A Bunch of Baloney (Sandwiches)

When I was growing up in the 1950s, "baloney" sandwiches were common, including "fried baloney" sandwiches, which were a bit fancier than regular baloney sandwiches that were made from slices of baloney taken right from the refrigerator, or "icebox," as many people still called it back then. "Bologna" traces back to mortadella sausage from the northern Italian city of Bologna. It "seems" Germans took the Italian idea and made a similar sausage which was brought to America by German immigrants, and then Italian immigrants brought actual mortadella, and these were given "American" touches to become "bologna." By the 1920s and 1930s, sandwiches had become highly popular in the U.S., as they were quick and simple to make and they could be easily transported to jobs in bags or lunch boxes, and a common meat used was "baloney," the more typical Americanized pronunciation of "bologna." It wasn't fancy, but it wasn't expensive either, and that was important to every day American working people, and especially so when these "working people" didn't always have a steady job in the days of the Great Depression in the 1930s. It seems baloney was originally made from pork, but then also came beef, then chicken, then turkey, and even mixtures of meat products.

 

"A bunch of baloney" is a slang expression that means "a bunch of nonsense," and the expression seems to have developed in the 1920s in the U.S., in New York City, likely from the idea of baloney then being made from cheap cuts or remnants of meat, thus being of little worth, with nonsense seen the same way.
 

You can use beef baloney, or baloney made with chicken or turkey, if you don't eat pork.

My "Regular" Baloney Sandwich; totally simple:

2 slices white sandwich bread (you can certainly use whole wheat or multigrain bread)

1/2 to 1 tablespoon butter

2 slices baloney

thick ketchup, with more in reserve, if needed; okay, WHEN needed

Spread one slice of bread with butter. Place the 2 slices of baloney on either slice of bread, squeeze a "good" amount of thick ketchup onto the baloney, then place the other slice of bread on top of the ketchup covered baloney. Keep more ketchup nearby, and dip the sandwich into it before every bite. 

 

 

Is This the Typical Baloney Sandwich? 

 

Is this simple sandwich the "typical" baloney sandwich? There's really no way to prove or disprove it.

 

2 slices white bread

1 or 2 teaspoons mayonnaise

1 or 2 leaves of lettuce

2 or 3 slices of baloney

1 slice of American cheese

Spread one slice bread with mayonnaise, to the other slice of bread, add the lettuce, 2 or 3 slices of baloney and then top with the slice of cheese.

 

Variation: yellow or brown mustard supplements, or replaces, the mayonnaise, or try a good honey mustard on this sandwich (with no mayonnaise). 

"Regular" Fried Baloney Sandwich

 

You can cut slits around the edge of the baloney slices to help prevent curling of the meat when frying. 

 

2 slices white bread

2 to 3 slices baloney

1/2 tablespoon of butter

2 teaspoons mustard (more if you choose to put mustard on both slices of bread), or 2 teaspoons ketchup, or 2 teaspoons mayonnaise

1 pickle on the side, or 3 or 4 pickle slices

 

 

  

 

"Deluxe" Fried Baloney Sandwich

 

2 slices white bread

2 to 3 slices baloney

1/2 tablespoon butter (another 1/2 tablespoon butter, if needed)

1 slice Swiss cheese (or white or yellow American cheese)

1 or 2 slices onion, separated into rings

3 to 5 slices of bread 'n butter pickles (the slices are sometimes referred to as 'chips')

1 tablespoon mayonnaise

(optional) 2 teaspoons mustard or honey mustard

Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat, add the rings of onion and saute. Move the onion rings to the side of the skillet and add the baloney (add more butter, if needed). Fry the baloney on both sides until lightly browned. Keep mixing the onions around to brown them, as the baloney fries. Add the baloney to one slice of bread, top with the fried onions, then the pickles and then the Swiss cheese. Add mayonnaise to the top slice of bread, or if using mustard, spread the top slice with mustard first, then spread on the mayonnaise and add the bread to the top of the sandwich.

 

 

Fried Mortadella Sandwich

 

Mortadella is Italian bologna; actually, THE original bologna.

Ingredients (per sandwich):

2 slices bread (white, whole wheat or multigrain)

2 or 3 slices of mortadella

1 tablespoon butter + 1 teaspoon olive oil (or other oil of your choice)

1 or 2 slices of American cheese (or you can substitute white or yellow cheddar, or Colby)

2 to 3 teaspoons mayonnaise

1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

2 or 3 tomato slices (I tend to use Roma tomatoes, which are usually smaller, so 3 slices)

3 or 4 pickle slices (dill or sweet and sour chips)

Spread the Dijon mustard onto one slice of bread, followed by the mayonnaise. Add the tomato slices, then turn to preparing the mortadella. Add the butter and oil to a skillet over low heat (the oil will help keep the butter from browning quickly). Add the mortadella; brown the meat on both sides, then add the cheese on top of the meat for only about 20 to 30 seconds. Put the mortadella/cheese on top of the tomato covered bread slice and then top the meat/cheese with the pickle slices, and cover with the other plain slice of bread. In the photos below, the bottom photo shows building the sandwich, then the second photo shows completing the sandwich. I didn't add the cheese to the mortadella in the skillet so that the meat could be seen. This is a really good sandwich. 

Mustard followed by mayonnaise, then tomato slices, then mortadella

Fried Onion & Garlic Baloney Sandwich

 

2 slices white bread

2 slices baloney

2 to 4 cloves of garlic, sliced or finely chopped

1 green onion, white and green, chopped

1/2 tablespoon butter 

ketchup, mustard or mayonnaise, your preference, or some combo (I used mayo and ketchup in the photos below)

 

Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat then add the green onion and garlic; saute about one minute, then move the onion and garlic to the side of the skillet and add the baloney slices. Fry on both sides until lightly browned. If the onion and garlic begin getting too dark (especially the garlic, it will become bitter) remove from the skillet until the baloney is done. I put some mayonnaise on the bottom slice of bread, then I add the meat, followed by the green onion and garlic and then some ketchup.

  

  

WORD HISTORY:

Weasel-The ultimate origin of the noun "weasel" is difficult, but it "seems" to go back to Indo European "weys," with the notion "to flow, to melt, to run," and the extended noun form "weselos/wiselos," which was the name for the animal, and this gave Old Germanic "wisulon," which meant the same thing. This gave Old English "weosule" then "wesle," which then became "wesele," before the modern form. Relatives in the other Germanic languages: German has "Wiesel," Low German "Wes(s)el," West Frisian and Dutch "wezel," Icelandic "vesla" (but it also has an unrelated word for the animal), Danish "væsel," Norwegian "vesle/væsel," Swedish "vessla."  

Spanish Garlic Soup: Sopa de Ajo

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

Ingredients:

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

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

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

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

Garlic Soup

I've seen some claims that garlic soups (various recipes) can "help" prevent some illnesses, like colds and influenza. Whether there is actually scientific evidence to support this line of claims, I don't really know, but if you like garlic, or if you have beliefs in garlic as a health supplement, this is a soup for you. Of course, since the garlic is cooked, the sharp taste of raw garlic isn't present, but you'll still get your garlic "fix," if that's one of your taste cravings. I've found that letting the soup cool, then refrigerating it until the next day gives it a more developed flavor. So all you have to do is to reheat the soup, which you can even easily do for just a bowl or two in your microwave. Note: You can use your own homemade chicken stock, or buy some form of canned or packaged chicken broth, some of which are available in reduced salt versions, and there are some powdered forms that are no salt, to which you simply add water. Unless you are on a severely restricted salt diet, if you use the no salt version, you will likely want to add at least some salt to the soup. I've suggested 1/2 teaspoon in the recipe, but I use chicken broth with salt, so I do not add this extra salt. I only add 1/4 teaspoon of salt to the garlic when sauteing it (see below).   

Ingredients:

30 to 35 whole cloves of garlic, skins removed, then slightly crushed
6 cups chicken stock/broth (homemade, canned, bouillon, or packaged)
1/4 cup white wine
2 large potatoes, peeled, chopped (naturally, the smaller you chop them, the faster they'll cook)
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt, for sauteing the garlic
(optional) 1/2 teaspoon salt for the soup, but remember the chicken broth likely has salt, perhaps a lot
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 cup cream or evaporated milk
garnish with chopped chives and croutons

In a skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over low heat. Add the whole slightly crushed cloves of garlic and 1/4 teaspoon salt, then saute the garlic until it starts to lightly brown, stirring to keep it from burning or becoming too dark. This can take a little time. In a large sauce pan, add the chicken stock, wine, thyme, oregano, potatoes (also salt, if using), and the lightly browned garlic and the oil used for sauteing; bring to a good simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender. Either transfer to a blender or use a stick blender (also called an immersion blender). Blend until smooth, then, if using a regular blender, pour the soup back into the pan over low heat, then add the black pepper, and stir in the cream or milk. Let the soup heat up briefly, but do not boil. Serve with croutons and some chopped chives on top. 

WORD HISTORY:
Beaker-Although this word's origin is uncertain, it is related to "pitcher," a word borrowed by English from French and which has the rest of its known history matching that of "beaker." Its origin is thought by some to be Middle Eastern, as there are similar words from that area meaning, "vase, jug, container." The idea for supporters of this origin is that Ancient Greek borrowed the word as transliterated "bîkos," for "earthenware jug or container." Then Latin borrowed this term in a diminutive form as "bicarium," meaning, "wine jug or container." This was borrowed by some Germanic language, and passed to some other Germanic languages, but the exact process is unclear. Old High German has the word circa 1000, as "behhari," and meaning, "cup, wine goblet, jug, pitcher," and this then became "becher," and then modern "Becher" (cup, mug, tub) with a capital "B," as in modern German all nouns are capitalized. The thing is, other Germanic languages had forms around the same time as Old High German, and it's important to remember, the Germanic dialects that formed English, collectively called "Anglo-Saxon," had already left northwestern Europe by that time, and the Anglo-Saxons had long before firmly established themselves in the part of Britain named after the Angles, "England." So a form of the word was not taken with the Anglo-Saxons to Britain. English seems to have borrowed the word in the mid 1300s either from Old Norse "bikarr" (cup, drinking vessel), or from Dutch "beker" (cup, goblet). The most common meaning in modern English, "a round open mouthed glass container, without handles, used in science laboratories," developed in the second half of the 1800s.   

A Little Bit of Malta: White Beans With Garlic & Parsley

Malta is actually a group of islands (archipelago) in the Mediterranean Sea, with the island of Malta being the largest island of this nation, once a colony of Britain. The islands of Gozo and Comino are the other two main islands, but there are smaller islands that are uninhabited. The capital is Valletta, located on the island of Malta. The little island nation has a population of nearly half a million and it lies south of Italy and north of Libya. Maltese is the official language of Malta,* but English is also an official language, and Italian is also widely spoken or understood by more than half of the population. During World War Two, Malta, then a colony of Britain, became a major thorn in the side of the German and Italian forces in North Africa, as British air units and naval forces (particularly submarines) stationed in Malta posed a formidable problem for the Axis Mediterranean supply line from Italy to Libya. The islands were severely bombed by both the German and Italian air forces and a joint Italian and German plan to invade the islands was never carried out. Malta gained independence in the mid 1960s, and became a republic in the mid 1970s.**  

The name of this dish in Maltese is, "Fażola bajda bit-tewm u t-tursin." It is great as an appetizer, side dish or as part of a light lunch. 

Ingredients:

2 cans large white beans (butter beans or cannellini beans, 15 to 16 ounce cans), drained
3 green onions (scallions), chopped, along with some of the green
4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
3 to 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2/3 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt

For serving:
olives 
Italian or other crusty bread

Mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl, cover it with some plastic wrap and let it sit for about 15 or 20 minutes. Serve with some olives and Italian bread on the side.  

* Maltese is a language from the Semitic languages, with relatives like Arabic and Hebrew. It is the only Semitic language using the Latin alphabet and its vocabulary has been heavily influenced by Italian, English and Sicilian. Sicilian, while perhaps thought of as an Italian dialect by many, is actually classified as a language in its own right. It is spoken on the large Italian island of Sicily and also in parts of the southern Italian mainland. In more modern times Sicilian has certainly been influenced by standard Italian, which is taught in all schools in Italy.

** Initially, the British monarch remained as the head of state, but by the mid 1970s, Malta changed its law and elected its own president to serve as head of state, although Malta still has ties to Britain as a  member of the Commonwealth of Nations.

I had my beans with some Kalamata olives and anchovy stuffed green olives, along with some Italian bread, which I had the bakery slice.

WORD HISTORY:
Extra-This is both a word forming part and a word in its own right, used as an adjective, adverb and even as a noun. Many of the uses began in English in the 1600s as an abbreviation of the word "extraordinary," a word borrowed from Latin "extraordinarius" in the first half of the 1400s, and which meant, "out of regular or usual order." "Extra," in all of its meanings, goes back to Indo European, "eghs/ekhs," which had the notion of, "out from." This gave Latin "ex," with the meanings, "out from, from the inside, out of, from or since a period of time." Its comparative was "exterus," meaning, "outside, outward." "Extra" was derived from its ablative form "extera."

Chimichurri Sauce

"Chimichurri" is a kind of uncooked sauce in Argentina, typically used as an accompaniment for grilled or roasted meat, and at times, used as a marinade for meat. There are all kinds of variations to "chimichurri," although most have to do with the amounts of the basic ingredients, but there are also some variations in the actual ingredients. For instance, not all Argentinians use chili pepper, so if you don't like heat, just leave it out, or just add a pinch of dried chili flakes. The same is true about recipe variations in Uruguay, where chimichurri is also popular, as is beef.

Ingredients:

4 cloves of garlic
3 tablespoons chopped onion (white or red onion, or scallion)
1 red chili pepper, seeded
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup cilantro
1/2 cup parsley (Italian parsley is good for this)
2 tablespoons fresh oregano
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Put all ingredients into a food processor and pulse until the garlic, onion, chili pepper and herbs are well chopped and blended together. Best if covered and refrigerated for a couple of hours before using.

Roasted beef ribs with chimichurri sauce

WORD HISTORY:
Spit-English has two main words (each with a verb and noun form) of this spelling, but they are from different sources. This is the word meaning, "rod or stick used for roasting meat." The verb form of this word is not commonly used in modern times. The word is somewhat distantly related to "spike." It goes back to the Indo European root "spei,' which meant, "sharp end, pointed." This gave Old Germanic "spitoz," meaning, "sharp rod for skewering meat to be roasted." This gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "spitu," with the same meaning. This then became "spyte/spytte," before the modern form. Forms in other Germanic languages: German has "Spieß/Spiess," ^ Low German Saxon has "Spitt," Dutch "spit," Danish "spytte," Norwegian "spidd" (dialectal?), Icelandic "spýta," Swedish "spett."

^ Modern spelling forms in German has made "Spieß" the proper spelling, except in Switzerland and Liechtenstein, where "Spiess" was made proper.

Greek Tzatziki & Turkish Cacik: A Sauce & Dip

Greek "tzatziki" (pronounced as if, "taht-zeekee") and Turkish "cacik" (pronounced as if, "jaw-juk") are really the same thing, a dip or a sauce, typically for use with grilled meat, with gyros or with sliced vegetables and pita bread. Other cultures in the eastern Mediterranean and the greater Middle East have similar recipes. The dish is quick and easy to make, although you can salt the cucumber first to draw out some of the liquid, if you'd like. I must have looked at 25 to 30 recipes, from both Greek and Turkish sources, and there were not great differences, but I've put the "basic recipe," and then the more notable variations below that. The Turks seemingly "tend" to use mint and olive oil more often, sometimes in combination with dill, but I also found Turkish recipes essentially like the basic recipe. A few recipes used vinegar in place of lemon juice, but only a few.       

Ingredients:

Basic recipe

2 cups plain Greek yogurt
3 cloves garlic, minced or chopped
1 1/4 cup seedless cucumber, peeled and chopped
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon dill
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon white or black pepper pepper
(Optional) 1 or 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil mixed in, or drizzle some extra virgin olive oil on top

Combine all ingredients, mix well. Best when chilled for at least a couple of hours, but not mandatory. 

Variation:

To the basic recipe add: 2 tablespoons dried mint, 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, in which case you can omit the dill completely, or reduce the amount of dill to 2 teaspoons

Top photo with the basic recipe/bottom photo with mint and olive oil/fresh mint leave for garnish

WORD HISTORY:
Psyche-This word, related to a number of words borrowed by English, including "psychosis" and "psychic," goes back to Indo European "bhes," which had the notion, "to breathe, to blow." This gave Ancient Greek the transliterated "psykhein," with the same meaning, but also, by extension, "to cool down, to refresh or rejuvenate." This then gave Greek the transliterated noun "psykhe," meaning, "the mind, spirit, life force, breath." This was borrowed by Latin as "psyche," and English borrowed the word from Latin in the mid 1600s. The idea of  "a person's thought process, behavior, character," all developed in psychological study by the early part of the 20th Century.  

Aioli, Is It Garlic Mayonnaise?

"Aioli," and there are variations in the term by language or dialect ("allioli" in some areas of Spain, for instance),* is a general term for a sauce common in the western Mediterranean area of eastern Spain, southern France and northwestern Italy. There are "generally" two types of aioli; one of olive oil combined with garlic, which "seems" to be the traditional sauce, and the other, a combination of olive oil, garlic, lemon juice and egg (either whole eggs or just yolks), now often simply with prepared mayonnaise substituted for the raw egg. The traditional aioli method involved crushing cloves of garlic with a mortar and pestle, then gradually adding olive oil while stirring the mixture until it formed a sauce, with some adding a little lemon juice, others omitting it. Nowadays a blender or food processor is used to make the sauce. The "egg type" seems to have developed, or at least to have become popular, in southern France. The blended egg and ingredients made a garlic mayonnaise, and this type has become the best known, with even two of my Spanish cookbooks giving recipes for this type, with only scant mention of the traditional aioli, which is still used in parts of Spain. Of course, for the egg style aioli, the use of store bought mayonnaise is both convenient and safer than using raw egg. Aioli is commonly served with fish or other seafood, steamed vegetables, as well as with other foods.     

Ingredients:

1/2 cup mayonnaise (reduced fat style is fine)
3 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil 
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
pinch pepper

In a blender or food processor, combine all ingredients until smooth. Chill the aioli.  
 
* One of my Spanish cookbooks spells it, "ali oli" (two words), and it also notes that in some parts of Spain it is called "ajiaceite" and "ajoaceite." 

WORD HISTORY:
Ball (#2)-This is the noun (related to "ballet") meaning, "dance (usually a formal dance)," and it is a totally different word from "ball," with the meaning, "rounded object." It goes back to Indo European "gwele/gwela," with the notion of, "bubble up, rise up, overflow, throw outward or upward," and it is distantly related to Old English "cwylla," which meant "a spring;" that is, "a source of water" ("water that rises out of the ground," and German still uses "Quelle," with this meaning, as well as, more commonly, the general meaning "source"). The Indo European form gave transliterated Greek "ballizein," with the meaning, "to jump about in dance" (literally, "to throw oneself about"). Latin borrowed the term from Greek as "ballare," also meaning, "to dance." This passed to Latin-based Old French as, "baller," with the same meaning, and which produced the noun, "bal," meaning, "a dance." English borrowed the word from French, circa 1650.