Salisbury Steak

Salisbury steak was the invention of James Salisbury in the 1800s. Salisbury believed that many human afflictions were the result of poor diet. He theorized that ground beef was better for a person than large chunks of meat, as it didn't require as much digestive effort. Salisbury was from New York (state), but he lived in Cleveland, Ohio for a number of years after the Civil War; and indeed, he and his wife are buried in Cleveland at Lake View Cemetery, where President James Garfield, federal law officer Eliot Ness and John D. Rockefeller, the super wealthy founder of Standard Oil, are also buried.

Salisbury Steak has long been one of the selections of frozen meals, including the well known "TV Dinners," and that continues right up to the present. The gravy that goes along with Salisbury Steak makes mashed potatoes a common side dish in Mom & Pop diners, as well as in frozen dinners. 

 

Ingredients (4 servings):

 

For the beef patties:

 

1 pound ground beef (85/15 meat to fat)

1/4 cup very finely chopped onion

1/4 cup panko (coarse and somewhat chunky) breadcrumbs

1 egg

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon seasoned salt 

1 tablespoon oil (I use sunflower oil) for frying

 

Put the ingredients into a bowl and then mix them (I use my hands) until everything is mixed together well. Form the meat mixture into 4 patties (traditionalists would likely say the patties should be oval shaped). I use a 10 inch nonstick skillet to fry the "steaks." Add the oil to the skillet over medium heat. Place the patties around the skillet and let them cook for 2 to 2 1/2 minutes on each side. Remove the patties to a plate and make the gravy (the patties will cook further, in just a bit).

For the gravy:

 

2 tablespoons butter 

1 large garlic clove, minced

1 cup sliced mushrooms

3 tablespoons flour

2 cups beef broth

1 teaspoon ketchup

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

 

Set the heat to low, then melt the butter in the same skillet, add the minced garlic and the sliced mushrooms. Saute until the mushrooms are softened, then sprinkle the flour over the mushroom/garlic mixture, and mix it in. Add 1/2 cup of broth to the skillet, stirring constantly. When the mixture thickens, add another 1/2 cup of broth, and repeat the process until the beef broth is all mixed in and it has a thickened consistency. Stir in the ketchup, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire and pepper. Now add the patties back into the skillet, cover the skillet with a lid or foil, and let the patties cook in the gravy on low heat for about 6 minutes. Check the patties after about 2 or 3 minutes and stir the gravy as best you can (you want to make sure nothing is sticking to the pan, but if it is, remove the skillet from the heat and turn the heat to very low; put the skillet back on the heat after about one minute). After the patties cook for 6 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat, but keep the lid in place. Let sit for about 2 minutes before serving.   

  Salisbury Steak with mushroom gravy, mashed potatoes, corn and cottage cheese ...

WORD HISTORY:

Adore-This verb, with derived noun "adoration," and adjectival forms: "adoring," "adorable," is related to "oral," "oration," "orator" and some others. The "ad" part of "adore" is related, through Indo European, to English "at," as they go back to Indo European "ad," meaning "near, at, toward, to," which gave Latin "ad," with the same basic meanings, with the spelling and pronunciation shortened at times in Latin's offspring to simply "a." The origin of the main base of "adore" is disputed. Dutch linguist Michiel de Vaan^ believes the origin is Indo European "os," which meant "mouth," and which gave Latin (via Old Italic) "os" (genitive case: "oris," dative case: "ori"), which then gave Latin "orare," which meant "to speak in public," with the secondary meaning of "to plead, to beg, to pray."^^ The two parts combined to form "adorare," with the meaning "to plead, to beg, to ask for, to pray," and then also, "to worship," which brought the broader meaning, "to honor, to revere," and this sense lessened somewhat in the 1800s to, "to like highly, to hold in high regard." The Latin form passed to Old French as "aorer," meaning "to worship, to give praise," which then became "adorer," which saw the Latin spelling influence. English borrowed the word in the latter part of the 1300s as "aouren," which later became "adouren/adoren" (also with the restored 'd' from Latin spelling), with the French meaning, and with the later meaning "to like highly, to hold in high regard," being applied beyond religious deities or figures; as in, "The couple frequently dined at the seafood restaurant, as they adored Oysters Rockefeller." 

 

^ "Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages," Volume 7 of the Leiden Indo-European Etymological Series, by Michiel de Vaan, Brill (Publishing), Leiden (Netherlands), Boston (U.S.), 2008 

 

^^ Others believe the possible source of origin to be Indo European "or/er," which meant, "to speak a ritual, to speak solemnly," and some believe that this was the basis of the Latin verb "orare."       

Gravy & Meatballs with Gorgonzola Polenta

Oh, this is so good! 

 

For those unaware, Gorgonzola is a blue cheese from the north of Italy, and it is a protected product in Italy, and within the European Union; which means, that to be called "Gorgonzola," it has to be produced within certain geographic areas in northern Italy, and only with specific ingredients. I tend to use "Gorgonzola piccante," which is aged longer and has a sharper flavor; although, "Gorgonzola dulce" has somewhat less sharpness, but it is still very good. While Gorgonzola is likely sold in just about all supermarkets and cheese shops, if you can't find it, you can try Roquefort, a blue cheese from France, or really any blue cheese you like.

 

Ingredients:

 

1 pound ground beef (80/20 meat to fat ratio)

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon seasoned salt

1/4 cup breadcrumbs

1 egg

1/4 cup finely chopped or grated onion

2 cloves minced garlic

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon thyme, crushed in the palm of your hand

In a bowl, add all of the ingredients and mix them together well by hand. Form the mixture into meatballs the size of golf balls, and no fair trying to substitute real golf balls (I've tried that, and no matter how long I cooked the golf balls, they were too tough). You should get 9 or 10 meatballs by using the amounts above.

 

Gravy:

 

2 1/2 cups beef broth

1/3 cup chopped carrot (smaller chop)

2 tablespoons butter + 1 tablespoon oil (olive or sunflower)

3 tablespoons flour

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

1 clove minced garlic

1 teaspoon Gravy Master

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

 

Add the butter and oil to a skillet over medium heat, when the butter is melted, add the finely chopped onion and carrot and saute for 1 to 2 minutes before adding the minced garlic and saute another minute. Sprinkle the flour over the mixture and stir everything; then, gradually add the beef broth, stirring constantly. When the gravy thickens, stir in the Gravy Master and Worcestershire sauce and let cook another 2 to 3 minutes.

Polenta:

 

1 cup polenta

3 1/2 cups chicken broth

1 cup milk 

3 tablespoons butter

salt (the butter and broth should supply enough salt)

1/3 cup crumbled gorgonzola piccante 

In a heavy bottom sauce pan over medium heat, heat the milk and broth until it just starts to boil, then stir in the polenta little by little (initially using a whisk is recommended; it will help to prevent lumps), then continue stirring (I usually change to a spoon) until the polenta is nice and thick (4 to 6 minutes?). Stir in the butter until it is completely melted and well mixed in. I don't mix the cheese into the polenta (see below).

Serving:

I use shallow bowls for this, because they will allow you to add a good bit of gravy to top the meatballs and polenta. In each shallow bowl, add some of the crumbled Gorgonzola, then add the polenta and smooth it over, then add 2 or 3 meatballs and cover with gravy. If you prefer, you can add the polenta, then sprinkle the crumbled Gorgonzola on top and proceed from there.

                                             

 

WORD HISTORY:

Fawn (Fain)-This "fawn" is the verb form, which is unrelated to the noun (baby deer).^ It is closely related to 'fain,' which was once spelled with a 'g' in the middle. The origin of the verb "fawn" is uncertain, although the Indo European root "pek," meaning "to make pretty," has been supported by some, with that meaning then extending to a meaning of "glad, happy, pleased," with the Indo European 'p' rendered as 'f' in Old Germanic, which had "faganaz," an adjective with the same meanings. This gave Old English the (dialectal?) verb forms "fægnian/fagnian," meaning "to celebrate, to be glad, to be happy with." The "fagnian" form then became "faunen," and then "fawnen," before the modern form, and it was often used in the Middle Ages in regard to dogs "wagging their tails as a display of happiness." This became the basis of the modern more negative meaning of "showing a groveling and flattering devotion to someone in order to gain or retain favor with them." The Old Germanic form produced the Old English adjective "fægen," meaning "glad, joyful, cheerful," which then became "fain," where it has remained for hundreds of years, although it is not a terribly common word in more modern times; at least, not in American English, but I'm not certain about in the UK and elsewhere. Many of the related forms in the other Germanic languages have died out, but there are a few that have survived into modern times: Icelandic has the adjective "feginn," Norwegian has the adjective "fegen" and Swedish has the adjective "fägen," all meaning "happy, merry." Old Saxon,^^ the Saxon that remained in what is now northern Germany after some of their kinsmen sailed to Briton, once had "fagan" and Old High German had "faginon" meaning, "to be merry."

^ For the noun's history, here's the link:  https://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2023/10/scrambled-eggs-smoked-salmon-wrap.html?m=1

 

^^ Old Saxon became part of the dialects of Low German. 

Mashed Sweet Potatoes & Ham Gravy

Just as we often use the juices from roast beef, roast pork or roast chicken to make gravy, the juices from baked ham shouldn't be overlooked, and ham gravy is super. It should not be confused with "red-eye gravy," which is typically made from the drippings of ham fried in a skillet to which black coffee is added (the fatty ham drippings and coffee produce a reddish brown sauce that looks like a red eye).

 

These mashed potatoes are a great side dish next to some freshly baked ham. I like sweet potatoes to be sweetened further for sweet potato casserole, but I only use a small amount of sweetener when I have mashed sweet potatoes, and at times, I don't add any sweetener. So, you can certainly add sweetener in the amount you prefer. 

Ingredients:

 

1 1/4 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 to 2 inch chunks

1 1/2 tablespoons butter

2 to 4 tablespoons canned milk (evaporated milk, NOT sweetened condensed milk)

1 or 2 tablespoons honey (or maple syrup)

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (or mace)

1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper

pinch of salt

 

For the gravy:

 

3 strips bacon, chopped

4 tablespoons flour

1 1/2 cups ham broth

1/4 cup canned milk

1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper

2 tablespoons finely chopped ham

salt not needed due to broth and bacon

 

Cover the peeled and cut sweet potatoes with water in a pan over high heat, add a pinch of salt. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium to maintain a steady, but not a rolling boil. Cook the sweet potatoes for 8 to 10 minutes, then use a fork to see how close they are to being done; and proceed until they are tender, but not mushy. 

When the sweet potatoes are done, drain them and return them to the same pan over very low heat. I add the butter, honey and the 2 tablespoons of milk to the pan. If you add more milk  than that right off, you may end up with runny sweet potatoes, so it's best to add it a little at a time, if or as needed. Stir the ingredients around until the butter melts, then remove from the heat. Add the nutmeg, white pepper and a pinch of salt. Use a hand mixer to mash the sweet potatoes until they are smooth and creamy. During this process, if you feel they need more milk, add one tablespoon at a time and continue with the mixer. 

For the gravy: Add the chopped bacon to a pan or skillet over medium heat. Let the bacon cook to render the fat, then sprinkle in the flour and stir to make a roux (if there is not enough bacon fat to make the roux, add a tablespoon of butter, let it melt, mix it around, then add the flour). Cook the roux for just a minute or two to remove the raw flour taste. Use the liquid in the baking pan from the ham; that is, the ham juices, and add enough water to it to make 1 1/2 cups. Begin adding the ham broth (about 1/4 cup to start), and keep stirring to get it incorporated with the roux; then, add 1/2 cup broth and repeat the process, continue until all the broth is used and the gravy is smooth (except for the bacon bits), then add the milk and do the same process. Add the finely chopped ham and the white pepper and stir well to mix it all in.

 

Serve the ham gravy over the mashed sweet potatoes ...   

  

 

WORD HISTORY: 

Trek-This word, related to "drag" and to "draw," both original English words from Old Germanic, goes back to Indo European "dhragh," which had the notion of "to pull." This gave its Old Germanic offspring "dragan(an)," with the same meaning. This "seemingly" produced a somewhat later West Germanic variant form, "trakjanan," meaning, "to drag, to pull roughly, to scrape." I say, "somewhat later," because apparently English did not have a form, and the Germanic dialects that became English left the continental North Sea areas beginning in the mid 400s and into the 500s AD. The variant form gave Dutch "trecken," with the meaning, "to drag, to pull;" thus also, "to travel by cart/wagon" (which, of course, was pulled by animals). This then became "trekken." The Dutch began a strong colonial involvement in southern Africa in the mid 1600s. Many Dutch colonists settled there, and a Dutch dialect gradually developed in southern Africa, more recently declared to be a language in its own right, Afrikaans. Dutch "trekken" was naturally carried to the Dutch settlements in southern Africa; thus to early "Afrikaans," by which time, the word had come to mean the more generalized "to travel, to move from one area to another," and this then became "trek," in Afrikaans, also meaning, "to travel, to migrate, to transport," which also then developed the like spelled noun, meaning, "a migration, a journey." The verb and noun were borrowed into English in the mid 1800s, as English speaking colonists were also present in southern Africa by that time. Other relatives in the Germanic languages: German has "trecken" ^ (Treck is the noun form, from Low German in the later 1800s), verb form meaning, "to hike, to move/travel in a migration;" Low German Saxon "Treck" (noun, "migration;" the verb seems no longer to be used); Dutch "trekken" (to pull, to drag, to migrate, to travel; noun "trek," meaning "draught (air flow 'traveling through an opening'), migration"); West Frisian "trekke" (to pull, to drag); Danish "trække" (borrowed from Low German, "to drag, to pull").

^ The original German form was diminished to dialectal use, but it was revived, to some extent, as something of a borrowing, or reinforcement from Low German. Also, the Germans were involved in southern Africa, which provided some reinforcement from Dutch/Afrikaans.

Latvian Meat Patties: Kotletes

There are lots of recipes for meat patties in Latvia, as they are quite popular there, and this is my version. Mushrooms and sour cream are certainly used in the cuisines of numerous countries, and these two food products are often used in eastern Europe, including in Latvia.

With 2 pounds of meat, I got 12 patties; of course, you can make larger patties.

 

Serve with boiled potatoes and dark brown rye bread, if you can find Latvian rye bread, go for it! You can also do a little salad, see further below.

 

Ingredients:

 

For the patties:

 

1 pound ground beef

1 pound ground pork

1 cup chopped onion, small chop

3 cloves garlic, minced

oil for frying, divided use (to saute onions and garlic, then for the meatballs/patties)

2 teaspoons ground black pepper

1 teaspoon salt

1 egg

breadcrumbs for coating the patties

For the sauce/gravy:

3 tablespoons butter

1 cup beef stock

1/3 cup sour cream

3 tablespoons flour

2 cups chopped mushrooms, small chop

2 tablespoons chopped dill

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

salt (if your beef stock has a lot of salt, you can skip adding salt, or use a small amount)

 

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until the onion begins to soften, then add the garlic and saute another 1 minute, reduce heat to low and saute a further 1 minute then remove the skillet from the heat and let the onion/garlic mix cool down a bit (it doesn't have to be completely cooled). Add the ground pork and ground beef to a bowl, then add the cooled onion and garlic, ground black pepper and salt and mix everything together (best to use your hands). Add the egg and knead it into the meat mixture. Put some breadcrumbs on a plate, take enough meat to roll into the size of a golf ball, then roll it in the breadcrumbs to coat it. Continue this until all of the meat is used. Keep the meatballs on a plate, then heat 2 tablespoons of oil in the skillet over medium heat. Add some of the rolled meat to the skillet, allowing some space between them, then gently press down on each with a spoon or spatula to just slightly flatten them into something more of meat patties, rather than meatballs. Fry until browned on each side and cooked through. Remove the fried patties to a plate. Drain the oil from the skillet and use a paper towel to wipe any meat bits from the skillet. Over low heat, melt the butter, add the chopped mushrooms to the skillet and saute until softened. Sprinkle the flour over the mushrooms and mix it into the butter. Cook for about 2 minutes to remove the raw flour taste, then stir in the beef stock and increase the heat to medium until the mixture comes to a simmer. Stir in the black pepper (and salt, if using) and continue to simmer the gravy until it thickens. Reduce the heat to low again and stir in the sour cream until it is well mixed in. Add the dill and stir for about 1 minute, remove from the heat. Serve the patties with some gravy spooned over them and some boiled potatoes. 

For a nice little salad addition: some chopped or torn lettuce leaves, chopped cucumber and chopped tomato with sour cream dressing of 3 parts sour cream to 1 part buttermilk, some minced garlic, some dill and parsley, ground black pepper and salt 

 

 

 

 

 

WORD HISTORY:

Junior-This word is related to "juvenile" and to the main part of "rejuvenate," both borrowed by English from Latin, and it is distantly related to "young," a word from the Germanic roots of English. "Junior" goes back to the Indo European root "yeu," which had the notion of "vigor, vitality." This gave Old Italic "juvenis," meaning "young," and this passed to its Latin offspring as the adjective "iuvenis," meaning "young" (same noun form seemingly meant "young man"), and the comparative form was "iuvenior," meaning "younger," and it was then contracted to "iunior," and English borrowed the word as "junior" in the last part of the 1200s, meaning "less in age than someone else," often included after a son's name when the son carried the same name as the father, but the abbreviated form "Jr" did not come into usage until the first couple of decades of the 1600s. The noun form was derived from the adjective in the early 1500s meaning, "a son, a younger male in a household," then also, "a common nickname for a son of the same name as his father." Both the adjective and the noun picked up the additional "a person of smaller size," and then a bit later also used for "clothing designed for smaller people, mainly those less than adult age." The late 1800s saw the use of the noun for "the third year of college," followed not long thereafter by its use for students in high school. "Junior high school" seems to be from circa 1910.     

Chicken Hearts & Gravy

Serve with ... what else? MASHED POTATOES! (but also potato pierogis, noodles, pasta or rice are all good choices.)

 

 

Ingredients (about 5 servings):

 

1 pound chicken hearts

1 tablespoon butter + 1 tablespoon olive oil

2 large cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon homemade adobo seasoning* 

1 1/2 teaspoons rubbed sage

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, crushed in the palm of your hand

2 1/2 cups chicken stock (low sodium is fine)

1/4 cup flour mixed well with 1/3 cup cold water 

 

Rinse the chicken hearts in cold water, drain them and dry them with paper towels. Heat the oil and butter in a skillet over medium heat, then saute the chicken hearts for just a couple of minutes until they begin to lightly brown. Reduce the heat to low, add the minced garlic and stir well as the garlic begins to cook. Stir in the adobo seasoning, rubbed sage, crushed thyme leaves and the chicken stock; stir well and bring mixture to a simmer, then cover. Cook for 45 to 60 minutes, or until the hearts are tender. Gradually stir in the flour and water mixture, stirring constantly. You can adjust the amount of flour and water until the gravy thickens to your preferred degree of thickness.

   

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

 

 

 

WORD HISTORY:

Leather-This word, meaning "animal hide treated to prevent decomposition," goes back to Indo European "lethrom," which meant "leather." This gave Old Germanic "lethran," with the same meaning, and this gave Old English "leþer" (þ=th), which then became "lether," before the modern version. Relatives in the other Germanic languages: German "Leder," Low German "Ledder," West Frisian "leare," Dutch has both "leder" and the contracted form "leer," Danish "læder," Norwegian "lær," Icelandic "leður" (=lethur"), Swedish has "läder," all meaning "leather."

Pepper Cream Gravy: German/Austrian Pfefferrahmsauce

Besides the form "Pfefferrahmsauce," I used in the title, this gravy/sauce is also called and spelled "Pfefferrahmsoße," "Pfefferrahmsosse" in German. The "rahm" part is a word for "cream" in German, and it is a close relative of English "ream," a word with that same meaning now confined to dialect,* (not related to the word of the same spelling and used for a "paper measurement"). The gravy has some "zip" from the crushed peppercorns and the ground pepper, but the "zip" is also mellowed by the cream, and the heat is nothing like the heat in dishes which have hot chilies added. This gravy is a frequent accompaniment to steak, pork or even chicken (I replace the beef stock with chicken stock in the recipe then). 
 
Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter
1 onion, pretty finely chopped
2 tablespoons flour 
2/3 cup beef stock
2 ounces brandy
3 tablespoons green peppercorns, crushed, but not obliterated
2 tablespoons ground black pepper
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 cup heavy cream (or canned milk), keep 4 tablespoons separate
salt (if the beef stock is salty, you can leave this out or just use a small amount)

Melt the butter in a skillet over low heat. Add the onion and saute until the onion softens a bit. Add the crushed green peppercorns,** the ground black pepper, the lemon juice, the brandy and the beef stock. Increase the temperature to medium high and let the mixture come to a simmer. Stir in the heavy cream and turn the heat to high. Let the mixture well up/bubble up, stirring "almost" constantly. Have the 4 tablespoons of heavy cream well mixed with the 2 tablespoons of flour; gradually add this to the hot liquid, stirring constantly, until the gravy thickens. Turn down the heat to low and let the gravy simmer for just a minute. Served over steak or chopped steak, along with mashed potatoes. 

* For the history of the word "ream," here is the link to the article with that word: http://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2016/04/schnitzel-with-creamy-mushroom-gravy.html

** I wrap the whole peppercorns in a napkin or paper towel, then I use a kitchen mallet to tap and crush them. I've also used a rolling pin to roll over the wrapped peppercorns to crush them, and I have also crushed them by using a mortar and pestle.   

Pepper Cream Gravy with chopped sirloin steak, mashed potatoes and buttered corn... 

WORD HISTORY:
Vial-The ultimate origin of this word is unknown, and the beginning has been spelled with an "f," "ph," or "v" in a number of languages, including German, a close relative of English, in which its version was initially spelled with an "f," then a "v" and then a "ph" (modern "Phiole"). It goes back to transliterated Ancient Greek "phiále," meaning, "a shallow bowl for drinking," which was borrowed by Latin as "phiala," with the same meaning, and which later altered to "phiola." This passed to Old French as "fiole," but by then with the meaning, "bottle or small flask." This was borrowed by English circa 1400, initially as "fiole," then as "viole," then as "phial," and then as "vial," although some still spell it with the "ph," which returned the spelling to the old Latin and Greek forms (seemingly the same in German, as noted above).  

Cream Gravy with Pepper

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

Ingredients:

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

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

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

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

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

With fried boneless breaded chicken breast....

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

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

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

Canadian French Fries & Gravy: Poutine

Often pronounced like, "poo-teen," in the U.S., but more like, "poo-ten," in Canada, its birthplace (Quebec).

If you mess up the recipe, no problem, just call it, "Putin," send it to Trump, and he'll never utter a word of criticism about it.

You can make this recipe very simply by getting some french fries at your neighborhood fast food outlet and by opening a jar or can or beef gravy. If you enjoy cooking and don't mind a little more involvement, you can buy frozen french fries and cook them per the instructions on the package, or make the fries yourself from scratch (see below). You can fry them in oil, or you can forgo the oil and put the potatoes on a baking sheet and pop them into the oven. Cheese curds can be found in many cheese shops or supermarkets (for Clevelanders, I bought my cheese curds at the West Side Market). Then you can make your own gravy (see below), but you can use store bought beef broth to streamline the gravy making process a bit.  

Ingredients (5 + servings):

2 pounds baking potatoes, skin on, cut into fries
1 1/2 cups cheese curds
2 tablespoons oil + 1 tablespoon butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, chopped
4 cups beef stock/broth
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 heaping tablespoon ketchup
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt (remember, the beef stock will have salt)
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper

If you want to fix the potatoes from scratch, scrub and rinse the potatoes well, cut a small slice off of the unpeeled potato to form a flat base for the potato. Place the potato on its cut side, then cut through the potato to make about 1/4 inch thick pieces. Cut each of those pieces into uniform fries. Soak the fries in cold water. While the fries soak, add the butter and oil to a sauce pan over low heat. Add the chopped onion and the garlic and let cook, stirring occasionally to prevent burning or heavy browning, until the onion softens. Stir in the flour and let cook a minute or two to take away the raw taste from the flour. Increase heat to medium and gradually add the beef stock, stirring constantly. Add the Worcestershire sauce, the ketchup and the dried thyme, stir to mix. Bring the gravy to a boil and lower the heat to maintain the gravy at a simmer. Let the gravy simmer until it reduces by about a quarter or until it reaches the thickness you want.
 
Heat about a 1/4 inch of oil in a large skillet over medium heat (or if you have a deep fryer, follow the fryer's instructions). Drain the potatoes and dry them well onto paper towels (otherwise, big time spattering ... ah, someone once told me that). Add the potatoes and cook for a few minutes until they are about "half" done. Remove the potatoes and allow them to cool. Turn the heat up a notch and return the potatoes to the hot oil until they are nicely browned. Drain the potatoes on paper towels (you can sprinkle on a little salt, if desired). Put some fries onto a plate, sprinkle some cheese curds over them and ladle or spoon some (or a lot) of hot gravy over the fries and cheese. It doesn't get much better than this ... 

WORD HISTORY:
Imp-This word is distantly related to "boor," "bower" and to the last part of "neighbor" (British: "neighbour"), all words from the Germanic roots of English. It goes back to Indo European "bu/bhu," which meant "to be," with extensions: "to dwell, to live upon/on, to grow." This gave Ancient Greek "phyein," which meant, "to make grow," and when given the prefix "em" (=in), it meant, "to implant." This produced the Greek adjective "emphytos" (implanted), which was borrowed by Latin as "impotus" ("implanted;" thus also, "grafted"), which was contracted to "imptus," with the same meanings. This was borrowed by Germanic, but the actual form is unknown, although it gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "impian," meaning, "to implant, to graft." This produced the English noun "impe," meaning, "a shoot from a plant, a shoot grafted to another plant." From this meaning the word began to shift in meaning to, "a child," from the notion of a "young plant shoot." By the second half of the 1500s, the word was used in the expression, "imp (child) of the devil/Satan," which added the meaning to the word of, "a small demon," and thus also, "a mischievous child." German eventually took a different turn with the word, as it has the verb "impfen" (to inoculate^) and "Impfung" (inoculation).  Low German has "empen" (graft, implant), Swedish has "ympa" (graft).

^ A few hundred years ago, the main meaning of the word "inoculate" was, "to graft buds onto a plant," a meaning still around, but more in agriculture than in the general public. It wasn't until later that the idea of  "implanting dead or inactive virus into a person to help prevent illness" came about and then it became the primary meaning in English. 

Swedish Meatballs: Köttbullar

I really first began to eat Swedish Meatballs about four decades ago, as a German-themed restaurant here in Cleveland, Kiefer's, had Swedish meatballs (Swedish: köttbullar) as a special on one weekday, but I forget which day. They were larger than what is likely typically served in Sweden, and remember, I said the restaurant was "German-themed," as it obviously had non German foods on the menu. This is NOT a dish you'll want to make if you are dieting, but you could certainly "lighten" it by using half and half, or even milk, in place of the heavy cream. Of course, if you use the heavy cream, but eat only a little gravy, you'll get the great texture and taste of the gravy, but far fewer calories. I'm a gravy kind of guy, so trying to eat just a small amount of gravy is a losing battle for me.   

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef (80% or 85% lean)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup onion, pretty finely chopped
1 cup breadcrumbs (I use panko breadcrumbs)
1/2 cup milk
1 large egg
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon dried parsley 
2 cups beef stock
3 tablespoons butter + 1 tablespoon (fresh) olive oil + 4 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup heavy cream
fresh parsley for garnish 

lingonberry jam on the side

In a bowl, add the ground beef, the onion, breadcrumbs, egg, milk, salt, nutmeg, ground cloves, pepper and dried parsley, mix well by hand. Heat the oil over medium low heat in a 10 to 12 inch heavy bottomed skillet (cast iron is good, but not necessary). Form the meat mixture into 12 meatballs. Add and melt the butter in the oil, then add the meatballs. If you cannot fit all of the meatballs in at one time, fry them in two batches. Turn the meatballs frequently until they are browned and cooked through. This can take a little time, so be patient. JUST HURRY THE HELL UP! Haha! When the meatballs are done, remove them to a plate/platter. Also, remove any very darkened bits that may have fallen from the meatballs into the skillet during cooking, as they will be cooked even more, and you don't want any burned flavor in the gravy. Add and melt the butter in the drippings from the meatballs, add the fresh oil, then add the flour, stir well to mix in the flour with the butter/oil/drippings. Let it brown lightly. Gradually stir or whisk in the beef stock, maintaining the heat so it will mix with the flour and thicken. Stir in the heavy cream, mix thoroughly. Sprinkle on some freshly chopped parsley. Swedes "often" serve these meatballs with noodles and with lingonberry jam/preserves on the side. This jam is really something of a Swedish specialty, and it is generally available in supermarkets here in the U.S.   

Here I put the meatballs right on top of noodles, with little gravy on the meatballs, and with some chopped tomato and French dressing on the side. Below I served the meatballs right in the gravy, with mashed potatoes and lingonberry jam, a fairly common Swedish accompaniment. Many supermarkets now have lingonberry jam/preserves. 

WORD HISTORY:
Gut(s)-This word, distantly related to "gush," and often used in the plural, goes back to Indo European "gheu," which meant, "to pour, to let water or liquid flow." This gave Old Germanic the noun "guton," the meaning of which came from "a means of pouring or letting water or liquid flow:" that is, "a channel, a drain, a gutter,:" thus also, "intestinal system." This gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "gutt," and the plural, "guttas," with the "intestinal system" meaning, which later became "gut(s)." The meaning later expanded to "the inside parts of machinery and such." The extended meaning, "nerve, courage," is from the sense of emotions being in the abdomen;^ an idea certainly reinforced by our feeling sick in our stomach when worried. 

^ Courage has long been viewed as an emotion; thus a "mood," and the close German relative of English "mood" is, "Mut," which indeed means, "courage." English "mood" once had "courage" as one of its meanings, too.    

Meatloaf & Meatloaf-Mushroom Gravy

Meatloaf is filling and a great comfort food; on the other hand, it does typically have a good number of calories and fat, but hey, "two out three ain't bad." Hmm, where have I heard that before? Meatloaf and gravy are a natural to be served with mashed potatoes. And leftover cold meatloaf is great for sandwiches on some good bread with a slice of onion and some ketchup.

Ingredients for the meatloaf:

1 1/2 pounds ground beef chuck
1 pound ground pork sausage (regular or sage)
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 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
3/4 cup ketchup

Ingredients for the gravy:
1/2 cup drippings (you can skim off the fat, or use a separator)
1/4 cup onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup green pepper, diced
1/2 teaspoon white or black pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 1/2 cups beef stock
2/3 cup chopped mushrooms
3 tablespoons flour mixed with 4 tablespoons water
You will not need added salt, as the drippings and the beef stock will provide the salt.

For the meatloaf: In a large bowl, add all of the ingredients, except the ketchup. 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 covered at 350 F for 80 minutes. Remove the lid/cover and apply the ketchup to the top of the meatloaf. Bake a further 30 to 40 minutes, uncovered. Remove the meatloaf to a platter and pour off the juices. For the gravy: add all of the ingredients to a sauce pan, except the mushrooms and flour/water. Bring to a steady simmer for 20 minutes. Mix 3 tablespoons flour and 4 tablespoons water, mix very well. With the gravy simmering, gradually add the flour mix, stirring constantly, until all the flour is incorporated and the gravy thickens. Add the chopped mushrooms, stirring to mix. Cook another 3 to 4 minutes, stirring to avoid sticking.

Meatloaf with mushroom gravy, mashed potatoes and corn ...

Meatloaf with mushroom gravy, mashed potatoes and cottage cheese

WORD HISTORY:
Fourth-Of course derived from "four," this form traces back to Indo European "kwetwor/kwetwer," which meant "four." This then gave the Old Germanic offshoot, "fetwor/petwor," meaning "four," and also "feurtho," for "fourth," which gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "feórþa" (=feortha), meaning "fourth." This then became "ferthe," then "fourthe," before the modern version. The other Germanic languages have: German "vierte," Low German Saxon "veerde," Dutch "vierde," West Frisian "fjirde," Danish and Norwegian "fjerde," Icelandic "fjórða/fjórði," and Swedish "fjärde."