Irish Stew

As with many popular dishes, there are variations in recipes for this stew. Instead of lamb, some recipes use beef, some use mutton; that is, the meat of sheep over two years old, which makes it less tender than lamb, and much stronger in flavor. Mutton is not easy to find in many (most?) parts of the U.S. Other variations use chicken broth, while others use beef broth, as I do, but others go the whole way and make lamb stock. Another variation doesn't use carrots.

When cooking the stew, give it plenty of time to cook slowly at heat that maintains a gentle steady simmer. At my age, chewing certain foods (okay, all of them) can be difficult, so I tend to chop or slice things into smaller pieces, so that they cook well, making them easier to chew. To my knowledge, the Irish don't have any hard and fast rules about into what size the vegetables should be cut; although photos of Irish Stew often show the potatoes and carrots are in somewhat larger chunks. Keep in mind, if you don't like the vegetables being "mushy," you'll likely want to cut them into larger pieces, as they will then stand up to the long slow cooking time. Large chunks or small pieces, either way, I don't think the Irish will send a leprechaun to bop you on the head with a shillelagh, although since I did this recipe here, I have wondered where I got this large bump on my head. Hmm?  

In the U.S., it's pretty common to see Irish Stew offered as a special on or around St. Patrick's Day in restaurants and bars; especially, in Irish-themed bars and restaurants. But there is another reason this stew is popular ... IT'S DELICIOUS!

Ingredients (about 4 servings):

1 to 1 1/4 pounds lamb, cut into bite-sized pieces

1 1/2 tablespoons oil (I use sunflower oil)

1 1/2 cups skin on, halved or quartered small red and small white potatoes, well rinsed

1 cup of peeled and chopped or sliced carrot

1 tennis ball size onion, quartered, then sliced

1 cup Guinness Stout

1/3 cup flour seasoned with 1/2 teaspoon pepper and 3/4 teaspoon salt, well mixed with 1/3 cup water

4 cups beef broth

1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme (put it in the palm of one hand and crush with the other thumb)

2 bay leaves

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 heaping tablespoon chopped parsley

I use a 12 inch non-stick skillet when I make Irish Stew, but you can certainly use a pan/pot. Add the oil over medium heat, then add the onions and saute for just 2 minutes. Now add the meat and keep mixing it around to let it lightly brown on all sides. Add the potatoes, carrots, crushed thyme, bay leaves and black pepper, then pour in the beef broth and the Guinness; let the ingredients come to a simmer; then, reduce the heat to maintain a gentle steady simmer (on my stove that's very low) and cover the pan/skillet with a lid or foil. Let simmer for 75 to 90 minutes, or until the meat and vegetables are tender. (NOTE: If you want the potatoes and carrots to be firmer, let the main stew simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes before adding the vegetables.) Add the chopped parsley just before serving, and try to fish out the bay leaves. 

 

WORD HISTORY:

Tory-This word is related to "rotary," a word English borrowed from Latin, to "roll," with both the noun and the verb being Latin-derived words and borrowed by English from Latin-based French, to "rodeo," another Latin based word, but in this case, borrowed from Spanish. "Tory" goes back to Indo European "ret," meaning "to roll, to run; that is to move, by rolling." This gave Old Celtic "to wo ret," meaning "a run to or a running up to." This gave Old Irish the noun "toir," meaning "a chase, a pursuit," which produced the verb "toraigh," meaning "to chase, to pursue," and this produced the noun "tóraí," the original meaning of which was "a pursuer, a hunter," but then used for "outlaw, robber," with a sense of "cruelty" attached. Borrowed into English as "tory" in the mid 1500s, and by the mid 1600s the word was used for many Irish Catholics who turned to being outlaws due to the loss of their possessions. The word then came to be used for supporters of King James II (born as the Duke of York), the last Catholic British monarch (Note: James was King of England and Ireland as King James II, and as King of Scotland as King James VII. He was king from 1685 until 1688). The name was used by a British political party, as Tory, from the 1680s, a term that properly was changed to "Conservative" during the first half of the 1800s, although the term "Tory" still lingers in use by many people. In American usage, the term "Tory" was given to supporters of the British crown during Colonial times, and in Canada, the members of the Conservative Party are called Tories by many.      

Goan-Style Meatball Curry

Goa is a small state on the southern half of India's western coast. It's capital city is Panaji. The Goan region was a colony of Portugal for more than 450 years, ending only in 1961 with annexation to India. The main language is Konkani, an Indo European language; and thus, a relative of English, although further down the family tree. Up until more recent decades, varying degrees of Portuguese was known by some segment of the population. Hinduism is the majority religion in Goa, but about a quarter of the state's population is Christian, a result of Portuguese involvement for such a long time, and Muslims are about 8 to 9%. To give some perspective, Christianity is only about two and one half percent of India's overall population. The influences of the Portuguese, and of Christianity and Islam, show up in Goa's cuisine, as beef is not uncommon in Goa (practicing Hindus do not eat beef).

 

 

Ingredients (3 to 5 servings): 

1 1/4 pounds ground lamb

2/3 teaspoon ground cumin 

2/3 teaspoon ground turmeric

2/3 teaspoon ground pepper

1 1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 finely chopped onion

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 green chili pepper (serrano is good for this), chopped

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1/4 cup chopped coriander (also called cilantro)

2 eggs

1/2 cup bread crumbs (fine not panko) 

 

Put all of the ingredients into a bowl and mix them together well. Form the mixture into meatballs about the size of pingpong balls.

For the curry sauce:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/2 cup chopped onion (small chop)

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 whole cloves

10 to 12 curry leaves

2 cardamom pods, slit 

1 1/2 inch piece of cinnamon stick

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric 

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 tablespoon Kashmiri chili powder (or 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper and 2 teaspoons sweet paprika)

1 or 2 green chilies, left whole, but slit, or chopped up (your choice)   

1 cup water

1 cup coconut milk

1/4 cup crushed tomato

3/4 teaspoon garam masala

1 teaspoon salt (more or less by your preference)

(optional) 1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/3 cup chopped coriander (cilantro) 

In a large skillet (or pan), add the oil over medium heat, then add the onion and saute for 90 seconds, then add the garlic, cloves, curry leaves, cardamom pods and cinnamon stick; saute 1 minute. Add the ground turmeric, ground cumin, ground coriander, Kashmiri chili powder (or cayenne pepper and paprika), crushed tomatoes and the green chilies; mix everything around; then, add 1 cup of water and mix thoroughly. Allow the sauce to come to a light boil, then reduce the heat to maintain a nice gentle simmer and let cook for 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in the coconut milk and allow the sauce to return to a gentle simmer, then stir in the garam masala, salt and sugar. Now carefully add the meatballs to the sauce and cover the skillet/pan with a lid or foil. Let cook for 5 minutes, then remove the lid/foil and turn each meatball, cover the pan again, reduce the heat to low and cook another 8 minutes. Remove the lid and sprinkle the chopped coriander over the curry. Use a fork to mix about half of the chopped coriander into the sauce. Remove the curry from the heat and let sit just a minute or two before serving with rice on the side and/or naan or chapati flatbread. (Note: If you'd like to make your own chapati flatbread, here is the recipe: https://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2018/10/easy-flatbread-of-indian-subcontinent.html    

 

WORD HISTORY:

Clad-This word was actually the past tense and past participle (now archaic) of "(to) clothe," used adjectivally; thus, "clad" means "clothed, covered." In the Middle Ages, the adjective form was "cladde" (the ending 'e' pronounced 'eh'), then "clad."

For the verb "clothe," here is the link to that article: https://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2012/11/its-about-coalitions-not-purity-part_22.html?m=1

Uzbek Lamb & Vegetable Soup: Shurpa

The name "shurpa" has variant spellings, like "chorba," "shorba," "shorwa," "shorpa," "çorba" and others. The many names are because the general dish is not only known in Uzbekistan, but also in parts of the Middle East, in parts of the Indian Subcontinent and in parts of southeastern Europe. Just as there are many names, there are also many recipes, with some versions being more like soup, and others being thick like stew, and there are variations even within a given country.When I've made this dish, the chilies have not made it spicy hot, so unless you use super hot chilies, I can't imagine it being hot. Also, I use boneless lamb, but the people of Uzbek almost always use lamb bones or lamb on the bone when making this dish, as the broth is what makes this tasty, and the lamb bones impart flavor; so, if you can get a lamb bone or two, great; if not, the world won't end because of it.

 

Uzbekistan is a central Asian country that was formerly part of the Russian Empire, as Turkistan, and then became the Uzbek Soviet Republic when the former Russian Empire became the Soviet Union after World War One. The capital of Uzbekistan is Tashkent, and the county's population of about 36 million is overwhelmingly Muslim. The principal language is Uzbek, which is from the Turkic family of languages, but the Uzbek area's long association with Russia/the Soviet Union has left many people with varying degrees of knowledge of Russian.    

 

Ingredients (6 servings):

 

1 to 1 1/2 pounds lamb shoulder, cut into bite-sized pieces 

(optional) a lamb bone or two from your butcher shop

2 onions (baseball size), sliced, then halve the slices

2 potatoes, each cut into 8 pieces 

1 cup chopped carrot

1 large red bell pepper, cut into strips

2 medium tomatoes, chopped

2 chili peppers, sliced

6 cups water (to start, + additional 1/2 to 1 cup if needed)

2 bay leaves

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons ground coriander

2 teaspoons ground black pepper

2 teaspoons salt (or to taste)

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (coriander)

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

5 green onions, chopped (with the green)

1 can garbanzo beans (14.5 ounces to 16 ounces), drained

2 tablespoons vegetable oil 

 

Heat the oil in a pot over medium heat, then add the lamb pieces. Brown the meat for about 3 minutes, then add the onion and cook a further 3 minutes, stirring the meat and onion around. Now add the potato pieces and the chopped carrot (and lamb bones, if using). Add the water and increase the heat until the mixture begins to boil, then adjust the heat to maintain a steady simmer. After about 8 minutes, add the red bell pepper slices, bay leaves, ground cumin, ground coriander, black pepper and salt. Stir well and continue simmering until the lamb and vegetables are tender. By that time, you will likely need to add some more water, as the soup will have cooked down a bit. Add another 1/2 cup up to 1 cup of additional water and stir well, then add the cilantro (coriander), turmeric and green onions; simmer another 3 to 4 minutes, then add the drained garbanzo beans, heat for another 3 minutes, then remove from the heat. Serve.  

 

 

WORD HISTORY:

Sty- This word, long with the meaning "pen for animals, primarily used in reference to an enclosure for pigs," is a word of unknown ancient derivation, but Old Germanic had "stigjan," seemingly meaning "enclosure of wood," as the usage by its Germanic descendants imply that broad meaning, and this gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "stig," meaning "animal pen, pig pen, house, hall (with its meaning of "room," as in "dining hall, dance hall"). "Stig" then became "sti," then "sty," and the meaning became specific to "a pen for pigs." ^ The compound word "pigsty" also came to be used in the second half of the 1500s for "dirty or messy room or home." The other Germanic languages have: German has "Stiege," meaning "wooden box/crate for fruit or potatoes," although originally meaning, or "perhaps" more prominently used for, "animal stall for livestock" (seems also to have been used at some point to mean "cage"), Low German once had "stiga" meaning "pig pen, pig stall," which then became "stege," with the same meaning, but also "lattice for enclosing areas," I could not find a form in modern Frisian, and it's a tough language to research, but it very likely had a form in the past, but uses in modern German, Low German, Dutch and Frisian, in reference to animal pens, has shifted to forms of "stall," and their cousin, English, still retains the word "sty," but unless perhaps in dialect usage, it is almost always used in the figurative sense of "dirty house or room" in the compound "pigsty," as English too often uses "pen" or "stall" for animal enclosures, Danish has (or had?) "sti," "pen for pigs," Swedish has "stia," "pen for pigs (seemingly in the past also for some fowl)," Icelandic has (had, antiquated?) "stia" meaning "animal pen."        

^ This noun meaning "pen for pigs," is not related to the other noun of this spelling,"sty," and meaning "swollen and inflamed area on the eyelid."

Indian/Pakistani Braised Lamb in Gravy: Lamb Korma

The word "korma" means "braise" in Indian/Pakistani cooking. "Korma" recipes in northern India and in Pakistan generally vary from those in southern India, where coconut milk, and often ground cashews or almonds, are used, but the specific recipes, regardless of region, have numerous variations and preparation methods. Regular readers might recall that I love sauces and gravies, and I chose to do a "korma" with "gravy," but not every "korma" has gravy. What the people of the Indian Subcontinent call "gravy," Americans would call a "sauce," so don't let the terminology fool you into thinking this dish has some deep dark lamb gravy. Indians, both northern and southern, and Pakistanis tend to use meat cut into pieces still on the bones and the meat is likely to be "mutton;" that is, meat from a sheep that is in excess of one year in age, not the younger lamb that is now overwhelmingly common in the U.S (lamb is meat from a sheep a year or less in age). I understand the idea of cooking the meat on the bones, but I'm not much into then having to pick the meat off the bones when eating; so, I use lamb chunks and some separate lamb bones that can be cooked with the meat, but then easily taken out and discarded. There is a good deal of onion in this dish, but it is supposed to be that way, and part of the onion is sliced and part is finely chopped (in India and Pakistan, some smash or blend the onion into a paste, often with some other ingredients included). 

 

As I often mention about recipes from the Indian Subcontinent, the list of ingredient for this dish may seem intimidating, but if you cook such recipes anywhere near regularly, you will have most of the spices and other ingredients on hand. If you want to learn to cook recipes from the Indian Subcontinent, then the reality is, you are going to need to have these various spices and herbs anyway. Likely two of the less common spices to Americans are green and black cardamom. In more recent times, the small green cardamom pods have become more familiar to some Americans, but the far larger black cardamom pods are likely unknown to the overwhelming percentage of Americans. Sometimes cardamom is ground, but often it is used by cracking, crushing or slitting the pods to allow the cardamom to easily flavor the dish.  

 

Ingredients (4 servings):

 

1 to 1 1/4 pound boneless lamb meat, cut into bite size pieces (or use mutton)

couple lamb bones

1 cup plain yogurt

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 heaping tablespoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground red pepper (like cayenne)

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

2 tablespoons butter & 1 tablespoon oil (or 3 tablespoons clarified butter, aka ghee)

1 onion, halved and then sliced

2 inch piece cinnamon stick

4 whole cloves

2 black cardamon, cracked 

5 green cardamon, cracked or crushed somewhat

6 peppercorns, cracked

1 or 2 dried red chilies, whole 

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated 

1 cup finely chopped onion (white or red)

1/2 teaspoon ground mace

1 cup heated water (a little more if needed)

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

In a bowl or cup (I use my measuring cup), mix together the yogurt, salt, ground coriander, ground red pepper and turmeric. In a larger non reactive bowl, add the lamb pieces and then the yogurt mixture. Mix to coat the lamb pieces well, cover with a lid or plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours (or even overnight). In a skillet, add the butter and oil over medium heat. Add the sliced onion and saute until the onion starts to soften and shows some brown color (do not blacken the onions), then add the cinnamon stick, whole cloves, black cardamon, green cardamon, peppercorns and dried red chili. Saute for 90 seconds, then add the garlic, ginger and finely chopped onion, then add 1 cup heated water, stir well and bring to a simmer; adjust the heat so that the mixture just barely simmers; cover the skillet with a lid or foil. Let the meat slowly braise, stirring it occasionally. If you feel the dish needs a little more water, add a quarter cup of hot water, and mix it in well. When the meat is tender, you can add the cilantro and the mace and stir them into the lamb, or top the finished dish with the cilantro. I've generally found the lamb needs to cook for about 75 minutes, but I've also let it cook for 90 minutes on occasion. Serve with rice ...    

 

 

Lamb Korma with some turmeric and saffron rice ...

 

 

WORD HISTORY:

Myrtle-This word "perhaps" is related to "myrrh," a word borrowed from Latin, which had it from Greek which had it from Semitic, where it meant "bitterness." The ultimate origins of "myrtle" are uncertain, although it "could" be from the same source as "myrrh."^ Transliterated Persian "murt/murd," meaning "myrtle," a type of evergreen tree or bush with fragrant flowers,"^^ and some other Indo European languages in that general greater Middle East area/Caucasus region have similar words, but where all of these words are from is uncertain, but naturally Semitic is a definite possibility, as it was/is right there by some Indo European languages/dialects. Whatever the origin, Ancient Greek had transliterated "myrtos" (myrtle, the tree/bush, but also seemingly for a twig or branch of the tree) and Latin borrowed the word as "myrtus" (myrtle, the tree), and this gave Latin-based Old French "myrte," and English seems to have borrowed the word as "myrt," but then was further influenced in pronunciation and, thus, spelling by French "myrtille," from Latin "myrtillus," the diminutive of Latin "myrtus" (see above), but which meant "blueberry" and "bilberry" (similar berries in appearance, but not taste), but this moved the borrowing in English to be "myrtle." (Exactly why the word for blueberry and bilberry had such an influence on a word for a tree or bush is a bit of a mystery to me, unless they were thought to be related?)  

 

^ While "myrtle" and "myrrh" are similar words, "myrtle" is a tree/bush/shrub, and "myrrh" is a resin from some plants, but not from myrtle, although people a couple of thousand years ago may not have seen that difference in the same way (just my opinion). 

 

^^ Persian is an Indo European language from the Indo-Iranian branch; thus, it is related to English, which is from the Germanic branch.     

Scotch Broth

There are lots of variations to recipes for Scotch Broth, although often those variations are in the list of vegetables used, and in Scotland, mutton is more often used rather than lamb (lamb is meat from a sheep one year of age or less, while mutton is the meat from sheep from about one year to three years of age), and in the U.S., lamb or beef is likely used by many people. It's my understanding, Scots often use vegetables they have on hand, or to which they have easy access, rather than following some specific list all the time. When I was a kid, Scotch broth was fairly common in cans (I don't recall any family member making it from scratch). It was thick, and it is often more of a stew, but you can certainly thin it out to make it as a soup. You don't want to add the vegetables all at the same time, as it takes varying times for them to cook.  

Rutabaga, also known as Swedes to some, are also commonly used in this dish, but they are generally more common in the fall, but that doesn't mean you won't find them at other times of year, and they are highly durable, which has made them a staple in some cultures. 

Ingredients (6 to 8 servings): 

 

1 1/4 pound lamb, cut into small pieces (about 1/2 inch pieces)

couple lamb bones

2 1/2 tablespoons lard (or butter and oil mixed)

1 cup chopped onion

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup pearl barley

1/2 cup green split peas

2 bay leaves

1 1/2 tablespoons thyme

1 cup chopped carrot (peeled)

1/2 cup chopped parsnip (peeled)

1/3 cup chopped turnip

1 cup chopped leek, rinsed well

2/3 cup cabbage, shredded

6 cups chicken broth (more if later needed, or you can just add water)

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

 

To a pot, add the lard (or butter/oil) over medium heat, then add the onion and stir it around occasionally until it softens. Add the minced garlic and stir for another minute, then add the lamb, the lamb bones, pearl barley, green split peas, bay leaves, thyme, salt and chicken broth; bring to a simmer and adjust the heat to maintain a gentle steady simmer, then use a lid or cover with foil and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 2 1/4 hours. Now add the carrot, parsnip and turnip, stir well and replace lid or foil, simmer for another 1 1/4 hours, again stirring occasionally. Now add the leek, cabbage and ground black pepper, stir well and simmer a further 40 to 45 minutes (if the soup is too thick, you can add some more chicken broth or just water). You can always add some more salt or black pepper to suit your own taste. Top each serving with some chopped parsley, or add the parsley directly to the soup, if you prefer. 

 

 

 

 

WORD HISTORY:

Miss-This is the verb and noun form, but NOT the shortened form of "mistress" used as a title for an unmarried woman. "Miss" is distantly related to "migrate," a Latin-derived word likely borrowed from that language, but with French reinforcement, and to "permeate," another Latin word borrowed from that language, and it is more closely related to the prefix "mis-," which is from the Germanic roots of English (although some specific words with the prefix in English are borrowings from French, which had the prefix from Germanic Frankish; thus, the same Old Germanic source). "Miss" goes back to the Indo European root "mey/mei," with the notion of "change, change location." This gave Old Germanic "miss(i)jan(an)," which meant "to go wrong;" thus also, "to fail at." This gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) the verb "missan" meaning, "to fail to hit that which was intended, not to take notice of something," and this then became "missen," before the "en" was dropped for the modern form. The Germanic form also gave Old English the noun "miss" meaning, "loss, lack, absence," where it has remained for all of these centuries. The mid 1500s saw the verb influence the noun meaning with, "a failure to hit something intended, failure to succeed at." Relatives in the other Germanic languages: German has "missen," also the prefixed form "vermissen," Low German has "missen" (also "vermissen" from standard German?), West Frisian has "misse," Dutch has "missen," Danish and Norwegian have "miste" and "misse," Icelandic has "missa," Swedish has "missa" and "mista."          

Turkish Stuffed Tomatoes

While you can certainly fix these tomatoes any time of year, naturally when you have access to good ripe tomatoes, it can make this dish especially tasty. I've made this a few times, but when I made it for the photos I took for this article (winter), there were not terribly good choices for the size of ripe tomatoes I really wanted, so I decided to go with somewhat larger tomatoes, but I only used three tomatoes, instead of four. I like the heat of chili peppers, but I used 2 chili peppers and it didn't really make the filling too hot. 

Similar recipes are used in parts of the Middle East, especially in Lebanon.

Ingredients (4 servings):

4 large (baseball size) whole fresh tomatoes

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 pound ground lamb

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 or 2 small chili peppers (according to heat preference), finely chopped

3 tablespoons pine nuts

1 teaspoon ground allspice

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 heaping tablespoon chopped parsley 

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon salt

extra virgin olive oil for serving

Cut the tops off of the tomatoes, but keep the tops, scoop out the seeds and tough interior stem. Put the tomatoes into a baking dish, set aside. Heat the tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Saute the onion and garlic for 2 minutes, then add the ground lamb, and continue sauteing for about 5 minutes, breaking up any clumps of ground lamb as it cooks. Add the finely chopped chili pepper, pine nuts, ground allspice, ground cinnamon, black pepper and salt; then saute another 5 minutes, or until the lamb is cooked through, stirring the ingredients around periodically. Heat the oven to 350 F, and while the oven heats up, spoon the lamb mixture into the tomatoes and pack it down "somewhat lightly" (you don't want to pack it tightly) and replace the tops. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the tomatoes are tender (use a fork to pierce a tomato near the top, middle and bottom to see if it's done). The baking cooks the tomatoes and simply reheats the stuffing thoroughly. Serve with some extra virgin olive oil (preferably Greek, but whatever you have) to drizzle over the tomatoes. 

 

The uncooked stuffed tomatoes ...

WORD HISTORY:

Shield-This word is related to "scale" (device for weighing), a word from Germanic, but in this case borrowed from Old Norse (a North Germanic language), and to "scale" (skin covering on fish and some animals), another word from Germanic, but this meaning was borrowed from French, which had it from Germanic Frankish, and to "shell" (covering for eggs and for certain sea or other creatures) a word from the Germanic roots of English. "Shield" goes back to Indo European "skel," which had the notion "to cut, to split, to chip." This gave its Old Germanic offspring "skelduz," meaning "board, flat piece of wood cut from a larger piece to provide protection." This gave Old English "scield/scild," with the same meaning, and used figuratively simply to mean "protection." This then became "scheld/shild," before the modern form. The verb form goes back to "scildan," meaning "to protect with a shield, to protect," which spawned "gescildan," meaning "to use a shield for protection," but also, "to protect, to defend," and these joined to become "schelden/schilden," before the modern form. Relatives in the other Germanic languages: German and Low German have "Schild," Dutch has "schild," West Frisian has "skyld," Danish and Norwegian have "skjold," Icelandic has "skjöldur" and Swedish has "sköld," and all of the words mean "shield providing protection in battle," but with figurative meanings, like their English relative. Standard German uses "der Schild" for "shield," although some dialects use "das Schild," and standard German uses "das Schild" for "sign," as many signs have long been in the shape of shields.    

Lamb Chops & Herbs

My guess is, when people think of lamb chops, they most often think of lamb rib chops. Rib chops have the rib bone with a relatively small attached segment of meat. They are often "frenched;" that is, the thinnest part of the rib bone is scraped clean of the fat and any meat. Rib chops are tender and delicious, but they are also expensive. Lamb generally tends to be more plentiful in the spring, and because of that, you might well find the best prices for various cuts of lamb at that time. Somewhat less expensive are lamb loin chops, which are much meatier than rib chops. Excellent served with rice. 

 

Ingredients (2 servings):

 

4 lamb chops

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (divided use)

3 tablespoons lemon juice

strip of lemon peel, about 2 inches long by 1/2 inch wide

5 garlic cloves, minced

3 tablespoons chopped mint leaves

1 tablespoon chopped rosemary 

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/3 cup water 

In a dish or shallow bowl where the chops can fit together to marinate, mix together 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, chopped mint leaves, chopped rosemary and ground black pepper. Place the lamb chops into the marinade mixture and turn to coat them, or spoon some of the mixture onto the tops of the chops. Cover with some plastic wrap and put into the refrigerator to marinate for one or two hours, then remove from the refrigerator, leave covered and marinate a further 30 minutes at room temperature. Heat the 2 remaining tablespoons extra virgin olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Sprinkle the lamb chops with salt on both sides and add them to the skillet so they fit and reserve the marinade. Let the chops cook for about 3 minutes until the first side is browned, the turn the lamb chops and cook another 3 minutes, or until the second side is browned and the internal temperature is 130 to 135 F for medium, or 145 F for well done. Remove the skillet from the heat and let the lamb chops sit for 5 minutes. Remove the lamb chops to a platter and put the skillet back on the burner over medium heat. Add the lemon peel and marinade to the cooking juices in the skillet. Saute for about 1 minute, then add 1/3 cup water, stirring to mix, while scraping up any little bits from the bottom of the skillet. Let the mixture come to a simmer for 1 minute, then remove it from the heat.    

 

 

WORD HISTORY:

Seat-This word is related to "sit," "set,"^ "settle,"^^ and "saddle," all words from the Germanic roots of English, and it is more distantly related to "sedate," a word borrowed from Latin, and to "siege" and "assess," Latin-derived words borrowed via French. "Seat" goes back to Indo European "sed," which meant "to sit." This gave Old Germanic "sitjanan," meaning "to sit," which produced the Old Germanic noun "sæt" (the 'æ' combination is called an 'ash,' as in "The a told the e after they were combined, 'We just made an ash out of ourselves.' "), "a place where one sits;" thus "seemingly" also by extension, "a place where one is established," as Old English had "sæt," meaning "ambush," a concealed place where one sits and waits to attack," sæte," which meant "house;" that is, "an established place to live," and this meaning extended further to "a place from which one rules," as in, "The archbishopric's seat is about 100 miles from here," or, "The county seat of Crawford County, Pennsylvania is Meadville." "Setl," a relative of "seat," became the main word for "a seat, a place to sit," but the Old Norse noun "sæti,"  which meant "a seat," seems to have combined with the Old English form, emphasizing "seat" ("a place for sitting"), or came into English as a direct borrowing from Old Norse and replaced "setl." Over time, the meaning has expanded to also mean, "seat of one's pants or other clothing covering one's behind" and "backside," but with the old meaning of authority expanded to things like "a seat on city council," "a seat in the legislature," and "seat belt," which was originally a term for "a belt used to strap one into the seat of an airplane," which later expanded to cars and some carnival rides. Note: The old forms of "sit, set and settle" are all so close in meanings and derivation from Germanic, that it can be tough sorting them out; and as such, the modern relatives in the other Germanic languages are tough to pinpoint. German has "Sitz" (seat) and "Gesäß"^^^ (backside, buttocks), Low German has "Sitt" (seat, place to sit), Icelandic "sæti" (seat), Danish has "sæde" (seat), Dutch has "zit" (seat), Norwegian had "sete" (seat, also buttocks), Swedish has "sittplats" (seat, seating, pew), "säte" (seat, but also residence, buttocks).       

 

^ This is for the verb "set," but also for the noun that means "the act of setting;" as in "sunset." There is also the noun "set," which is unrelated to the above form, and it means "part of a group of similar objects or objects in common purpose," as in, "I own a set of four tea cups from the 1700s," or "Our neighbors gave us a nice set of salt and pepper shakers when we moved here."  

^^ This is only for the verb "settle" (and the noun, see further above), meaning "to live, or to come to live, in a place," while the meaning "to make an agreement about something," as in, "The company decided to settle the lawsuit out of court," is likely from a different Germanic word that came to be spelled the same way as the other word "settle."   

^^^ In some High German dialects long ago, a sound shift took place that changed "t" to "s" or double "s." That shift prevailed and, thus, it is very much in evidence in modern times, as for example, whereas English has "kettle," standard German as "Kessel," English has "vat," but German has "Fass," English has white, but German has "weiss."

Kashmiri Lamb Curry: Rogan Josh

This is a pretty well known Indian and Pakistani dish from the Kashmir area, a region that is divided between India and Pakistan.* There are many variations for Rogan Josh like: some use lamb, some use goat, some use boneless meat, others leave the meat bone-in, some use fresh garlic, others use powdered garlic, some use fresh ginger, others use powdered ginger, some do not use onion, some use tomato or tomato paste and I'm sure there are many more. In the U.S., and likely many other countries outside of the Indian subcontinent, Indian and Pakistani restaurants will almost certainly include "Rogan Josh" on their menus.  

 

Ingredients (4 to 6 servings):

 

2 pounds lamb (boneless or bone-in pieces)

1 tablespoon salt

1/2 cup plain Indian or Greek yogurt

2 inch cinnamon stick

6 whole cloves

6 cardamon pods (cracked/crushed)

1 cup chopped onion

2 inch piece of fresh ginger, grated

6 garlic cloves, chopped

1 1/2 tablespoons Kashmiri chili powder (or 1/2 tbls cayenne pepper and 1 tbls sweet paprika)

(optional for heat) you can also add 1 or 2 whole red chili peppers (cut a slit in them) or 1 or 2 dried red chilies

(optional) pinch of saffron threads in 1/4 cup warm water

1 heaping teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground mace

1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds

2 1/2 cups water (if using saffron in warm water, reduce the water to 2 1/4 cups)

5 tablespoons vegetable oil

(optional) fresh coriander (also known as cilantro) for garnish

skillet or pot with a lid or with foil to cover

 

Put the pieces of lamb into a bowl and sprinkle the salt over them. Add the yogurt and mix by hand to coat the meat well, then cover and refrigerate for 90 minutes. Heat the oil over medium heat in a large skillet or medium pot (you will need a lid or foil), then add the cinnamon stick, whole cloves and crushed cardamom pods. Saute until you smell the spice aroma, then add the onion and saute for 2 minutes before adding the ginger, garlic, ground black pepper, ground mace and fennel seeds, stir and saute for 2 minutes. Add the lamb pieces and saute for 10 to 12 minutes, turning the lamb pieces often to brown them. Add the saffron/water along with the hot chilies (if using) and the chili powder and the water. Cover the pan with a lid or foil and cook over medium low heat until the meat is tender (approx. 1 to 1 1/2 hours). Serve with rice and naan bread.

 

* Pakistan was part of India until independence from British colonial rule legally took place in August 1947. At that time, Pakistan consisted of West Pakistan and East Pakistan, and the two parts were separated by about 1000 miles. In 1971, East Pakistan became the independent nation of Bangladesh, as it still is today. A "relatively" small portion of India remained as a colony of Portugal at the time of Indian/Pakistani independence. This "Portuguese India" region was generally called "Goa," although it included some territory besides Goa. This region remained under Portuguese control until late 1961, but the official declaration of this didn't come from Portugal until 1974! 

 

 

WORD HISTORY:

Amateur-This word is related to "amiable" and "enemy," Latin-derived words borrowed by English from French, and to "amicable," also a Latin-derived word, but borrowed directly from Latin, and to "amigo" another Latin-derived word borrowed from Spanish. "Amateur" has an uncertain origin, but it goes back to Latin "amare," which meant "to love, to like, to be fond of." This produced the Latin noun "amator," which meant "lover, friend, devoted admirer," which passed to Old French as "amateur" (also as "ameor," a form that died out in the 1500s), which meant "a lover," but also simply "a lover of something," then with the notion of "strong admiration for." English borrowed the word circa 1780 and the meaning developed as "one with a strong attachment to some pursuit, but not done for a living." Often contrasted with "professional;" that is, "one with a strong attachment to some pursuit, done with the purpose of earning money and/or other benefit." The notion of an "amateur" not pursuing money or gain has left the word open for the secondary rather derogatory meaning, "someone untrained or unqualified to perform a particular job," and the somewhat less harsh, "someone not showing an intense enough interest in some study or pursuit to earn money in that field."      

Algerian Lamb Stew With Couscous

The best way to start about this stew is when you go to your butcher for the lamb meat, see if you can get a couple of lamb bones. You then can use the bones to make some lamb broth for the stew. As for the meat, you can get already cut lamb stew meat, or you can hopefully get your butcher to cut the meat for you, the shoulder is best, but leg meat is also good for this. I bought a small leg portion and the butcher cut the meat off the bone for me and so I got the meat and the bone AND I didn't lose a finger or two cutting it myself; although you know, the butcher did have his hand wrapped in bandages when he brought the meat to me. And that one piece of meat had a bone in it ... you don't think? Nah! Now, if you have a good sharp knife and can do this yourself, you're all set; otherwise, buying already cut lamb stew meat won't condemn you to the Algerian part of the Sahara Desert with just two thimbles of water.

This stew is lightly spiced, so the spice flavors are more subtle and you'll have lots of vegetables to brag about eating. I've listed salt as optional in the couscous, as likely the broth and the butter both have salt, so you'll have to decide on that. Couscous is a pasta of semolina. In North Africa it is tiny bits of semolina, and it is usually called "Moroccan couscous," but in the Middle East it is larger and naturally takes somewhat longer to cook (Israeli couscous and Lebanese couscous).

 

Ingredients:

 

For the stew:

 

1 1/2 pounds boneless lamb shoulder, cut into bite size pieces

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2 cups chopped onion

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 cups peeled and chopped carrot

2 cups chopped zucchini

2 cups peeled and chopped potatoes

2 stalks celery, chopped

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

2 Roma tomatoes, chopped 

5 cups broth (or water)

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves

1 1/2 teaspoons ground turmeric

1 tablespoon ground black pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

3 tablespoons chopped mint (or dried)

 

If you have lamb bones, start this ahead of time by just putting them into a pan and covering them with water. They don't have to sing, dance or tell jokes. Bring the water to a boil and then adjust the heat to keep the bones at a good steady simmer for about 45 minutes. Meanwhile, chop the various vegetables to have them ready to go. In a pot or large sauce pan, add the olive oil over medium heat. When hot, add the onion and stir, then a couple of minutes later add the garlic and the lamb. Brown the lamb, stirring and turning it. Add the carrot, zucchini, potatoes and celery, then add the cinnamon, cloves, turmeric, black pepper and salt. Stir to mix everything well, then add the broth (if using the broth from the lamb bones, it will already be hot). Bring the stew to a simmer, turn the heat to low or to whatever setting on your stove that will just maintain a gentle simmer for the stew. Cover the pan with a lid or foil and let simmer and let cook for 45 to 50 minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes and the chickpeas and stir to mix. Leave the lid or foil off of the pan and let the stew cook for another 30 to 40 minutes. If using dried mint, add it to the stew in the last 10 minutes of cooking. If using fresh mint, just stir it in at the end. Meanwhile, as the stew cooks during the last 15 to 20 minutes, prepare the couscous (see below). For each serving, serve the stew over a bed of couscous.    

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: 

Comment-This word is used as both a noun and a verb. It is a prefixed word, with the main part of the word, "ment," being related to "dement," a Latin-derived word borrowed by English via French, and "mental," another Latin-derived word, perhaps borrowed via French, but with Latin reinforcement (or the other way around), and to "mind," a word from the Germanic roots of English. This goes back to Indo European "men," which had the notion, "to think, to have a state of mind." This gave Latin the verb "memin(isse)," which meant, "to remember." "Com-" and its variant form "con-" are common prefixes in Latin, and generally mean "together, with," or they serve to intensify the main body of a word. The two parts gave Latin "comminisci," meaning, "to devise, to invent," but also negatively, "to fabricate, to feign." This gave Latin the noun "commentum," derived from a participle form of "comminisci," and meaning, "a scheme, an invention, a fabrication," but also, "an interpretation;" thus, "a comment or commentary." This was taken into Latin-based Old French as "coment" (yes, one 'm'), also meaning "comment or commentary." English borrowed the word from French (but with reinforcement from Latin) in the late 1300s with the meaning, "an explanation, a written or spoken remark." Latin also had the verb "commentare" (earlier "commentari"?), meaning, "to think over in detail, to strongly consider, to write remarks and considerations about." This was borrowed by English in the early part of the 1400s, with the spelling likely influenced by the already borrowed noun.      

Mongolian Steamed Dumplings: Buuz

Mongolia is an Asian country with no outlet to any of the world's great seas. The country has great variation to its landscape, generally with the Gobi Desert in the south, and the Altai mountain range in the west and north. The land and the climate have naturally molded the people's view of food, with fatty meats being seen favorably as a way to give people endurance against the long cold winters. Mutton and beef are common types of meat used in Mongolia, and Mongolians use both types to make these dumplings, which are then steamed. "Mutton" is meat from older sheep, as opposed to "lamb," from young sheep, generally less than about 14 or 15 months old. In the United States, mutton has long been out of favor, and you likely will have great difficulty finding it in supermarkets or butcher shops. My parents and grandparents talked about mutton being fatty and with a strong taste, but I don't believe I've ever eaten it, unless it was when I was quite young. Exactly why mutton lost popularity in the U.S. seems to have something to do with price (the older the sheep, the more it costs to raise them to that age) and the steep decline in the use of wool as a common fabric (less need to raise sheep to be old enough for them to develop their thick coats), and I would assume increasingly health conscious people turned away from fatty mutton. As Americans got away from eating mutton, many of those who then tried the meat found its greasy and stronger taste to be unappealing, which led to mutton being left out of meat cases in most parts of the country. Myself, I generally like strong flavors, but when I checked on getting some mutton, the owner of the lamb and goat meat shop I go to told me he can get it, but only in fairly large quantities, like 50 to 100 pounds. Since my living space is too small to host a significant part of the U.S. Army, I decided against buying such a large amount, and so I bought ONE POUND of ground lamb instead (I hope this guy doesn't go on vacation now!).

"Buuz" (pronounced kind of like "buss," with the 'u' like the double 'o' of 'book') are easy to make, although shaping the dumplings can take some trial and error, with emphasis on the 'error' part for me. I checked about 25 recipes and I found very little variation in recipes, and many recipes mentioned that Mongolians tend not to use lots of flavorings in their foods. The variations I did find in recipes were relatively minor. For example, a few put a pinch or two of salt in the dough, but most recipes used only flour and water for the dough. Those with no salt in the dough made up for this, however, by adding a good dose of salt to the meat filling. As for other variations in recipes, I found, in a recipe or two, some grated carrot added to the filling, or some ground coriander was used, rather than caraway seed. And that was about it; so, a pretty consistent recipe. About the dough. I haven't put precise measurements in the text below, and I used these amounts to simply provide some very general idea of what you'll need. Use an amount of water to form a dough that isn't terribly sticky. When you take the dough out to roll it into a log shape, you can dust it with some flour to remove stickiness. The same is true for when you roll out the small clumps of dough for the dumplings and you can dust it with some flour to remove any remaining stickiness. If you aren't into making the dough, you can buy a package of wonton wrappers, but they are usually made with eggs, and likely some other ingredients beyond flour and water, so they won't be quite the same. Or you can buy spring roll wrappers, some of which are made with flour, water and a little salt, if you are looking for more authenticity, but many use rice flour and other ingredients, if that matters to you. So, to be honest, much of what makes Mongolian "buzz" more unique is the use of the simple flour and water dough for the wrappers. One of the other variations in recipes is about the shape of the dumplings, and there are several, but I'm more than a little bad at such things, so I chose what I felt was easiest (see below). "Buuz" are commonly served with soy sauce or ketchup for dipping.             

Ingredients:

Dough:
2/3 to 3/4 cup flour + more for dusting and rolling
about 4 to 5 ounces water

Filling:
1/2 pound ground mutton or lamb or beef
1/4 cup onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon caraway seed
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
3 or 4 tablespoons water

Make the dough by gradually mixing water into the flour until a dough forms. Mix it until the dough is less sticky and then cover it for about 15 to 20 minutes. Use that time to make the filling by mixing the ingredients together, but add only 2 tablespoons of water to start. After getting the filling well mixed, add another tablespoon or two of water so that it's "moist," but not "wet." Make sure your onion is finely chopped, as it will cook easily that way. Sprinkle some flour on your counter or board and knead the dough briefly, and roll the dough into a log shape of about 3/4 inch thickness. Then cut the "log" into pieces of about 1 inch in length. Take a piece of the dough and flatten and round it in your hand until it's about 3 to 3 1/2 inches diameter. You can also use a rolling pin to roll out the pieces of dough, which is what I do. Whether you use a rolling pin or just your hands, the rounds should not be extremely thin. Hold a round in your hand and put about a teaspoon of the meat filling in the middle. Begin pulling the dough up around the filling, leaving an opening at the top, but pinch the dough together at four places to form sort of a rectangle. Use a steamer basket (I have a stainless steel steamer) and add and heat the water per the instructions for your own steamer. I use my finger to just dab a bit of oil onto the bottom of each dumpling to prevent sticking. Cover the steamer or steamer basket and steam the dumplings for about 15 to 20 minutes (more likely the latter). Carefully remove the dumplings from the steamer, as there will be a little "broth" in each one; that is, the rendering of the filling from cooking, and it is to be eaten along with the dumpling. I've tried both soy sauce and ketchup with these dumplings, but I'm a ketchup man, although I found I liked them with ketchup mixed with a little soy sauce.   


The top two photos are of "buuz" made with packaged sheets of dough. The other two photos are of "buuz" with traditional homemade dough, simply made with flour and water ...

WORD HISTORY:
Bushel-The origin of this word is uncertain, with some speculating that it goes back to an Indo European form, "gwosdh," meaning "branch," but I'm not convinced. "Bushel" does go back to Old Celtic,^ a language of the Indo European family of languages. Old Celtic had "bosta" meaning "palm or hollow of the hand," but also "fist." This gave Gaulish "bostia," meaning, "handful," which became a part of the Gallo-Roman dialects of Gaul, and evolved into Old French "boisse," which meant "a measurement of grain," and this produced "boissel," "a unit of measurement." English borrowed the word (initially as "busshel?") in the first half of the 1300s (meaning: 4 pecks or 8 gallons). Baskets were developed to hold a "bushel," thus, "a bushel basket," and the translated biblical expression, "hide (a light or lamp) under a bushel."    

^ See "Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Celtic" by Ranko Matasović, Brill (Publisher), 2009

Indian/Pakistani Ground Meat & Peas: Keema Mattar

The roots of this dish seem to date back at least a few hundred years to a time when the Muslim Mughals (see "Word History" below) controlled a good part of the Indian subcontinent; thus, the dish can also be made with ground ('keema' means 'mince,' sometimes now spelled 'qeema') beef, as well as either ground lamb or ground goat, with the latter two especially used by Hindus, as cows are respected in Hinduism, even among many Hindus who are not vegetarians. The general dish likely predates the tomato and chili pepper ingredients, the inclusion of which would have had to have been later, as tomatoes and chili peppers didn't arrive in India until the 1500s, taken there by the Portuguese from the New World. The Portuguese established a colony in western India (Goa).     

In England and other parts of Britain the term "coriander" is common for the parsley like plant, while in American English the term for the same plant is "cilantro," a borrowing from Spanish, and I dare say, many Americans would not likely know what you meant if you said "coriander."  

This dish is commonly served with rice and/or Indian breads, like chapati, naan or paratha, which is a layered bread "similar to," but not the same as, puff pastry.

Ingredients:

1 1/4 pounds ground lamb or ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, chopped
2 inch piece ginger, peeled and grated or chopped
2 inch piece of cinnamon stick
5 whole cloves
3 tablespoons vegetable oil or clarified butter (ghee)
2  jalapeño or serrano chilies, chopped
2/3 teaspoon ground hot red pepper (like cayenne pepper)
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons tomato paste
1 1/4 cups water 
1 1/2 cups peas
4 heaping tablespoons chopped fresh coriander (cilantro), divided use  

In a large skillet, heat the oil or ghee over medium heat. Add the cinnamon stick and cloves, saute about 30 to 45 seconds, then add the onion and cook about 2 to 3 minutes, then add the garlic, ginger, chilies, ground red pepper, cumin, ground coriander, turmeric, salt and cook for about another 4 minutes. Add the ground meat and cook for about 5 minutes. Mix the tomato paste with the water and add to the skillet, stirring to mix everything together well. Let the curry come to a boil, then reduce the heat a bit to keep the curry at a simmer. Cook for 20 minutes, until the meat is cooked, then add the peas and cook 6 to 8 minutes until they are cooked. Stir in 2 tablespoons chopped coriander/cilantro, then garnish each serving with some chopped coriander/cilantro.
 
With paratha bread, a layered flatbread ...  

WORD HISTORY:
Mogul-This word, meaning "rich and powerful person, usually a business person," goes back to the Persian form for "Mongol," usually transliterated as "Mughal." The Mughals established an empire in southern Asia in the 1500s, and their leaders claimed a heritage dating back to Mongol ruler Genghis Khan; thus, the connection to "Mongol." The Mughal emperor had the world famous Taj Mahal built in India during the 1600s. The word was borrowed into English in the second half of the 1600s, but the idea of the rich and powerful "Mughal" emperors in India led English to the meaning of a rich and powerful person, as "mogul."   

Albanian Bean Soup: Pasul

Albania is one of the countries of the Balkans, in southeastern Europe. When I was a kid, Albania was scarcely ever mentioned on the news, although for those younger folks nowadays who have grown up with the Internet, cable television and 24 hour access to news, it may be hard to imagine a time when news was MUCH MORE limited, and if you wanted to learn about a particular subject, like Albania, you had to actually go to the library and read information in books. hahaha!

Anyway, Albania was a communist-dominated country, run by Enver Hoxha (pronounced like, "en-vair hode-jah") from the time the Axis forces of fascism withdrew from Albania late in World War Two, until he died in the mid 1980s. As I've noted here before, when I was a kid, times were tense in Europe, as Soviet-dominated countries in eastern Europe faced off against far more democratic countries in central and western Europe, led by the three Western Allies of World War Two, the United States, Great Britain and France, all of which provided occupation forces in their respective zones of Germany in the postwar era. These forces increasingly provided a counterbalance to Soviet and Soviet satellite nations in Europe, although initially they were there to prevent the reemergence of Nazism in Germany and Austria. The one thing I remember about Hoxha's Albania was, it was not dominated by the Soviet Union, but in fact, it allied itself with China, then always referred to in the U.S. as "Red China," to distinguish it from Taiwan, which was always called "Formosa," back then, and which was recognized by many nations as "China." Are you confused yet? If not, I could go on, but I'll spare you (hahaha!), but such were the international politics of those times.

Albania was long under the dominance of the Ottoman Turks, and indeed, it wasn't until the early part of the 1900s that Albania gained its independence, which was lost to Mussolini's Italy in 1939 and regained with the defeat of fascism. The Albanians have had many influences from their neighbors and conquerors, as the former Christian nation saw a majority of its people convert to Islam a few centuries ago, and many culinary influences came from the Italians, the Greeks and the Turks.

For decades there was a popular Italian restaurant in downtown Cleveland called, "The New York Spaghetti House," founded by an Italian immigrant who had spent his first couple of years in the U.S. in New York City. When he moved to Cleveland and opened his restaurant, he named it after his first American home city. I ate there often over the years, and there was a waiter there who was from Albania! I can't remember his name now, but my curiosity about other countries, other peoples and other languages led to some conversations with him. He never wrote down customer orders, he remembered each order. There may have been some other waiters there who did the same, I just can't recall now.... so don't ask me to remember your order!   

This soup, also seemingly made by some as a thicker stew, is one of the national dishes of Albania, although it is also called "fasule" or "grosh" by some Albanians, and there are numerous variations in recipes. You can certainly use dried beans to make this dish, but I like to "cheat" and use canned beans.If you want more of a stew, thicken the mixture to the desired thickness with some flour and water.

Ingredients:

2 cans (15 to 16 ounce cans) white cannellini beans (or great northern beans), drained
1 large onion, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil 
2 tablespoons sweet paprika (preferably Hungarian)
2 medium tomatoes, chopped (or a 14 to 15 ounce can diced tomatoes, drained)
1 lamb shank 
1 tablespoon mint
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
water to cover 
 
Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until it softens, then add the lamb shank, the tomatoes, the paprika and enough water to cover. Bring the mixture to a simmer and adjust the heat accordingly to keep the soup at a gentle simmer. Cover and cook until the lamb is tender, then add the beans, the mint, the pepper and the salt. Simmer for another 20 to 30 minutes. Adjust the seasonings to suit your taste. I take the meat off of the lamb shank bone and add it back into the soup. Serve with pieces of crusty bread and a salad.  

Pasul with a kale salad ...

WORD HISTORY: 
Yearn-This word goes back to Indo European "gher," which had the notion of, "to want, to desire, to like to have or do." This gave Old Germanic a form like "gernanan," with the same meanings, but by extension further to, "to be eager for, to have a liking for." This gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "giernen" (also "geornan" in some dialects), meaning, "to long for, to desire, to seek for, to be eager." The beginning sounds came to be spelled as "y," and thus produced modern "yearn." The extensive nuances in meanings have produced numerous relatives of "yearn" in the other Germanic languages, including: German "begehren" (to desire, to wish for), gieren (to crave mightily, to greedily crave), and the common adverb "gern" (gladly, readily, willingly), English once had "georn" (desirous, eager); Low German "gieren" (to ask for something; that is, something desired); Old Norse had "gjarn" (desirous).    

Turkish Beyti Kebab

Kebabs are a common type of food for Turkish people. Kebabs are often grilled or baked on skewers, or sometimes they are just cooked as patties, with various meats, seafood or vegetables (or a combination of these). I couldn't find any good sources for the history of this type of kebab, "Beyti" (pronounced as if, "bay-ty"), with some saying it dates back to the days of the Ottoman Empire, but it then was revived in the 1960s, in Istanbul, while others seem to feel it was invented in the 1960s in Istanbul. Turkey's capital of Istanbul is certainly a common tie to the differing opinions. 

Ingredients (for 6 kebabs):

Kebabs:
1 1/2 pounds ground lamb
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon serrano or jalapeño chili, finely chopped
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander
3 tablespoons breadcrumbs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 to 2 tablespoons milk
6 flour tortillas, the 6 inch type
melted butter for brushing
bell pepper (red, orange, yellow or green), baked, grilled or fried, cut into strips (or you can use store bought roasted peppers) 
Greek-style plain yogurt (about 1 cup)

Tomato Sauce:
1  15 ounce can tomato sauce
1/4 cup fresh tomato, chopped
2 tablespoons onion, chopped
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried mint
1 tablespoon olive oil

In a bowl, mix the lamb, onion, chili pepper, black pepper, cumin, coriander, breadcrumbs, salt and milk. Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours. For the sauce: In a sauce pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and let cook about about 2 minutes, then add the garlic and chopped tomatoes. Cook another 2 to 3 minutes, then stir in the tomato sauce and cook until the mixtures begins to bubble. Reduce heat to low and add the dried mint. Cook for about 2 minutes. For the meat: Roll the meat mixture into sausages of about 1 inch wide, 5 1/2 inches long and one inch deep. If you want to put the meat on skewers for grilling, you can soak wooden skewers in water for about 20 minutes, or use metal skewers, and put the meat onto the skewers. Grill, turning occasionally to make sure the meat cooks evenly. Otherwise, heat the oven to 350 F, line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil. Arrange the meat on the sheet (no skewers needed). Bake until totally cooked through, about 40 to 45 minutes.

Wrap each kebab in a tortilla, and brush with melted butter. Place seam side down and cut each wrapped kabab into three  pieces. On a platter, put about a cup of plain Greek-style yogurt in the center. Arrange the kebab pieces around the yogurt. Spoon the tomato sauce over the kebab pieces. Scatter the pepper strips over the top of the kebabs, or serve in a separate dish on the side. For individual servings, place pieces of kebab on a plate, add a couple tablespoons of yogurt to one side and spoon some tomato sauce over the kebabs. Add the pepper strips.


I made an individual serving, with a few pieces of kebab covered in sauce, and with some pepper strips and yogurt to the side of the plate

WORD HISTORY:
Kebab-This word, also spelled, "kabob," "kebob," along with some others, has an uncertain distant history. It seems to go back to transliterated Afro-Asiatic "kahbah," which meant, "to burn, to roast, to cook." This "apparently" gave a similar form to its offspring, "Semitic," ^ which was passed to Aramaic, one of the Semitic languages, which was a common language long ago, as transliterated  "kahbaba" (?), meaning "burn(ing), (roast(ing), char(ring)." This gave Arabic transliterated "kabab," meaning, "cooked/roasted meat," which was borrowed into Turkish as "kebap." Borrowed by English in the latter part of the 1700s from Arabic, with reinforcement from Turkish.  

^ Semitic is a language family centered in the Middle East. The most common modern Semitic languages are Arabic, Amharic, Hebrew and Tigrinya. Arabic and Hebrew are commonly known in much of Europe and North America, but Amharic is spoken in a large part of Ethiopia. Tigrinya is also spoken in parts of Ethiopia and Eritrea, another East African nation. Aramaic, also a Semitic language, was once fairly widespread in part of the Middle East, but it receded with the spread of  Arabic.