South Indian Eggplant Curry: Kattirikkay Kari

This dish is a great way to use eggplant, but it is a tad oily, as eggplant is known for sopping up oil, but I tried to limit the oil, and I've seen recipes for this dish that use far more oil. Serve this dish with rice and flatbread.

 

Ingredients:  

2 medium eggplants, well rinsed and stem area cut off

1 teaspoon ground turmeric, divided use

2 teaspoons salt, divided use

6 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided use

2 teaspoons black mustard seeds

2 cups sliced or chopped red onion

5 cloves of garlic, minced

2 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated

2 medium green chili peppers (or 4 small), chopped

4 small tomatoes (or 2 medium), chopped

12 to 15 curry leaves*

2 teaspoons ground red pepper (cayenne or other hot ground red pepper)

2 teaspoons ground coriander

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 1/2 cups water 

2/3 cup coconut milk

chopped coriander (also known as cilantro) for garnish

 

Wash and dry the eggplant, cut it into 1 to 2 inch pieces. Add 3 tablespoons oil to a pan over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the eggplant pieces, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric. Stir the eggplant around and turn it as it fries until it is browned (add 1 more tablespoon of oil during the frying); then, remove the eggplant to a plate or a bowl. (I empty the oil from the skillet, but you can leave it if you'd like.) I then add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the pan and add the black mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds begin to pop, add the the sliced red onion and saute until the onion softens, then add the tomatoes, the chopped green chilies, minced garlic and grated ginger; let cook about 4 to 5 minutes, stirring and breaking up the tomatoes as they cook. Then add the other 1/2 teaspoon turmeric, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 2 teaspoons red chili pepper, 2 teaspoons ground coriander, 2 teaspoons ground cumin and the curry leaves (or grated lime peel and torn basil leaves); stir well, then add water and stir well again. After 3 minutes add the browned eggplant, stir, cover the pan and cook for 15 minutes. Remove the lid, stir, then stir in the coconut milk; cook a further 3 minutes uncovered. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves, also known to many as cilantro. Serve with rice.

 

* Curry leaves are a common addition to southern Indian cooking. Just a few years ago, your chances of finding curry leaves outside of the Indian Subcontinent were likely not very good, but now curry leaves are much more available, including here in the United States, where they are sometimes frozen, but also they can be found fresh in a clear packet (they are not expensive and they keep well in the refrigerator). If you don't have access to curry leaves, you can substitute 1 tablespoon grated lime peel and about 6 basil leaves torn into smaller pieces. Understand, "curry leaves" have nothing to do with "curry powder," nor with "curries," the types of spiced dishes, except that on occasion the leaves are used in some curries.          

 

 

South Indian Eggplant Curry with a piece of methi thepla flatbread ...("methi thepla" is a flatbread made from whole wheat and fenugreek leaves, and it is popular in Gujarat, an Indian state in western India with a coastline on the Arabian Sea region of the Indian Ocean.  

 

WORD HISTORY:

Crater-This word is related to "grail" (cup), a word from Latin and borrowed by English via French; however, where Latin got the word is in question. "Crater" goes back to Indo European "kerh/kere," with the meaning "to mix;" thus also figuratively "to confuse." This gave transliterated Ancient Greek the noun "krater" meaning "bowl" ("a dish used to mix ingredients"),^ and this was borrowed by Latin as "crater," meaning "basin," with the later additional meaning of "opening at the top of a volcano;" that is, "a basin shaped opening." English borrowed the word in the early part of the 1600s with the "top opening of a volcano" meaning and the meanings then expanded to "depressions in the ground made by meteors and by the explosion of artillery shells (later by bombs dropped from airplanes). The verb form is from the noun in the mid 1800s, initially meaning "to make a crater," as in, "The bomb cratered just a short distance from our house," but the figurative sense became common in usage; that is, "to fall from a high position," as in, "After winning 3 games in a row, our team cratered in the standings by losing 9 of 10 games." 

  

^ Some feel that the ultimate Indo European source is the same Indo European source as for modern English "horn;" that is, "k(h)er," which had the notion "top of the body, head;" thus, "animal horn." Now, some animal horns were used as vessels for drinks, and wine and water were often mixed together in them.  

Indian Style Pickled Red Onions

Pickled fruits and vegetables are quite common among the various nationality groups of the Indian Subcontinent, and these "pickled red onions" are a frequent accompaniment to foods there. Chili peppers are also a big part of the food cultures of the Indian Subcontinent, and they are added to pickled onions, but they don't typically add mouth numbing heat to the onions. Red onions are the usual choice for pickling on the Indian Subcontinent, and some people there use small red onions, simply peeled and perhaps with a cut or two into the onion to allow the brine to enter, but larger red onions are also used, and they need to be sliced about a quarter of an inch wide so that the pickling brine can do its work. 

 

 

Ingredients:

  

1 large (baseball size) red onion, peeled

1 to 1 1/2 cups water

2 teaspoons white vinegar

1 to 3 teaspoons sugar (depending upon desired tartness/sweetness)

1 teaspoon salt

8 black peppercorns, cracked (not obliterated)

1 inch piece of grated ginger 

1 to 3 small chilies, slit (or use dried chilies, they will re-hydrate in the brine)

3 to 4 beet slices (not pickled)

Add the water, white vinegar, sugar, salt, cracked peppercorns, grated ginger and chilies to a pan over high heat. Stir to mix the ingredients around, Let the brine come to a boil for 20 to 30 seconds, then turn off the heat. Let the brine sit while you peel the onion and slice it into rounds about 1/4 inch thick, and then halve the rounds. Separate the onion half rings. Put the half rings into a bowl or jar (remember: non reactive), then pour the somewhat cooled brine over the onions. Cover (with a lid for the jar or a plate for a bowl) and let sit about 30 minutes, by which time the mixture should be cooled down and ready to be placed into the refrigerator. Leave the onions in the frig for 12 to 36 hours before serving. It's best to use the pickled onions within a week.  

 

WORD HISTORY:

Crowd-This word goes back to Indo European "greud/grewt," which had the idea of "to press, to push (against)." This gave its Old Germanic offspring "krudanan," with the same meaning, which gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "crudan" meaning "to press or drive forward or against." This then became "cruden," "crouden," "croudyn," before the modern version. The 1300s saw the noun form develop with the meaning, "the act of pressing or driving forward or against," and by the mid 1500s came the meaning "a large number of people closely collected together in the same area (with the density of people implying that they were pressing and shoving against each other)." As time passed, this meaning lost the notion of "pressing and shoving," and it simply took the meaning of "a group of people assembled in a particular area, often for some type of entertainment or common purpose," and this meaning was unique to English, as none of the other Germanic languages developed this exact sense. German once had "kroten" (press), Lowe German once had "kruden" (pressing, pushing, shoving), Dutch once had "kruien/cruien" (pressing, pushing, overrunning), Frisian once had "kruie/krude."

Tunisian Poached Eggs in Spicy Tomato Sauce: Chakchouka

Also spelled shakshuka, this is a Tunisian dish, but common in other parts of North Africa and the Middle East, with many variations in recipes. It is eggs poached in a spicy, chunky tomato sauce.
Serve with pita bread or toast.

If you don't have fresh tomatoes, you can use canned tomatoes with their juice.

 

Ingredients (4 servings):

 

2 cans (14 to 15 ounces each) tomato sauce

1/3 cup chopped fresh tomatoes (or halved grape tomatoes)

1 or 2 hot chilies (if you don't like much heat, use just 1/3 teasoon of ground cayenne pepper)
4 eggs

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

1/2 large red bell pepper, thinly sliced

1/2 medium green bell pepper or anaheim pepper, thinly sliced 

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 heaping tablespoon sweet (smoked) Spanish paprika

1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons chopped cilantro (also called coriander)

(optional) 1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled

 

In a skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat, then add the onion slices and saute for 2 to 3 minutes, then add the garlic and saute for about a minute, stirring or shaking the skillet around. Add the red and green pepper slices and the hot chilies; saute a further 2 minutes. Add the fresh tomatoes and saute a couple of minutes, then add the tomato juice, cumin, sweet smoked paprika and just 1/2 teaspoon salt (at this time; you can add more later if you prefer) and continue cooking and stirring occasionally for a few minutes, then add 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro (also known as coriander). Continue cooking until the sauce begins to thicken (don't let it get too thick). Use a spoon to make some depressions in the sauce and crack an egg into each depression. Turn the heat to low and let the eggs poach in the sauce. Optionally, you can sprinkle some crumbled feta cheese over the finished dish. 

 

WORD HISTORY:

Noise (Nausea)-For what has become a common word, the origin of this word is shaky, but I am convinced that this history has the strong possibility of being accurate; in which case, "noise" is related to "nautical," a word of Greek derivation borrowed by Latin and then borrowed by English via French, and to "navy," a word of Latin derivation borrowed by English via French. "Noise" goes back to Indo European "nau(s)," which meant "ship, boat." This gave transliterated Greek "naus," also meaning "ship, boat." This then produced transliterated "nausia/nautia" (by dialect), which meant "seasickness," and this was borrowed by Latin as "nausea," with the "seasickness" meaning, but seemingly also with the more general meaning, "uneasy feeling in the stomach, stomach discomfort;" thus also, "disagreeable situation;" thus, "quarrel, commotion, uproar." This passed into Latin-based Old French as "noise" meaning "fight, brawl, commotion, loud disagreement," but later expanded to "loud sound, generally unpleasant sound," not necessarily from a fight or disagreement; thus, "noise" (Old Occitan, also known as "Old Provençal," had "nauza" meaning "loud sound, quarrel"). English borrowed the word from French circa 1200, as "noice, noyse, noise." The meaning then added "nasty rumor, scandal" in the 1300s, and this was accompanied by a verb form "noisen," meaning "to gossip, to spread rumors," and the more general, "to make noise," but the usage declined along with the general meaning of "to gossip." By the way, "nausea" was borrowed by English directly from Latin in the early 1400s.

Mexican-Inspired Egg Salad

Mexican food has long had an influence on the American food scene, especially in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and southern California; all areas with historical ties to Mexico and its food, and also all with significant minorities of their populations made up of people of Mexican descent. Often from these areas, Mexican food influences have spread to other parts of the United States.  

 

This egg salad has some spicy kick to it from the chili pepper, but only as much as you prefer it to have.

 

Ingredients (4 to 5 servings):

 

6 eggs, hard boiled, cooled and peeled

1/3 cup chopped red bell pepper (small chop)

1/3 cup chopped green onions, white and green

1 jalapeno or serrano chili (seeded and finely chopped)

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 teaspoons ancho chili powder

2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 teaspoon celery salt

1 medium avocado, mashed and mixed with 1 tablespoon lime juice

1/2 cup mayonnaise 

1 teaspoon olive oil

crumbled dried oregano (Mexican oregano, if you have it) 

 

Chop the peeled hard boiled eggs and put the chopped egg into a bowl. Add the chopped red bell pepper, chopped green onions, finely chopped chili pepper (jalapeno or serrano), chopped cilantro, ground cumin, ancho chili powder, garlic powder and celery salt; mix briefly to begin distributing the ingredients. In a cup or bowl, mix together the mashed avocado (with the mixed in lime juice), the mayonnaise and the teaspoon of olive oil, then mix this avocado mayo into the egg and seasonings. Refrigerate for at least 90 minutes, but a few hours is better. Make sandwiches using whole wheat bread or flour tortillas; garnish with a sprinkle of dried crumbled oregano.

 

 

 

WORD HISTORY:

Diverse- This word, meaning "varied in characteristics," is really a compound, with the first part being "di," which goes back to Indo European "dwhis/dwis," which had the meaning "twice, again, two ways;" thus also, "aside (from), away." This gave its Italic/Latin offspring "dis," with the "aside (from)" meaning, as well as some other meanings. The second part of "diverse" is "verse," which is related to "versus," which was borrowed into English from Latin, and to "verse" ('line of writing,' 'line of poetry,' 'song lyrics'), a Latin-derived word borrowed into Germanic and passed to its Old English offspring, then later reinforced by French. It goes back to Indo European "wer," which had the notion of "turn, bend, wind" (with a long 'i' sound), and this gave Latin "vertere," meaning "to turn." The two parts were combined in the compound, "divertere," meaning "to turn in varied directions, go different ways," and from this came "diversus," which meant "different, varied, various." This gave Latin-based Old French "divers," with much the same meaning. English borrowed "divers" (it is NOT related to 'divers' =swimmers) from French in the 1200s, with the meaning "different," but in the 1300s the spelling changed to "diverse," likely under the influence of Latin "diversus."

West Bengali Potatoes in Gravy: Darjeeling Aloo Dum

Darjeeling is a city in West Bengal in northeastern India. The city is best known for the tea grown and processed there, mysteriously called "Darjeeling tea," and how they came up with that name is well beyond my level of comprehension, as I haven't figured out where Black Forest Cake got its name.   

 

I already did Nepali aloo dum,* but this style here is more associated with the city of Darjeeling in the Indian state of West Bengal, and you do need a special ingredient for this curry, and that is "black cumin," also known as "nigella" or "kalonji," which are black seeds from a plant of the buttercup family. Black cumin is available in many spice shops and certainly in Indian/Pakistani grocery stores (perhaps in some Middle Eastern stores, too). This version of "Aloo Dum" uses more "gravy;" that is, the curry sauce for the potatoes, but the recipe and the preparation is quite simple. I love this dish!

 

Ingredients (4 to 5 servings):

 

1 1/2 pounds potatoes, peeled

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 can (14.5 to 15 ounces) tomato sauce** + 1 medium ripe Roma tomato, chopped

2 teaspoons black cumin seeds

1 or 2 whole fresh green chilies (jalapeno, serrano or unripened cayenne peppers are fine)

1 fresh red chili (or dried red chili)

1 heaping teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons ground turmeric

1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin (not to be confused with black cumin) 

2 to 3 tablespoons fresh coriander (also known as cilantro), chopped

(if needed) 1/4 to 1/2 cup water

Peel the potatoes and cut them into pieces of "about" 1 inch long and 1/2 inch wide (this is just to give you the idea and this needn't be precise, so please, no measuring tape required). Boil the potatoes in some salted water until just cooked through, not until they are soft and mushy. While the potatoes cook, in a skillet over medium heat, add the oil. When the oil is heated, add the green chilies and saute for a minute or two, then add the tomato sauce and the one chopped tomato. While the sauce heats up, mash the tomato pieces a little (the tomato is to give the sauce some texture, so don't obliterate it), add the red chili, black cumin, salt, turmeric, ground coriander and ground cumin. Reduce heat to low and cook for 5 or 6 minutes, stirring occasionally (you can cover the skillet to prevent spattering, if you'd like, just be sure to keep checking the sauce and giving it a stir). If the gravy is too thick, use some water to thin it out (of the many times I've prepared this dish, only once did I feel the need to add water to thin the sauce). Stir in the chopped cilantro. Serve with naan or chapati bread to dip in the sauce.

 

* For the recipe for Nepalese Aloo Dum, here is the link: https://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2019/08/nepalese-spicy-potatoes-aloo-dum.html  (Note: In recent years, I've had neighbors who are immigrants from Nepal; very nice people, and our neighborhood now has a Nepali/Indian restaurant. LOVE IT!) 

** I'm streamlining this by using tomato sauce, as in India fresh or canned tomatoes would more typically be used and then blended to make tomato sauce.  

 

WORD HISTORY:

Migrate/Migration-These closely related words are related to "permute" and "mutation," words of Latin derivation borrowed from Latin with French reinforcement, or the other way around, and to "permeate," another Latin word borrowed directly from that language. The basic form goes back to the Indo European root "mey/mei," with the notion of "change, change location." This then seems to have had an expanded form like "migwro/migwra," which gave Old Italic "migro," which gave Latin the verb "migrare,"  meaning "to move around, to leave one place for another." One of the participle forms was "migratus," and this was the basis of the English borrowing in the latter part of the 1600s for "migrate." In Latin, the noun had been formed as "migratio," with the meaning "a change of living location," seemingly more in the sense with a longer distance of travel involved. English borrowed the word as "migration" in the early 1600s from Latin with French reinforcement.

Thai Chili Rice Noodles

Regular readers know I like spicy food, but you can make these noodles far more adaptable to your heat tolerance either to the plus or minus side of the heat scale. Rice noodles are a flat type of noodle made from rice flour. They come in varied widths from very thin to wide. Thai red curry paste is available in supermarkets and Asian shops and it's not expensive.

 

Ingredients:

 

1/2 pound (8 ounces) thin width rice noodles (not the super thin type)

2 tablespoons sesame oil (divided use, 1 tablespoon to start, 1 tablespoon near end)

8 green onions (divided use, 5 for early part of recipe, 3 near the end)

1 1/2 inch piece fresh ginger, chopped

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 tablespoons Thai red curry paste

1 or 2 red chili peppers, finely chopped

4 tablespoons light soy sauce

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar mixed with 1 teaspoon sugar

1 cup chicken broth

3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (also known to some as coriander)

Soak the noodles in warm water for 25 minutes (you will drain the noodles before adding them to the recipe). While the noodles soak, add 1 tablespoon sesame oil to a large skillet (or to a wok, if you have one) over medium heat. Add 5 chopped green onions and saute for about 90 seconds, then add the chopped ginger and garlic, cook another 30 to 40 seconds. Add the red curry paste, finely chopped chili peppers, soy sauce, rice vinegar/sugar mixture and chicken broth. Bring the mixture to a boil, and as the broth heats, drain the noodles. When the broth boils, add the noodles. After 1 minute, reduce the heat to low and let the noodles begin to soak up the broth, stirring to prevent sticking or burning (adjust the heat to very low when the broth is nearly gone). Add and mix in the chopped coriander, remaining 3 chopped green onions and remaining 1 tablespoon sesame oil. Serve.     

 

WORD HISTORY:

Castle-This word is related to "castration," a Latin word borrowed by English from that language, to "chaste" and to "chateau," Latin-derived words borrowed by English from French. "Castle" goes back to Indo European "kes," which meant "to cut," which gave Old Italic^ "kastro," which meant "a part, a share, a segment," which gave Latin "castrum," meaning "fort, fortified post, fortified town" (from the notion, "an area walled or fenced off;" that is, "cut off from"), which spawned the diminutive "castellum," meaning "fortress, stronghold." Old English borrowed this as "castel," initially with the meaning "village, town,"^^ but then later (1300s?) with the additional meaning, "walled town, fortified area," a meaning borrowed from Old Northern French "castel" (which had "castel" from Latin "castellum"). It was also in the Middle English period (seemingly in the 1400s?) that the spelling changed to "castle."

 

^ Italic is a branch of the Indo European family of languages and includes Latin, Umbrian, Venetic, and others, most of which have died out. Latin's own limited use today is mainly because its dialects evolved into several modern languages: Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Rumanian, Catalan, Sardinian, and several others. Because these Italic languages and dialects originated from Indo European, they are related to English, but further down the family tree, as English is from the Germanic branch of Indo European. 

 

^^ The original English meaning "village, town" may have come from, or was certainly influenced by, scholars of long ago using "castel" to translate Ancient Greek "κώμη," transliterated as "kome," a generally "unfortified community;" thus, "a village," in translations of the New Testament.           

Moroccan Chicken with Couscous: Chicken Tagine

A "tagine" is a type of North African pottery dish used for cooking stews. The name of this cooking dish has given its name to the stews cooked in such a dish, and besides chicken, these stews may have lamb, beef, fish or vegetables as the main ingredient. In Tunisia, recipes generally are not stews, but rather much more of a type of omelette, like a frittata. Tagine cooking dishes are often, but not always, glazed and decorated with designs, some of which can be quite colorful. The basic dish is a shallow flat bottom dish, but there is a sort of domed top for the tagine. You needn't run out and buy a tagine for this recipe, as you can just use a heavy bottom pan (preferably with a lid, but you can use foil) and large enough to hold the contents.

Most recipes I've seen for this dish use boneless, skinless chicken, although I have seen a few recipes that use cut up skin on, on the bone chicken pieces. Skin on chicken has more flavor, but when a recipe uses boneless and skinless chicken, I often use that, BUT I also buy a bone-in, skin-on piece of chicken or two and cook it with the dish, then remove it at the end of cooking. 

 

This chicken tagine is usually served with Moroccan couscous, a type of pasta made with semolina flour. In Morocco the couscous is of very small grains of pasta, and it is smaller than the couscous of the Middle East, Israeli and Lebanese, which are larger and take longer to cook. Harissa is a paste of hot chili peppers usually seasoned with some spices. Both harissa and preserved lemons are often available in supermarkets, in spice shops and certainly in many Middle Eastern grocery stores. You can substitute some freshly grated lemon peel or strips of lemon peel for the preserved lemon, and you can add some cayenne pepper, sambal oelek (an Indonesian sauce of chopped chili peppers, also made in the United States), or any hot sauce to your liking, or you can just add an extra 1 or 2 fresh hot chilies as a substitute for the harissa.    

Ingredients:

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken (chicken breast or thighs, or mixture of the two)

1 whole skin on/bone in chicken thigh

1 whole skin on/bones in chicken wing

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup chopped onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 inch piece ginger, grated, finely chopped, or thinly sliced

1 cup of either butternut squash, acorn squash, pumpkin or peeled sweet potato, diced

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 two inch cinnamon stick

2 teaspoons ground coriander

1 or 2 whole chili peppers, slit cut in it/them

1 tablespoon harissa

1/2 cup raisins

1 1/2 tablespoons honey

1 2/3 cups chicken stock

1 14 to 16 ounce can chickpeas, drained (also known as garbanzo beans)

1/4 cup slivered almonds

1 small preserved lemon (or 1/2 regular sized preserved lemon)

1/4 cup pitted green olives, halved

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a heavy bottom pan. Saute the onion, garlic and ginger for just like 2 minutes, then add the chicken pieces, including the whole pieces, cumin, turmeric, cinnamon stick, ground coriander, chili pepper, harissa, preserved lemon and chicken stock, cover and cook 20 minutes, then add the squash or sweet potato, honey and raisins; reduce heat to low, cover and cook for one hour. Add the slivered almonds and chickpeas, cook another 20 minutes, then stir in the green olive halves, and cook for two minutes. Check to be sure the chicken is done (it should be).

 

For the Couscous:

1 1/2 cups Moroccan couscous

1 2/3 cups chicken broth

2 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil 

(optional) 1/2 teaspoon salt

 

Bring the chicken broth to a boil in a sauce pan (with a lid). Add the butter, olive oil and salt (if using). Add the couscous and stir very well to mix. Let cook like 30 or 40 seconds, then shut off the heat and cover the pan with a lid for about 5 to 6 minutes. The broth should be completely absorbed. Fluff the couscous with a fork. 

 

  

WORD HISTORY:

Mattress-This word goes back to the transliterated Arabic root "tarh/trh," which had the notion of "throw, throw or toss away." This gave Arabic the verb "taraha," meaning, "to throw down, to throw away," which produced the noun "matrah" (the "ma" part was a noun forming prefix), which literally meant "the object thrown down," and which was used as "al matrah" for "the cushion or rug thrown onto the floor or ground to lie on." This was borrowed by Italian (via trade with North Africans in the early Middle Ages?) as "materasso," which was borrowed by French as "materas," and additionally reinforced directly by Arabic? English borrowed the word in around 1300 from French, initially in the French form "materas," but what became the modern spelling seems to have then been influenced by the Italian form. Of course too, modern mattresses are often made with springs and various padding.   

Mexican Shrimp Cocktail: Cóctel de Camarones

This is so good and refreshing on a hot summer day, but actually for any time of year, in my opinion. And it's super easy to make. I use 36/40 size shrimp and then I halve them, but you can certainly use 41/50 size. I love serrano chilies, so that's what I typically use, but you can use jalapeño chilies, and for heat shy people, the recipe below won't numb your tongue. Of course, for those who love the heat, you can use habanero chilies and add Mexican hot sauce until your little heart is content. It's a good idea to put a bottle of hot sauce out for people who want to add more.

 

Ingredients: 

 

1 pound 36/40 cooked shrimp, peeled and cleaned

1 cup tomato juice

1/2 cup clam broth (not heated)

1/2 cup ketchup

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon celery salt

2 to 3 tablespoons Mexican hot sauce (I use Tapatio)

1 cup chopped seedless cucumber (small chop, peeled, unpeeled or partially peeled, your choice)

1 or 2 serrano chilies, chopped

1 cup chopped roma tomatoes

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

1 medium avocado, chopped

3 tablespoons chopped cilantro (also known as fresh coriander)

 

Add 5 or 6 cups of water to a pan, add 1 teaspoon salt and the juice of 1/2 lime. Bring to a boil and add the shrimp, cook for about 3 minutes or until tender. Drain the shrimp immediately and run cold water over them. Let them sit and you'll be back to them shortly. Add the tomato juice, clam broth, ketchup, lime juice, Worcestershire sauce, ground black pepper, celery salt and Mexican hot sauce to a bowl (a glass bowl with a lid is great, and definitely NOT a bowl of aluminum or other metals that react to acidic elements like tomato juice and lime juice). Mix well, especially to get the ketchup mixed in. Add the chopped cucumber, chopped chilies, chopped roma tomatoes, finely chopped onion, chopped avocado and chopped cilantro and mix everything together very well. Cut the 36/40 shrimp in half, then add the shrimp to the bowl and mix again. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, but 5 hours is better. Serve with saltines and don't forget to make extra hot sauce available for those who like more heat.  

WORD HISTORY:

False-This word is closely related to "faux," a word derived from the roots of "false," but with an inconsistent history in English since the latter part of the 1600s up to the present, but it was borrowed by English from French, and it is also related to "fail," a Latin-derived word borrowed via French. The origin of "false" is uncertain, although Dutch linguist and etymologist Michiel de Vaan has proposed an Indo European form, like "sgwhel," that meant "stumble," as the original source, but I'm not sold. What is known is that Latin had "fallere," meaning "to deceive," but also, "to disappoint." One of its participle forms was "falsus," meaning "deceived, cheated;" thus also, "mistaken" (adjectivally: "deceitful, deceptive;" noun use: "cheater, deceiver"). Latin-based Old French had it as "faus" and "fals," meaning, "not genuine, untrue, incorrect, deceitful, fraudulent," and English initially borrowed both forms between like 1050 and 1100, reinforced by the Latin "falsus." Later the forms became "fals," before the modern version, the primary meanings of which are: "untrue, fake, incorrect, deceitful." The other Germanic languages have forms of the word, as it was borrowed by Low German as "fals/vals" and then passed on to the North Germanic languages, and it was borrowed by Dutch (from Latin? from French?) as "valsch," then as "vals," and it was passed on to German, which has "falsch" (to simplify things, German originally borrowed a form as "fals" and then "vals"  from Old French "fals," but later the spelling was influenced (borrowed in that sense) by Dutch (from the spelling "valsch," with 'v' being pronounced as 'f', and it became "falsch," the spelling that has continued into the present).    

Kenyan Rice & Salad: Pilau and Kachumbari

Kenya is a country in East Africa with a coastline along the Indian Ocean. It has a population of "about" 55 million and its capital city is Nairobi. Swahili and English (British style) are the primary languages used in government, schools and business, but other regional African languages are spoken on an every day basis, along with hybrid forms of English with numerous African dialect influences. Kenya came under British control in the latter part of the 1800s, initially as part of the "East African Protectorate," then later as an outright "colony." This brought a number of immigrants to Kenya from India, itself a British colony at that time. In those times, India included what later became the separate countries of Pakistan and Bangladesh. There are lots of Indian influences in Kenyan food.*

 

I read quite a few recipes about pilau, and several used basmati rice, so that's what I chose to use. 

 

Ingredients (4 servings): 

 

For the pilau:

 

1 cup basmati rice

1 red onion (tennis ball size), peeled and chopped (not finely)

3 garlic cloves, chopped or minced

1/2 cup chopped tomatoes

1 1/2 inch piece of fresh ginger, minced

2 inch cinnamon stick

1 teaspoon ground cumin 

1 teaspoon ground cardamom

2 bay leaves

2 cups chicken stock

2/3 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt (if the chicken stock has a lot of salt, you can omit adding this salt)

1/4 cup oil (vegetable or olive)

 

In a heavy bottom pan, add the oil over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the onion and saute for about 2 to 3 minutes, stir the onion to prevent sticking or burning. Add the chopped or minced garlic and the fresh ginger and saute a further 45 seconds, then add the tomatoes and stir (doesn't have to be totally constant) as the vegetables continue to cook. Add the cinnamon stick, ground cumin, ground cardamom and bay leaves, stir again, then add the rice and stir to mix everything together well, then add the chicken stock, and stir some more. Add the ground black pepper and salt (if using) and let the mixture come to a simmer, then reduce the heat to maintain a bare simmer (stove settings can vary, but likely you'll need "low" or "very low"). Cover the pan and cook for 15 minutes, then remove the lid to see how much liquid remains. Replace the lid and continue cooking until all of the liquid is absorbed. Remove the pan from the heat and ... guess what? Stir to fluff and mix again (remove the bay leaves).  

 

For the kachumbari:

 

2 tomatoes (baseball size), diced

1 red onion (tennis ball to baseball size), chopped

1 medium cucumber, peeled, or partially peeled (like stripes), diced

1 to 2 chili peppers (jalapeños are good for this), seeded and chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped/minced

2 tablespoons lime juice

1/3 cup fresh coriander (also called 'cilantro'), chopped

1/2 to 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt (more or less to your taste)

(optional) 1 teaspoon honey

(optional) 1 tablespoon vegetable or olive oil

This is mainly about chopping the ingredients; so, when that's done, add the tomatoes, red onion, cucumber, chili pepper, garlic, coriander (cilantro), black pepper and salt to a bowl. Mix everything together (I do it by hand). If you plan to serve the entire salad, then add the lime juice (or mix together the lime juice, honey and oil and then add to the salad), but once you add the juice, if you have leftovers, the salad will begin to lose its "crispness," so I add the juice dressing per serving, not to the whole salad. Also, if you use honey, pop it into the microwave for just a couple of seconds (only) and it will help when you're mixing it with the oil and lime juice. 

I had fried chicken with my pilau and kachumbari (see photos below). Someone told me to simply toss the chicken in seasoned flour and then fry it, which is what I did, but I didn't like it, the feathers were too much for me. So, I plucked the feathers from another chicken and repeated the process, which worked out much better. hahaha  You can serve another type of meat, or just have the pilau and kachumbari as a lunch dish.

* This is an example of Indian influence on Kenyan food: https://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2020/03/kenyan-potato-bites-potato-bhajias.html

 

 

 

WORD HISTORY:

Cricket (2)-This is the name of the sport/game, not the name for the insect, which has a different history. While the history of this word for a game of two teams played with a ball and bats is shaky,^ it likely is closely related to "crutch," and also related to "crook/crooked" and "creep," and these are all words from Germanic, and it is also likely related to "crochet," a word borrowed by English from French, but French had the word from Germanic, more than likely from Frankish, but perhaps from, or reinforced by, Old Norse. The game usage of the word "cricket" goes back to Indo European "ger/grewg," which had the notion "to bend, to turn, to twist," which gave Old Germanic "krukjon," which meant "crooked shaft." This then became "krukjo" in West Germanic with the further meaning of "staff with a crooked handle or arm support," which gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "crycc(e)" meaning, "crutch, bent/curved staff." Now, this developed into modern "crutch," but its Flemish^^ cousin "krik" (bent staff, curved stick) "seems" to lie at the heart of the usage of the word "cricket," the game; at least the game that has been known by that name in England/Britain, although there may have been similar versions of the modern game long ago.^^^ "Supposedly" the word "krikets" developed in southeastern England from the Flemish word (there were quite a number of immigrants from Flanders there in the 1500s through the 1700s, many associated with cloth and weaving), and this was then anglicized as "cricket." The mid 1800s saw the secondary meaning develop in England of "the proper way to do things," likely from the notion of "play the game of cricket properly," although this meaning is often put into the negative for something being done unfairly as, "that's not cricket" ("that's not fair or proper").

 

^ Unraveling the shaky history of the word "cricket" is somewhat equivalent to unraveling the shaky history of the game itself, which "may" have come from various similar games that eventually produced the immediate forerunner of the modern game, but to which the name came to be applied. When I say the history of the word "cricket" is "shaky," I really mean the specifics are tough to determine, although the broad history of the word seems clear.  

 

^^ Flemish is the dialect of Dutch spoken in the Flanders part of Belgium. In times long past, Flemish was seen as its own language by some, but in more recent times it has been viewed as a regional dialect of Dutch. I watch numerous language programs, and I have noticed that Belgians from Flanders now often say they speak Dutch, although I'm sure there are some who still say they speak Flemish (Vlaams). Dutch, including the Flemish dialect, and many of the nearby German dialects (that western part of Germany, Luxembourg and Lorraine) all developed from Frankish, the Germanic language (dialect) of the Franks. 

 

^^^ Seemingly in the 1600s and up until the early second half of the 1700s, the ball was rolled along the ground (bowled) and batted with bent/curved sticks like modern hockey sticks, but in the second half of the 1700s the ball was thrown (pitched), leading to the abandonment of the curved stick in favor of a straight bat. 

Suriname Fried Plantains & Peanut Sauce: Bakabana

Suriname is a small country on the northeastern Atlantic coast of South America. It was long a colony of the Netherlands, dating back to the mid 1600s, and Suriname only gained its independence in late 1975. Dutch is the official language, although a form of English (a creole) is also spoken, along with some native languages and dialects. The little nation not only has influences from the Dutch, but also from the former Dutch colony of the Dutch East Indies, now Indonesia, with immigrant indentured servants from there, India and China coming to form a substantial part of Suriname's population, which is now around 590,000. African people are largely descendants of slaves and Brazilian immigrants have frequently come to work in Suriname's gold mines.   

 

Making the peanut sauce the way some Surinamese do for this dish can be involved, as the Surinamese fry the peanuts and other ingredients and then they grind everything for the sauce. They use Surinamese chili peppers, which are very hot, but they are not likely to be easily found outside of Suriname, so you can substitute habenero or Scotch bonnet chilies. Habenero peppers have a powerful reputation for heat, but all habanero peppers are not the same. I've bought some that barely moved the needle on the heat meter, while at other times, a small section of a habanero would send smoke billowing from my mouth. When I've made this sauce, if the result is too tame, I add some good hot ground red pepper (usually cayenne pepper) to give it the proper kick. Of course, the "proper kick" is the heat level you prefer. The plantains should be ripe; that is, the peel should be almost black, and if it's actually black, that's fine.   

 

Ingredients:

 

For the plantains:

 

2 large ripe plantains, peeled (or 3 or 4 smaller plantains)

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup cornstarch

1 egg

2 tablespoons buttermilk

2 or 3 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons brown sugar

pinch of salt (a bit more salt for seasoning the fried plantain pieces)

oil for frying

 

Cut off the end tips of each plantain, then make a cut into the plantain skin lengthwise, so you can then peel off the skin. Cut the plantains into segments of about 2 or 3 inches long, then split those segments into 2 or 3 pieces (lengthwise again) that should make them about 1/3 inch thick. In a heavy skillet or pan, heat enough oil to make a depth of about 2 inches. Heat the oil until a crouton of bread sizzles and then browns in 50 seconds, but not more than 1 minute (if you have a thermometer, the oil should be 350 to 360 F). Mix together the flour, cornstarch, egg, buttermilk, water, sugar and salt. The batter needs to be smooth and thick enough to stick to and coat the plantain pieces well (if the batter is too thick, add and stir in a teaspoon of water at a time until a good consistency is reached). Line a plate with some paper towels so that you can place the fried plantain pieces there to drain off excess oil. Dip the plantain pieces into the batter to coat them, then put them into the hot oil. Fry the plantains until golden brown all over, which should be about 3 minutes (don't overcrowd the pan). Remove fried plantain pieces to the plate with paper towels. Immediately sprinkle on a little salt. Serve with peanut sauce.   

For the peanut sauce:

1/2 cup smooth peanut butter

2 tablespoons kecap (ketjap) manis or soy sauce*

1 garlic clove, minced

2 tablespoons lime juice (or tamarind paste**)

1/2 teaspoon habenero or scotch bonnet chili pepper (or Surinamese chili pepper, if you have access)

1 teaspoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons peanut oil

3 tablespoons water

 

Put all of the ingredients into a pan over low heat. Stir well to mix and continue to stir until the sauce is well heated (about 5 to 6 minutes).     

 

* "Kecap (also Ketjap) Manis" is Indonesian soy sauce, which is syrupy and sweet. Some supermarkets or Asian markets will likely have "ketjap manis," but the keyword here is, "some." You can substitute regular soy sauce with some molasses, or even brown sugar, cooked together for just a few minutes.

 

** Tamarind paste is a fruit pulp, dark in color, with a sour taste used in cuisines all over the world, but especially in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, both of which have had lots of influence on the cuisine of Suriname. By the way, it is one of the ingredients in Worcestershire sauce and in some steak sauces. Tamarind can definitely be found in Indian/Pakistani shops, as well as other Asian grocers, but some supermarkets likely have it too. 

 

WORD HISTORY: 

Brown-This word is related to "burnish," a Germanic based word absorbed into French from Germanic Frankish and then borrowed by English from French, and to "bear," the noun for the animal, a word from the Germanic roots of English, and to "bruin," a Germanic derived word borrowed by English from Dutch. "Brown" goes back to Indo European "bher," which meant, "brown, dark," but also "bright, shining," perhaps from the glistening of some brown and dark objects. This gave Old Germanic "brunaz," which meant "dark, brown, shining/shiny," and this gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "brun," with the same meanings, and this then became "broun," before the modern form. The meaning of "brown," the name for the color, didn't really become set until the late 1200s. The verb form developed in the early part of the 1300s, but it initially meant, "to become or turn brown," and it wasn't until the 1500s that the meaning "to make something brown, to turn something brown" became prevalent. "Brown's" Germanic relatives are German "braun" (pronounced pretty much like its English cousin, not like "brawn," as many pronounce it), Low German "bruun" (Low German is not a standard language, but rather a number of dialects, and in some of those dialects the word is "brun"), West Frisian "brún," Dutch "bruin," Danish, Norwegian and Swedish all have "brun," and Icelandic has "brúnn." Latin borrowed the word from Germanic Frankish; thus, there are forms in a number of Latin-based languages.   

Fried Paneer & Fried Potatoes In Hot Chili Sauce

Paneer is a rather bland cheese that needs the help of seasonings to give it a boost, and chilies can help it a good deal, but you don't have to use enough chilies to sear your tongue. 

This is totally my own recipe, but here is the link to a "similar" recipe, but certainly not the same: 

https://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2020/05/indian-fried-cheese-in-chili-gravy.html

 

 

Ingredients:

 

1 cup paneer, cut into cubes

2 cups peeled and diced potatoes

2 hot chilies, chopped (if you like very hot food, use 4 hot chilies)

1/4 cup onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 1/2 cups thick ketchup

water (to thin the sauce, up to about 1/4 cup)

1/2 teaspoon salt 

1 teaspoon sugar

1/3 cup regular olive oil for frying

In a medium skillet, heat the oil over medium heat, then fry the diced potatoes, turning them often, until lightly browned. Remove the potatoes to a plate or bowl with some paper towels to drain some of the oil, but add a little salt. To the oil in the skillet add the onion and chilies and saute until the onion is softened and begins to brown. Add the finely chopped garlic and saute another minute. Reduce the heat to low and add the thick ketchup; stir well. Add the potatoes and paneer to the sauce. Add a little water to thin the sauce if it's too thick. Add the sugar and continue to cook on low heat for about 3 or 4 minutes, stirring often. Serve on toast. 

  

WORD HISTORY:

Schedule-This word is a bit distantly related to the verb "shed" (to part with, to give up something, to give off something like skin, shell, hair, horns), a word from the Germanic roots of English, but it is more closely related to "schism," a word of Greek derivation borrowed by Latin and then borrowed by English via Latin-based French. "Schedule" goes back to Indo European "skei(t)," which had the notion, "to cut, to cut off, to separate (from)." This gave transliterated Ancient Greek "skhĭzein," which meant "to divide, to split, to cleave." This produced the Greek noun "schéde," meaning, "a strip or a part from a sheet of papyrus." This was borrowed by Latin as "scheda," with the same meaning, but thus also, "a piece of paper." The later diminutive form was "schedula," meaning, "a piece or strip of paper;" thus also, "a note, a piece of paper with writing, leaflet." This passed into Latin-based Old French as "cedule" (also by some as "sedule?") with the same meanings. English borrowed the word in the latter part of the 1300s as "sedule/cedule," but about a hundred years later Latin influence made the spelling "schedule," later followed by the pronunciation as if "shed-yule," but then in the 1800s, the influence of Noah Webster in the United States saw American pronunciation change to as if "sked-yule," which took the pronunciation back to its Greek roots. The main modern meaning of "a timetable" originated in the mid 1800s for trains, but broadened in meaning thereafter. Also, the idea of "slips or strips of paper with writing" provided the basis of such pieces of paper being attached to official documents, now mainly used in U.S. income tax documents. The mid 1800s saw the development of the verb form from the noun and meaning, "to make a travel plan," "to set up an appointment." By the way, German also borrowed the word, which is now "Zettel," largely from Italian "cedola," but my guess is also with some French influence. In German it means "a small piece or slip of paper, a note or message, a label," and in some cases, "a publicly posted notice or leaflet."     

Bengali/Bangladeshi Chicken Liver Curry

Bengal is a region of the Indian Subcontinent that transcends northeastern India and western Bangladesh. The nation of Bangladesh was long a part of India, as was Pakistan, but upon independence from Britain in 1947, Pakistan was created from what were predominantly Muslim areas of northwestern and northeastern India, accompanied by a massive movement by some Muslims to these regions from what was to remain India, and by many Hindus from these areas to India. While these areas became the nation of Pakistan, they were separated by many hundreds of miles. The eastern part, called "East Pakistan," or sometimes, "Pakistani Bengal," gained independence from Pakistan as the nation of "Bangladesh" in 1971. West Bengal has remained a part of India. 

 

This is an easy dish to make. Many foods of the Indian Subcontinent are spicy hot to varying degrees, and this recipe is no exception (your taste buds will awaken), but you can tone it down considerably by using a mild chili pepper and then adding some ground red pepper AND sweet paprika. If you like "hot and spicy" foods and you live in the vicinity of an Indian/Pakistani grocery, or a supermarket with lots of ethnic food products, I hope you'll try "Indian" chili powder, which is hot and typically has a bright red color. I've made this dish several times, and the photos below are from two different times. You will need to add a little water to the dish, but you don't want this dish to be runny or with lots of sauce; so, add water by the tablespoon until you reach the desired consistency (I've suggested 3 to 5 tablespoons of water).   

Ingredients:

1 1/2 to 2 pounds chicken livers, cut into bize size pieces
2 cups chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 inch piece ginger, minced/grated
1 to 3 green chilies (serranos or jalapeños are fine), chopped
1 heaping teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground turmeric

2 teaspoons ground red pepper (or 1 teaspoon red pepper and 1 teaspoon sweet paprika)

2 inch cinnamon stick

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 bay leaf

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 to 5 tablespoons water 

1 tablespoon butter 

2 to 3 tablespoons vegetable oil

 

Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the cinnamon stick and bay leaf. Saute for 1 minute, then add the chopped onion and continue cooking until the onion begins to soften, stirring often to make sure all the onion cooks. Add the ginger, garlic and chilies and cook a further minute. Now add the ground coriander, ground cumin, ground turmeric, ground red pepper, black pepper and water; stir to mix, then add the chicken livers and stir again to mix everything together. Reduce the heat to low, cover, but lift the lid or foil to stir occasionally as the livers cook for 25 to 30 minutes. Add the butter and let it melt, then stir it in. Serve with rice. 

 

 

WORD HISTORY:

Fourth (Farthing)-"Farthing" was a measurement of "one fourth of a penny;" thus also, "the coin representing one fourth of a penny," which was used in England (later in the UK/Britain) until several decades ago. "Farthing" is closely related to "four" and all of its derived forms, like "forty," all of which are from the Germanic roots of English, but it is also distantly related to both "quart" and to "quarter," Latin derived words borrowed by English via French. "Farthing" traces back to Indo European "kwetwor/kwetwer," which meant "four." This gave the Old Germanic offshoot, "fetwor/petwor" (a sound shift took place, thus the uncertainty of the spelling) and this gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "feower," meaning "four." The form in Old Germanic for the ordinal number; that is, "fourth," is hard to determine, but it seems likely to have been like "feurtha" or "feurtho," with the pronunciation similar to "fe-ore-tha," and the other simply ending in "tho." This gave Old English "feorþa," meaning "fourth," and it later became "ferthe," with the ending 'e' pronounced 'eh/ah,' but don't be surprised if you look at some writings from like the 1300s and 1400s and see spellings other than "ferthe," some perhaps with a beginning 'v,' a use that gained more traction for the spelling, but not the pronunciation, of some words in German and Dutch, both continental relatives of English. Regardless of those spellings, English settled on "fourth." Relatives in the other Germanic languages: German "vierte," Low German has "foerde" and "veerte" (Low German is not a standardized language, but rather a collection of dialects; thus, there are likely other spellings), West Frisian "fjirde," Dutch "vierde," Danish "fjerde," Icelandic "fjórða" ('ð' is called an 'eth' and it is equivalent to English 'th'), Norwegian "fjerde," Swedish "fjärde." All of these forms mean "fourth." The derived English word "farthing" is simply a form of "fourth" with the common suffix "-ing," a form that has been in English for well over 1000 years. It is a common suffix in the Germanic languages (as "ing" and sometimes "ung"), and it goes back to Old Germanic "inga/unga."  

Sichuan Sauce

"Sichuan" sauce, also spelled "schezwan" in India by some, and "szechwan" in English by some, is a spicy hot chili pepper sauce used as a condiment added to prepared foods, or used as a dip for some foods, or used in recipes to add flavor and heat. The use of 35 to 40 chilies makes a relatively modest amount, which you can store in a jar or covered bowl in your refrigerator for a week or two. If you want to reduce the heat, you can remove the seeds from the chilies, or at least from some of the chilies, but this sauce is supposed to be spicy hot. Also, the amount of oil is high, but this helps to preserve the sauce. While the basis of Sichuan sauce is from China, it is not uncommon in parts of India, or in other areas of the world where its spicy heat is enjoyed by those who long to test their own endurance versus spicy dishes. As such, there are quite a number of recipe variations, and my recipe here is somewhat influenced by Indian versions. 

Ingredients:

35 to 40 dried red chilies (like cayenne or arbol chilies), stems removed

water to cover the chilies, then reserve the water used for soaking/cooking

4 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 large cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 inch piece of ginger peeled and minced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon soy sauce

1/3 teaspoon sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons white vingar

2 tablespoons thick tomato ketchup 

  

Put the chilies into a pan and cover them with water. Soak the chilies for 1/2 hour, do not drain. Now put the pan/skillet over medium heat until the water boils, and boil the chilies for about 3 to 4 minutes, then cover the pan/skillet and adjust the heat to maintain a steady simmer. Let the chilies simmer until they are softened and flexible (about 6 to 8 minutes), remove from the heat and let the chilies stand until cooled. Only some of the water should remain, reserve this water to use in a few moments (most of the water should have been absorbed or have evaporated). Put the cooked chilies (not the water) into a food processor or blender and process until no large pieces of pepper are visible. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat, then add the garlic and ginger; saute for a minute or two, but do not let the garlic and ginger brown. Add the processed chilies to the skillet and saute a further 2 minutes, stirring often, then add a tablespoon of the reserved "chili water," stir well, let cook for 1 minute, then add another tablespoon of the water, and stir well again. Cover the skillet and reduce the heat to very low. Let cook for about 4 to 5 minutes (during this time check to make sure it is not sticking; stir it a little occasionally). Add the salt, soy sauce, sugar, white vinegar and ketchup and then mix well and cook for another 2 minutes. Best if left to cool a bit before using.     

WORD HISTORY:

Bleat-This word, meaning "the sound made by sheep and goats," is distantly related to "feeble," a Latin-derived word, borrowed by English via French, and it is somewhat more closely related to "bellow" (deep sound made by certain animals, later used for people), a word from the Germanic roots of English.^ It goes back to Indo European "blhe," which had the notion, "to make sound," likely derived by our ancient ancestors in imitation of certain sounds initially. This gave Old Germanic "bletjanan," meaning, "to bleat, to make sound (for some animals)."^^ This gave Old English "blætan" (to bleat), which then became "bleten," before the modern form. The noun form in Old English was "blæt," which of course later also became "bleat," the noun. There are relatives in other Indo European languages with forms of the word, and in Latin the word developed the meaning "to weep or to cry,"^^^ which is hardly a startling development. German once had "blazen," and Dutch still has "blaten" (to bleat).  

^ While very similar, "bellows," the noun meaning, "a device used to force out air," is not related, as it is from a different source and its rendering with the plural ending "s" seems to have come from the device having two handles that were pushed together to expel the air, thus conveying a sense of two separate parts, thus, plural. 

 

^^ See "Etymological Dictionary of Proto Germanic," by Guus Kroonen, published 2013.  Part of the "Leiden Indo European Etymological Series," edited by Alexander Lubotsky, published by Brill (Publishing), Leiden, The Netherlands, Boston, U.S.

^^^ The Latin verb is "flere," meaning "to weep," with the extended meaning, "to grieve." The Indo European "b" beginning became "f" in Latin. 

Indian Green Chutney

"Green Chutney" is not something you will mistake for "red." It is VERY green. The peoples of the Indian subcontinent make chutneys from all sorts of things, and they serve them as a spread or dip along side their wonderful flatbreads, samosas (fried or baked dough filled with assorted vegetables or meat), or other foods. There are variations to green chutney recipes, and I did articles on "Coriander Chutney"* (coriander is better known as "cilantro" in much of North and South America) and "Mint Chutney,** both of which certainly fall into the category of "green chutneys."

 

Ingredients:

 

1 cup fresh coriander/cilantro (no big stems or stalks)

1/3 cup fresh mint leaves

1 or 2 green chilies, like serrano or jalapeno (stems removed)

2 garlic cloves

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 inch piece peeled ginger

3/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

(optional) 1/2 teaspoon sugar

few drops of water, IF NEEDED to thin the chutney

 

Put all ingredients, except water, into a blender/food processor. Process the ingredients until smooth, adding a few drops of water if needed to thin out the chutney, but not so that it's watery. 

 

 

* This is the link to the recipe for "Coriander Chutney": https://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2018/10/indian-coriander-chutney.html

 

 ** This is the link to the recipe for "Mint Chutney": https://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2017/07/indian-mint-chutney.html

WORD HISTORY:

Casual-This adjective is related to "case" (the noun form with the meaning "state or condition of something," also, "an event or happening," as in, "in this case, we mean this word"), a word of Latin derivation borrowed by English via French, and to "chance," another Latin word borrowed by English via French. "Casual" goes back to Indo Europian "kad/khad," which meant, "to fall." This gave Latin "cadere," meaning, "to fall, to sink, to perish, to die, to befall, to fall to or upon;" that is, "to occur, to happen." One of its participle base forms was "cas-," which served as the basis of the noun "casus," meaning more literally, "a falling down(ward)," but often used more figuratively to mean, "a mishap, a chance happening," as well as, "a grammatical case," as in "dative case." This then produced the Latin adjective "casualis," meaning, "(in reference to something) by chance, by opportunity," which passed to Latin-based French as "casuel," and this then was borrowed by English in the late 1300s with the same "by chance" meaning; thus also, "unpredictable." By the second half of the 1800s, the notion of "unpredictable" developed the use of "casual" for people who were "careless or undependable in their actions, work or attitude." Its use for clothing developed in the very late 1800s. (Note: "Casual" is a very close relative of "casualty," and I'll be posting its history soon.)