words from the Germanic roots of English, and it "likely" has nothing to do with the word of the same spelling, only capitalized, relating to the people of Scotland. It goes back to Indo European "skeut/skeud," which meant, "to throw, to shoot," seemingly with the underlying notion, "to propel outward;" also "to chase, to rush," which also show implications of "movement out from a given position." This gave Old Germanic "skeutanan/skutanan" meaning, "to shoot, to propel or move forward or away from." This gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "sceotan," a verb primarily meaning "to shoot, to throw," but secondarily "to pay out," and the nouns "sceot," literally, "(a) shot," but also "payment, contribution," and "gescot," meaning "payment, contribution." The Old Norse speakers who came to England brought along their word, "skot," which was related to the English forms, and this melded with the native English forms to produce "scot," which had come to be used for "a tax paid to landowners or nobles, including to the king." That's why we say, "scot-free," which originally meant "tax free" (it was written as one word centuries ago, "scotfreo." Of course the meaning of "scot free" has long since broadened to mean, "no payment or consequence for something." German, a close cousin of English, has the now archaic "Schoß" in this same sense, "tax, monetary contribution" (German has other words of this spelling still in use, but I'm referring to the form with this specific meaning).

Chorizo Sloppy Joes

If you don't like "heat," you can leave out the chili pepper, although at least the chorizo should have some heat. The first time I made this, I used a larger amount of ketchup and no sugar, which made it way too sour tasting for me. I'm not much of a fan of "sour." So, I cut down on the ketchup and I added some sugar. I used more like 2 teaspoons of sugar, but I've listed 1 to 3 in the recipe, to give the preparer some option. When I buy chorizo, I get it from a place at the West Side Market here in Cleveland that sells it loose from their meat case, and it does not contain an overly large proportion of fat.   

Ingredients (6 to 8 servings):

2 pounds Mexican-style chorizo*
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
2 tablespoons olive oil or canola oil
5 cloves garlic, chopped
1 or 2 chili peppers, jalapeño or serrano, chopped 
1 can (14 to 16 ounce) tomato sauce
1 cup ketchup (thicker style ketchup)
3 teaspoons dried oregano (Mexican, if you have it)
1 teaspoon adobo seasoning (homemade or commercial brand)** 
1 to 3 teaspoons sugar
hamburger buns or kaiser rolls or hard rolls

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat and saute the onion for about 3 minutes, then add the garlic and the chili pepper. Cook until the vegetables are softening. Add the chorizo and cook further, breaking up the chorizo as it cooks. Cook for about 5 minutes or so, then add the tomato sauce, the ketchup, the oregano, the adobo seasoning and one teaspoon of sugar. Mix well and taste the mixture and add more sugar, if needed, and mix well again. Continue cooking until the sauce thickens and coats the meat and there is no "totally runny" liquid.

* "Chorizo" is a type of sausage. In Spain, the chopped sausage meat (typically pork) is blended with smoked paprika and some other seasonings, then put into casings and dry cured for varying periods of time. "Generally," Spanish chorizo does not need to be cooked, although it is not an uncommon ingredient in cooked Spanish dishes, and there is also a fresh version, that requires cooking. In Portugal and in Portuguese influenced cultures, like Brazil, it is called "chouriço." The idea of chorizo passed to many of Spain's (now former) colonies, but with variations. In Mexico, chorizo is more typically a loose or bulk sausage that is not cured. The meat is combined with various seasonings, including some ground chilies of varying heat strength. Since the sausage is not cured, it must be well cooked before being eaten. This is the type of chorizo that is best known to Americans (and probably to Canadians?). 

** For homemade adobo seasoning, here is the link: https://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2017/11/adobo-seasoning.html

A "Chorizo Sloppy Joe" with some potato salad and mild pickles...

WORD HISTORY:
Serrate-This word, by far more commonly used in the adjectival form "serrated," is closely related to "sierra" ("Sierra," in proper names), which English borrowed from Spanish. The ultimate origin of "serrate" is unknown, but it goes back to the Latin verb "serrare," which meant, "to cut with a saw." The noun form in Latin was "serra," meaning "saw" (cutting tool). The participle form of the verb "serratus" (long "a"), was used adjectivally to mean, "saw-like," "having jagged teeth." Forms of the Latin noun/verb were borrowed by English with very limited use circa 1600, but the adjective form "serrated" was borrowed in the early 1700s. The Latin verb and noun meanings lie behind the meaning of the closely related Spanish word "Sierra," also derived from Latin, and meaning, "mountains of jagged peaks;" thus also the more general, "mountain range."   

Veggie Fritters with Basil Cream

I found making these fritters with adobo seasoning gives them a little more flavor, rather than just using plain salt. These are very easy to make, but you want to be sure to grate or very finely chop the vegetables so that they will cook relatively quickly. You also may find you want a "little more" flour (either whole wheat or all purpose), but I would add it just a tablespoon at a time. You can always make one fritter and fry it to see how the texture is, before proceeding with the rest of the fritters. Myself, I don't like the fritters if they have too much flour; just a coating of flour mixture on the vegetables is sufficient for me. Of course, you may like the fritters to be more like vegetable pancakes. Rather than just using sour cream with the fritters, the basil cream adds a nice touch with its mild basil taste.   

Ingredients (approx. 8 fritters):

1/2 cup grated zucchini
1/4 cup grated yellow squash
1/4 cup grated carrot
1/4 cup kale, thinly sliced
1/3 cup grated or finely chopped red onion (or white onion)
2 teaspoons marjoram (or oregano)
1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons adobo seasoning* (for those controlling salt intake, this is about 1 teaspoon of salt)
oil for frying

To a bowl, add the vegetables, the marjoram and the adobo seasoning; mix everything together. In a cup or small bowl, mix together the whole wheat flour and the all purpose flour. Add the flour to the vegetables, then add the beaten eggs and the oil. Mix well. Over medium heat, heat enough olive oil to just about thinly cover the bottom of a frying pan. Take enough of the vegetable dough to make about a golf ball size round, then flatten the ball into a patty. Add some patties to the hot oil and fry until golden brown on both sides. Serve with a dollop of basil cream** on each fritter.

* "Adobo" seasoning is available in many supermarkets or Latino markets in commercial brands, or you can make you own. Here's the recipe:  https://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2017/11/adobo-seasoning.html  

** For the easy recipe for "basil cream," here is the link: https://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2019/06/basil-cream.html

WORD HISTORY:
Crust-This word is related to "crystal," a word borrowed long ago from Latin (reinforced by French?), which Latin had borrowed from Greek. "Crust" goes back to Indo European "krus/kreus," which had the notion, "to form a crust, to begin to solidify, harden or freeze." This gave Latin "crusta" which meant, "crust, tree bark, scab, shell." English borrowed the word circa 1300 from Latin, reinforced by French "crouste" (the form taken by Latin-based French from Latin), or perhaps the other way around; it's difficult to say. German has "Kruste," borrowed way back in the 800s from Latin, which perhaps gives some support to English having borrowed the word directly from Latin.   

Creamy Chipotle Sauce

This sauce goes well with all kinds of things, including with fish, on sandwiches, with veggies and on tacos. 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup sour cream (reduced fat is fine)
1/2 cup mayonnaise (reduced fat is fine)
1 or 2 chipotle peppers, chopped
1 tablespoon of the adobo sauce from the chipotle peppers*
1 teaspoon (dry) adobo seasoning**

Add the ingredients to a bowl and stir to mix well. Best when refrigerated for at least an hour (longer time period is even better) to allow the flavors to develop.

* "Adobo sauce" is not the same as "adobo seasoning." Adobo sauce is a mixture of ground dried chilies (not necessarily super hot chilies), along with various seasonings and some vinegar and often, some oil. Chipotle peppers come packed in adobo sauce.   

** For more about "adobo seasoning," and for an easy recipe for home use, here is the link: http://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2017/11/adobo-seasoning.html  

Great to add a "kick" when used as a dip for vegetables...

WORD HISTORY:
Deter-This word comes from a prefixed word, the main body of which is related to "terrible," a word of Latin derivation borrowed by English from French. The prefix here is "de," which goes back to Indo European "de," which had the notion of, "away from, down from, from." This was also taken by its Latin offspring, with the same meanings. The main part of "deter" is from Indo European "tros," with the meaning, "to be afraid, to fear, to tremble with fear." This gave Latin "terrere," meaning, "to frighten, to make afraid, to make fearful." The two parts together gave Latin "deterrere," meaning, "to frighten from," with the figurative sense being, "to discourage or stop someone from (doing something out of fear)." English borrowed the word in the second half of the 1500s, with the figurative sense, although over time the meaning has, "in some senses," softened somewhat to "discourage through persuasion," but "fear" still lurks behind other uses.     

Cream Gravy with Pepper

Cream gravy, also known by some as country gravy, or pepper gravy, is a traditional gravy in the American South, often served over Chicken Fried Steak.* Cream gravy also forms the base for the gravy used in sausage (gravy) and biscuits, which usually has the butter replaced with sausage drippings, and has fried crumbled sausage added. This is another dish of the American South. To be quite honest about it, over the years I've found the basic recipe type of cream gravy in a number of restaurants or diners to be a little too bland for me, so I add some adobo seasoning to the gravy, which gives it a very slight yellow tint, due to some turmeric and paprika in the adobo seasoning; that is, the adobo seasoning I make myself,** but there are commercial adobo seasonings that "may not" have turmeric or paprika in the ingredients. In the U.S., adobo seasoning is easily found in supermarkets in many communities, as it has a strong connection to Puerto Rican cooking, and PUERTO RICANS ARE AMERICAN CITIZENS!    

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons regular olive oil
4 to 5 tablespoons flour
1 to 2 tablespoons ground black pepper, according to how ''peppery" you like it
2 1/2 cups milk
2 teaspoons adobo seasoning**

Heat the butter and oil in a pan over low heat until the butter melts. Stir in the flour to make a roux. Cook for just a minute or two to take away the raw flour taste, but don't let the roux darken. To prevent darkening, remove the pan from the heat for a few moments, if need be. Add about a half cup of the milk, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens. You can turn up the heat a little now (I set it on medium). Gradually add more milk, always stirring, and always allowing the mixture to come up to a simmer until it thickens. When the milk has all been added and the gravy is thickened, reduce the heat again to low or even very low. Add the pepper and the adobo seasoning, and stir to mix the seasonings in well. Let cook for another minute or so over low heat, always stirring to prevent any sticking.

* This is the link to "Chicken Fried Steak," but I made brown mushroom and onion gravy. This recipe for the meat is the same regardless of the gravy used: http://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2018/10/chicken-fried-steak-with-brown-mushroom.html

** For the recipe for adobo seasoning:  https://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2017/11/adobo-seasoning.html

Back in the 1970s I would fairly often go to this one restaurant that had a listing on their menu for "vegetarian platter." Customers could order four side dishes for a set price that was somewhat less than these dishes would have cost at their regular individual prices combined. I decided to go that route for this picture, although I'm not a vegetarian. This is mashed potatoes with pepper gravy (not meat gravy), peas, sliced tomatoes and cottage cheese.  

With fried boneless breaded chicken breast....

WORD HISTORY:
Boil-English has more than one word of this spelling, but this is the verb, and the derived noun ("state of boiling"). It is distantly related, through Indo European, to "ball" (rounded object), a word from the Germanic roots of English. It goes back to Indo European "bhel," which had the notion of "swell, bloat out, to bulge," which gave Latin "bulla,"^ meaning, "knob, bubble" (that is, "air filled swellings") and this produced Latin "bullire," a verb meaning, "to bubble." This passed into Latin-based Old French as "bollir" ("to bubble, to ferment, to boil"), the Anglo-Norman form of which, "boiller," was borrowed by English in the 1200s (at first as, "boillen?"). This word gradually replaced the native English word "seethe," as the main word for "heat liquid to bubbling."^^ The noun form for "state of boiling," was derived from the noun in the 1400s.  

^ Latin "bulla" is thought by some to have been borrowed from Gaulish, a Celtic language, which is also Indo European. Gaulish was absorbed by Latin in ancient times in the area of what is today largely France and southern Belgium.

^^ Of course "seethe" is still around and meaning "liquid at a full boil," although it is used more in its figurative sense, "be very angry, 'boiling' mad." 

Hominy & Bacon

 

New photos added/old photo removed 10/27/21 

"Hominy, hominy, you and me, that's hominy..." Ah, there's something wrong with these lyrics. They don't seem to be in harmony with the Suzi Lane song. Hey wait, in "harmony" with the Suzi Lane song?

This is super simple to make. Hominy is more of an American English term for corn that is soaked in a lye solution to remove the hulls prior to its use, which can also include drying the hulled kernels that are then ground into a meal called "grits," a popular food, especially in the American South, where they are very traditional. This hominy recipe is likely similar to some others, but it's something I've been making for decades, although about 12 to 15 years ago, I started adding adobo seasoning (which I love!).  
 
Ingredients:

2 cans hominy (white or yellow), drained
2/3 cup onion, chopped
1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil
4 slices bacon, cut into about 1/2 to 1 inch pieces
1 1/2 teaspoons adobo seasoning*
2/3 teaspoon Spanish paprika (it's smoked)
2 to 3 green onions, chopped (garnish)

In a skillet, heat the oil over medium heat and add the chopped bacon and onion. Cook the bacon and onion until the onion is softened. I've made this where I didn't need extra oil, but I've also had times where the extra oil was necessary. It will naturally depend upon how much bacon fat is rendered from the bacon pieces. Add the hominy, then sprinkle on the adobo seasoning and the paprika. Reduce the heat slightly. Make sure to mix the hominy and seasonings together well, so that the hominy is coated with the oil/bacon/seasonings. Heat until the hominy is hot. Serve with chopped green onion strewn on top.

* Adobo seasoning is type of seasoning (seasoned salt) associated with some Latino cultures, especially Puerto Rican. It is available in supermarkets and Latino markets, but it is easily made at home. Here is the link:  http://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2017/11/adobo-seasoning.html
 

 

 

  

WORD HISTORY:

Speck-English has two words of this spelling, but this is the noun meaning, "bacon, fatty pork meat, lard." It goes back to Indo European "sphei," which had the notion of, "thrive, be successful;" thus also, "to grow fat." This gave its Old Germanic offspring, "spika," meaning, "fatty meat of swine, bacon." This gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "spic," meaning, "bacon, lard." This then became "spicke, spycke," then "specke" (likely the pronunciation and spelling by then were influenced by related languages German, Low German, Dutch and Frisian), before the ending "e" was dropped. Forms in the other Germanic languages: German "Speck" (bacon, bacon fat, but also, flab, blubber), Low German had "spek," but it "seems" standard German "Speck" has overtaken it, Dutch and West Frisian "spek," Icelandic "spik," Swedish "späck" (meaning "lard," and it seems to have been borrowed from German or, more likely, from Low German).

Chorizo Burgers

"Chorizo" is a Spanish sausage, usually made with smoked paprika. The sausages are put into casings and dried. Generally, these sausages do not have to be cooked, and they can be eaten after the curing process, although they may be cooked when added to recipes. Spain's former colonies also adopted "chorizo," although at times with variations. In the case of Mexico, chorizo tends to be an uncured "bulk" ground sausage, with various seasonings, including some "heat," and the sausage needs to be cooked. The influences of Mexican cuisine on Texas and the southwestern United States has made this type of chorizo the more predominant type in the U.S., in general. For this recipe, you can make the chorizo patties whatever size you like. Piquillo peppers are generally sweet red peppers about 2 1/2 inches or so long (7 cm). They are often from Spain, or from a few areas in South America. They have a "slightly" different taste from other types of roasted red peppers, but if you can't find "piquillo peppers," you can certainly substitute regular roasted red peppers. Piquillo peppers can be found in many supermarkets, either in the section with jars of peppers and pickles, or perhaps in the "Latino" section. 

Ingredients:

sandwich buns or rolls
Mexican (bulk) chorizo
onion, chopped
piquillo peppers, or red bell pepper
avocado
mayonnaise
adobo seasoning (homemade or commercial) *
Swiss cheese slices

You can vary the amounts for each ingredient, as you choose. Form the chorizo into patties and fry them, along with the chopped onion, over medium or medium low heat. I generally choose medium low heat to try to prevent a hard crust from forming on the patties. Move the onions around to prevent them from burning. Remember, this is raw meat, so it must be cooked thoroughly. On sandwich/hamburger buns or the bread rolls of your choice, spread some mayonnaise on the top portion, and put some sliced avocado on the bottom part. You can add the Swiss cheese slices to the chorizo patties right near the end of cooking to melt the cheese a bit. When done, place the cheese-topped chorizo burgers onto the buns. Add some of the softened fried onions on top of each, as well as some piquillo pepper. Sprinkle a little adobo seasoning on each sandwich to finish.

* For homemade adobo: http://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2017/11/adobo-seasoning.html

WORD HISTORY:
Bulk-This word, distantly related to "belly," ^ goes back to Indo European "bhel," which meant, "to swell," from which a derivative developed, "bhelg," with the same meaning. This gave Old Germanic "buka," meaning, "main part of the body, the trunk, the torso;" but with that part of the body having the abdomen, it also came to be used for, "belly." Old Norse, from the North Germanic branch of Germanic, had "bulki," which was used in reference to "the main body of cargo on a ship;" thus then also gradually applied to "large number of items, large volume of something," in general, as well as to the storage area/cargo hold. English borrowed the word in the 1400s as "bolke," which then became "bulk," with the primary meaning, "a large number of items, large volume of something," and the secondary meaning being, "the main body of something" (example: "A few sprinkles of rain came, but the bulk of the storm was still 50 miles away.")   

^ Also distantly related to a word now only used in parts of Britain as a dialect term, "bouk," which means, "main part of the body, torso," but also means, "belly." Close relative German still has "Bauch," meaning "belly." Like its German cousin, the English word once was limited to the "belly" meaning, but it seems to have taken the "torso" or "trunk of the body" meaning from Old Norse, which had both meanings, "torso" and "belly." Low German Saxon has "Buuk," Dutch has "buik," West Frisian has "búk," Danish has "bug," Swedish and Norwegian have "buk," all of which mean "belly." 

Adobo Seasoning

Adobo means different things in different Latino (Spanish) influenced cultures. Often is it a type of Puerto Rican/Latino seasoned salt, and it is very commonly used in Puerto Rico to season meats and for fried plantain chips. In Mexico, however, the term is also used for a sauce usually made from a mixture of chili peppers, spices and some liquid component. It is often used as a marinade. If you've bought chipotle peppers in the can, they are usually packed in adobo sauce. This easy recipe is for the dry, seasoned salt type. The are many variations and I've actually seen a recipe with NO salt.  

Ingredients:

2 1/4 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon well crumbled dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon paprika (Spanish paprika) 
(For a sort of, "Mexican style," add 1 teaspoon chili powder and 1 teaspoon ground cumin)
If you like a little "heat," use hot paprika, or add a pinch of cayenne pepper. Spanish paprika is naturally used in many Latino cultures. It has a nice smoky flavor.

Add all ingredients to a jar/container with a lid. Shake the container until the ingredients are well mixed. Always give the container a shake before adding the adobo to any recipe.

WORD HISTORY:
Season/Seasoning-"Season" is distantly related to both "seed" and "sow" ("toss or scatter seed"), both original English words from its Germanic roots. It goes back to Indo European "seh," which meant, "to sow, to seed." This gave Latin "serere," meaning "to sow (seed)," one of whose participle forms produced the noun "satio" ("a sowing"), the accusative form of which "sationem" gave Old French, a Latin-based language, the noun, "seison" (later, "saison"), meaning, "the time of the year for sowing." This was borrowed into English in the late 1200s, likely from what was the Norman French form, "sesoun," but with the broadened meaning, "a particular time of the year," including later, "a time of year for specific events or activities;" thus, "baseball season," "boating season," "picnic(ing) season." The verb form of "season" came from Old French "assaisonner," the basic meaning of which was, "to ripen," but with the secondary development of, "the addition of ripened seeds (spices) to enhance the flavor of foods;" thus, also the noun, "seasoning."       

Filipino Adobo Chicken

If you're a regular reader here, you've likely seen the term "adobo" used by me several times, often, but not always, about Latino recipes. Filipino adobo does not have the same meaning as in "New World" cooking terminology. In some Latino cultures it is a dry kind of seasoning or seasoned salt, while in other Latino cultures it is a mixture of chilies, spices and a liquid component. In the Philippines it refers to a way of cooking by using a marinade for meat or seafood. The Spaniards, who colonized the Philippines from the 1500s until 1898, applied the name "adobo" to the cooking style already present in the Philippines, with the idea of marinating being the common connection to Latino cultures, where both liquid or dry seasonings are used to flavor and tenderize meat by marinating, but where the marinating product was given the name "adobo," not the preparation process.

You won't need salt, because the soy sauce has plenty. You can see, if you like a little heat, add a chili pepper or some cayenne. Chili peppers can vary in the level of heat, even the same kind of chilies. One jalapeño may be mouth-scorching, while the next may be so mild as to be similar to a bell pepper, so sample them and proceed accordingly. When I first made this dish, I used half of a fresh cayenne pepper, but it didn't even move the needle, so I added the other half, but it also didn't supply much punch, which goes to show how mild some "hot" chilies can be actually be, regardless of their name and reputation.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 pounds chicken thighs or whole legs
8 to 10 black peppercorns, cracked a little to release flavor
1/3 cup white or rice vinegar
8 cloves garlic, crushed
1/3 cup soy sauce
3 bay leaves
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2/3 cup water
(optional) 1 finely chopped jalapeño or serrano chili, or 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
(optional) cornstarch and water

In a large bowl or non reactive pot, place the chicken thighs, the peppercorns, the vinegar, the garlic, the soy sauce, the brown sugar, the chili pepper or cayenne and the bay leaves. Cover and refrigerate for 4 to 6 hours. Turn the chicken at least once, preferably a couple of times, while marinating. Heat the oven to 350 (F). Remove the dish and marinade from the refrigerator and place the chicken thighs on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or foil. Bake in the oven for 40 to 50 minutes, depending upon the size of the chicken thighs, until the skin is somewhat firmed up. Meanwhile, add the water to the marinade and then bring to a boil over medium high heat on the stove top, then reduce heat so that the marinade/sauce simmers very lightly for about 10 to 12 minutes, uncovered, until sauce is reduced, OR, mix some cornstarch and water together very well. Keeping the sauce simmering, gradually add the cornstarch to the sauce, stirring constantly, until you reach the desired thickness of the sauce. (Optional) If you want the chicken to be well coated with sauce (photo #2), after the sauce reaches the desired thickness, put the fresh from the oven chicken thighs into the pan and turn to coat. Cook for just a minute. Serve with rice.

Just with some sauce spooned over, or in the second photo, chicken coated in sauce

WORD HISTORY:
Soy-This word goes back to transliterated Chinese "tshi-yew," which meant "soy bean oil." This was borrowed into Japanese as transliterated "shoyu" and early Dutch traders to Japan took the word as "soja," which was borrowed by English in the last quarter of the 1600s, as "soya/soy." When I was a kid, it seems to me I heard "soya" used a lot in reference to the beans, but "soy" used for the famous sauce.

Red Enchilada Sauce

"Enchilada" simply means "to season with chili (pepper)." Enchiladas originated in Mexico, but they are quite common elsewhere, especially in some parts of the United States, although they are available throughout the U.S. Enchiladas are quite easy to prepare, but if you're a lazy ass... I mean, if you are too tired from work or other activities, they can also be found in the frozen food sections of supermarkets. Of course, you can always visit Mexican restaurants for their individual versions, as recipes do vary somewhat, including by the filling wrapped in the tortilla, by whether the tortilla is from corn or flour, by the enchilada sauce ingredients, as some recipes use tomato in some fashion in the sauce, while others use only chilies to make the sauce, no tomato. Some sauce is also green, but I'll do that at another time. Also, the cheese topping may vary by type, or may even be a mixture of cheeses. Here is my version of the sauce:

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon garlic powder
3 tablespoons ancho chili powder (or other, if you don't have ancho)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
pinch cayenne pepper (or 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon, for hotter)
2/3 teaspoon abobo seasoning salt*
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano (Mexican, if you have it)
1 1/2 cups chicken stock/broth
1 can tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon sugar (it takes some of the sharpness out of the tomato paste, but you can use more, less or none)

Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low and add the flour and stir well to form a roux. Add the tomato paste, stirring constantly, until the paste is broken up. (I've found that adding the tomato paste at this point makes it easier to mix in, as it is so thick. You can add the broth first, however, and then mix the tomato paste, but be careful not to leave any "clumps" of tomato paste.) Increase the heat again to medium and gradually add the chicken broth in increments, stirring constantly. As you stir in the broth, let the mixture come back to a simmer each time until the broth is all added and the liquid begins to thicken somewhat. Reduce to a constant light simmer and add the other ingredients, and stir well again to combine. Let simmer for about 5 minutes. The sauce should not be super thick. Pour sauce over whatever type of enchiladas you're making. 

* Adobo seasoning is a type of Puerto Rican/Latino seasoned salt, easily available in supermarkets, although perhaps in the "Hispanic/Latino Foods" section. Ingredients vary somewhat, but generally it includes, at a minimum: salt, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, dried oregano, with ground turmeric being a frequent ingredient. Understand, the term "adobo" means different things in different Latino or Spanish influenced cultures. In Mexico, the term is used for a sauce usually made from a mixture of chili peppers, spices and some liquid component. It is often used as a marinade. If you've bought chipotle peppers in the can, they are usually packed in adobo sauce.

In this case, I made two enchiladas for myself. I like lots of enchilada sauce! 

WORD HISTORY:
Art-This noun goes back to Indo European "ar/aer," which had the notion of "join together, assemble." This gave Italic/Latin the noun "ars," which generally meant "skill," and later the extended meaning, "object produced by skill." The Latin noun, depending upon usage in a sentence, had various inflections (changes), which usually had a "t" included in those changes (inflections). Old French, a Latin based language, inherited a form of the word as "art," which was borrowed into English in the early 1200s, very much with the notion of "object produced by skill," a meaning still carried into modern times.

Bloody Bull (Bloody Mary)

A Bloody Bull is really just a Bloody Mary with beef broth added; well... that, and a bull having a bad day at a bullfight in Spain. "If" you don't drink alcohol, drink the mix without the vodka.

Ingredients:

46 ounce can tomato juice*
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
juice of 2 limes
2 tablespoons celery salt
2 tablespoons adobo seasoning **
2 tablespoons horseradish
1/2 cup beef broth (the low sodium type is not only fine, but better)
2 tablespoons sambal oelek/(hot) chili sauce*** (or to taste per serving****)
vodka (1 ounce per serving****)

In a large pitcher, add all of the ingredients, except the vodka. Mix well, then refrigerate for several hours, or add vodka and ice to a glass, then add the mixture.

* I use the less sodium type of juice, as the celery salt, adobo seasoning and beef broth (especially if you use bouillon, but you can use the lower sodium broth) all will add salt, but it will help, at least somewhat, to control the amount of salt.

** Adobo seasoning is a type of Puerto Rican/Latino seasoned salt, easily available in supermarkets, although perhaps in the "Hispanic/Latino Foods" section. Ingredients vary somewhat, but generally it includes, at a minimum: salt, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, dried oregano.

*** Sambal Oelek is a chunky hot chili pepper sauce that originated in Indonesia. It should be easily found in the Asian section, or in the hot sauce section, of supermarkets. 

**** You can hold back on adding the sambal oelek and add it to each individual serving to each person's preference. I've put 1 ounce of vodka, just to keep things simple, but you can use whatever amount each person prefers.

WORD HISTORY:
Juice-The overall history of this word is a bit unclear, but it goes back to Indo European "yeus," which had the notion, "to mix." Latin had "ius," which meant, "broth, soup, juice." The question, is, where did Latin get this word. I "assumed" it had come down to Latin from some Old Italic form, which itself had been the direct offspring of Indo European. Further research has made me call this lineage into question, as Latin may well have borrowed their form, "ius," from Old Germanic, "yustas/justaz," (from the Indo European form), and English once had "wos/wós" (apparently slight dialectal differences), which meant, "juice, sap, liquid." This English word existed alongside the English word "sæp," with the same general meanings, and which became the more specific modern word, "sap." ^ Anyway, Latin "ius" then became, "jus," which passed to French in that same form, and this then was borrowed by English or merged with the English form "wos" in the 1200s, by which time the meaning as becoming the more specific, "liquid from fruits or vegetables." The related word, "jus," meaning, "reduced meat broth or meat juices, gravy," "apparently" came to English by way of American/Canadian English directly from French. It is most commonly used in the expression, "au jus," meaning literally, "with the juice;" thus, "meat served with its own juice."

^  German still uses its closely related form of the word "sap," which is "Saft," for "juice," but also for "sap" (although "Sappe" is also used for the latter); thus, for example: "Apfelsaft," "apple juice."

Seasoned Chicken Tenderloins

Next time, I am going to make this with "skin on" chicken pieces, which will require more baking time.

Ingredients (for about one pound or so)

1 pound chicken tenderloins
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup olive oil
3/4 cup grated romano
1 tablespoon paprika
2 tablespoons dried thyme
1 tablespoon dried rosemary
2 teaspoons adobo seasoning*
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Heat oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Melt the butter in a shallow dish, then add the oil. Mix the grated cheese and seasoning ingredients on a plate or on a piece of parchment paper or foil. Coat chicken with melted butter/olive oil, then roll in dried mixture. Arrange the chicken on the baking sheet and bake for about half an hour (or until done). 

 * Adobo seasoning is a type of Puerto Rican/Latino seasoned salt, easily available in supermarkets, although perhaps in the "Hispanic/Latino Foods" section. Ingredients vary somewhat, but generally it includes, at a minimum, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, dried oregano.

The seasoned chicken tenderloins served with mashed potatoes and chicken gravy and cottage cheese.

WORD HISTORY:
Chicken-This common word "apparently" is a Germanic invention going back to Old Germanic "kiuk," in imitation of the sound made by fowl. From this came the expanded "kiukinan," a diminutive form meaning, "young fowl," "perhaps" initially more with that general meaning, before taking on the specific meaning "chicken." This gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "cicen," meaning "chicken," the spelling which came to prevail a few hundred years later, and which has continued to the present. ^ The other Germanic languages have: German and Low German Saxon "Küken," also spelled "Kücken," in southern dialect (chick, young chicken or fowl), Dutch "kuiken" (chicken, chick), Danish and Norwegian "kyllinge," Icelandic "kjuklinga." Neither West Frisian nor Swedish use modern forms, but North Frisian ^^ has "schickling/schückling." All of these forms mean either "chicken," "chick," or "young fowl."   

^ Interestingly, the Old Germanic "-inan" suffix, and its "-en" descendants, were diminutives, and all really meant "young fowl, or young chicken;" however, English developed the shortened form "chick" to mean "young chicken." Likewise, German developed "Küchlein," "young fowl, young chicken, chick." "Likely" there was a disconnect with the original Old Germanic form and meaning, thus making people feel they needed new forms to express "young" for the birds.

^^ North Frisian is a dialect of the overall Frisian language. It has perhaps 30,000 plus speakers in northern Germany, including several German islands in the North Sea. It is closely related to English. 

Special Sauce, Dip or Dressing

This is simple to make and you can use it on sandwiches, or use it as a dip for veggies, or use it on salads, including as the dressing for potato salad or egg salad ... it's EXCELLENT! With asparagus  common this time of year, it's also good served with roasted asparagus.

1 1/4 cup mayonnaise (reduced fat is fine)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons adobo seasoning (a Latino seasoned salt)*
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon turmeric  
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon dill
1 teaspoon chives

Put all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Chill the sauce for at least an hour, preferably longer, before serving.

* Adobo seasoning is a type of Puerto Rican/Latino seasoned salt, easily available in supermarkets, although perhaps in the "Hispanic/Latino Foods" section. Recipes vary somewhat, but generally it includes, at a minimum, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, dried oregano.  

So I had it at this time with some veggies: carrots, celery and green pepper.

WORD HISTORY:
Chive-The origin of this word for a plant from the same family as onions, garlic and leeks, is unknown, but English borrowed the word from the northern dialect of Old French "cive" (chive) in the late 1300s. Old French, a Latin-based language, had its form from Latin "cepa," which meant "onion," but where Latin got the word is unknown, although the transliterated Ancient Greek word "kápia" (onion, but no longer used in Greek) is a likely source, but where Greek got the word seems to be a dead end. German too borrowed from Latin "cepa" in the 11th Century, although from a diminutive form "cepola," which became German "Zwiebel," meaning "onion."

Creamed Spinach

Ingredients:

1  8 ounce bag fresh spinach
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil or canola oil
2 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons flour
2 teaspoons adobo seasoning*
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
1  12 ounce can evaporated milk (can be the lower calorie type)
4 ounces sour cream (can be low calorie type)
3 ounces regular or 2% milk (the actual amount is dependent upon the thickness of the sauce, as this helps thin the sauce, see below)

Heat the oil and melt the butter in a sauce pan over medium low heat. Add the onion and cook until the onion generally softens. Stir in the flour, making sure to not let the flour brown. Cook just for about two minutes. Gradually stir in the canned milk, a little at a time, stirring constantly. The mixture will need to simmer to properly thicken, but you will need to keep the heat low, or there could be sticking and scorching. Add the sour cream, the adobo seasoning and black pepper, stir well again. The sauce may be very thick, so you can use some regular or 2% milk to thin it out a bit, but it should not be too runny; stir well. Now mix in the spinach in handfuls. Cook for just a few minutes, keeping the heat very low, like 3 to 5 minutes total. 

* Adobo seasoning is a type of Puerto Rican/Latino seasoned salt, easily available in supermarkets, although perhaps in the "Hispanic/Latino Foods" section. Recipes vary somewhat, but generally it includes, at a minimum: salt, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, dried oregano.

WORD HISTORY:
Bag-For what became a common word in English, the history of the word "bag" is very limited, with many questions. It was borrowed into English as "bagge," from Old Norse (North Germanic) "baggi," which meant "bundle;" that is, "something to be carried;" thus also, the figurative, "burden." Where Old Norse got the word is puzzling, as it is not in other Germanic languages, but relatives do appear in some Latin-based languages, although "seemingly" not until the Middle Ages, leading some linguists to believe it was originally of Celtic origin. The interesting thing is, Old Norse, in northern Europe, had a form of the word, and some southern parts of Europe had forms. The Celtic tribes were once widespread in Europe, so that could account for such a distance in related words, if indeed, Celtic provided the word to the other languages, but many of the Celtic languages had been on the wane for quite some time. But still, none of the other Germanic languages had it, until English borrowed it the early part of the 1200s. It is also possible that the Old Norse term was carried into the Mediterranean, and thus, to southern Europe, as the Normans did land in Sicily and southern Italy in the 11th Century. It most certainly is related to "baggage," a word borrowed from French (French "bagage" developed in the mid 1200s), as Old French had "bague" ("bundel"), but did Old French get that form from Medieval Latin "baga," or from Old Norse, as the Normans had been landing along the coastal areas there for quite some time, before they finally were given land, which came to be called "Normandy." The verb form used in hunter's jargon, "to bag game animals," came from the use of bags to hold the day's kill; thus, "We were able to bag two rabbits and three squirrels."  

Plantain Chips

Plantains are starchy, non sweet bananas, common in tropical parts of the world, including on the island of Puerto Rico, which is a territory of the United States (people born on Puerto Rico are American citizens). Plantains are generally available in the produce sections of many supermarkets these days, and definitely in Latino markets, and make sure you look at the little sticker on them that says, "plaintain," because they are identical to the more common sweet bananas. Plantain chips, called "platanutres," in the Spanish of Puerto Rico, are one of the island's most common uses for this produce, but they are also common in other places in the Caribbean and in some South American countries. The "basic" recipe for these chips is the same all over, but for me, it was inspired by: "A Taste of Puerto Rico," by Yvonne Ortiz, Dutton, a division of Penguin Books, 1994. There are some slight variations in recipes from place to place, and from person to person.

Plantain chips are simple to make, but what is not so simple, is to be able to stop eating them:

2 green plantains
1 1/4 cups canola or vegetable oil
Puerto Rican adobo seasoning to taste*
(for a spicy kick, 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper)

Peel and very thinly slice the plantains. Add enough oil for an inch or 2 in a heavy duty skillet; cast iron is good for this, but not a necessity. Heat the oil, but it should not be smoking hot. Fry the chips in batches, removing them to paper towels to drain them as you go. Add Puerto Rican adobo to taste, and the 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, if using.

* Puerto Rican adobo is a type of seasoning, easily available in supermarkets, although perhaps in the "Hispanic/Latino Foods" section. I deliberately put "Puerto Rican adobo," as "adobo" can mean different things in Latino countries or in the Philippines, a country with Spanish influences (it was once a colony of Spain).

WORD HISTORY:
Plantain-There are two words of this spelling in English, but by far the more common is the one meaning, "a type of starchy banana using in cooking," although its pronunciation may well have been influenced by the other word.^ This word goes back to the "Carib" language of the "Cariban" family of languages, native to South America, which then spread to some of the islands of the Caribbean. This language family is much diminished in modern times, as its forms were often replaced by Spanish, Portuguese, French, English or Dutch in the areas colonized by the European speakers of these languages. The Carib word, "platana/blatana," meaning "banana," was borrowed into Spanish as "plántano" (early on likely influenced by the other Latin derived word, see note below), which then became "plátano." It was borrowed by English in the mid 1500s, but was likely influenced in spelling and pronunciation by the already borrowed word, "plantain" (see note below).

^ The other word of identical spelling is the name for a plant with broad, flat leaves, but it is from a form of the Latin word "plantago," which gave Old French, a heavily Latin-based language, "plantain," but it has nothing to do with the origins of the Carib word. This word "plantain" was borrowed by English in the 1400s from the French dialects brought to England by the Normans and other French speakers, thus called, "Anglo-Norman," which had a variety of spellings, like "plainteine, planteine, planteyne," but its English spelling seems to have been influenced directly by the continental French spelling, "plantain."

Ecuadorian Shrimp Ceviche (Ceviche de Langostinos)

Published 4-24-16, but added 2 photos and "note" 2-16-22 

 

"Ceviche" is traditionally marinated raw seafood in many Latino countries and cultures, but some people now fix it lightly cooked, instead of raw, for safety reasons, which is a good idea in my opinion, especially if you have any immune system problems. Previously, and still used by some today, the raw fish or other seafood was marinated for a number of hours in citrus juice, or a combination of citrus juices. This process "cooked" the fish, because of the acidic juices used, but it was found not to kill all of the potential bad guys, and "on occasion" some people got sick. Variations in recipes are common, but I've kept it simple here, using only shrimp, which makes this something of a shrimp cocktail in Ecuador. NOTE: For those who like chili pepper heat, you can always add some finely chopped red or green chili pepper to this. Further, I'm not particularly fond of sour tastes, and this dish has ketchup, vinegar, lime juice and orange juice, so I add more than 1 tablespoon sugar to suit my own taste, but I neglected to mention that in the original article.

INGREDIENTS (for 4 servings):

1 pound medium cleaned shrimp, cooked in salted boiling water for no more than a couple of minutes (if using cooked frozen shrimp (very common way of selling shrimp in the U.S.), cook until just thawed and tender
1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced into rings, then cut into thirds
fresh cilantro, 3 tablespoons
1/2 cup ketchup
lime juice, from 1 lime
orange juice, from 1 orange
3/4 cup frozen corn kernels, cooked for about one minute in boiling water, then rinsed in cold water
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons olive oil
fried plantain chips*

Fix the shrimp as noted above, drain. In a bowl, mix the ketchup, olive oil, vinegar, and sugar, making sure the sugar dissolves. Drain the shrimp and put into a serving bowl. Add the lime and orange juices, then the onion and corn kernels, mix well. Chill the shrimp in the refrigerator. Add the ketchup mixture and cilantro, stirring well again. You can chill the dish further before serving. Serve with the plantain chips on the side.

* Plantain chips are common in many Latino countries and communities, including among Latino Americans, especially Puerto Ricans, both in Puerto Rico and on the mainland. To make: 2 green plantains, peeled and very thinly sliced. Enough corn oil (I used canola oil) for an inch or 2 in a heavy duty skillet; cast iron is good for this, but not a necessity. Heat the oil, but it should not be smoking hot. Fry the chips in batches, removing them to paper towels to drain them as you go. Add Puerto Rican Adobo to taste. Puerto Rican Adobo is a type of seasoning/seasoned salt, easily available in supermarkets, although perhaps in the "Hispanic/Latino Foods" section. I deliberately put "Puerto Rican Adobo," as "adobo" can mean different things in Latino countries or in the Philippines, a country with Spanish influences (it was once a colony of Spain). The above plantain chip recipe is based on the recipe in, "A Taste of Puerto Rico," by Yvonne Ortiz, Dutton, a division of Penguin Books, 1994

 

 

WORD HISTORY: 

Amigo-This word for "friend" has an uncertain ultimate origin. It is related to "amiable," a word of Latin derivation, borrowed by English from French. While the origin of "amigo" is uncertain, it goes back to Latin "amare," meaning "to love." This then provided the basis for "amicus," meaning "friend," which became "amigo" in Spanish, a Latin-based language. English borrowed the word (via American English) in the 1830s, although it may well have been in use by some English speakers in areas like Texas, then a province of Mexico, with mixed Spanish-English speaking populations.