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.

Portuguese Rice Pudding: Arroz Doce

There are various recipes for rice pudding the world over, and this is one from Portugal. I checked several recipes for this Portuguese rice pudding, which is common for holidays and other special events in Portugal, and the Portuguese recipes can vary somewhat; for instance, a smaller number of recipes use orange peel and juice instead of lemon peel and juice, and an even smaller number of recipes use a few drops of vanilla, but from what I found, mainly the lemon peel (or orange peel) is left to flavor the rice on its own.

 

If you use non-salted butter, you can add a good pinch of salt to the milk while it's heating. This recipe cooks the rice more than partially, but finishes cooking the rice in the sweetened and lemon flavored milk.

 

Ingredients (6 to 8 servings):

 

1 cup arborio rice

1 1/2 cups water 

2 cups milk (I use 1 cup of canned evaporated milk, not condensed milk,  and 1 cup regular milk)  

3/4 to 1 cup sugar (to desired sweetness preference)

2 egg yolks

3 tablespoons salted butter (divided use)

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

zest of one lemon, grated or finely chopped

ground cinnamon for topping large serving bowl or for individual servings

 

To a heavy-bottomed sauce pan over medium heat, add 1 1/2 cups of water plus 2 tablespoon (salted) butter. Stir and bring to a boil, then add the rice and turn the heat to very low and cover the pan; let cook for 15 minutes, by which time the rice should be almost done; sort of "al dente." If so, remove the rice from the heat. This step overlaps with the rice cooking; so, while the rice is cooking, in another somewhat larger heavy-bottomed pan, heat the milk over medium heat. After it is no longer cold, add the sugar and stir well to dissolve it. Let the milk come just to the point of simmering, and then add another tablespoon of butter and the lemon zest, stir well again. Turn the heat down to low or very low and add the rice to the milk mixture. Beat the eggs in a small bowl, then add some of the hot milk and cooked pudding and keep whisking to temper the eggs, then whisk it into the pudding, along with the lemon juice. Traditionally, the Portuguese use ground cinnamon to make a design on top of the pudding, with religious people often making a cross, but stencils are sometimes used for various designs. If you're like me, and you're not terribly artistic, you can just sprinkle a little ground cinnamon on top of the large dish used to serve the pudding, or onto the tops of individual servings (as in the photos, below). 

 

WORD HISTORY:

Vicinity-This word is related to the "-wick" and "-wich" of place names (such as in Warwick and Norwich), both "-wick" and "-wich" are from the Germanic roots of English, but Old Germanic had borrowed the source from Latin in ancient times, and "vicinity" is related to "villa," another Latin derived word, but borrowed by English from Italian, and to "village" and to "villain," both Latin-derived words, but borrowed by English from French. "Vicinity" goes back to Indo European "weik," which had the notion of "settlement, house, abode:" thus also, "villa, village." This gave Latin "vicus" meaning "series or collection of homes;" thus also, "a village." This then produced the Latin adjective "vicinus," which was used as a noun for "area in close proximity;" thus also, "a neighborhood;" thus also adjectivally, "neighboring," and this gave Latin the noun "vicinitas" (accusative: 'vicinitatem'), meaning "neighborhood, the area near to a given point;" thus, "nearness." Latin-based French took the word as "vicinité" and English borrowed the word in the mid 1500s, initially with the "nearness" meaning. The word is likely more of a borrowing from French, but with Latin influence, although it could be the other way around.  

Indian Rice Pudding: Chawal Ki Kheer

Long grain rice, like basmati rice, is commonly used for this dessert dish. Unlike the rice pudding we generally make in the U.S., which is firmed up; that is, "set," the Indian-style is more fluid, but not totally so, and it is usually served while still warm. I checked probably about 25 recipes for this dessert, and all of them used almonds, while some also used pistachios or cashews, and a couple used both pistachios and cashews. I like raisins, and the Indian recipes all kind of skimp on raisins, in my opinion, so I add a little more to my own recipe, but you can always tailor things to your own taste. 

 

You can use store bought ground cardamom or grind you own cardamom (I use a mortar and pestle). 

Rosewater is available in supermarkets or spice shops. It isn't really expensive.

 

Ingredients (4 to 6 servings):

 

1/2 cup basmati rice, rinsed, then soaked in water for 30 minutes

12 ounces (1 1/2 cups) evaporated milk; that is, 1 can (NOT sweetened condensed canned milk)

2 1/2 cups regular whole milk

5 tablespoons sugar

8 to 10 saffron threads

3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

2 tablespoons slivered almonds

1 tablespoon chopped cashews

1 tablespoon chopped pistachio nuts

2 tablespoons golden raisins

(optional) 1 or 2 teaspoons rosewater

 

Soak the basmati rice for 30 minutes. Heat milk in a heavy bottom pan over low heat, stirring often, until the milk boils. In a small cup or dish, add 2 tablespoons hot milk and the saffron threads and set it aside to steep. Drain the rice and add the rice to the hot milk, stir well. Keep the heat low and let the rice cook. After 10 minutes, add the sugar and ground cardamom and stir well to mix; continue cooking, stirring occasionally. After another 4 to 5 minutes, add the chopped nuts and golden raisins, stir well again, then add the saffron/milk mixture and mix well again. Cook until the rice is very tender, by which time the dish should be fairly thick and creamy. Stir in the rosewater (if using) and remove from the heat. Let sit for a few minutes, stir and serve warm; refrigerate unused portion.  

 

 

  

WORD HISTORY:

Tally-This word, used as both a noun and as a verb, is related to "tailor," "detail," "retail" and "entail," all words of Latin-derivation and borrowed by English via French. "Tally" is of unknown origin, and its history is somewhat difficult, but Latin had the noun "talea," meaning "a narrow or slender piece of wood;" thus, "a stick, a twig, a rod," which passed to Latin-based Old French as "taille" meaning "a stick with marks cut into it to show an amount or amounts (usually for debts, including taxes;" thus, 'an account')." (Note: The idea of cutting marks into sticks, or even into bones, was long used by humans as a way of keeping accounts, until it eventually began to be replaced by written records.) Old French "taille" eventually was often, but not always, rendered as "tallie" in the French that had been carried to England by the Normans. English borrowed the word in the mid 1400s with the same meaning. Over time, other meanings were added like, "a recording of points/goals in sporting events" (mid 1800s), and also "a point or a goal in some competition." The verb also came about in the 1500s, "seemingly" from the Latin verb "talliare," one of the meanings of which was "to tax;" thus, initially the verb "tally" meant "to keep an accounting of taxes owed and paid," with the meaning then broadening beyond keeping tax records to simply keeping records. The verb followed the noun in the mid 1800s with the sports/competition usage "to record points/goals," and with the actual "to achieve a point or goal in a competition."     

Portuguese Seafood Rice: Arroz de Marisco

"Arroz de Marisco" is one of the iconic dishes of Portuguese cuisine. Although recipes vary, especially about the types of seafood used, shrimp is included in almost all recipes, with 2 or 3 other types of seafood often chosen by its availability from among: scallops, mussels, crab, lobster, squid and various choices for white fish, like cod ('bacalhau,' in Portuguese; that is, salted and dried cod),* halibut, haddock.   

If you shell and clean the shrimp yourself, you can use the shells to help make stock for the dish by adding the shells in with the shrimp when you initially cook the shrimp. Just use the large parts of the shells so that it is easy to pick the shells out of the liquid. You don't have to clean and shell the shrimp, you can buy them already cleaned. Trust me, the earth will not stop turning based upon whether you cleaned the shrimp yourself. You will use about 1 1/2 cups of this liquid for the recipe (see below). You can buy the clam juice used in the recipe in supermarkets or perhaps in some fish and seafood shops. It comes in bottles. This rice isn't meant to be completely dry, where it has absorbed all of the liquid; so, don't cook it until that happens. When the rice is tender and the fish and scallops are cooked, that's it, IT'S DONE! Some good crusty bread is excellent for sopping up the remaining broth.

 

Ingredients (4 to 6 servings):

 

1 pound cleaned and shelled medium shrimp

1/2 pound scallops (bay or sea scallops out of their shells)**

1 pound firm white fish (for the photos below, I used halibut), cut into bite-sized pieces

1 1/2 cups arborio rice 

1 cup chopped onion

5 cloves garlic, minced

2/3 cup chopped red bell pepper

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons olive oil + (likely) 1 more tablespoon olive oil

1 cup dry white wine

1 cup clam juice

1 1/2 cups cooking liquid water from shrimp

1 good pinch of saffron threads, or 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon ground white pepper (or ground black pepper)

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

1 teaspoon salt 

 

Put the shrimp (and shells, if using) into a pan over medium heat and cover them with water. Bring the shrimp to a boil and reduce heat to low. Let cook until the shrimp are almost done. Save 1 1/2 cups of the liquid for the recipe (discard any shells used), and cut the shrimp in half (across, not lengthwise). Set the shrimp and the reserved liquid aside.

 

I use a large skillet, but you can use a heavy-bottomed pan. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter to the skillet/pan over medium heat. When the butter has melted, add the chopped onion and stir it around a little and let it cook for 2 to 3 minutes before stirring in the minced garlic and the chopped red bell pepper, and stir the ingredients around until the bell pepper softens somewhat. (If at some point, you feel another tablespoon of oil is needed, add it.) Now add the arborio rice and let it cook for 3 or 4 minutes, stirring the ingredients around occasionally to prevent sticking and burning. Add the white wine and stir, then crush the saffron threads in the palm of your hand and add them to the pan (or stir in the turmeric, if using), along with the white pepper, stir again until the liquid is almost absorbed by the rice, then add the clam juice and do the same, stirring until it is almost absorbed. Now mix the salt into the liquid from the shrimp, and add this liquid to the pan, stirring again. Add the bay scallops and stir and mix them into the rice (the rice should still be in the process of absorbing much of the shrimp broth). Then add the pieces of white fish and the chopped cilantro and mix them into the rice. The scallops and the fish should cook pretty quickly. Add the shrimp halves and mix them into the rice; cook only until the shrimp is heated through and the rice is tender. Any excess liquid if fine, the dish is usually served that way, with bread served to help sop up the broth.   

 

* Portugal is known for its dried, salted cod called 'bacalhau.' The country is home to hundreds of recipes for bacalhau. Portugal imports much of its dried, salted cod from Norway, taking virtually all of the Scandinavian country's cod available for export. 

 

** If you use sea scallops, which are larger than bay scallops, cut them into 3 or 4 pieces.

 

'Arroz de Marisco' with some sliced tomatoes and crusty bread ... 

WORD HISTORY:

Reply (Replicate)-"Reply" is related to quite a number of words, including: "plait/pleat," "complex," "complexion," all Latin-derived words borrowed from French/Anglo-French, and it's related to "flax," a word from the Germanic roots of English. "Reply" goes back to Indo European "plek," with the notion of "to plait, to fold together, to weave or braid." This gave Latin the verb "plicare," meaning "to fold," and "replicare," with the "re" being a Latin prefix generally meaning "again, back. "Replicare" meant "to fold back," but also, "to repeat," and later also, "to respond." "Replicare" gave Old French "replier," meaning "to fold (up), to refold;" that is, "to fold again;" thus, "repeat," and "respond." English borrowed the word in the latter part of the 1300s as "replien, which then became "replyen," before the modern form. The English meanings were: "to make an answer to something (including in the legal sense of  'answer an accusation or charge'), oppose, retaliate." The noun developed from the verb in the mid 1500s with the meaning, "a written or a voiced response to something."

Indonesian Fried Rice: Nasi Goreng

This can simply be used as a side dish, but it is often served with fried eggs, tomatoes and cucumbers for a meal of its own.

 

This dish darkens the rice, so don't think you've done something wrong. For this article, I made the rice without other ingredients like shrimp, chicken or beef, which are sometimes added by Indonesians. This dish uses long grain rice (it has less starch), as you don't want the rice to clump together; thus, basmati rice is a good choice (short grain rice usually has a good deal of starch, which makes it stick together). As is often the case with recipes from other cultures, this dish has 3 special ingredients, one of which is very common (sambal oelek), with the other two being available in numerous supermarkets or in Asian grocery stores, or online. Sambal oelek is a relish or paste of ground red chilies. In the U.S., it is easy to find in supermarkets, and likely even in some smaller grocery stores, and especially Asian grocery stores, as sambal oelek is also made in the U.S., although there are imported brands too (it is not terribly expensive, although imported brands likely cost somewhat more). Sambal oelek is hot, but you aren't using much for the amount of rice and other ingredients, but if you're especially fearful of hot foods, just use 1/2 tablespoon, instead of 1 tablespoon. If you use sambal terasi (see special ingredient #3, below), you won't need sambal oelek. If you don't want to buy it, you can simply use a finely chopped hot chili pepper or two as a substitute. 

 

The second special ingredient, kecap manis, is an Indonesian dark sweet thick soy sauce, unlike what we would most likely think of as typical soy sauce. I use it quite often, and it comes in taller bottles than regular soy sauce. It too is available in some (most?) supermarkets and Asian grocery stores, but you can mix together some regular soy sauce and molasses or brown sugar as a substitute, but the real thing is far better, and I think most people will like it; so much so, that they'll buy it again.

 

The third special ingredient is shrimp paste, which is made from fermented dried shrimp. I suggest buying sambal terasi, which is ground chilies and with shrimp paste added (it comes in relatively small jars (like 6 to 8 ounces, see photo below), and it is from Indonesia, although Indonesians use other types of shrimp paste too). If you use sambal terasi, you can skip using sambal oelek, as sambal terasi has the ground chilies in it. The easiest thing to do, although it is not traditional for this dish, is to use fish sauce, which is easy to find in supermarkets and Asian stores.

 

Just a little information about shrimp paste: it can vary in form from country to country, and it is most commonly used from the Philippines and around through Southeast Asia and in southern China. There are various types and names for it, but it is made of fermented dried shrimp. Now, I had read about shrimp paste, and many of the comments about it centered on the smell it gives off when it is frying, as it often comes in a dried block, from which a certain amount is trimmed and then fried briefly (this dried type is commonly used in Malaysia, where it is called "belacan"). Well, Randy grew up eating and liking Limburger cheese, so I figured I could handle shrimp paste, and I did, but to say it is "smelly," doesn't begin to describe it. The funny thing is, you only use a very small amount, but it will stink up your house or apartment for an hour or so, perhaps prompting your neighbors to call the police to report that you must have stashed a dead body in your house several weeks ago. I actually watched some videos of people who smelled shrimp paste, and some said it was the worst thing they had ever smelled, BUT, when they ate shrimp paste in a finished recipe, they said how good it was. They were right, because it tastes nothing like it smells, as a small amount of shrimp paste delivers a special savory taste to recipes.     

 

Ingredients (4 lunch servings):

 

3 cups cooked long-grain rice, cooled, chilled (leftover rice from the day before is excellent)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon sambal oelek (hot ground chilies) or 1 tablespoon sambal terasi instead

2 tablespoons kecap manis (thick sweet soy sauce) 

if you don't use sambal terasi, use 1 tablespoon fish sauce

1/2 teaspoon black or white ground pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt (can be less or even omitted)

eggs, fried (sunny side up)

tomatoes, sliced or grape tomatoes halved

cucumber, sliced (peeled, unpeeled or partially peeled)

 

If using dried block-type shrimp paste, add the 1/2 teaspoon to a small skillet (no oil) over low heat and toast it for about 2 minutes, breaking it up as it toasts. If you use the dried shrimp paste, you will still need to add sambal oelek or fresh chilies.

If you use sambal terasi, you can add it directly to the recipe, without frying it, and you will NOT need to add sambal oelek or fresh chilies, unless you like super hot food.

If you use fish sauce, it can be added directly to the recipe, and you will still need to add sambal oelek or fresh chilies, but you won't need any shrimp paste or sambal terasi.

 

In a skillet, heat the oil over medium heat; saute the onion, garlic and sambal oelek (or chilies, or sambal terasi) for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, stirring to prevent sticking or burning, then add the kecap manis (and shrimp paste, if using), fish sauce, then the already cooked rice. Sprinkle on the ground pepper and salt (if using), mix all together well, making sure the rice grains separate and get coated with the flavorings. Cook and stir until the rice is well heated and begins to caramelize. 

Top each serving with a fried egg (sunny side up). Serve with sliced or chopped tomatoes and sliced cucumber on the side.  

 

WORD HISTORY:

Meager-This is a word that English has had twice. It is related to "emaciate," a Latin-derived word borrowed by English from that language, and to "macro-," the prefix, which was borrowed from French, which had it from Latin, which had it from Greek. "Meager" goes back to Indo European "mak," which meant "thin, lean," and the extended form "makros," meaning "long, tall, thin, slim." This gave Old Germanic "magraz" meaning "lean, thin," and this gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "mæger" meaning "lean, slim, slender." This word either died out in English or it was taken over by the new form or merged into it (continue reading). The Indo European form also gave Latin the adjective "macer" meaning "thin, lean," and this passed to Latin-based Old French as "megre/maigre" with the same meaning, and English borrowed the word in the 1300s, initially as "megre" (also "meigre?"). The additional meaning of "scant/scanty" was added later. The direct relatives of the original Old English word "mæger" and the more distant relative to the modern English form via Indo European are German, Low German and Dutch "mager," West Frisian "meager" (meger?), Icelandic "magur," Danish, Norwegian, Swedish "mager," all with the general meanings "thin, lean, skinny."

Creamy Italian Rice with Mushrooms: Mushroom Risotto

While risotto is a dish known throughout much of the world, its home is northern Italy. Risotto is known for its creamy texture and it is most commonly made with Arborio rice, a type of short-grain rice from the northern Italian region of Piemonte (Piedmont), the capital of which is Torino (Turin). The rice got its name from the town of Arborio in Piemonte. Now that I've told you all of that, forget it, because I made the risotto for this blog with Carnaroli rice, which is also grown in the Piemonte region, as well as in the neighboring region of Lombardia (Lombardy), the capital of which is the famous city of Milano (Milan). Carnaroli was name after a professor at the University of Milan, who was a geneticist.

 

Generally speaking, many types of rice are not terribly expensive, so we're starting from a relatively low price base, but Carnaroli rice is more expensive than many other types of rice. It is also not as easily found outside of Italy; and by that I mean, you are not likely to walk into your corner grocery store and find Carnaroli rice; unless perhaps, you live in Italy or you live in a neighborhood with a number of Italian families. I'm not an expert on rice production, but Carnaroli rice is primarily grown in the north of Italy. Perspective here on the price: we're not talking about needing an armored security vehicle to go buy Carnaroli rice, but it's more like 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 times what you would pay for regular white rice, with some price variations by brand name. So, if you pay a couple of dollars for regular white rice, you'll likely pay about six dollars for Carnaroli (I paid $5.75).   

 

Ingredients (about 4 to 6 servings): 

1 cup carnaroli rice (or arborio) 

3 tablespoons butter (divided use)

5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (divided use)

4 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock)

1/2 cup white wine

1/4 cup minced onion (white or yellow)

8 to 10 mushrooms, sliced (baby bella mushrooms, also known as cremini)

2 teaspoons minced garlic

2/3 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (or Pecorino Romano)

salt (remember, the stock likely has salt, as does the cheese, so be careful), so to taste 

Heat 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil over low heat; add the sliced mushrooms; cook over low heat for about 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally (it may initially look like a lot of mushrooms, but they will cook down). Now, heat 1 tablespoon butter and 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in a skillet or wide pan over low heat, then add the finely chopped onion. Saute for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent the onion from burning, then add the minced garlic and saute a further 2 minutes, stirring occasionally (you don't want the garlic to burn, as it will then have a bitter taste). Add the wine and let it heat up, then add the rice and stir it around in the onion/garlic/wine mixture until the rice begins to show some dryness, then add 1/2 cup stock and stir it into the rice. Stir it constantly (it doesn't have to be at a feverish pace, but steadily) until more stock is required, then add another 1/2 cup, and repeat the process, then continue adding 1/2 cup stock and stirring until all of the stock is used and the rice is creamy, but it's about to get creamier with the addition of the 1/2 cup of heavy cream (and more stirring), then add 2 tablespoons butter and the grated cheese, and guess what ... more stirring and you're done.     

WORD HISTORY:

Fervor (British English spelling: Fervour)-This word is related to "braise," a word borrowed from French, which had it from Germanic, to "brew," "burn" (the fire-related verb and noun) and "broth," all words from the Germanic roots of English, and to "ferment," a Latin-derived word "likely" borrowed more from French, but with Latin influence and reinforcement. "Fervor" goes back to Indo European "bhreuh," meaning "to boil;" thus also, "to seethe, to cook, to bubble." This gave Latin "fervere" meaning "to boil, to be or become extremely hot;" thus also figuratively, "extremely agitated," with the beginning of the Indo European form rendered in Italic and its Latin offspring as "f." "Fervere" produced the Latin noun "fervor" meaning "an intense heating, a robust boil;" thus also figuratively, "passion, rage, extreme emotion, ardor." This passed into Old French as "fervor" (or fervour/fervur? Or these may have been Anglo-Norman spellings?), with the same meanings as Latin, and English borrowed the word in the mid 1300s as "fervour." In modern English the word is most often applied to "the emotional state of passion or commitment to some cause or belief."  

Persian Rice Pilaf & Chicken: Zereshk Polo Morgh

 

I've seen various recipes for this dish and they are all similar. Persian cooks often take their time and complete several steps in the preparation. Some people make more of the fruit and nut mixture and then  mix it throughout all of the rice, while others do as I've done here, and they put a small amount of the fruit and nuts mixed with some cooked rice on top of each serving or platter of cooked rice. The rice should not come out all sticky or clumped together, but rather more as individual grains. 

 

This is much more of a dinner than just a dish, so there's a lot going on here and I know it might look intimidating, but it really isn't difficult. Persians generally use barberries in this. Barberries are used in various parts of the world, and they are a tart berry from a type of evergreen bush. They are not terribly common in the United States, but they can be easily found online, if you want authenticity, or if you just want to try something new. I substituted dried sour cherries, but you can also use dried cranberries (preferably unsweetened) in addition to, or instead of, dried cherries and raisins. Persians often use skinless chicken, but you can use skin-on chicken (note: if I use skinless chicken in a particular recipe, I sometimes add the removed skin to cook alongside the skinless chicken to add flavor; I leave it in large enough pieces that it can be fished out, but if you are using skinless chicken for health concerns, that's a totally different matter). The red pepper isn't much, so it won't leave your mouth smoking. I use pistachios, but almonds (skins removed) can also be used as a substitute, or almonds can be used along with the pistachios. Saffron is an expensive spice from crocus flowers. If you don't have saffron and you don't care to buy it, you can substitute turmeric, in addition to the amount I already have in the recipe. The cardamom pods should be crushed or slit to allow the flavor of the seeds inside to easily be released.    

 

Ingredients:

 

4 whole chicken legs (that is the drumstick and thigh together)

2 cups basmati rice

6 cups water seasoned with 1 tablespoon salt to cook the rice initially

1/2 cup water to finish cooking the rice

1 teaspoon saffron in 1/4 cup hot water (divided use after soaking)

2 tablespoons olive oil + 2 tablespoons butter

1 cup chopped white or yellow onion

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 teaspoon salt

2 whole slightly crushed and opened cardamom pods

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 good pinch ground red pepper (Indian, cayenne or other)

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 cup chicken stock

3 tablespoons butter

1 heaping teaspoon sugar

1/2 cup dried cherries

1/4 cup golden raisins

1/4 cup shelled and lightly roasted pistachios

 

Soak the basmati rice in some cold water from the faucet while you do other things for the recipe. Grind the saffron into a powder. A mortar and pestle is good for this, but you can use a spice grinder. Put the saffron into a small cup and add 1/4 cup hot water, stir and let it sit while the rice finishes soaking. In a large skillet, add the olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and saute for 2 minutes. Add the salt, black pepper, pinch of ground red pepper, ground cinnamon, cardamom pods, ground turmeric and tomato paste; stir the spices and tomato paste to mix everything together well. Now snuggle the chicken pieces in among the onion/spice mixture. Cook for about 2 minutes, then keep turning the chicken pieces to coat them with the mixture. Cook for 4 or 5 minutes, then add 1 cup chicken stock, stir, cover the skillet with a lid or foil, turn the heat to low and let cook until the chicken is done and tender, removing the cover/lid on occasion to stir and to turn the chicken pieces. Add 1/2 the saffron water, stir and let cook just like 3 minutes. In a pan, add 6 cups water and 1 tablespoon salt, bring to a full boil. While the water is coming to a boil, drain the soaking rice, and once the water is fully boiling, add the rice to the water. Cook for 6 minutes ONLY (taste a piece of rice, the rice should still have some firmness to it, the rice does NOT have to absorb all of the water at this stage the way we normally cook rice, so much of the water will be drained off). Pour the water and rice into a colander and once the hot water runs off, place the rice and colander under the faucet and let cold water run on it for a few minutes (this stops the cooking process for the rice). In the pan you just used, add the rice back in and 1/2 cup water over very low heat, cover. Let the rice finish cooking and absorbing all of the water (this time as we more typically cook rice). Remove from the heat, but put the lid back on, let the heaping rice sit covered for 15 minutes. While that is ongoing, melt 3 tablespoons butter in a skillet over low heat, add the dried cherries (barberries or dried cranberries), golden raisins, pistachios (I lightly dry roasted the pistachios briefly, but that's certainly optional), 1 heaping teaspoon sugar and the rest of the saffron water. Stir and toss the fruits and nuts in the sweetened mixture. Now add 5 tablespoons of the cooked rice to the fruit and nut mixture and stir and toss to mix everything together very well (the rice will take on the color of the sweetened mixture). Serve by placing some of the cooked white rice on each plate, then topping each with some of the fruit/nut/seasoned rice mixture. Place a whole chicken leg next to the rice dish and add a little of the chicken sauce over the chicken pieces.  

 

           

 

 

WORD HISTORY:

Cadence-This word is related to "chance" and to "case" (the noun form meaning, "the state or condition of something, something that happens;" as in, "in this case," "a court case," also the grammatical sense, "nominative case, accusative case, etc"), both words of Latin origin borrowed by English from Latin-based French, and it is related to "cadaver," a word borrowed by English from Latin. "Cadence" goes back to Indo European "khad/kad," which had the meaning, "to fall." This gave Latin "cadere," which meant, "to fall." A participle form of this verb, cadens, produced Latin "cadentia," meaning, "something that falls out, the falling out of dice (the action of such)." This passed into Italian as "cadenza," meaning "falling," but also, "the ending of a piece of music" (from the idea of "rising and falling of the rhythm and sound to end a song). This was taken by French (the basic form came from Latin, but with the extended meaning taken from Italian), and English borrowed the word in the late 1300s "seemingly" from French, but almost certainly with Italian (and perhaps Latin?) influence. It is possible that the borrowing was from Italian, but the spelling was then influenced by French. "Cadence" has since expanded the meaning to the rising and falling of one's voice in speech. 

Guadeloupe Crabmeat and Rice: Matété à Crabe

Guadeloupe is a group of islands in the Caribbean Sea that are a part of France, as an overseas region. Its population is around 400,000. The name came via Christopher Columbus upon his visit to the islands in 1493, from the town of Guadalupe in west-central Spain, where there was a shrine to the Virgin Mary. By the first half of the 1600s the French had taken a major interest in the islands and they brought French colonists and then African slaves to develop farming.* France actually took control of the islands in the second half of the 1600s, but the British took control for several years in the mid 1700s (they were at war with France). Since then, wars and treaties saw Guadeloupe mainly under French control, although there were brief intervals of British and even Swedish control. The spelling "Guadeloupe" is the French form, as France kept the Spanish name of the islands bestowed by Columbus, an Italian (just to add more international flavor).

 

This dish of crab and rice is one of the best known dishes of Guadeloupe, but there are variations. The people of Guadeloupe have lots of access to seafood, so it is not uncommon for some people there to fix whole small or even larger crabs separately from the basic rice dish, which is then used as a side dish. Others use just the meat of the crabs and add it to the top of the seasoned rice or mix it in, as I have done here. Naturally, most of us don't have easy and affordable access to crab, but we can settle for lump crab meat from the supermarket or the seafood shop, although the "affordable" part may be elusive, as crab has generally always been moderately to extremely expensive through the years. The dish can have a "kick," because of the chili pepper, most commonly "scotch bonnet chilies" in Guadeloupe, but if you don't like heat, you can use a little ground hot red pepper, just to mildly season the dish.     

  

Ingredients: 

1 to 1 1/2 cups lump crab meat

1/2 cup chopped white onion

3 scallions/green onions, chopped, green included

1 teaspoon dried thyme (or 1 tablespoon fresh thyme) 

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 cup chopped tomatoes with juice

2 tablespoons vegetable oil or olive oil

3 whole cloves

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon salt 

1 or 2 scotch bonnet (or habanero) chilies, seeded and finely chopped

1 cup rice cooked (see instructions, below)

Cook the rice according to the instructions on the package of the brand you use, but instead of plain water, add 1 bottle of clam broth (also called "clam juice") and enough water to equal 2 cups of liquid (if you have seafood stock, use 2 cups of it instead), then add 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon olive oil and 2 bay leaves (these few ingredients for the rice are separate from the ingredients listed for the rest of the recipe). Again, follow the instructions on the package to cook the rice, and when done, remove the two bay leaves. This rice will be added to the mixture you make with these instructions: Heat the oil in a heavy bottom pan over medium heat, then add the onion and saute for just 2 minutes, then add garlic, tomatoes, scallions, thyme, cloves, parsley, black pepper, salt and chili pepper(s), cook for 3 to 4 minutes, then add crab meat and cook another 4 minutes, stirring often. Turn heat to low and add the cooked rice and mix it into the other ingredients, cook 3 to 4 minutes stirring often. Sprinkle with lime juice.

 

* According to the "CIA World Fact Book," the demographic population of Guadeloupe is about 75% black or black and white mixed race, with 11% white and the rest of various backgrounds including East Indian and Asian.

 

WORD HISTORY:

Muscle (Mussel)-This word, closely related to "mouse,"^ goes back to Indo European "mush/moosh," which meant "mouse, rodent," but also "leg or arm muscle," perhaps from the scampering mouse like appearance of the muscle when being flexed. This gave its Latin offspring "mus," meaning "mouse, small rodent." From this, Latin developed the word "musculus," which meant "muscle," but which literally meant "little mouse." French borrowed the word as "muscle" from Latin and English borrowed that word from French in the 1300s. A verb form, meaning "to use force" (muscle), developed from the noun in English, "apparently" in the early 20th Century. With Latin terms heavily involved in medicine and science, forms of the word "muscle" spread to other languages, including to close relatives of English, German and Low German, both of which have "Muskel." The clam-like creature name "mussel" is really the same word, but it was borrowed directly from Latin "muscula," seemingly a diminutive form from Latin "musculus" (see above), and the word in Old English was "muscule" (likely pronounced "mus-kulah," in imitation of the Latin word), but then it became "muscelle" (likely from French influence), and then it became "muscle" during the Middle Ages, but by the first part of the 1600s the spelling "mussel" began to appear, and by the 1800s, that spelling became far more common, "apparently" this spelling was preferred by many to distinguish it from "muscle."  

 

^ For the "Word History" of "mouse," see my previous article at: https://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2013/02/steinbecks-of-mice-and-men-great-book.html

Portuguese Tomato Rice: Arroz de Tomate

This is a pretty common Portuguese dish. I've seen recipes that use both short-grain or long-grain rice; so, use what you have or prefer. You can use any kind of ripe tomatoes. I used Roma tomatoes, which tend to be smaller, so I use 4 tomatoes, rather than the 3 I have listed in the recipe.  

 

Ingredients (4 to 5 servings):

 

1 cup rice

1 cup chopped onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 ripe tomatoes, blanched, peeled, seeded, chopped

1/4 cup cilantro (or parsley), chopped

2 cups vegetable broth or chicken broth

1 teaspoon salt (optional if you use "salty" broth)

3 tablespoons olive oil 

6 or 8 black olives, halved

In a heavy bottom sauce pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat and then saute the onion until it starts to soften, then add the minced garlic. Saute for about another minute or minute and a half. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook a further two minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the rice, coating the rice well. Now stir in the broth and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to low or very low and cover the pan with a lid or foil. Cook until the liquid is just absorbed, remove from the heat and stir in the chopped cilantro (or parsley). Top the individual servings with some black olive halves.  

WORD HISTORY:

Monsoon-This word goes back to transliterated Arabic "wasama," which meant "to mark (something), to give a name, identity or description to something." This produced Arabic "mawsim," meaning "a time of year;" thus also, "a festival or holiday of a time of year;" thus also, "a season (time of year)." Portuguese sailors and explorers borrowed the word in the 1500s as "monção," with the "season" meaning pertaining to "the trade winds in the Indian Ocean." The next step has some uncertainty, as Dutch "seems" to have borrowed the word as "monssoen" from the Portuguese, but as the Dutch also sailed the Indian Ocean in those times, they could have borrowed it from Arabic speaking people in that region, just as the Portuguese had done. English borrowed the word from Dutch, but likely with Portuguese reinforcement, in the latter part of the 1500s. The winds associated with "monsoon" helped ships travel the Indian Ocean, but these winds also brought rains; thus, the meaning in English of "heavy rain," or "rainy season."    

Kenyan Rice & Salad: Pilau and Kachumbari

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

 

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

 

Ingredients (4 servings): 

 

For the pilau:

 

1 cup basmati rice

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

3 garlic cloves, chopped or minced

1/2 cup chopped tomatoes

1 1/2 inch piece of fresh ginger, minced

2 inch cinnamon stick

1 teaspoon ground cumin 

1 teaspoon ground cardamom

2 bay leaves

2 cups chicken stock

2/3 teaspoon ground black pepper

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

1/4 cup oil (vegetable or olive)

 

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

 

For the kachumbari:

 

2 tomatoes (baseball size), diced

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

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

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

2 garlic cloves, chopped/minced

2 tablespoons lime juice

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

1/2 to 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

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

(optional) 1 teaspoon honey

(optional) 1 tablespoon vegetable or olive oil

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

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

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

 

 

 

WORD HISTORY:

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

Risotto With Scallops: Risotto con Capesante

For this recipe I first used bay scallops, which are a small type of scallops, but you could certainly use sea scallops, then cut them into smaller sizes, which is what I did about a week later when I made the dish again. I say "smaller sizes," because sea scallops have quite a variation in size, with some being the diameter of a golf ball, while others can be the diameter of a baseball or even larger.

 

The risotto should not be dry, nor should it be runny, but rather it should be creamy. The important thing is to keep stirring the rice, as this process removes some of the starchy coating of the rice to help add the creaminess to the risotto. Arborio rice is a great variety of rice to use for risotto. Arborio rice originally came from northwestern Italy in the area around Turin (Italian: Torino) and a little town named "Arborio." The rice is now also grown elsewhere in the world, including in the United States. 

Ingredients:

 

1 pound scallops

4 tablespoons butter (divided use)

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 cup onion, finely chopped

1 1/2 cups Arborio rice

1 1/3 cups dry white wine

2 cups clam (or seafood) broth

2 cups vegetable stock 

good pinch of salt

(optional) the top 1 1/2 inches of each spear from 1 pound of asperagus 

 

In a skillet over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Add the scallops and garlic and saute for 2 to 3 minutes, until the scallops begin to lightly brown, then add 1/3 cup of white wine and saute further until only a couple of tablespoons of liquid remain. Sprinkle a little salt onto the scallops.

 

In a heavy-bottomed pan, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat, then add the finely chopped onion. Stir constantly as you saute the onion for about 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the rice and mix everything together well in the buttery mixture for about 90 seconds. Now add the dry white wine and stir pretty much constantly (you don't need to stir vigorously) until the wine is down to a few tablespoons and then add 1 cup clam/seafood broth and 1 cup vegetable broth. Again stir until the liquid is reduced by more than half, then add 1/2 cup clam/seafood broth and 1/2 cup vegetable stock. Follow the same pattern of stirring, and, if using asparagus tips, after the liquid heats up, add the asparagus while you continue to stir. Add the scallop mixture from the skillet and keep stirring until the asparagus is tender, but still firm (not mushy).

 

Top two photos are with scallops and asparagus tips and the third and fourth photos are just with bay scallops ...

WORD HISTORY: 

Fierce-This word is related to "feral" and to "ferocity," both Latin-derived words borrowed by English via French, and to "ferocious," a Latin word borrowed directly from Latin. It goes back to Indo European "gwher," which meant, "wild animal, wild beast." This gave Latin the adjective "ferus," meaning "wild, untamed, savage," from a "likely" Italic form of "feros" (wild, savage).^ Latin-based Old French took the word as "fers" (masculine singular form), meaning, "wild, mighty, harsh, savage;" thus, "fierce, ferocious," which became "fiers" in the French dialect in England. English borrowed the word in the mid 1200s as "fiers," essentially with the same meanings, although the meaning "brave, bold" arose for awhile (perhaps seen as the result of being fierce and ferocious?), but died out after a couple of hundred years (by the mid 1500s?).   

 

^  Italic is a branch of the Indo European family of languages and includes Latin, Umbrian, Venetic, and others, most of which have died out. Latin's own limited use today is mainly because its dialects evolved into several modern languages: Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Rumanian, Catalan, Sardinian, and several others. 

Rice Pudding

Rice pudding is typically a dessert dish in the United States, but some cultures use it as a main course, and there are various recipes. Rice likely moved out of Asia into the Middle East and then into Europe through Greece and later by way of the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal). Where rice pudding developed is really not known, but certainly China would be on any list of possibilities, although what would actually have qualified as being "rice pudding" is unclear, but maybe rice with some spices and perhaps some sweetener? After all, rice pudding is generally a simple dish. Cinnamon is one of the common spices used in many countries for rice pudding, as well as nutmeg sometimes, and on the Indian subcontinent cardamom is also often used. Some people make rice pudding by cooking the rice in water, while elsewhere the rice is cooked in milk, as in German speaking countries, where the dish is literally called "Milchreis" ("milk rice"), and it is usually topped with sugar and cinnamon. On Puerto Rico coconut milk is part of the recipe.*    

Ingredients:

1 cup white rice
1/4 to 1/3 cup sugar
1 cup cream
2 cups milk **
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
bare pinch of salt
(optional) 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
(optional) 1/3 cup raisins 
some sugar and cinnamon for garnish on each serving

In a sauce pan, add the rice, sugar and salt, then add the milk, cream and vanilla. Mix well and place over medium heat for just a couple of minutes (DO NOT BOIL), then reduce heat to low or very low (you can continue reducing the heat as the rice cooks, if you prefer), cover and cook until the rice is tender, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking (because this is cooking with milk and cream, and not with water, it can stick easily). (Optional) If you'd like, you can stir in 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon and/or 1/3 cup of raisins; otherwise, just top each serving with some sugar and a little cinnamon. This can be served warm or chilled. If chilled, you can serve it with whipped cream, which is common in the United States.

* For Puerto Rican rice pudding; that is, Arroz con Dulce, here is the link: https://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2016/04/puerto-rican-rice-pudding-arroz-con.html

** I use 1 cup of evaporated (canned) milk and 1 cup of regular milk, but if you use evaporated milk, the rice will not be completely white, if that matters to you. 

WORD HISTORY:
Hornet-This word is related to "horn," and it goes back to Indo European "k(h)er," which meant, "horn, head." This seems to have developed only in West Germanic, as "hurznuto," meaning, "hornet."^ This gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "hyrnet/hyrnetu," with the same meaning and this then became "hornet." The other West Germanic languages have: German "Hornisse," Low German "Hoornk," Dutch "hoornaar." I could not find a form in Frisian, although presumably there once was such a form, and the North Frisian dialect has "horn" and the West Frisian dialect has "hoarn," both meaning "horn," the base of the word "hornet."     

^ Apparently from the antennae, but there is some speculation that it is from the buzzing sound and its connection to "horn," the instrument, which literally were animal horns in ancient times, and some Germanic forms of long ago did use. I favor the antennae idea. 

Mexican Red Rice: Arroz Rojo

Often termed "Spanish rice" in the US, the fact is, this dish is not a part of the cuisine in Spain, where such rice dishes often use saffron, making them yellow in color (think Spanish "paella"). There are numerous variations to making red rice in Mexico, but I've chosen to go a little beyond the basic recipe. When I was a little kid, my mother made "Spanish rice" with bacon grease, tomatoes, onion and green peppers. How she learned to make it that way, I have no idea, but as to the use of only green pepper, in those days, red, yellow and orange bell peppers were considerably more expensive than green peppers. This is my own recipe and I do like some "heat" in many foods, so this has some chili pepper, although, of course, you can leave it out, scale it back, or increase it, depending upon your preferences. My mother never used chili peppers in the rice, but back then, you didn't really see fresh chili peppers in stores, and my father didn't like spicy hot food anyway. Just to clarify, I'm sure stores in some parts of the U.S. had chili peppers, especially those in the southwestern part of the country.   

Ingredients:

1 cup white rice (I use long grain rice)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1 serrano chili, finely chopped (for more heat, use 2 serranos, for less heat, use 1 seeded jalapeño pepper)
3 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 cup tomato sauce
1 tablespoon mild Spanish paprika
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
2 teaspoons ancho chili powder (or your favorite chili powder)
2 teaspoons adobo seasoning
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. When the oil is hot, add the rice and saute until it begins to brown, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. Add the onion, the chopped red and green pepper, the chopped tomato and the serrano chili pepper. Cook until the vegetables begin to soften (they will cook further). Add the tomato sauce, the paprika, the chili powder and the adobo seasoning; stir to mix in the seasonings. Add the broth, stir, and reduce the heat to the point where the liquid gently simmers. Cover the skillet (lid or foil) and cook until the liquid is absorbed (can vary from about 25 to 35 minutes, or even longer). Add the chopped cilantro and then use a fork to mix in the cilantro. 

WORD HISTORY:
Quay-This word is distantly related to "hedge," a word from the Germanic roots of English. "Quay" goes back to Indo European "kagh," which had the idea of "to enclose," which spawned the noun form "kaghom," meaning, "enclosure." This gave Old Celtic "kaghyo," meaning "pen, fenced in area," and this was passed to Gaulish, an old Celtic language, as "caium," with the same general meaning. This was taken by Old French as "cai," seemingly with the initial meaning of, "sandbank" (a ridge of sand that builds up in water to "enclose" a section of that water), but then the idea of a sandbank brought about "platform, or raised area for ships to dock; thus, "quay." English borrowed the word circa 1700, but the spelling varied, including cay, caye, key(e).