Shrimp & Scallop Pasta with Saffron Cream Sauce

Saffron is a spice from the stigma of the crocus flower. The work needed to produce the spice saffron makes it the most expensive spice in the world, but a little saffron goes a relatively long way. If you don't have saffron and you don't care to buy it, you can substitute ground turmeric, as both spices will give a yellow/golden color to the sauce. 

Bay scallops are smaller than sea scallops and so is the bill for them, as they are cheaper.

 

Pappardelle is a type of pasta that is wide and flat, similar to many types of noodles, except that pappardelle is in long strands or ribbons. As with many types of pasta, you can get it fresh or dried. 

 

Neither Italian restaurant cooks nor Italian home cooks add cheese to sauces with seafood, nor do they sprinkle it on top of finished seafood dishes, but I'm of the feeling that a little cheese can't hurt anything, and I only put a couple of tablespoons of grated cheese in the sauce, which also helps to thicken the sauce.

 

Ingredients (4 servings):

 

To cook the shrimp:

 

2/3 pound raw shrimp, cleaned, shells saved

2 cups water

1 bay leaf

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon salt 

Bring 2 cups water to a boil, add 1 bay leaf, 2 cloves crushed garlic, 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon salt and shrimp shells, reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer for 5 minutes; then add the shrimp and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, until opaque; remove the shrimp to a separate plate temporarily. Strain the broth and return it to the pan.

 

For the overall dish:

 

2/3 pound raw shrimp (prepared with the ingredients above)

2/3 pound bay scallops

1 pound pappardelle

4 tablespoons butter

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons flour

1 cup shrimp broth from cooking the shrimp (see preparation above)

1/2 teaspoon crushed saffron threads in 1/4 cup dry white wine

2 teaspoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons grated Parmigiano Reggiano (Parmesan cheese)

2/3 cup heavy cream

pinch of ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

 

In a cup or a small bowl, add the white wine, and crush the saffron threads in the palm of your hand, then add them to the wine, stir to mix, then set it aside temporarily. Melt the butter in a large skillet over low heat; add the scallops, season with a pinch of ground black pepper and 1/4 teaspoon salt; saute for 3 to 3 1/2 minutes, remove skillet from the heat and let scallops sit in the skillet for about 30 to 60 seconds; remove scallops individually to the separate plate with the shrimp temporarily, leaving the seasoned melted butter in the skillet. Put the skillet back on low heat, add the minced garlic and saute for about 1 minute. Sprinkle the flour over the garlicky butter and mix it in to make a roux and keep cooking the roux over the low heat for a total of about 2 minutes (it's okay if the roux acquires a little light tan/golden color, but you don't want it to be dark at all). While stirring constantly and steadily, add about 1/2 cup of the shrimp broth to the roux and as it thickens, add another 1/2 cup of broth, while continuing to stir. Add the saffron/white wine and stir to mix it through, then stir in the lemon juice and grated cheese. Continue on low heat for about 1 minute, then stir in the heavy cream. The sauce should have a nice pale yellowish tint to it. If you use fresh pappardelle, add it and gently mix it around in the creamy sauce. It only takes like 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 minutes to cook fresh pappardelle al dente. If using dried pappardelle cook it separately as per the instructions on the box/bag, drain it very well, then add it to the sauce. Add the cooked shrimp and scallops and mix them through the pasta and sauce (be sure to add any juices that may have collected on the dish). Let the shrimp and scallops come up to temperature, then remove the skillet from the heat and serve.    

WORD HISTORY:

Arrest-This word is used as both a verb and a noun and the "rest" part of it is related to the verb "stay" (with the meaning :"to halt, to stop movement," also, "to hold back"), a Latin-derived word borrowed by English from French, to another verb "stay" (with the meaning: "to support, to secure, to steady"), also borrowed from French, which had it from Germanic Frankish, to another verb "stay" (meaning: "to halt some process, usually in legal matters, to halt legal proceedings"), and to the noun "stay" meaning "support," borrowed from French, which had it from Germanic Frankish, and which overlaps with "stay" meaning "rope or cable supporting a ship's mast," a word and meaning from the Germanic roots of English. "Arrest" goes back to Indo European "ad," which had the notion "at, to, toward" (it is also the ancient ancestor of English "at"), which gave Latin "ad," with the same meanings, but also, "having a connection to, in relation to;" thus also, "regarding, with or in regard to." The main body of the word goes back to Indo European "sta(h)/steh," which meant "to stand, to be stable, to be firm or in place," which gave Latin "stare" meaning "to stand," and with the prefix "re,"^ which meant "back, again, against," with the combined parts "re" and "stare" giving Latin the verb "restare" meaning "to halt, to stop, to stay back, to stay behind." "Restare" was then given the prefix "ad" with the shortened form "a," to produce Latin "arrestare" (yes, double 'r;' why, I don't know), meaning "to stop, to cause to stop;" thus also, "to hold back or restrain." This passed into Latin-based Old French as "arester/" with the meaning "to stop, to stay" and English borrowed this in the late 1300s as the verb "aresten" (then "arresten" under the influence of Latin spelling) meaning "to cause or to make someone or something to stop, to make stop for legal reason(s)." The noun had been formed in Old French from the verb as "areste," meaning "a stopping, a stoppage;" thus also, "a delay," which became "arest" in the Anglo-French used in England and English also borrowed this in the late 1300s as "arest," with the "stopping," "stoppage" meaning, and it then too came to be spelled "arrest," under the influence of Latin. The first part of the 1400s saw the word used for "a stopping and detaining by some legal authority to determine liability, if any, for some criminal act." That is by far the main meaning in modern times, although occasionally you might hear something like, "The doctor prescribed some medication to arrest the woman's hay fever." German has the noun "Arrest" (all German nouns are capitalized), "seemingly" from medieval Latin "arrestum," and meaning "to seize or confiscate, to take into custody (person or goods/property), the verb "arrestieren," borrowed from Dutch in the 1300s, which had it from either French or medieval Latin (from "arrestare," see above) and another noun, "Arrestant," meaning "one taken into custody, one put under arrest" (I didn't spend a lot of time on this, but one source says it came from a participle form of medieval Latin "arrestare," "apparently" used as a noun for "prisoner, one in custody"). Regardless of how German acquired these forms, the main noun, "Arrest," is pronounced very similarly to the pronunciation in English, and I have to believe English has influenced the pronunciation. I initially thought German may have borrowed the word from English, but that does not seem to be the case at all. When using "Arrest" in German (it is 'der Arrest,' by the way), the way to say "You are under arrest" is, "Sie stehen unter Arrest," literally, "You stand under arrest."        

^ The prefix "re" has an uncertain origin, although Indo European forms such as "ure," "wret" and "wurt/wert," have been suggested, all with some relationship to the meaning "to turn, to turn around."

Burmese Shrimp Curry: Bazun Hin

This Burmese dish is also known as "Pazoon Hin," and there are variations in recipes. It is not an especially spicy hot dish, although it does have a little bit of a kick, but if you like your dishes fiery, you can easily adjust the amount of fresh chilies and/or the amount of ground red pepper or the type of ground red pepper. I used Kashmiri chili powder (ground red chili peppers), which is much milder than standard Indian chili powder, which is hot, much like cayenne pepper. 

 

Burma is also known as Myanmar (1989), and the official language is Burmese, one of the Sino-Tibetan languages, which includes Mandarin Chinese, Cantonese Chinese, Tibetan and between 300 and 400 other languages and dialects. The nation has a population in excess of 55 million. The country became a colony of Britain in the 1880s, and during World War II Burma faced much destruction as the Japanese invaded Burma in 1942, with fighting continuing there until mid 1945. "Likely" the best known city in Burma/Myanmar is Rangoon, which is now known as Yangon, and it was the former capital until late 2005, but the current capital is Naypyidaw (seemingly pronounced as if "nay-pyee-dah"). By the way, a well known dish, usually an appetizer served in Chinese restaurants in the U.S. and perhaps elsewhere, is "Crab Rangoon," but it is not from the city in Burma, although the dish name is likely a big reason why so many Americans know the name Rangoon. (Note: By the way, Crab Rangoon is thought to have developed in San Francisco in the United States in the mid 1950s.)

Ingredients 4 servings):

1 pound raw shrimp, peeled and de-veined

3 tablespoons vegetable oil + 1 teaspoon sesame oil

1/2 cup chopped onion

2 teaspoons grated ginger

1 large clove garlic, minced

1 small chili pepper, chopped

3 tomatoes, chopped (tennis ball size)

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon ground red pepper (like cayenne)

1 good pinch ground cloves

6 or 7 fennel seeds, ground (you can use a spice grinder or a mortar and pestle, as I do)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon fish sauce

1 can coconut milk

1 or 2 tablespoons chopped coriander (for garnish)

(optional for fans of chilies) 1 to 3 teaspoons chopped chilies for garnish

 

In a skillet (or wok), add the vegetable oil/sesame oil over medium heat. Add the onion and saute for 2 minutes, stirring the onion around as it cooks. Add the garlic, ginger and chili pepper; saute one minute, while stirring. Now add the chopped tomatoes, ground turmeric, ground red pepper, ground fennel and salt; stir to mix in, saute 1 to 2 minutes, then stir in the fish sauce and mix it in well to distribute all of the flavors. Add the shrimp and saute with the other ingredients for 2 minutes, then add the coconut milk, stir well, and let the sauce come up to temperature and let the dish simmer until the shrimp are completely cooked, then remove the skillet from the heat. Garnish with some chopped cilantro (also known as fresh coriander) and, optionally, some chopped chilies. Serve with rice.

 

WORD HISTORY:

Nest-This word goes back to Indo European "nizdo," which "seems" to be a combination formation of "ni," which meant "down, below" ("ni" being the ancient ancestor of English "nether") and "sed," which meant "to sit" (indeed the ancient ancestor of English "sit"). This gave its Old Germanic offspring "nistaz," a noun which meant "(a) nest." The verb form is from Old Germanic "nistijanan," which meant "to nest, to make a nest." The Germanic form gave Old English the noun "nest," a form which has lasted to this day, and which meant "nest, brood of young birds." The Old English verb form "nistan," meant "to build a nest/nests." Other Germanic noun forms survived only in the West Germanic branch of Germanic (English is West Germanic), but see the Swedish entry: German, Low German and Dutch all have "nest," and Frisian once had a form, now no longer used. Swedish (from the North Germanic branch) has "näste," but it was borrowed from Low German.

Kerala Prawn (Shrimp) Curry: Chemmeen Kari

Kerala is a state along the seacoast in southwestern India, and seafood dishes are common there. Most recipes use coconut milk in this dish, which of course lightens the color, but I've seen a couple of recipes that omit the coconut milk, and the nice red color of the dish draws me to it. I know the list of ingredients looks intimidating, but it really shouldn't scare you at all, and if you cook Indian food at home often, and you already have a lot of spices, you should be pretty well set to make this dish, with the possible exceptions of curry leaves, which are common in southern Indian cooking, and black mustard seeds. Curry leaves can be found in Indian and Pakistani grocery stores and perhaps in "some" spice shops. They are often frozen, but I've actually found fresh curry leaves here in Cleveland at an Indian grocery store. Curry leaves have a combination of a citrusy and basil like taste. You can substitute basil leaves along with some grated lime peel. Black mustard seeds are available at spice shops, Indian/Pakistani grocers and at some supermarkets.

 

I've made this dish a couple of times before, but when I made it for this article, I decided to substitute tomato juice for the water I had used before, and I now prefer to use tomato juice.

Serve with basmati rice ...

 

Ingredients:

 

1 pound raw medium shrimp, shelled and cleaned

4 tablespoons vegetable or sunflower oil

1/2 teaspoon black mustard seeds

1 large onion (softball size), quartered and then sliced

2 teaspoons grated ginger

4 medium cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds

1 or 2 red chilies, cut into 4 or 5 pieces each

1 cup chopped tomato

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 tablespoon ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon ground red pepper (like cayenne, or for milder: 1/2 sweet paprika, 1/2 cayenne)

1 heaping teaspoon ground black pepper

12 to 15 curry leaves (or substitute 1 tablespoon grated lime peel and like 6 or 8 torn basil leaves)

1/3 cup tomato juice

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 cardamom pods, crushed or slit 

2 heaping tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, aka coriander 

Heat oil over medium heat (I list 4 tablespoons of oil, but I suggest using 3 tablespoons, then adding the remaining tablespoon, if necessary), add the black mustard seeds and cook for a minute or until the seeds begin to "pop." Add the onions and saute until they begin to soften, then add the ginger, garlic and fennel seed; saute another minute, then add the chilies and cook for 90 seconds, then add the tomato and cook for 3 minutes. Add the salt, turmeric, ground coriander, ground cumin, ground red pepper (or the half and half mixture), ground black pepper, curry leaves (or grated lime/basil leaves substitute), tomato juice, ground cinnamon, cardamom pods (crushed or slit) and cook for another 6 minutes, before adding the shrimp and cook a further 6 minutes, then add 1 tablespoon of the chopped cilantro, stir and cook about 60 to 90 seconds. Garnish with the other tablespoon of chopped cilantro.

 

Kerala Prawn Curry, basmati rice and paratha, a type of layered and flaky Indian flatbread ...

WORD HISTORY:

Clue-This word is related to "clay," "clod," "cleave" (with the meaning "to cling to," not the meaning "to cut, chop"), all words from the Germanic roots of English, and to "glue," a Latin-derived word borrowed by English via French. "Clue" goes back to Indo European ""gleuh/gleih," which had the notion of "stick together, adhere." This gave Old Germanic "kliwjo(n)," meaning,  "something stuck together, a mass, something clumped into a ball." This gave Old English "cliewen" meaning, "a ball or clump," then "ball or clump of thread," and this then became "clewe," then "clew," then "clue" (perhaps influenced by some French spellings?). The meaning "ball of thread" was long the meaning, but the more modern meaning comes via Greek mythology where Theseus used a ball of thread to guide him out of a maze (used as "clew/clue ball," circa 1600); thus in English, this usage then took on the broader sense (circa 1625?), "something that guides and gives direction to solve a problem." Used in a negative sense in like, "That guy hasn't a clue where he is," with the general meaning "bewildered, not have an idea about something." The early to mid 1930s saw the development of the verb form meaning, "to give information to help point one in a particular direction," not long thereafter almost always used with "in," as with, "Clue me in on how to use this new app." Low German has both "Kluven" and "Kloen" ("ball of thread"),^ Dutch has "kluwen" ("ball of thread"), German has modern "Knäuel" (ball of yarn, ball of twine/thread), and the spelling with the "n" came about through a variant pronunciation in the Middle Ages of German "kliuwel," itself a diminutive form of German "kliuwe," Frisian once had "kliwen," but I cannot find anything beyond that, and Old Norse had "kle" ("ball," also "ball of wool?"), but the word seems to have died out in Old Norse, and thus, in the North Germanic languages.

 

^ Low German is not a standard language, but rather a collection of dialects; thus, it is not totally uncommon to see more than one form of a word by regions, or even totally different words.  

North German Sole Fillets: Seezungenfilets Büsumer Art

Büsum is a city of about 5000 on the North Sea coast of the German state of Schleswig-Holstein. In more modern times, while standard German, Hochdeutsch, is the common language, the local language dating back to ancient times in this area is Low German.

 

Sole is a general name for certain related types of flatfish the world over, with some types especially common in the North Sea area of Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and the British Isles; and indeed, the type often caught in the shallow waters around Britain is  called "Dover sole," although Dover sole is also caught in parts of the Mediterranean and in the Bay of Biscay. The thing to remember is, all types of sole are flatfish, but not all flatfish are sole. When I was much younger, 'fillet (also 'filet') of sole' was a common dish of sole in a lemony butter and caper sauce. Fish and seafood are often pretty expensive, and such is the case with sole. If you can't find sole, you can use flounder, cod or snapper, and they are pretty good substitutes, but they ARE substitutes, not exactly like sole, although they are very similar in taste (mild), but not always in texture (sole is rather firm and flaky). In German the sole flatfish is called "Seezunge," literally "sea tongue," and yes, "See" and "Zunge" are close relatives of English "sea" and "tongue." As far as I know, North Sea brown shrimp are pretty much exclusive to Europe; at least in terms of easy availability and price. In Germany, these small brown shrimps are called "Krabben," which is the standard German word for "crabs" (singular: Krabbe), and the close relative of English "crab/crabs." You can easily substitute small cocktail shrimp (they're already shelled, cleaned and cooked; all they need is to be heated through) or you can cut medium or large shrimp into halves or thirds.  

 

Ingredients (4 servings):

 

1 1/2 pounds of sole fillets

6 tablespoons butter, divided use (more, if needed)

1/4 cup dry white wine

1/3 cup finely chopped onion (best to use white onion, but I used red, as can be seen in the photos)

1/4 cup flour

1 1/2 cups seafood stock

1/2 pound small shrimp (1 to 2 inches long, or 3 to 4 inch shrimp halved)

1/2 cup milk (I use evaporated canned milk)

1 tablespoon brandy

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

 

In a skillet, melt 3 tablespoons of butter over low heat, add the wine and finely chopped onion; cook for about 3 to 4 minutes, then add the fish fillets and cook until done (add more butter, a tablespoon at a time, if needed, and this is in addition to the amount I have in the ingredients above). Remove the fish to a plate/platter until you make the sauce (this is where the firmer texture of sole can help keep the fillets from breaking apart). Add remaining 3 tablespoons butter to the skillet (still over low heat), then add the flour and stir it into the butter, letting it cook about 90 seconds to take out the raw flour taste, but don't let it brown! Slowly add the seafood stock, stirring constantly to incorporate the flour mixture and begin to thicken the liquid. Bring to a simmer and let cook until thickened and smooth, then stir in the milk, followed by the brandy, stir well to mix it in. Add the shrimp and mix them into the sauce so that they heat up, which doesn't take long (keep the heat low or very low, do not boil!). Add the sole fillets to the sauce to reheat them. Serve the sole fillets topped with sauce and shrimp, and finished with some chopped parsley.  

 

I forgot to add the parsley to these ...

WORD HISTORY:

Sole-This is the noun, although English also has an adjective, meaning "one, single, alone," which is NOT related to the noun. The ultimate origin of "sole" is uncertain, but it is related to "soil," a word that is a merger of two different Latin words, one of which makes "soil" partially related to "sole." "Sole" goes back to the Latin noun "solum," which meant "ground, base, foundation, bottom." This gave the basis for the Latin noun "solea," meaning, "bottom of a shoe, a sandal (a flat type of footwear)," and from the sandal meaning came the meaning, "a type of flatfish." "Solea" came to be rendered as "sola," and Latin-based Old French had it as "sole," which seemingly was borrowed by English not long after the Normans arrived (as it is in late Old English), but only with the "sandal, bottom of the foot" meanings. The fish name was borrowed from French in the middle of the 1200s, and the meaning "bottom of a shoe or other footwear" began to be used in the latter part of the 1300s. English cousin, German, has "Sohle," which "seems" to have been borrowed by Old High German directly from Latin (in the 800s?). Low German has "Sahl."  

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.

Shrimp Creole

Louisiana Creole food is a mixture of cooking from the people of various backgrounds who settled in Louisiana and who grew together to become an identity in their own right, with foods being part of that  combination of cultures. These people were of French, Spanish, African, American Indian (Native American), German and Anglo-American heritage. The history of Louisiana is rather complex, but generally, the 1500s saw the Spanish explore the territory, but it was in the 1680s that the territory was claimed for France and when it received the name "Louisiana" (French: 'La Louisiane') to honor King Louis XIV, the then king of France. The territory was not really the same as the modern state of Louisiana, but included areas well beyond that. French settlers came, and not long thereafter, German settlers came, but events of the European countries had an impact on the territory, as Spain gained control of part of the territory (including New Orleans) by agreement with France in the 1760s. Britain gained control of much of the French territory east of the Mississippi River as part of the settlement of the "Seven Years' War" in 1763, with the North American part of that war known as the "French and Indian War." The British expelled thousands of French settlers from eastern Canada, then known as "Acadia" (now basically 'Nova Scotia') following the war, and they often went to Louisiana, where they became known as "Cajuns" (a pronunciation of 'Acadians,' and some seem to have also spelled it 'Cajian/Cagian'), and Spanish settlers also came to the area. Slavery brought many Africans to Louisiana, as did immigration from the French part of Haiti. Napoleon made a swap of territories with Spain, bringing Louisiana back to French control in exchange for French controlled territories in Italy going to Spanish control. Napoleon intended to revitalize French colonial holdings in North America, but when that didn't materialize, he sold "the Louisiana territory" to the United States in 1803.

 

This dish is well known in Louisiana, especially in New Orleans. The list of ingredients is pretty long, but these are generally common ingredients, with nothing terribly hard to find, and the dish isn't at all complicated. This is my own version. Serve with rice and salad... NOTE: The dish is also made by some with crayfish (some say 'crawfish'), but they are not always easy to find elsewhere.

 

Ingredients (4 to 6 servings):

 

1 to 1 1/2 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 bell pepper, stem removed, seeded and finely chopped

1/3 cup finely chopped onion

1 large stalk of celery, finely chopped (or 2 medium stalks)

1 jalapeño chili (about 2 1/2 to 3 inches), chopped

5 cloves of garlic, finely chopped or minced

1 heaping teaspoon sweet paprika

1 heaping teaspoon smoked Spanish sweet paprika

1 tablespoon thyme

1 heaping teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 large bay leaf

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 can (14.5 to 15 ounce) tomato sauce

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 cup mild chicken broth

2 teaspoons lemon juice 

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt (more to taste)

2 tablespoons butter + 2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons chopped parsley 

2 or 3 chopped green onions (scallions), including green, for garnish

lemon wedges for serving

 

In a 10 to 12 inch skillet, add the oil and the butter over medium heat, until the butter melts. Add the onion and saute for about a minute, then add the green pepper, celery and jalapeño; saute until softened, about 4 minutes. Stir in the minced garlic and saute a further minute, stirring the whole time. Stir in the sweet paprika, Spanish smoked paprika, thyme, oregano, cayenne pepper, ground black pepper, chicken broth and bay leaf. Bring the broth to a boil for 1 to 2 minutes, then add the tomato sauce and Worcestershire sauce and let come to a simmer, adjusting the heat to maintain a steady gentle simmer until the sauce is reduced to a fairly thick consistency. Stir in the lemon juice and salt, then add the shrimp, and cook until they turn pink, turn off the heat and stir in the chopped parsley. Serve over a bed of rice for each serving and top with some chopped green onions/scallions (which I forgot to add for the photos below ... 30 lashes with a wet noodle!). Add a lemon wedge or two to each plate. 

 

WORD HISTORY:

Fertile-This word is distantly related to "bear," the verb meaning, "to carry, to carry or transport a burden;" thus also, "to be pregnant;" thus also, "to produce," and it is also distantly related to "burden," and these words are from the Germanic roots of English; it is more closely related to "infer," a Latin-derived word borrowed by English from Latin, and to "defer" and "differ," Latin-derived words borrowed from French, but with Latin reinforcement and influence, or perhaps the other way around.

"Fertile" goes back to Indo European "bher," with the notion, "to carry, to tote or bear a burden." The "bh" was rendered as "f" in Italic and it's Latin offspring, giving Latin "ferre," with the same basic meaning. This then produced the Latin adjective "fertilis," meaning, "produced in large quantity;" thus, "fruitful, productive." This passed to Latin-based Old French as "fertil/fertile," and English borrowed it in the middle of the 1400s, as both "fertil" and "fertile," with the latter winning out, although the apparent pronunciation of the other form is still used by some, but whether that is a remnant of the old form is doubtful.

Mexican Shrimp Cocktail: Cóctel de Camarones

This is so good and refreshing on a hot summer day, but actually for any time of year, in my opinion. And it's super easy to make. I use 36/40 size shrimp and then I halve them, but you can certainly use 41/50 size. I love serrano chilies, so that's what I typically use, but you can use jalapeño chilies, and for heat shy people, the recipe below won't numb your tongue. Of course, for those who love the heat, you can use habanero chilies and add Mexican hot sauce until your little heart is content. It's a good idea to put a bottle of hot sauce out for people who want to add more.

 

Ingredients: 

 

1 pound 36/40 cooked shrimp, peeled and cleaned

1 cup tomato juice

1/2 cup clam broth (not heated)

1/2 cup ketchup

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon celery salt

2 to 3 tablespoons Mexican hot sauce (I use Tapatio)

1 cup chopped seedless cucumber (small chop, peeled, unpeeled or partially peeled, your choice)

1 or 2 serrano chilies, chopped

1 cup chopped roma tomatoes

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

1 medium avocado, chopped

3 tablespoons chopped cilantro (also known as fresh coriander)

 

Add 5 or 6 cups of water to a pan, add 1 teaspoon salt and the juice of 1/2 lime. Bring to a boil and add the shrimp, cook for about 3 minutes or until tender. Drain the shrimp immediately and run cold water over them. Let them sit and you'll be back to them shortly. Add the tomato juice, clam broth, ketchup, lime juice, Worcestershire sauce, ground black pepper, celery salt and Mexican hot sauce to a bowl (a glass bowl with a lid is great, and definitely NOT a bowl of aluminum or other metals that react to acidic elements like tomato juice and lime juice). Mix well, especially to get the ketchup mixed in. Add the chopped cucumber, chopped chilies, chopped roma tomatoes, finely chopped onion, chopped avocado and chopped cilantro and mix everything together very well. Cut the 36/40 shrimp in half, then add the shrimp to the bowl and mix again. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, but 5 hours is better. Serve with saltines and don't forget to make extra hot sauce available for those who like more heat.  

WORD HISTORY:

False-This word is closely related to "faux," a word derived from the roots of "false," but with an inconsistent history in English since the latter part of the 1600s up to the present, but it was borrowed by English from French, and it is also related to "fail," a Latin-derived word borrowed via French. The origin of "false" is uncertain, although Dutch linguist and etymologist Michiel de Vaan has proposed an Indo European form, like "sgwhel," that meant "stumble," as the original source, but I'm not sold. What is known is that Latin had "fallere," meaning "to deceive," but also, "to disappoint." One of its participle forms was "falsus," meaning "deceived, cheated;" thus also, "mistaken" (adjectivally: "deceitful, deceptive;" noun use: "cheater, deceiver"). Latin-based Old French had it as "faus" and "fals," meaning, "not genuine, untrue, incorrect, deceitful, fraudulent," and English initially borrowed both forms between like 1050 and 1100, reinforced by the Latin "falsus." Later the forms became "fals," before the modern version, the primary meanings of which are: "untrue, fake, incorrect, deceitful." The other Germanic languages have forms of the word, as it was borrowed by Low German as "fals/vals" and then passed on to the North Germanic languages, and it was borrowed by Dutch (from Latin? from French?) as "valsch," then as "vals," and it was passed on to German, which has "falsch" (to simplify things, German originally borrowed a form as "fals" and then "vals"  from Old French "fals," but later the spelling was influenced (borrowed in that sense) by Dutch (from the spelling "valsch," with 'v' being pronounced as 'f', and it became "falsch," the spelling that has continued into the present).    

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."

Venetian Seafood Soup/Stew

Some call the general recipe for this dish a "soup," while others use the word "stew." Fish and seafood are generally not cheap, so this is a rather costly dish to make, or if you're visiting Venice, it will likely cost you a "pretty euro" in a Venetian restaurant, but give yourself a treat, if possible, and make it at home. It is not all that common in the U.S. to leave shells on shrimp in soups or stews, but it IS common in many other cultures; so, use your own preference.

 

Ingredients (3 to 4 servings):

 

1 cup carrot, chopped

1/2 cup onion, chopped

1/3 cup fennel, chopped

5 whole cloves of garlic, crushed

4 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 pound cod or pollock, cut into bite-size pieces

1/2 pound tilapia or haddock, cut into bite-size pieces

1/2 pound squid rings (you can include cut up tentacles)

8 large shrimp, heads and shells removed (or you can leave the shells on)

3 1/2 cups clam juice or seafood stock

1/2 cup dry white wine

2 bay leaves

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup parsley, chopped 

rustic bread, thickly sliced, lightly toasted

garlic for seasoning the bread

extra virgin olive oil for drizzling over the bread

 

In a pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat, then add the chopped carrot, onion and fennel. Saute for about 3 minutes, then add the garlic and saute a further 2 minutes. Add the bay leaf and red pepper flakes, then pour in the clam juice or seafood stock. Bring everything to a simmer and adjust the heat to maintain a steady simmer. Add the squid rings and cover the pot. After 20 minutes, add the white wine, cover the pot again and let it simmer for about 25 minutes, or until the squid pieces are tender. Add the black pepper and all of the fish pieces and the shrimp and cook until the fish pieces and shrimp are tender, add the salt and chopped parsley and stir. Lightly toast the bread and then rub each slice with some garlic. Place a bread slice into each bowl and drizzle each with olive oil. Put a couple ladles of the soup/stew into each bowl.    

You can even see some of the steam rising from the bowl. The small white pieces are fish, or in some cases, squid.

WORD HISTORY:

Spumoni-This word for a type of Italian ice cream is distantly related to "foam," a word from the Germanic roots of English, and to "pumice," a Latin-derived word borrowed by English via French (likely primarily Anglo-French). It goes back to the Indo European root "(s)poih-," seemingly meaning "froth, foam." This gave Latin "spuma," with the same meaning, which passed to Italian in the same form, which later produced "spumone" (ice cream type; creamy, foamy dessert) and its plural form "spumoni." English borrowed the word (plural form generally used as singular) in the mid 1920s with the meaning of "ice cream with layers of different fruit and nut ice creams." 

Shrimp & Grits

This dish developed along the coast of South Carolina, where fishermen have long provided a steady supply of shrimp(s).

 

Exactly how long you cook the grits will have to do with the type of grits you use. I'm mentioning this simply to give you an idea of cooking, if you've never cooked grits before, but ALWAYS refer to the instructions on the package you have about their recommended cooking time and procedure (some will likely recommend soaking the grits first, especially for stone ground). Stone ground grits will likely take the longest to cook, because they are coarsely ground with less uniform size pieces, but they also have more nutritional value. They are ground from whole corn kernels. "Regular" grits are of a medium type grind and they generally take around 10 minutes to cook, but they are stripped down nutritionally, as are "quick grits," which are finely ground; thus, they generally require about 5 to 7 minutes to cook. "Instant grits" are finely ground grits that are cooked and dried, then they are prepared (rehydrated) with hot water, and they take less than 5 minutes in preparation. They too have less nutrition than stone ground grits. Grits are usually white, but they can also be yellow. 

Ingredients (6 to 8 servings):

1 pound raw shrimp (medium size), peeled and deveined

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 cups chicken broth 

1 can evaporated milk (NOT condensed milk, which is sweetened)

1 1/4 cup regular milk

1 cup of grits

4 slices of bacon

1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese 

1 tablespoon finely chopped chili pepper or 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

2 to 3 tablespoons butter

4 green onions, chopped (white and green)

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 

1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)

1/4 cup water

2 heaping tablespoons chopped parsley

 

Rinse, drain and pat the shrimp dry with a paper towel. Put the shrimp into a bowl and pour the lemon juice over them, mixing the shrimp around to coat them. Set the shrimp aside to marinate. In a heavy bottomed sauce pan, preferably with a lid, heat the broth, milk and 1 teaspoon salt (I'm using only 1 teaspoon salt, as the broth also has salt) over medium heat until it boils, then gradually whisk in the grits and reduce the heat to low/very low. Stir again, then cover the pan and let cook until the grits have thickened (likely about 15 to 18 minutes). Turn off the heat, add the cheese to the hot grits and mix it in until it melts and it's well mixed into the grits. Replace the lid on the grits to keep them warm. Meanwhile, in a skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter and fry the bacon slices (you can fry the bacon so that it will be crispy and you can then crumble it, but I don't particularly like bacon that way, so I fry it a little less, then I cut it into small pieces). Move the bacon to a separate plate, then to the skillet (with the bacon fat/butter) over low heat, add the green onions and garlic and chili pepper (if using), saute for about 3 to 4 minutes, then add salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper (if using), then add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and increase the heat to medium. Add the shrimp (with the lemon juice) and saute them in the mixture until tender. Add the chopped parsley, crumbled/chopped bacon, 1/4 cup water and mix thoroughly and let heat up again. Serve some of the shrimp mixture on top of some grits for each serving.   

 

 

 

 

WORD HISTORY:

Grit (Grits)-While "grits" is the plural form of "grit," it is not common in usage, except in American English, where it is used as a noun for "ground dried corn, usually cooked with liquid as a type of porridge.""Grit" is typically used in English as an uncountable noun that uses a singular form of a verb, as in, "There is grit all over the floor." I don't know for sure what they would say in Britain, but it's unlikely you would hear, "There are grits all over the floor," in the U.S., even if you were trying to mean there were several bits of different substances on the floor; as in the U.S., it would likely be taken to mean that you spilled your breakfast (grits) on the floor. (Hey, don't laugh, I had to clean the damned stuff up!) "Grit" and "grits" are closely related to "groat(s)" and "grout," words from the Germanic roots of English. "Grit" and "grits" go back to Indo European "ghreud" which meant "to rub, break, crush or grind to smaller pieces." This gave Old Germanic "greutan" meaning, "smaller pieces produced by rubbing, breaking, crushing or grinding;" thus also, "pebbles, coarse sand," which gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "greot," meaning, "dust, sand, earth, gravel," and this then became "grete," before the modern form. English once had the forms "meregrot" and "meregrota" as forms for "pearl." Old English also had "grytt," for "coarse ground meal," and this usage was the forerunner of modern "grits," for ground corn or other grain. A verb form "grit" developed in the mid 1700s meaning, "to make a grinding sound," which is most common in reference to the action of grinding one's teeth together, which seems to be the source of the further meaning for the noun, "to show perseverance, determination or toughness" (seemingly from the idea of a person "gritting their teeth" in the face of pain). Relatives in the other Germanic languages: German has "Grieß,"^ originally "sand, gravel," but then also, and still today, "bits of grain, especially of semolina," and also (similar to English) "Grütze," originally a cereal porridge, and still used somewhat in that sense, although more common as a compound by type of grain used, as in "Hafergrütze" (oat grits/porridge), but more commonly in northern Germany where the cereal had various berries added, and later the use of the cereal eventually was often omitted, leaving the berries as a compote, but the name stayed anyway^^), Low German has "Gries," but this seems to be from standard German, although originally Old Saxon (the language spoken by the Saxons who did not go to Britain) had "griot," and Low German itself then had "gret," and Low German also has "Grüt(t)" as the form corresponding to standard German "Grütze," Dutch had "griet," which meant "coarse sand," and this led to that word being applied as the name for the brill (still today), a type of fish closely related to turbot (the brill live and lay their eggs in coarse sandy areas of the sea), Norwegian has "grjot" (now obsolete for "stones, pebbles"), but also "grut," originally meaning "pebbles, stones" thus also "rubble," but later, "coffee grounds," Icelandic has "grjót" for "pebbles, stones;" thus also, "debris, rubble," Swedish has "gruut" (dialect for "little bit, small amount"), and also "gryt" ("heaped up stones").

^ Long ago a sound shift took place among some Germanic dialects, where "t" became "s" or "ss" in the high dialects, which later formed the basis of modern German. For example, English has "kettle," German has "Kessel," English has "better," but German has "besser," English has "vat," but German has "Fass." 

^^ German slang use of "Grütze" means "smarts, brains;" thus, "intelligence."

Ivory Coast Avocado Boats: Bateaux d'Avocat de Côte d'Ivoire aux Crevettes

In the latter part of the 1400s, the Portuguese seem to have been the first known Europeans to land in the area that is now Côte d'Ivoire, but the French and Dutch soon made appearances too. Over time the French established trading posts and even had a military presence in the overall region of that part of West Africa; and indeed, Ivory Coast became an official French colony in the late 1880s, but in the early part of the 1900s, the French colonial possessions in West Africa were combined into a large French colonial entity called the "Federation of French West Africa," but commonly just called "French West Africa." It wasn't until the summer of 1960 that Côte d'Ivoire became an independent nation with French being the official language, although numerous African languages are spoken there in every day life.

 

You want ripe, and thus, somewhat softened avocados (not mushy), so that they will be nice and creamy. Avocados are a pretty commonly grown food product in Côte d'Ivoire, and they are used in various types of recipes. Further, I garnished this dish here with cashew halves, because Côte d'Ivoire also grows and exports lots of cashews. 

Ingredients (6 appetizers or light lunches):

3 ripe avocados, halved and pitted

1 to 2 tablespoons lime juice

8 to 10 medium cleaned cooked shrimp, cut into halves or thirds

1/2 cup chopped fresh pineapple

1 teaspoon hot sauce + 1 teaspoon ketchup

3 to 4 tablespoons mayonnaise (low fat type is fine)  

good pinch of ground black pepper

good pinch of salt

garnish each serving with a few cashew halves

Either buy cooked shrimp, or cook the shrimp yourself. I simply sauteed raw cleaned/peeled shrimp in some butter and olive oil. If you cook the shrimp yourself, let the shrimp cool, then cut them in half or thirds, then put them into a bowl along with the chopped fresh pineapple, mayonnaise, hot sauce/ketchup, a good sprinkle of lime juice, black pepper and salt. Mix well to coat the shrimp and pineapple with the dressing. Cover the dish and refrigerate the shrimp for a couple of hours, then ... Rinse the avocados, dry them, cut them in half and pit them. Rub the cut side of the halves with some of the lime juice to prevent the avocados from browning (oxidizing; that is, browning from exposure to oxygen). Top the avocado halves with the shrimp/pineapple mixture and after you have plated the halves for serving, you can add a little more of the shrimp mixture on the side of the avocado, if you'd like (I didn't do that for the photos below). Garnish with a few cashews. 

 

 

WORD HISTORY:

Quaint-This adjective is related to "cognizance" and "acquaint," Latin derived words borrowed by English from French, and to "know" and "can" (the verb), words from the Germanic roots of English. "Quaint" goes back to Indo European "gnoh," which meant, "to have knowledge;" thus, "to know." This gave Latin "gnoscere" ("to know"), which had the prefix form "co" (meaning "with, together")^ attached, providing Latin with "cognocere," which meant, "to get to know;" thus, "to recognize, to get or to become acquainted with." One of the participle forms was "cognitus," meaning, "known, recognized, approved, acknowledged," and this passed into Latin-based Old French as "cointe," but also as, "queinte," meaning, "knowledgeable, clever, highly informed;" thus also used to mean "proud, gracious," which then was used figuratively to mean "arrogant." English borrowed the word around 1200 as "cwoynte/quoynte/cwointe," which then became "queynte," before the modern spelling. The word's meanings have changed numerous times, perhaps not surprisingly because of its positive and negative meanings at times, as like with "proud" and "arrogant," but also "knowledgeable" and "cunningly deceitful." The idea of "knowledge" gave it the meaning of "skillful and well made," but later "unusual," and then "unusually old fashioned" in the 1700s, which eventually graduated to "having old fashioned charm," where it has remained to this day, with the other meanings having become archaic, at best.     

^ Depending upon the spelling of the Latin word to which it was attached as a prefix, the spelling could be "co, con, com," all of which go back to Indo European "kom," with nuanced meanings like "with, along, together, nearby, beside"). The form in Germanic was "ga/ge," a form that began to morph and then "pretty much" die out in its English form in the late Middle English period into the modern era (I say "pretty much" to give myself some wiggle room for some words that might still be around with that form, although they may be little used). A previous example in English was "gebeorg" (a mountain, a hill) and its German cousin "Gebirge" ("a mountain range," in the singular sense, but also the same spelling is used for plural; so, "mountain ranges"), a form still in use in German, which has retained a lot of nouns with the "Ge" prefix.

Italian Seafood Pasta: Spaghetti allo Scoglio

This dish is known throughout Italy, but as you can imagine, it is extremely common in communities along the sea. "Scoglio" means, "rock, reef, rock from the sea;" so it's easy to see the connection to various seafood that live in and around the rocks or reefs by the seashore.* It is not a cheap dish, as many, or perhaps most, seafood is expensive, and to buy such a dish in a restaurant, regardless of whether in your home country or in Italy, will likely lighten your wallet considerably or burden your credit card statement for a decent serving. You can save some money by making this wonderful seafood spaghetti at home, and it's really not hard to make, but there are steps to be followed. (NOTE: If you have had this in a restaurant, they may have had some other seafood included, like squid or scampis, or they may have just as likely excluded one or more of the seafood items I use for this recipe. Remember, Italian cooking is more about fresh ingredients available in a given area; thus, Italian cooking tends to be regional, although the basis of many recipes are the same.) This is not meant to be an actual tomato sauce dish, but rather a seafood and wine broth with some seasoned tomato flavor. This is a FANTASTIC dish!  

 

Serve with bakery fresh Italian bread ... 

 

Ingredients (4 large servings):

 

4 tablespoons olive oil

3 large cloves of garlic, crushed, if you prefer to remove it easily later; otherwise, mince it

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 1/2 cups grape tomatoes, halved

2/3 teaspoon red pepper flakes or 1 or 2 fresh red chili peppers, chopped

1 cup tomato sauce

1 teaspoon dried oregano

3/4 teaspoon thyme

2/3 teaspoon black pepper

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cups dry white wine 

1/3 cup chopped Italian parsley

12 medium size sea scallops

12 medium to large shrimp (shells removed and deveined, you can leave the tails on if you'd like)

12 mussels, scrubbed

12 clams, scrubbed

3/4 pound spaghetti or linguine

extra virgin olive oil to drizzle over each serving 

 

Add the olive oil to a large pot with a lid over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and saute for 2 to 3 minutes, then add the garlic and chili flakes (or chopped red chili) and cook another 2 minutes, stirring pretty much constantly. Add the halved grape tomatoes and continuing cooking until the tomatoes are well softened. Stir in the tomato sauce, oregano, thyme, black pepper and salt. After about 3 minutes, add the white wine, stir well and let cook 4 to 5 minutes. Turn the heat down slightly. Add the clams and put the lid on the pot; let cook for about 4 to 5 minutes, then add the mussels and replace the lid. Remove the lid after another 4 minutes and see if the clams and mussels have all opened, if not, replace the lid and cook another minute or two, until they are fully opened (remove and discard any clams or mussels that have not opened at all). Remove the clams and mussels to a platter or bowl temporarily. (In the meantime, cook the spaghetti in simmering salted water until it softens somewhat, but it is still a little firm, about 7 or 8 minutes at most.) Drain the spaghetti, add it to the pot and mix it into the sauce very well (it will finish cooking in the sauce, thus taking on the flavors of the sauce). Add the sea scallops to the pot and cook for two minutes, then add the shrimp; cook until the shrimp are just tender (they cook pretty quickly). Check to be sure the spaghetti is cooked (you don't want it to turn mushy, though). Add the chopped Italian parsley and mix everything together well. Turn off the heat, add the clams and mussels back to the pot and replace the lid for about three minutes just to allow the clams and mussels to warm up. You don't have to pile every plate high with the seafood, as you can add more as you go. Drizzle just a little extra virgin olive oil over each serving. 

* Italian "scoglio" goes back to transliterated Ancient Greek "skópelos," which meant "lookout point;" thus also, "high point, peak," which presumably led to the further meaning of "reef, rock rising from the sea, cliff." Latin borrowed the word as "scopulus," with the same general meanings. This gave Ligurian "scogiu" and then Italian took it as "scoglio." NOTE: Ligurian is an Italic language spoken along the coastal area of northern Italy and into southern France, although some refer to it as a dialect.   

WORD HISTORY:

Swain-This word is distantly related to "self" and to the adverb and conjuction forms "so," all from the Germanic roots of English, and it is also distantly related to "sole" (adjective for "single," but not related to the noun for "part of a shoe or a foot"), a Latin derived word borrowed by English via French. Further, it is closely related to the name "Sven" (also "Swen"), which is from the North Germanic languages. "Swain" goes back to Indo European "swe," meaning "oneself, self, separate." This gave its Old Germanic offspring "swainaz," meaning "herdsman, one who looks after animals," then later, "a young servant boy." This gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "swan" (long 'a,' and not to be confused with the bird), meaning, "a herder, a swineherd, a warrior" (the "swineherd" meaning has led some to believe "swain" is related to the similar word "swine," but they are from different sources, although our ancestors may well have conflated the two because of the similar pronunciation). The Old Germanic form gave Old Norse "sveinn," meaning "boy, servant." Old Norse speakers settled in much of northern England, and the Old Norse word certainly influenced the spelling of the English word to "sweyn" and then "swain," but also in the meaning to "a servant to a knight" in the middle 1100s. It later was used in compounds "coxswain" and "boatswain" (once spelled "batswegen," where the 'g' melded with 'e' to produce the 'ai/ay' sound), types of officers on boats/ships, and the latter came to be pronounced as if "bo-son." Many relatives of "swain" in the other Germanic languages have died out or experienced very limited usage, although Swedish "sven," in the sense "a young male servant," is still around, but not common.