South African Yellow Rice

This is a dish taken to southern Africa by people from then Dutch controlled Indonesia and Malaysia, who were taken there as slaves in the 1600s and 1700s. In Afrikaans it is called "geelrys;" that is, "yellow rice" ("geel" is the relative of English "yellow"). Note: Afrikaans is the language that developed over time in southern Africa from Dutch settlers/colonists, and it was long seen as simply a Dutch dialect; although in the 1920s, Afrikaans was declared an official language of what was then called the Union of South Africa. 

 

This is used as a side dish. Be sure to cook the raisins right along with the rice and other ingredients, as the liquid will plump up the raisins and they will help flavor and sweeten the rice a bit.  

Ingredients (6 to 8 servings):

 

1 cup basmati rice

2 1/2 cups chicken broth 

2 teaspoons ground turmeric

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup dark raisins

2 tablespoons butter

 

Rinse the rice. Add all ingredients to a heavy bottomed sauce pan over high heat. Stir well to mix. When the water starts to boil, immediately lower the heat to low or very low, cover the pan and cook until the liquid is all absorbed. Fluff the rice before serving.

WORD HISTORY:

Cross-This word and its relatives are all of uncertain origin; but thereafter, "cross and relatives" are derived from Latin. The problem is, how and where Latin got the word. There is an interesting theory that would link "cross" and its Latin-derived relatives to English "ridge." Anyway, "cross" is closely related to "crusade," "crucify" and "crucial," words borrowed by English from French, to "crux" and "excruciate" (most commonly in the adjectival form "excruciating" in more modern times), words borrowed directly from Latin. "Cross" goes back to Latin "crux," which meant, "a wooden device of a vertical pole with one or more horizontal beams connected and used for punishing or executing criminals." Forms of the word were borrowed into Celtic, and it's thought that Old Norse, a Germanic language from the North Germanic branch, borrowed its form, "kross," from Old Irish "cros." Old English seemingly borrowed the word from Norse as "cros" in the mid 900s, with the meaning, "device used to execute Jesus Christ;" thus also, "sacred symbol of Christianity." The figurative use for "burden" is from circa 1200. The adjective use is from circa 1525, often as a shortening of "across," itself from "cross," but other meanings developed after that time; for instance, the use in "cross purposes;" that is, "opposite purposes." The verb dates from about 1200, used then to mean, "to make the sign of the cross for religious purposes," but with additions over time to mean "to cancel" ("cross through"), "to betray, to disrupt" ("cross up") and others. Many of the forms in the modern Germanic languages also came from Old Norse (Danish, Norwegian and Swedish all have "kors," with the 'o' and 'r' changing places, and Icelandic "kross"), Low German has "Krüüz," German has "Kreuz," West Frisian has "krús" and Dutch has "kruis," all seemingly directly from Latin "crux," brought by religious groups sent to "Christianize" various Germanic tribes in central Europe.

Onion Soup of Tuscany: Carabaccia alla Fiorentina

I've read that this was a favorite soup of Leonardo da Vinci, and that the soup was taken by Catherine de Medici's Florentine kitchen staff to France, where it was used as the basis for what is now the famous French Onion Soup. I'm not totally certain of this, but it "seems" the original Italian onion soup of Medici's cooks did not have bread in it, with this part of the recipe being added later, but whether this was due to French influence, I have no idea (although the Italians put the bread in the dish and THEN put the soup over it), and there are other Italian onion soup recipes with bread that are similar to "carabaccia," but not quite the same, but variations in recipes for just about any good basic food exist. Bread was added to soups as a good way to use up bread, as it had no preservatives, and especially in warm weather, it would go bad quickly. Further, the addition of bread made the soup more substantial; that is, it could help to fill one's belly. 

The soup has a slight tanginess, but it's still to the sweet side from the onions, carrots and honey (if you use it).

Ingredients (about 4 to 6 servings):

3 red onions (baseball + size), peeled and thinly sliced

1/2 cup peeled and thinly sliced carrot

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons salt

1/4 cup ground almonds

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

(optional) up to 2 tablespoons honey

4 cups vegetable stock

1/4 to 1/3 freshly grated pecorino toscano cheese (Tuscan), or parmigiano reggiano*

4 to 6 half slices of toasted Italian bread or slices of baguette 

extra virgin olive oil for toasting the bread and for drizzling 

In a heavy-bottomed pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat, then add the sliced onions and salt and reduce the heat to low. The heap of onions will look a bit intimidating, but don't worry, they'll cook down, so don't shed any tears (get it? Onions ... tears? Damn... tough crowd!). As the onions cook down, keep giving them a stir to prevent any heavy browning or burning, as the object is to cook the onions until they are super soft and sweet, and this can take 30 to 45 minutes. When the onions are well softened, add the carrot, ground black pepper, ground cinnamon and ground almonds; stir to mix. Cook a further 3 or 4 minutes, still on low heat, then add the stock, vinegar and honey and stir well. You can turn the heat up to medium and let the soup cook for 25 to 30 minutes (make sure the carrots are tender), stirring occasionally. Some people keep this as a soup (in this case, put a lid onto the pot after you add the stock), with a fair amount of broth, but others cook it down to make it more of a stew (keep the lid off after adding the stock). Add a slice of toasted bread to each bowl, then add the onion soup over the toasted bread. Sprinkle a little grated Pecorino over each bowl, and add a teaspoon or two of Italian extra virgin olive oil.  

* There are various types of Pecorino cheese in Italy, which are made from sheep's milk (a 'pecora' is a sheep in Italian, with 'pecore' being the plural). The most famous Pecorino cheese, and a major favorite of mine, is Pecorino Romano. The Tuscany region has its own type (Pecorino toscano), which is less salty and with a milder flavor than the more famous Pecorino Romano. It is very similar to the famous Parmigiana Reggiano, which is, therefore, a good substitute in this recipe. 

 

I set the slice of bread on top for the first two photos, so that it would be easier to see, but I put the bread into the bowl first, then poured the soup over it in the last photo, which is the traditional way to serve this soup ...

WORD HISTORY:

Puncture-This word is related to quite a number of other words, including to: "punctual," "pungent" and "pugilist," Latin derived words borrowed by English from that language, and to "repugnant," another Latin-derived word, and borrowed from Latin-based French, but with Latin influence (or less likely, but possibly, the other way around). "Puncture" goes back to Indo European "pewg/pewk," which had the notion of "to hit an object," but which had the further meaning "to hit an object with the intent to pierce that object." This gave Latin the verb "pungere" meaning "to pierce, to prick," a participle form of which was "punctus,"^ which gave Latin the noun "punctura" meaning "a piercing, a pricking," and English borrowed this from Latin in the latter part of the 1300s. The verb form developed from the noun, but not until the second half of the 1600s, with the meaning "to pierce something with a pointed object," eventually adding on, "to deflate an object by piercing it."     

  

^ Some etymologists believe "punctus" also had the meaning of "pointed object," and that's certainly possible.

Senegalese Chicken: Poulet Yassa

Senegal is a country in western Africa with a population of more than 17 million. The capital of Senegal is Dakar. France took control of part of what is now Senegal, coastal areas and a main island, in the 1600s, but regional chiefs remained in control of much of the interior part of the territory. The coastal area was used for the slave trade, but during Napoleon's time, the British took control of that area, and they abolished slavery. When Napoleon was defeated in 1815 at Waterloo, the British and French began negotiations for the territory to be returned to French control, with one of the conditions being that the slave trade and slavery would remain abolished. Within a year or so, France was once again in control and the French began a campaign to move inland from the coast. The area eventually became a part of French West Africa, which was a French created federation of the French colonial territories in western Africa: French Sudan, Mauritania, French Guinea, Ivory Coast, Upper Volta, Dahomey, Niger and Senegal (Dahomey is now Benin, Upper Volta is now Burkina Faso, French Sudan is now the Republic of Mali). The capital of the federation was the city of Saint Louis, a city in northwestern Senegal. In the summer of 1960, Senegal became independent of France. Senegal's official language is French, but only about a third of the population speak French, and seemingly part of this third of the population speak an African language as their primary means of communication with others in Senegal. Wolof, a language from the Niger-Congo family of languages, is the most widely spoken language in Senegal, followed by Pular, another Niger-Congo language.    

 

"Poulet Yassa" is dish that seemingly originated in southern Senegal, although it has spread not only to other parts of Senegal, but also even to other West African countries. The amount of onion is not a mistake; in fact, many recipes use even more, and it is the onions and chicken that form the core of this dish. The recipe I have put together here is a somewhat more elaborate version, as basic "yassa" does not include carrots or olives, but these are added, also at times with some cabbage, for special occasions for some families, although others prefer this version most of the time. You can make this dish as spicy hot as you want, but part of the dish's "character" is some heat, so at least give it a little heat. You can substitute a milder chili, like jalapeno, or even some ground red pepper, for the habanero or scotch bonnet.     

 

 

Ingredients (about 5 servings):

 

10 pieces of bone-in, skin on chicken; 5 thighs, 5 wings

3 (baseball size) onions, thinly sliced

1 habanero or scotch bonnet chili pepper (or other hot chili pepper), seeded and finely chopped

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon salt (you can use less, as the chicken stock will likely have salt)

2/3 cup chicken broth, cold, not heated

2 large carrots, peeled and fairly thinly sliced

1/3 cup pimento stuffed olives

3 tablespoons peanut oil for marinade + 2 tablespoon for cooking 

 

In a large bowl or non reactive pan, add the lemon juice, chili pepper, Dijon mustard, ground black pepper, salt, cold broth and 3 tablespoons oil; mix very well, then add the chicken and be sure the pieces are coated with the marinade. Add the sliced onion and mix everything together (mixing by hand is best). Cover with a lid or plastic wrap and refrigerate a minimum of 3 to 4 hours, but 10 hours is better.  Remove the chicken from the marinade and place it onto a plate/platter. In a large skillet, heat two tablespoons of oil over medium heat. Add chicken pieces to the skillet, but don't crowd the pan. Lightly brown the chicken pieces in batches until all have been browned. Remove the chicken pieces to a platter as you finish browning them. Add another tablespoon or two of oil to the skillet if needed, and then add the onions. Move the onions around occasionally, then once the onions begin to soften, turn the heat to low and continue browning the onions, stirring often. You don't want to burn the onions, you just want them to be reduced, softened and nicely browned. Now add the marinade to the onions in the skillet, along with the carrots and olives, and increase the heat again to medium. When the marinade begins to simmer, add the chicken pieces to the skillet and cover the skillet with a lid or foil and simmer for 20 minutes, then check to determine if the chicken and carrots are tender; if not, cover it again and cook 5 more minutes or until they are tender. Stir well and serve with rice.

 

WORD HISTORY:

Project-This is a prefixed word, with the main body being related to a large number of Latin-derived words borrowed into English, for example: "abject," "adjective," "deject," "eject," "inject," "jet," "object," "reject" and "subject." The prefix "pro" is a Latin prefix meaning in some way "in front, ahead of, before, forward" (indeed, it is related, through Indo European," to the "for(e)" part of English "forward" and "before," from the Germanic roots of English). The main part of "project" goes back to Indo European "ye/yeh," meaning "to throw," which gave Latin "iacere," meaning "to throw." Together, Latin had the verb "proicere," meaning "to throw down, throw before, thrust out, stretch forward, cast off," with figurative meanings like "banish," "reject," "jut forth" and "cast a shadow." One of the verb's participle forms was "proiectus," which was used as a noun meaning "(something) thrown down or thrown forth," and this gave Latin the somewhat later noun form "proiectum," with the same meaning. The 'i' pronunciation in Latin produced a 'y' sound; that is, an English 'y,' but rendered as a 'j' in other languages/dialects, which had the word also spelled as "projectum." English borrowed the word from Latin in the early 1400s, and the second half of the 1500s also had the noun take on the meaning "a design, a plan, a plot," which then became its main meaning. The verb was formed from the Latin verb "projectare," which meant "to push forward, to thrust forth." The English use as a verb had the meanings "to plan something," but also generally in a negative sense, "to plot or scheme." Somewhat later one of the word's Latin senses in architecture was also used in English, "to jut out." The further development of the noun was "projector," likely patterned after the same Latin form, circa 1600, then meaning "one who devises and puts forth plans." The 1880s (?) saw the word used for "a device that throws light onto a wall or screen for the purpose of displaying images." The 1930s saw the use of "projects" (plural) for government-subsidized housing for low income residents."             

Tunisian Poached Eggs in Spicy Tomato Sauce: Chakchouka

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

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

 

Ingredients (4 servings):

 

2 cans (14 to 15 ounces each) tomato sauce

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

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

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

1/2 large red bell pepper, thinly sliced

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

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 heaping tablespoon sweet (smoked) Spanish paprika

1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons chopped cilantro (also called coriander)

(optional) 1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled

 

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

 

WORD HISTORY:

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

Black-Eyed Pea Spread

Dips and spreads made with ground beans, peas, nuts and seeds have been eaten by humans for many hundreds of years, and likely longer; after all, the ingredients for these dishes were all around long, long before anything like modern times, and just because they didn't have a Cuisinart food processor, didn't mean they they didn't know how to process food without such a device. By the way, Cuisinart food processors didn't go public until the early 1970s, although some electric blenders, the forerunners of actual food processors, began to make their public appearances not long after the end of World War One, and blenders gradually began to be enabled by add-on accessories to make them more like food processors, especially after World War Two.  

 

Black-eyed peas are really a type of bean originally from Africa and brought to the New World by African slaves. They are commonly eaten in several African countries like Senegal, Nigeria and some others, as well as on many of the Caribbean islands, in India and Pakistan, and they are popular in the American South and in parts of Brazil, especially in the Bahia region there. The Portuguese likely took black-eyed peas back to Portugal from Africa and also from Brazil, which was a colony of Portugal for over 300 years until the 1820s. This spread is "similar" to hummus.   

 

Serve with lightly toasted sliced baguettes, crackers, flatbread (pita or naan) and sliced vegetables. Certainly using the toaster is quick and easy, but sometimes I like to toast bread in a skillet, either dry, or with a little oil or butter. The baguette slices in the photos below were dry toasted in a skillet, as was the naan bread. The small amount of ground red pepper won't set your mouth afire; in fact, if you like "heat," you can toss a fresh chili pepper into the mixture before processing.  

 

Ingredients:

 

1 can black eyed peas (15 ounce), drained and rinsed

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (after processing, if it's too thick add another tablespoon oil)

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 inch piece of fresh lemon zest

2 large cloves garlic

1 slice (1/4 inch thick) from a medium red or white onion

1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper (like cayenne)

1 teaspoon fresh rosemary leaves (needles)

1/2 to 1 teaspoon teaspoon salt (per your preference)

(optional) if you like heat, 1 fresh whole chili pepper, like serrano

(optional) you can top the finished spread with a teaspoon or two of extra virgin olive oil   

 

Put all ingredients into a food processor/blender and process until smooth.

 

 

Black-eyed pea spread with some toasted baguette and cut up Indian naan flatbread ...

WORD HISTORY:

Furnish-"Furnish" is related to "from" and "frame," both from the Germanic roots of English, and it is distantly related to many of the words with the prefix "per," like "perform" and "permit," for example, and also distantly related to words like "proceed" and "produce," with all of these distantly related words being of Latin derivation and with "produce" borrowed by English directly from Latin, and "proceed" likely borrowed from Latin, but with French influence and reinforcement, "permit" a borrowing from French, but with Latin influence, and "perform" a borrowing from French. "Furnish" goes back to Indo European "per," which had the idea of "forward, before, in front;" thus also, "main, chief, first." This had the variant form "pro" meaning "to or toward the front, forward," and this had the suffixed version of "promo," with the same meaning. This gave Old Germanic "frumjanan" meaning, "to advance, to go forward" (Germanic rendered Indo European "p" as "f"). The Germanic form was borrowed by Latin as "fromire," and then altered to "fornire," which passed to Latin-based Old French as "furnir" (meaning "to carry out, to accomplish;" thus also, "to provide, to equip," all from the idea of "going forward, advancing"), which then became "fornir," the stem of a participle form of which was "furniss/forniss." English borrowed this in the middle 1400s as the verb "fornisshen/furnysshen," meaning "to provide, to equip," and when English began to conjugate verbs differently, the "en" ending was dropped and the spelling became the modern form "furnish," and the infinitive form "to furnish." 

Tequila Sunrise

What has been known as a "Tequila Sunrise Cocktail" for the last few decades is not the same cocktail as had first been given that name in the 1930s. Back then it was made of tequila, lime juice, club soda, and creme de cassis (liqueur made from black currants), served over ice, and invented at the "Arizona Biltmore Hotel," in Phoenix, Arizona. (Note: I've seen the supposed "original" also include some grenadine, for what it's worth.) Now typically served in a tall glass with the basic ingredients below, not totally mixed together, it was seemingly developed in the San Francisco area in the first part of the 1970s.

 

Grenadine is a type of syrup made from pomegranate juice. It is VERY red and it adds that red color and a sweetness to numerous drinks. It is easily found in supermarkets and liquor stores. It is non-alcohol.  

Ingredients (per drink):

3 or 4 tablespoons tequila (depending up desired alcohol content)

1/2 cup orange juice

1 tablespoon grenadine

orange slice

cherries

ice

tall glass of about 12 ounce size, to hold the ice and the cocktail ingredients properly 

Add plenty of ice to the glass. Add the tequila, then the orange juice, stir to mix, THEN add grenadine slowly along the side of the glass (it will sink to the bottom). DO NOT STIR! Garnish with an orange slice and some maraschino cherries.

 

WORD HISTORY:

Strict-This word is related to "strain" (verb and sometime noun, with the verbal meaning of "overexerting, to stress a point to the utmost, to pour a liquid through a sieve"), to "strait" (noun and adjective, meaning "tight or narrow"), both Latin-derived words borrowed by English from French, and to "stringent," another Latin-derived word, borrowed by English from Latin. "Strict" goes back to Indo European "streygh," which had the notion, "to press, to exert pressure on;" thus also, "to pull with force." This gave Latin "stringere," meaning, "to pull tightly, press together." The past participle of "stringere" was "strictus," meaning, "tightened, drawn close;" thus also, "narrowed," and English borrowed this, initially as "stricte," in the first part of the 1400s. By the second half of the 1500s, the word was being used in reference to rigorous adherence to laws, but shortly thereafter this meaning broadened beyond adherence to laws, but to rules or procedures of any kind.   

Big North German "Dumpling": Mehlbeutel

This is an extra large German dumpling dish, with a pretty dense texture. The standard German word for this dish is "Mehlbeutel,"* which means "flour bag." It gets its name from these large dumplings being boiled inside cloth flour bags long ago. The dumplings are from the marshy Dithmarschen region** of Schleswig-Holstein. The standard German form, "Mehlbeutel," was taken from the actual Low German form of that region, "Mehlbüdel." While more typically a dessert, served with fruit compote, it can also be used as a lunch dish served with bacon or ham and boiled potatoes, along with some mustard on the side, which is how I prefer it. The basic idea for this dish most likely came from a combination of German merchant sailors returning from England with various recipes for English puddings*** they had tried while there, and from English merchant sailors leaving such recipes in German ports when docked there. This dish itself seems to date back to around 1700. Some Germans call the dish "Großer Hans" (Big John/Jack).

 

Serve as a lunch dish with the smoked pork you've cooked, boiled potatoes and mustard, or serve as a dessert dish with cherry compote (see below), strawberry jam, or just some melted butter drizzled over each serving and then dusted with powdered sugar. If you don't have black currants, you can use all raisins. The meat must be smoked to give the dumpling the proper flavor as it cooks in the water used to cook the meat.

 

Ingredients: 

 

4 cups flour, more if needed, + a couple of tablespoons for the towel

4 eggs, separated 

2 cups milk (a little more IF needed)

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

5 tablespoons melted butter

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup raisins

1/4 cup black currants

smoked slab bacon in a piece or smoked ham shanks or smoked pork shoulder in a piece or smoked ham hocks 

water for cooking the smoked pork & Mehlbeutel

For cherry compote: 

1/2 cup dried cherries

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 to 3 tablespoons sugar (depending upon desired sweetness)

1/3 cup water 

First you'll need a linen towel or large cloth napkin (not stringy in any way). Boil the towel in plain water, absolutely NO soap or cleaning agents of any kind. Let the towel boil for about 10 minutes; afterward, drain the water, let the towel cool so that you can wring it out and then spread it out so that it can dry somewhat (I let it dry completely, so I do this part well in advance of making the dumpling, but it doesn't have to be totally dry).

 

In a pot (you will need a pretty good size pot), add whatever smoked meat you'll be using, like for instance: slab bacon, ham shank, pork shoulder, ham hocks, and cover the meat with water. Bring to a good steady simmer and let cook while you prepare the dumpling. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, 4 egg yolks, milk, baking powder, melted butter, salt, sugar, raisins and black currants. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until peaks form. Fold the egg whites into the batter/dough. 

 

On a flat surface, spread the towel out, sprinkle a couple of tablespoons of flour into the middle part of the towel and smooth it out. Add the dough to the middle of the towel, then pull up the corners of the towel around the dough (the dough shouldn't be like bread dough or pizza dough, but it shouldn't be like pancake batter, either). I use some kitchen twine to tie around the towel corners (you should leave a little room for the dough to expand at the top). Germans often tie or fasten the handle of a large kitchen spoon or ladle to the "bundle" and suspend the bundle from this in the pot to keep the dumpling from sitting on the bottom of the pot. I have not done this "step," and I found that after putting the dumpling bundle into the boiling water, that it floated in a matter of a few minutes, just like other dumplings do (I moved it around occasionally so that it wouldn't just sit on the bottom of the pot), but you can leave the meat in the pot, and this will keep the dumpling from resting on the bottom anyhow. Add a little more water after you put the dumpling into the pot (and at any time during the cooking process, if the water level drops too much), and turn the heat to low (or to a point on your stove where the water maintains a gentle simmer). Remove the meat to a plate when it is done, but you won't be arrested by the "Mehlbeutel police" if you keep the meat in the pot for the duration of cooking the dumpling. I occasionally use a large spoon to "dunk" the dumpling "bundle" into the water and to turn it. The dumpling needs to cook for about two hours, then remove it from the pot, take the string off and peel the corners of the towel down and set the dumpling onto a plate without the towel for 5 to 10 minutes (see photo three, below). While the dumpling rests briefly, cut or distribute the meat to however many serving plates you need, then slice the dumpling into wedges (see photos below). Serve as a dessert or lunch dish as mentioned above. 

 

* English has words related to the component parts of its German cousin's compound "Mehlbeutel:" "Mehl" in English is "meal;" that is, meal the flour or ground up grain, and "Beutel" is from the same Old Germanic source that gave English "bud (of a plant)," with German "Butte" being an old form that meant "bud, the housing or casing for plant seeds."

 

** Dithmarschen is a region in the state of Schleswig-Holstein where a rather large amount of marshland along its North Sea coast has been reclaimed from the sea. The city of Heide is the district seat. It was from areas like this all along the North Sea coast that elements of Germanic tribes began sailing to Britain nearly 1600 years ago and took over a substantial part of land there, which then came to be named for one of those Germanic tribes, the Angles of "Angle-land;" that is, "England."  

 

*** Generally, English puddings date back centuries and originally referred to chopped meats and other ingredients stuffed into animal stomachs or intestines and then boiled or baked. The term then moved to flour, liquid and often egg mixtures (some containing fruit and spices and sometimes rum or other liquor) that were boiled, baked or steamed until firmed into a more solidified form. In American English, puddings are flavored custard-like mixtures that are commonly thickened with cornstarch and they are usually refrigerated. 

 

In photos 1, 2 and 4 below, "Mehlbeutel" with smoked pork shoulder, boiled potatoes and mustard; photo 3, cooked "Mehlbeutel" with the towel removed (the towel I used was not smooth, so it naturally left the pattern on the Mehlbeutel), and you can see the size of the dumpling, as that is a full size dinner plate; photo 5, "Mehlbeutel" as a dessert with melted butter and cherry compote ... 

 

 

 

 

 

WORD HISTORY:

Dusk-This word is distantly related to the main part of "obfuscate," a word English borrowed from Latin, and it's more closely related to "dust," a word from the Germanic roots of English. It goes back to Indo European "dheu," which had the notion of "smoke, haze, dust," with the extended form "dheus(k)." This gave Old Germanic "dusko," with much the same meaning, and this produced the adjective "duskaz," meaning "of dark color, dark colored," and this gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "dox" (swarthy, dark haired). This then became "dosc/dosk," by which time the meaning had altered slightly to "not bright in color, to the dark side in color, shadowy," and this then became "duske," before the 'e' was dropped, and the noun meaning became "trending toward full darkness, not complete darkness" (the noun originally meant "darkness," circa 1400, and it was rendered as "dusknesse"). While not all that common in modern times, the verb form came into being (1300s?) as "dusken" ("to get dark"). The adjective "dusky" is from the mid 1500s, meaning "dim in light, near darkness."    

Swiss Potato and Cheese Soufflé: Kartoffel und Käse Auflauf

German "Auflauf" means "casserole," in general, but it can also mean the more specific "soufflé," a type of casserole; and indeed, the dish uses egg whites to be "puffed up." It is often accompanied by watercress or garden cress. There are variations to the general recipe in Germany and Austria, where the potatoes aren't usually mashed, but rather sliced or diced, and other ingredients are often layered in as another type of casserole.

Ingredients:

2 pounds potatoes, peeled and chopped, then cooked in salted water
4 tablespoons flour
4 egg yolks
1 cup Gruyère, shredded
1 cup Pecorino Romano, grated or shredded (the Swiss often use "Sbrinz"*)
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk
4 egg whites, whipped to peaks
2 tablespoons butter
oil or butter for the casserole/baking dish

Simmer the potatoes until tender. Drain the potatoes and mash with a potato masher or use a hand mixer. In a bowl, mix together the egg yolks, flour, cheeses, nutmeg, salt, milk. When mixed, add the potatoes to the mixture and mix everything together, then fold in the egg whites. Butter or oil a casserole or baking dish, then add the potato mixture and smooth it out. Flake the 2 tablespoons of butter and top the casserole with the butter flakes. Bake at 325 F for 70 to 90 minutes, until set in the middle.

* "Sbrinz" is a hard cheese produced in central Switzerland from cow's milk. It is frequently used in place of Parmesan or Pecorino Romano by the Swiss, either of which can usually be more easily found in stores outside of Switzerland than Sbrinz. I use Pecorino. 

 

Swiss Potato and Cheese Soufflé with watercress ...

WORD HISTORY:

Wipe-This word is closely related to "whip," a word derived from the same Germanic source as "wipe," but seemingly borrowed by English from Dutch and Low German, and it is more distantly related to "waive" (to forgo legal claim or right to something), a word borrowed from French, which had it from Germanic, and to "vibrate," a Latin word borrowed by English from that language. "Wipe" goes back to Indo European "weip/weyp," which had the notion "to turn, to wind (long 'i'), to rotate, to shake." This gave Old Germanic "wipjan(an)," meaning "to move back and forth quickly," which gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "wipian" meaning "to clean by rubbing with a back and forth or rotating motion." This then became "wipen," before the modern form. "Wipe" and "whip" are so closely related, it can be difficult to separate some other Germanic forms, but here are some relatives in some other Germanic languages: German has "wippen" (to move up and down; thus also, "bob, seesaw"), which was borrowed from Low German in the 1500s, but earlier, German had "wifan,"^ then "wifen," which meant "to move back and forth," but then also, "to rotate, to swing," Low German has "wippen," meaning "to move up and down," Dutch has "wippen" with the same meanings as German, except it also means "whip." 

^ A common difference between Low German, English, Frisian and Dutch versus German has been the change of "p" in those first languages to an "f" or "pf" in German; thus, English has "pipe," but German has "Pfeife," which shows both changes in one word. 

Shrimp Cocktail

This common and popular appetizer and party dish is easy to make. When I was a kid and teenager, there was a commercially made shrimp cocktail sold in supermarkets. I can't remember the company name, but it came in four individual servings (at least, I think there were four), and each serving was right in its own cocktail glass with the horseradish flavored sauce and several small shrimp arranged around the rim of the glass. Of course, once the shrimp was eaten, you could wash the glass and keep it for your own purposes, which was a common marketing pitch back then, especially for products like jelly, jam and peanut butter.  

 

I tend to use the 31 to 35 size shrimp (that simply means there are between 31 and 35 shrimp per pound), but you can use any shrimp you like. When I bought the shrimp for this article, I chose a few types and sizes (see pictures, below). It's naturally a lot easier if you buy shrimp that are peeled and deveined, but with the tails on, as that gives you a great way to hold the shrimp for dipping into the sauce. You can also buy 'peel-n-eat' shrimp, which have had the shells cut to devein them, and the cuts in the shell make them easy to peel. Shrimp are relatively mild in flavor, but professional chefs and cooks tells us that by cooking shrimp in their shells, it gives them more taste, and indeed, shrimp shells are used by professional cooks in recipes for seafood stock. I once was at a fancy restaurant where I had a few shrimp shells from my dinner, and I tried to sell them back to the restaurant, but they wouldn't take them. Hmm, I wonder what that was about? Some days, you can't make a nickel.  

 

Ingredients (about 4 to 5 servings):

 

1 to 1 1/4 pound shrimp

4 cups water

1 tablespoon salt

1/2 lemon

1/4 cup chopped onion 

2 bay leaves

2 teaspoons sugar 

Add 4 cups of water to a large sauce pan, then add the salt, half lemon, chopped onion, bay leaves and sugar. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to maintain a steady simmer for about 3 minutes. Now add the shrimp and turn off the heat. Let the shrimp sit in the hot water for about 3 to 3 1/2 minutes, until they are nice and pink in color (you don't want to leave them in the water too long, they will get rubbery, and you don't want to drop one, but it bounces back into the dish!). Drain the shrimp and put them under cold running water for a minute or two. Add some ice cubes to the water and let the shrimp sit in the ice water as you put together the sauce. Before serving, drain the shrimp and lay them out on a plate covered with some paper towels or napkins to soak up any water. 

For the cocktail sauce:

3/4 cup thick ketchup*

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon horseradish

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2 to 1 teaspoon your favorite hot sauce (or 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper)

 

In a bowl, mix the ingredients together well. Serve along with the shrimp.

 

* When I'm feeling bold and I want to be a glutton for punishment, I use 1/2 cup regular thick ketchup and 1/4 cup "Cleveland Ketchup/Ghost Pepper Ketchup," as well as some Portuguese piri piri hot sauce, along with the other ingredients. If you do not like heat, please don't do this. If you don't like much spicy heat to your foods, you can cut the horseradish to 1/2 tablespoon and just use a couple of dashes of hot sauce, or even just use a sprinkle of ground red pepper (like cayenne pepper) in the cocktail sauce. If you live outside of the Cleveland area, here is the link to the Cleveland Ketchup site: https://www.clevelandketchup.com/?utm_source=gmb&utm_medium=referral    

 

 I had some Danish rye bread, but saltine crackers are common with shrimp cocktail ...

 

WORD HISTORY:

Dry-This word, commonly used as an adjective and as a verb, traces back to Indo European "druegh," which seems to have had the notion of "hardening, strengthened by hardening." This gave its Old Germanic offspring "draugiz," which more specifically added the idea of "dry, drying" to the "hardening, strengthening by hardening" notion, the connection to which is easily seen. This gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "dryge," which meant "dry." This also produced the verb "drygan," meaning "to dry." These later became "drye," although the "g" persisted in some dialects for quite some time, before everything settled on the modern 'g-less' version. The other Germanic languages have: German "trocken," Low German "dröög," Dutch "droog," North Frisian "driig" West Frisian "droech," Danish has "drøj" (meaning "tough," and the connection to "dry" is obvious), Swedish "dryg" (hard, enduring), Icelandic "draugur" (a noun, "dry tree trunk," but this is apparently antiquated). I could not find a form in Norwegian, but that doesn't mean there isn't one, as the North Germanic languages have tended to retain the general meaning "hard," and from that notion also came "lasting, ample, sufficient in quantity," from the idea that things like dried meats and dried fruits "last," thus also giving "ample" quantities.

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."

Luxembourg Firestone Salad: Feierstengszalot

This salad seems to have developed in perhaps the 1600s or early 1700s as a way of using leftover beef. Lëtzebuergesch, the German dialect/language of Luxembourg, has "Feiersteng," standard German has "Feuerstein," and English has "firestone," originally as "fyrstan;" that is, "flint." The name of the dish "seems" to come from the slices of cooked beef representing, or looking like, pieces of "firestone." 

You can use leftover roast beef of any type, or you can boil or roast some beef just for this dish. When I made the salad for this article, the beef was so tender, even after being in the refrigerator overnight, that I really couldn't slice it properly, so I tore it into smaller pieces.

Often served with boiled potatoes and baguettes for a great lunch ...

 

Ingredients (4 servings): 

 

1 1/2 cups boiled or roasted beef in bite size pieces

2 to 3 hard boiled eggs, sliced

1/3 cup mild pickles, chopped

1 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup tomato, chopped or grape tomatoes halved

1/3 cup vegetable oil, regular olive oil or sunflower seed oil

1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons dried tarragon

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt 

4 to 5 tablespoons heavy cream

2 to 3 tablespoons chopped parsley or chives

Cut or tear the beef into bite size pieces and put it into a bowl. Add the chopped onion, chopped pickles and chopped tomato, toss to mix. Distribute into individual salad bowls or onto individual small plates and top each with some hard boiled egg slices, then spoon some of the dressing (see further) over the salad and sprinkle each salad with some chopped chives or parsley. For the dressing: In a bowl, add the oil, mustard, tarragon, pepper, salt and cream. Whisk everything together until it thickens to the desired consistency.  

WORD HISTORY:

Firestone & Flint- Firestone is simply the combination of "fire" and "stone." For the history of the word "fire," here is the link: https://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2011/07/german-question-part-one-hundred_13.html

For the history of "stone," here is the link: https://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2010/10/german-question-part-forty-nine_27.html

 

Relatives of "firestone": German has "Feuerstein" (once spelled "fiurstein"), Low German has "Füürsteen," Dutch has "vuursteen," West Frisian "fjoerstienne" (?) 

 

"Flint" is related to "split," a word of Germanic derivation that had a form in Old English, which died out, but then was later borrowed from Low German to give us our modern word. "Flint" goes back to Indo European "splei/spley," which had the notion, "to separate from, to split off from." This produced Indo European "splind," meaning "split, cleave." This gave Old Germanic "flintaz," "seemingly" meaning "very hard stone split from rock." This gave Old English "flint," with the meaning, "hard stone," and then "hard stone that sparks to start a fire;" thus, "flint stone," a meaning that is still with us to this day. German once had "flins," "hard stone," but German used forms of modern German "Feuerstein" (fire stone), and "flins" eventually died out, Low German had "vlint" and "vlintsten;" that is, "flint stone" in the Middle Ages, but apparently these have died out, and the same happened to Dutch "vlint." Danish has "flint," perhaps from Danish (or is it a borrowing from English, or perhaps a refashioning of the Low German form? Danish and Low German have had much interaction over the centuries, including up to the present). Swedish has "flinta," and German borrowed "Flinte" from Swedish in the 1600s as the word for a flintlock musket, where the gunpowder for firing was ignited by flint striking a piece of metal (called a 'frizzen').       

Egyptian Potato Salad

Mention Egypt to people and likely several things will pop into their minds: the pyramids, the Nile River, the Suez Canal, the pharaohs of ancient times, and perhaps a few biblical references, especially to Moses. Egypt has long been a fascination to people beyonds it's own area, and this country of about 100 million people is overwhelmingly Sunni Muslim, but with a Christian (usually Coptic) minority of "somewhere around" 10%. Egypt saw more than 300 years of Turkish rule (Ottoman Empire) beginning in the 1500s, which was interrupted for three years by Napoleon's French occupation (1798-1801). The British maintained "a kind of protectorate" with Egypt beginning in the 1880s and many British and French business people invested in the company that helped to build, and then to run, the Suez Canal during much of the last quarter of the 1800s and into the 1900s (Note: the territory of the canal was Egyptian, but the foreign owned company provided money to complete, maintain and operate the canal, with the canal's operation being totally turned over to Egypt in 1956). While some important and famous battles took place in Egypt during World War Two (especially "Tobruk," "El Alamein") "technically" Egypt was a neutral country during the time of those battles, and Egypt did not declare war on any country until 1945, when it declared war on Germany and Japan. I know it was an odd situation, and Egypt had its own armed forces and for a couple of years air raids were fairly common, but the British had long kept military forces stationed in Egypt, especially around the Suez Canal, Cairo and the Mediterranean port of Alexandria. It wasn't until 1956 that Britain, by agreement, withdrew its military forces from Egypt.  

 

There is no mayonnaise or vinegar in this potato salad, rather it is something right out of Egyptian cuisine, with olives, lots of various herbs and lemon juice. The optional use of honey is my own addition, as I'm not a fan of sour tastes, but if Egyptians were to use a sweetener, it likely would be honey, and maybe some do use it. Be sure to use fresh herbs, not dried. Regardless of the type of potatoes you use, you want them more or less cut into bite size pieces. I often prefer to leave the skins on potatoes, as I have done for the photos here, but to be honest, most recipes I've seen use peeled potatoes.

Ingredients:

2 large potatoes (or a dozen small), boiled in their skins, then cooled, peeled, cut into chunks

6 green onions, chopped (with green part)

3 cloves garlic, chopped

10 pitted Kalamata dark olives, halved

10 pitted green olives, halved

1 heaping tablespoon chopped dill

2 tablespoons chopped coriander (also known as cilantro)

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

2 tablespoons chopped mint

(optional) 1/2 to 1 teaspoon finely chopped red chili

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

1/3 cup olive oil

(optional) 2 to 3 tablespoons honey (mixed into the lemon juice)

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt 

 

In a large bowl, add the potato pieces, chopped green onions, chopped garlic, dark and green olive halves, chopped dill, chopped cilantro (coriander), chopped parsley, chopped mint, optional finely chopped red chili. Mix everything together. In a mixing cup or bowl, mix together the lemon juice, optional honey, olive oil, ground cumin and salt. Mix it well to incorporate the honey, if using. Sprinkle the ground cumin and salt over the salad, then pour the dressing over the salad and mix everything together well. Serve immediately or chill it in the refrigerator for 2 hours.

 

WORD HISTORY: 

Pyramid-There is a theory about the origin of the word "pyramid" and its application to this tomb structure that rests upon the belief that a type of wheat cake was the basis of the name. One of the problems for us in modern times is, how can we confirm what these wheat cakes looked like? Here is why this theory is prevalent to some: transliterated Greek had "puramis" or "pyramis" (plural: "pyramides"), which meant "a pyramid of Egypt," but also, "a cake of wheat grains and honey." The idea is, the Greek word came from transliterated Egyptian "pimar," which apparently meant "pyramid," but may have also been the name for the wheat cake, as the assumption is, the Greeks not only took the word, but also its meanings from Egyptian. The thing is, Ancient Greek "pyrós" or "purós" meant "wheat" (perhaps more specifically "roasted wheat," as the root of the word means "fire"); so in other words in this case, the Greeks may have named the wheat cake, but as for the burial structure, no. Anyway, Latin borrowed Greek "puramis/pyramis" as "pyramis/piramis," and the plural form, which in Greek was "puramides/pyramides," as "pyramides" in Latin. Old French originally took the Latin form as "piramide," which then became "pyramide." English originally borrowed the Latin form as "piram" in the latter part of the 1300s, but then borrowed the form now in use from French "pyramide" circa 1550.

Sardinian Pasta Bits & Shrimp: Fregola Sarda ai Gamberi

Fregola sarda is a type of pasta similar to couscous that is common on the Italian island of Sardinia. Sardinian fregola is different from couscous, however, in that it is toasted. In the U.S. you can find fregola in Italian specialty stores and likely in an increasing number of supermarkets, and of course, it is available online. If you're in Cleveland, you can also find it at the West Side Market.

 

Only Sicily, another part of Italy, is a larger island than Sardinia in the Mediterranean Sea. Sardinia is known for its beaches, abundant seafood, as well as lamb and goat, as the island also has mountainous areas for the raising of these animals. Another part of Sardinian food culture is the serving of a crispy flatbread called "pane carasau," which is typically served with olive oil. 

Ingredients (4 to 6 servings):

 

1 1/2 cups fregola pasta

1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds medium shrimp

4/1/2 cups water with 1 teaspoon salt

6 ripe roma tomatoes, chopped

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

5 cloves of garlic, crushed

1 or 2 red chili peppers, left whole, with a slit cut into them

1/4 cup dry white wine

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

6 or 8 basil leaves, halved

a squeeze or two of fresh lemon juice to top each serving

Soak the shrimp for about 15 to 20 minutes in some cold water with the juice of half a lemon added, then drain them. In a large sauce pan, bring 4 1/2 cups water and 1 teaspoon salt to a boil, then add the shrimp and simmer for 90 seconds. Immediately drain the shrimp, but pour the cooking water back into the pan, you will use it shortly. In a large skillet (or sauce pan), heat the olive oil over medium heat, then add the garlic and saute for 1 minute, then add the chili peppers and chopped tomatoes. Turn the heat to low and cook for 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the chili pepper and garlic (of course, if you like them, leave them in the dish, but cut them up), and mash the tomatoes with a large fork, until you have a chunky sauce, but with no really large pieces. Add the white wine, ground pepper and salt, stir and cook the chunky sauce a further 7 or 8 minutes over low heat (or even very low heat), stir occasionally to prevent sticking or burning. Meanwhile, let the reserved water you used to cook the shrimp come to a boil. Increase the heat for the skillet to medium and add the boiling water to it from the pan. Now add the fregola pasta and let it cook until the water is absorbed ("about" 20 to 25 minutes). When there is still a little water left to be absorbed, add the shrimp and let the shrimp cook in the fregola until tender over low heat, turning the shrimp to make sure they cook evenly. Add the halved fresh basil leaves and stir. Add a squeeze of lemon juice over each serving. 

 

WORD HISTORY:

Frugal-This word is related to "fruit," a Latin-derived word borrowed by English via French, and it is distantly related to the verb "brook" (meaning in more modern times, "to bear or tolerate something unkind or unpleasant," as in, "I will not brook any more rude behavior"), a word from the Germanic roots of English (its original meanings in Old English were: "to enjoy, to use, to eat and to enjoy food"). "Frugal" goes back to Indo European "bhrugh," which had the notion of "to use, to make use of;" thus also, "to have the enjoyment of." This gave Latin "frux" (plural "fruges") meaning "fruit, produce," with extended meanings like: "success," "value." Either "frux," its plural "fruges, or its dative form "frugi" (hey, did I narrow this down or what? haha) provided the basis for the Latin adjective "frugalis," meaning "having to do with fruit or produce," but also, "to use virtuously, to use wisely and economically;" thus also, "thrifty." French had the word from Latin as "frugal," and English borrowed the word in the latter part of the 1500s meaning "economical, thrifty, sparing in waste or expenditure." The word's roots still show through in the modern underlying meaning, "useful in an efficient way."