Spicy Sumatran Shrimp: Udang Saos Padang

Padang is the capital of the Indonesian province of West Sumatra on the island of Sumatra, one of the world's largest islands. Indonesia is a country literally composed of thousands of islands.

If you don't like chili pepper heat, use just a teaspoon of sambal oelek* or 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper or 1/2 fresh red chili pepper. Often when recipes call for a small amount of tomato sauce or tomato paste, I simply substitute ketchup instead, although it is not the same. Of course, you can plan to do a couple of dishes that use tomato sauce or tomato paste to use up the remaining amount. 

Ingredients:

1 pound large, cleaned and peeled shrimp/or tails on (frozen cooked shrimp are fine, and naturally require less cooking time)
1 to 3 hot red chili peppers, or 1 1/2 tablespoons sambal oelek  
3 garlic cloves
4 green onions (white part only)
1 1/2 inch piece ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and roughly chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 tablespoons tomato sauce (or ketchup)
zest of 1 lime
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
chopped green onions, for garnish
serve with rice

Since the basic sauce will be made in a food processor, you need not spend much time chopping the ingredients into perfect pieces. Use a food processor and add the chilies, garlic, onion, ginger, Roma tomatoes and turmeric. Process until smooth. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat, add the processed sauce mixture, the ketchup/tomato sauce and the lime zest. Stir the mixture while cooking it for about 3 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook until tender, while turning the shrimp to coat them with the sauce. Serve with rice and strew some chopped green onion on top of each serving.

* Sambal Oelek is a chunky hot chili pepper sauce/relish "originally" from Indonesia. The American made version can be easily found in the Asian section, or in the hot sauce section, of supermarkets.   

WORD HISTORY:

Level-This word is distantly related to "litre" (American spelling "liter"), a word borrowed by English from French; to "lira" (an Italian monetary unit), a word borrowed by English from Italian, and to "livre" (a former French monetary unit), a word borrowed by English from French, although not commonly used in more modern times. The ultimate origin of "level" is not known, although some believe it to have been borrowed from some Mediterranean language by Italic, or perhaps developed by Italic, the parent language group of Latin and some other languages like Umbrian and Oscan. The Italic word was something like "lithra," which meant "a measurement of weight (pound)." Ancient Greek either also borrowed the word from a Mediterranean source itself, or Greek borrowed the word from Italic through its extensive interaction with Sicily, where a "litra" was a type of coin. The Italic form gave Latin the noun "libra," which was "a measurement of weight;" thus also, "a balance of 2 scales for weighing." This produced the Latin diminutive (makes the meaning of the word "smaller" or "dear") "libella," which was a part of a Roman monetary unit, but also, more importantly, "an implement used in building to help make surfaces even, horizontal." This passed into Latin-based Old French as "livel," with the same meaning. English borrowed the word circa 1350. The adjective (be even, having to do with evenness) and the verb (to make even) developed from the noun in the middle of the 1400s. Several figurative uses developed, including "to take aim with a gun," which "might" have later produced the American English expression "do your 'level' best" in the mid 1800s, from the idea of "keep your gun as level as possible when aiming to get the best shot." The idea of "balanced, even," gave rise to the meaning, "fair, honest," and also "not prone to extreme emotional reactions" ("level headed/levelheaded").            

Cranberry & Chili Sauce Meatloaf

This was the first time I had ever tried this, but I had seen several recipes for a sauce or glaze of cranberries and chili sauce used with beef or pork, or a combination of the two. If you like "heat," you can add more cayenne pepper, but if you don't like "heat," unless you have super hot cayenne, 1/4 teaspoon won't bother you, but it adds just a little spiciness.

Ingredients:

For the meatloaf:
1 1/2 pounds ground beef chuck
1 package (12 to 16 ounces) ground pork sausage (sage type)
3 slices stale/dried white bread, torn or cut into small pieces (lightly toasted sandwich bread is fine)
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup chopped mushrooms
1 tablespoon seasoned salt
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 eggs
2 tablespoons dried thyme
1 tablespoon dried savory
3/4 cup plain bread crumbs

For the sauce:
1  14 ounce can whole cranberry sauce
1/2 cup Heinz chili sauce 
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar (light or dark)
1/4 to 3/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper, to your taste 
2 tablespoons cornstarch + 3 tablespoons water

Begin heating oven to 350 F. For the meatloaf: In a large bowl, add all of the ingredients. Mix well by hand, kneading the mixture to make sure the ingredients are dispersed throughout. Form into a loaf and put into a baking pan or casserole with a lid or foil. Make sure there is room for the juices as the meatloaf bakes. Bake at 350 F for 1 hour 45 minutes, uncover. Carefully pour off as much of the juice as is safely possible,* but leaving a little of the liquid will help to keep the sauce from burning. Smear the cranberry/chili sauce over the meatloaf, keeping some of the sauce to spoon over the meatloaf as it bakes further. It's okay for some of the cranberry mixture to fall or run into the pan/baking dish with the little amount of juice left in the pan. Bake uncovered another 35 to 45 minutes. Check every 10 minutes.

As the meatloaf bakes, mix together all of the ingredients for the sauce in a sauce pan, except the cornstarch/water. Bring to a simmer over medium low heat. Mix the cornstarch and water well. With the sauce bubbling lightly, drizzle in some of the cornstarch/water mixture, stirring constantly. Continue gradually adding the cornstarch until the sauce thickens. Turn off the heat. The sauce will thicken even more as it cools.  

* I used the juice over the mashed potatoes, but I first separated out the fat.   

A nice end piece of the meatloaf, with mashed potatoes, cottage cheese and corn ...

WORD HISTORY:
Cranberry-This word was borrowed from the Low German compound "Kraanbere/Kraanbeere" circa 1650. Low German "Kraan" is closely related to English "crane." "Supposedly" some believed the plant to resemble the bird, a crane. Another possibility is, cranberries often grow in and around marshy areas, where cranes live; thus, the possible association. For its history, see the "Word History" at this link: http://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2016/01/homemade-liverwurst.html
Of course, Low German and German "Bere/Beere" are close cousins to English "berry." For the history of "berry," here is that link: http://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2008/10/finance-basics-part-three.html

Dumplings: Rumaki Liverwurst Filled

Rumaki liverwurst* filled dumplings is something I came up with on my own; not that it took a period of deep thought.

To make this a very simple process, you can buy the dumpling dough already made, rolled out and cut. They are sold in many supermarkets in the refrigerated section, and, of course, Asian markets will have them. 

Brush the edges of the dumpling with water. Add a small clump .... I mean, amount, of liverwurst. Fold the dumpling over and press the edges together. Use a fork to press and "seal" the dumpling edges. Put the dumplings into simmering water. They will float when done, but I always give them about 30 seconds more, but not much more; you don't want them to split open. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain.

With Sweet & Spicy Thai Chili Sauce on the side **

* The recipe for Rumaki liverwurst is at this link:   http://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2017/08/rumaki-liverwurst.html

** The recipe for the Thai Chili Sauce is at this link:  http://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2016/10/sweet-spicy-thai-chili-sauce.html

WORD HISTORY:
Scale-English has more than one word of this spelling, but this is the noun for "a device for weighing." This word is closely related to "shell" and to "scale;" that is, the word of the same spelling, but meaning, "covering for fish," and, "flakes of dry skin." This form of the word goes back to Indo European "skel," which had the notion "to cut, to split, to chip." This gave Old Germanic "skela," meaning, "shallow vessel for food or drink made by splitting apart mollusk shells." This gave Old English "scealu," which meant, "shell;" thus then, "cup, bowl;" thus, "dish or pan used to hold items for weighing on a scale of balance," with the latter meaning later transferring to the whole weighing device by the late 1300s to early 1400s. The Danes, who spoke Old Norse, reinforced the word, and influenced its pronunciation by bringing their form of the same word, "skál" (bowl), to England. Relatives in the other Germanic languages have largely kept the original meaning, "cup, bowl, dish:" German "Schale" (cup, shallow bowl, and it was once spelled "scala"), Dutch "schaal" (dish, bowl, but also dish/pan for a scale), West Frisian "skaal" (dish), Danish, Norwegian and Swedish "skål" (bowl, dish; long ago, the word also meant "drinking cup," which brought about the use of "skål," as a drinking toast; like, "cheers," "to your health"), Icelandic "skál" (bowl, basin). "Apparently," Low German dialects no longer use a form, but Low German Saxon once had "skala," then, "schale." 

Sweet & Spicy Thai Chili Sauce

New photos added 11-3-21. 

 

 

There are some very good commercial brands of Thai chili sauce on the market, but for those who like to try making their own food products, here is a good recipe. Of course, with products you make for yourself, you get to control the ingredients. This sauce is great for dipping or for fixing chicken wings, as well as for other recipes. Thai food can have some "heat" from chili peppers, and you can add more chili pepper to this sauce for more "kick." 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon minced ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon minced red chili peppers
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon ketchup
4 teaspoons cornstarch + 3 tablespoons cold water

Bring all ingredients, except 4 teaspoons of cornstarch and 3 tablespoons cold water, to a boil, then lower heat to simmer the sauce for about 5 minutes. Give the mixture a little taste; if it needs a little more sugar, now is the time to add it, when it will dissolve well. Mix together the cornstarch and water, gradually add to the sauce, stirring well until thickened. Refrigerate.

WORD HISTORY:
Pickle-For a fairly common word, this word's history is not totally clear. It first appeared in English in the 1400s, and seems to have been a borrowing from Low German/Middle Dutch "pekel," perhaps with Frisian "pikel" thrown in. Where any of these West Germanic languages got the word remains in question. Its main meaning was, and "generally" remains, "to use a salt, spices and liquid solution to preserve and flavor meat." It "might" be somehow connected to the ancestor of "pike;" that is, "pike," "the long heavy spear used in the Middle Ages," except for ceremony nowadays, with the idea of "sharp, pointed," because of the taste. Low German Saxon has "Pekel," (East) Frisian has " päkel" and German has (verb) "pökeln," but German borrowed the word from Low German. It is "assumed" that the original root word is from Germanic, as there are no other languages seemingly with a form of the word,* except the Germanic languages, and even then, it seems to be confined to the West Germanic languages, which includes English, but, as already noted, it was borrowed by English. Initially in English, it was spelled "pikyll" and "pekille," and it meant a "spicy, sour sauce for meat." During the 1500s, the word came to be used for a bad situation, "We're in a real pickle," probably from the idea of "spicy (hot) and sour" (bad). It wasn't until the early 1700s that the word started to be used for vegetables, often cucumbers, in a brine, often with the brine containing vinegar, with the "pickled cucumber" taking their very name as a derivative of the process, "pickles," although fermented pickles (uncooked and treated with salt, and often with little or no vinegar) and other vegetables have become more common in recent times. When I first ordered "pickles" in an Indian restaurant, many years ago, I was stunned to see things other than what I knew as "pickles," because in the cultures of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, pickles are any number of fruits and vegetables preserved and strongly seasoned with salt, chili peppers and a variety of wonderful spices. So, if you order pickles in an Indian restaurant, don't expect to see what you get with your corned beef sandwich at the neighborhood deli. Of course, the word was carried to the southern Asian region when Britain controlled the area. The "preserving of meat" meaning in English is now more often referred to as "curing;" as in, "cured ham," which might or might not also be smoked. 

* Hungarian has a form of the word, but it was borrowed from German. By the way, Hungarian is not even an Indo European language, and is therefore not even on the family tree of English, although Hungarian has borrowed many words from Indo European languages, frequently German. Hungarian is related to Finnish, Estonian, and Turkish, to name a few of its relatives.