Latvian Meat Patties: Kotletes

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

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

 

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

 

Ingredients:

 

For the patties:

 

1 pound ground beef

1 pound ground pork

1 cup chopped onion, small chop

3 cloves garlic, minced

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

2 teaspoons ground black pepper

1 teaspoon salt

1 egg

breadcrumbs for coating the patties

For the sauce/gravy:

3 tablespoons butter

1 cup beef stock

1/3 cup sour cream

3 tablespoons flour

2 cups chopped mushrooms, small chop

2 tablespoons chopped dill

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

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

 

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

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

 

 

 

 

 

WORD HISTORY:

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

German Ham with Sour Cream: Schmantschinken nach Ostpreußischer Art

There are other recipes in German cooking called "Schmantschinken" (also spelled "Schmandschinken"), but this general recipe originated in East Prussia (German: Ostpreußen), a former German province in northeastern Germany, and the provincial capital was Königsberg (now the Russian city of "Kaliningrad"). The "nach Ostpreußischer Art" means, "East Prussian style." 

 

After World War Two, East Prussia was divided between Poland and the then Soviet Union (Russia), with Königsberg itself renamed Kaliningrad as part of the Soviet Union. East Prussia had come to be known for dairy products, including sour cream, a product in common use in much of eastern Europe. The Germans arrived in what became East Prussia in the 1200s and many of these German settlers were Low German speakers; and thus, Low German formed the basis of the particular dialect that developed in East Prussia. The dialect incorporated some vocabulary from the Slavic people in the area, as well as additional German settlers from elsewhere and also Dutch speaking settlers. As the Russians approached the region in the last months of World War Two, the German population was largely evacuated from East Prussia into the interior of Germany. While I'm not completely certain of this, I'd have to believe that there are few East Prussian dialect speakers still around, especially those truly fluent in the dialect. East Prussia was known for having been cut off from the rest of Germany as part of the territotrial adjustments after World War One, with the Polish territory between East Prussia and the main part of Germany being called the "Polish Corridor." It is also known to World War Two history buffs as the location of Adolf Hitler's main military headquarters from 1941 until late 1944. It was at this headquarters that the Nazi nutcase was nearly assassinated when a bomb was placed under the map table during a military conference on July 20, 1944. The area of Hitler's former headquarters has been a part of Poland since the end of the war, but remnants of its many structures remain.  

 

I use a center slice ham steak, which has the small round bone in the middle, with the ham being about a half inch thick. 

 

Ingredients:

 

1 center slice ham steak (with the small round bone), about 1 1/2 to 2 pounds  

3 tablespoons butter

1 1/2 tablespoons flour

1 cup sour cream

1/3 cup milk (I use canned evaporated milk, NOT sweetened condensed milk)

1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon ground white pepper (or black pepper)

1/2 teaspoon salt

 

Heat a large (12 inch) skillet over medium heat and melt the butter. Add the ham slice and brown it lightly on both sides. Remove the ham and add the flour to the melted butter used to fry the ham and stir lightly until the mixture turns light brown/tan. Add the sour cream and stir well, then stir in the milk to thin the sour cream a little. Stir in the lemon juice, sugar, white (or black) pepper and salt; mix well. Add the ham slice back to the skillet to reheat it and cut it into serving pieces. Serve with ham pieces topped with the sour cream sauce, and boiled potatoes and a salad alongside.    

 

WORD HISTORY:

Finch-This name for a common type of bird is closely related to "fink" (keep reading). "Finch" goes back to Indo European "(s)pingo/(s)pingos," the name for the "chaffinch," the name for which seems to come from the idea of the birds feeding on seeds found in the chaff of harvested grains. The Indo European form gave Old Germanic "finko" (the 'p' becoming 'f' in Germanic), which then became "finkiz," as a diminutive. This gave Old English "finc," which meant "finch," and this then became "fynche" (ending 'e' would have been normally pronounced 'ah/eh'), and this then became the modern form "finch." Relatives in the other Germanic languages: German has "Fink," Low German has "Fink," but it seems to now be limited to regional usage (in Westfälisch dialect?), although it was long in broader usage as "fink(e)" and "vink(e)" until a couple of hundred years ago, West Frisian "fink," Dutch "vink," Danish and Norwegian have "finke," but this is a borrowing from Low German in the Middle Ages, Icelandic "finkur" (from English or Low German?), and Swedish has "fink," but also borrowed from Low German. Note 1: The North Germanic languages seem to have had a Germanic form with a beginning 's' and the 'p,' instead of 'f.' This gave forms like "spink, spinke," which was used for a type of sparrow, but the West Germanic form was borrowed and overtook those forms and they also took forms of "sparrow" from West Germanic. Note 2: German "Fink" (all German nouns are capitalized) is the strong candidate for English "fink," used to indicate a person of contemptible ways, especially "a person who provides information to law enforcement about another person or people." This developed in the German criminal world from the idea of a finch (German: Fink) being a talky and singing bird, and in the American criminal world it was often said, "If the cops press Randy, he'll sing about us to the heavens, fink that he is." Hey, I can hit the high notes too!

Noodles Romanoff

Back in the 1960s "Noodles Romanoff" was a fairly popular dish, because there was a boxed version that was mass marketed by General Mills under its "Betty Crocker" brand and there may have even been other brands too. There are variations in recipes, but they all have the same basic idea; that is, creamy noodles and cheese. Apparently "Noodles Romanoff" was invented at "Romanoff's," a restaurant in Beverly Hills in suburban Los Angeles, and thus had nothing to do with Russian royalty, although the restaurant's owner, who went by the name "Michael Romanoff," did nothing to discourage patrons from believing the dish was somehow connected to the long ruling and last Russian imperial family. In truth, the only connection to "royalty" was in the sense that many of Hollywood's "royalty" patronized the restaurant, thus promoting both the place and the dish. The owner was actually born in Lithuania, then part of the Russian Empire, but for a time he successfully fooled many into believing him to be a cousin of the last Tsar.     

Ingredients:

10 to 12 ounce package egg noodles (I used wide noodles, but use whatever you prefer)
3 tablespoons butter 
1 1/2 cups sour cream
3 to 4 tablespoons canned (evaporated) milk 
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
2 cloves minced garlic
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2/3 cup grated Romano cheese (or Parmesan)
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt

Cook noodles in salted water until "almost" tender, then drain well (they will cook briefly again soon). Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a sauce pan over low heat, then add the onion and garlic. Cook over low heat until softened. Keep the heat low, and add the Worcestershire sauce, pepper, salt, sour cream and milk. Mix together well, then add the drained noodles, and then most of the cheese. Gently mix everything to get the noodles well coated with the sour cream mixture. Add the last tablespoon of butter, let it melt and sprinkle the small amount of remaining cheese on top.    
     

WORD HISTORY: 
Vapor-This word goes back to Latin "vapor" meaning, "steam, heat, breath," but where Latin got the word is unknown. This passed into Latin-based Old French as "vapor," which became "vapour" in the French dialect established by the Normans in England. English borrowed the word as "vapour" circa 1400, with likely reinforcement from Latin. American English changed the spelling to "vapor." The meaning of "mist" is from about 1800 (?). The verb form "vaporize" developed from the noun in the first half of the 1600s, meaning, "to convert liquid into vapor, to become vapor," but also initially, "to smoke tobacco," which was still a relatively new activity in Britain in those times, but that meaning died out.    

Hessian Potato and Bacon Flatbread: Schmirchelskuche

"Schmirchelskuche" is also spelled "Schmiergelskuche," and these are regional names for the more general term "Schmandkuchen," which means "cream cake." These "cakes" are rather more like flatbread made with yeast dough spread with a "creamy paste-like" layer and then topped with other items, either sweet or savory. The "Schmirchels" and "Schmiergels" parts from the words above are dialect words from standard German "schmieren," the close cousin of English "smear." The dialect names for this flatbread dish come from the idea of "smearing the creamy layer over the dough."     

You can cut some of the fat in this recipe by using reduced fat sour cream, but admittedly, this is an old time dish from a time when eating fatty foods was not discouraged, but rather it was often ENCOURAGED as a way to provide calories for people who did a lot of physical work, such as in farming; and this dish seemingly developed in the farming areas of northern Hessen, where the dialect is "Oberhessisch" (Upper Hessian), a branch of the more general Hessian dialect. Part of my roots are from northern Hessen. 

Ingredients:

2 pounds relatively small sized potatoes, skins on (you can certainly use larger potatoes)
1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds (for cooking the potatoes)
2/3 teaspoon salt (for cooking the potatoes)
1 pound of prepared bread/pizza dough*
1 finely chopped or grated medium onion (large pieces won't cook properly)
1/2 pound thick sliced streaky bacon, cut into about 1 inch strips
1 cup sour cream (reduced fat type is fine) or creme fraiche **
2 eggs
1/4 cup chopped chives
1/2 teaspoon salt 
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
(optional) some caraway seed to sprinkle on top
oil for the baking sheet
 
Boil the potatoes in salted water with a 1/2 teaspoon of caraway seeds. Roll or press out the dough and put it onto a lightly oiled/greased baking sheet. Germans usually fit the dough into a rectangular baking sheet, but you won't turn into a pumpkin latté if you don't have a total rectangle. Let the dough rise a little as you continue with the recipe. When the potatoes are tender, but not mushy, pour off the hot water and rinse them in some cold water to cool them down somewhat; they should still be "warm." Drain the potatoes and remove the skins, then use a potato masher to mash the potatoes as smoothly as you prefer. Mix together the mashed potatoes, sour cream, onion, eggs, salt and chopped chives. Spread the potato mixture over the dough (I leave an edge around the crust, like pizza, but Germans tend to put the potatoes clear up to the edge), then put strips of bacon on the potato topping. Some people sprinkle some caraway seed on top before putting the flatbread in the oven, but this is purely optional. Heat oven to 350 F. Bake about 50 to 60 minutes. (Note: If you have some potato mixture left over, you can bake it in a separate dish)

* In the U.S., such dough is sold frozen in supermarkets, but some pizza shops sell dough that is not frozen. Of course, you can make your own yeast-risen dough according to your own recipe.

** Creme Fraiche is generally a little less tangy than sour cream. You can easily make your own:
 https://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2017/07/make-your-own-creme-fraiche.html?zx=5147a608f2ae7fa3 

WORD HISTORY:
Buy-The origin of this common word is unknown and forms have only been found in the Germanic languages, although the English form is the only one to survive in a standard Germanic language in modern times (Old Saxon/Low German had "buggjan/buggian," and meant, "to buy," Old Norse had "byggja," meaning, "to rent out." It goes back to Old Germanic "bugjanan," meaning, "to take possession of something by giving money for it;" thus, "buy," as opposed to exchanging goods (trade). This gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "bycgan," with the same meaning. This then became "budgen" (?) in southwestern England, and "bydgen" (?) in some eastern parts of England, which then became "buyen/byen," before the modern version. The meaning, "to believe someone's explanation of some incident," is a figurative use "seemingly" from the earlier part of the 1900s. 

Basil Cream

Basil Cream is fairly common in a number of areas of the world, including in Germany and Austria, where it is known as "Basilikum Creme." You can use sour cream or creme fraiche* as the base, or you can use Mexican Crema, which is more neutral in taste, as both sour cream and creme fraiche have varied amounts of tartness. Mexican Crema is also not usually as thickened as either of the other two. Basil Cream is used as an ingredient in several dishes, often to make a sauce for chicken or fish, but it is also used as a topping for some fruit and vegetable dishes. There are variations to recipes for Basil Cream, and this is mine.

Ingredients:

2/3 cup sour cream, creme fraiche, or Mexican Crema
15 medium basil leaves, chopped or torn into smaller pieces
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt

Add all ingredients to a non reactive bowl or jar. Mix well. Cover and refrigerate the basil cream for at least a couple of hours prior to use to allow the flavor to develop. Stir before using. 

* To make creme fraiche, here is the recipe. It is very easy: https://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2017/07/make-your-own-creme-fraiche.html

WORD HISTORY:
Horde-This word's exact history (the specifics) is a bit shaky, but that history seems to be close to the meaning of the word, as it seems to have traveled from Asia into eastern Europe and then further westward, as its less specific history is likely correct. By the way, it is not related to the word "hoard," the spelling of both the noun and the verb in English, which is a word from the Germanic roots of English. The ultimate origin of "horde" is far from certain, although there are theories that are just too loose for me to accept. Anyway, it seems to go back to Mongolian "ordu/ordo," meaning, "the residence or encampment of a ruler." (Note: It's important to remember that through much of history, "rulers/leaders" often literally led their armies in military actions; thus, a ruler was often in a camp with their military forces, which were often frequently on the move.) This was borrowed into Turkic as "ordu," meaning, "army force, army camp, military command camp." This was then borrowed into East Slavic languages, either from Turkic or Mongolian, as Russian has transliterated "orda," originally meaning "the Khan's military command camp," a little later identified with the Mongol, and then Mongol/Turkic area of eastern Europe/western Asia ruled by a Khan, and known as "the Golden Horde." As this area began to break up, groups traveled off, giving a twist to the meaning of the word as, "group of related nomads traveling about and living off the land" (and all that really meant, such as plunder and slaughter). Polish borrowed the word as "orda" from Ukrainian, which also had "orda," but the word also added an identification with the Tatars/Tartars, either from Ukrainian or Polish, as the Tatars had risen in military power as allies of the Mongols of Genghis Khan and then Timur, better known to English speakers as Tamerlane. German borrowed the word from Polish, as "Horde," but it's unclear whether the "h" had already been added in Polish, or whether this was a German insertion. Latin had borrowed the word as "orda," "seemingly" from Turkish in the Balkans? French had the word as "horde," "apparently" borrowed from German, but perhaps from Latin, with a French added "h?" English borrowed the word in the mid 1500s, but from French? German? Its meaning expanded in English to mean just about any group of people, usually unruly, but not always, and its older meaning is also still around. Examples: (broader meaning) "The soccer game drew a horde of fans as spectators;" but also, (derogatory) "After the local team won the soccer game, a horde of fans surged along the streets breaking windows, smashing doors and overturning cars;" (historical) "The roads were clogged with panicked people from the town as a horde of Tatars approached." The Nazis used the word to try to scare Germans into continuing their support of the war and of the regime to resist the Russians later in World War Two.       

Mecklenburg Sour Cream Potatoes: Schmandkartoffeln

This is a potato dish from the Mecklenburg region of Germany. Mecklenburg lies just east of Hamburg and vicinity, and after World War Two it was part of the Communist-dominated "German Democratic Republic" (German: Deutsche Demokratische Republik, abbreviated as "DDR," and don't be fooled by the "Democratic" part of the name, as it was a Communist dictatorship, with strong ties to the Soviet Union). As such, it was part of the state of "Mecklenburg-Vorpommern" (Vorpommern is literally "Fore Pomerania," but is more commonly called "West(ern) Pomerania," in English), a state that continued with the reunification of Germany. Within the Mecklenburg region itself, the best known city is Rostock. I had a German friend who lived in Rostock for a while as a child after World War Two, but fortunately, he and his family were able to make it to West Germany; then later, he emigrated to the U.S. 
    
This is an easy dish to prepare. I use beef stock to make it, but you can use vegetable stock, which will make the sauce somewhat lighter in color. The potatoes are often served with Rügenwalder Teewurst* and dill pickles (German: "Salzgurken" (literally, "salt gherkins"), also called "saure Gurken," literally, "sour gherkins"). "Teewurst" is a spreadable sausage available in some German delis, or online from sellers with German or German-style food products. If you don't have Teewust, you can try some ham salad or potted meat. By the way, the standard German word for "sour cream" is "Sauersahne," but in a number of regional dialects, the word "Schmand" is used.  

Ingredients:

2 pounds small to medium potatoes, cook with skins on
1/2 cup chopped smoked bacon
1 large (baseball size) onion, chopped
1 2/3 cups beef (or vegetable) stock
1/2 cup sour cream 
1/3 cup flour (or a little more, if you like the sauce thicker)
1 heaping teaspoon white pepper
2 teaspoons marjoram leaves (or oregano)
1 teaspoon salt (if your beef or vegetable stock has a good deal of salt, you can omit this)

Wash the potatoes well, cook them, skins on, in lightly salted water, until cooked, but still firm. Rinse the potatoes in cold water and peel them while they are still warm, set them aside for a little while. In a skillet over medium heat, saute the diced bacon for about 2 or 3 minutes. Add the chopped onion and cook until the onion softens. Sprinkle the flour over the bacon/onion mixture, then stir to mix in the flour, and let cook for just a minute or two. Gradually add the beef stock, stirring constantly, until the stock is all added and the sauce begins to thicken. Add the marjoram (or oregano), the salt (if using) and the white pepper, stir to mix in the seasonings. Cook for another 3 to 4 minutes. Make sure heat is turned low, then stir in the sour cream. Slice the potatoes and gently fold them into the sauce. Let the potatoes warm up over low heat, then remove the skillet from the heat. Serve with rye, whole wheat or multi-grain bread, slices of Teewurst and sliced pickles.

* "Teewurst" literally means "tea sausage," as it was often served with afternoon tea.

Schmandkartoffeln (Sour Cream Potatoes) with multi-grain bread, sliced pickles and Teewurst

WORD HISTORY: 
Cannon-This word is closely related to "cannoli," a word English borrowed from Italian, and also to "canon" (church law, standard or guideline for doing something, clergyman), also a borrowing by English. "Cannon" has a bit of a shaky distant history, but it "seems" to go back to transliterated Sumerian "ginah,"^ which meant "reed," which seems to have been taken by transliterated Akkadian as "qanuh," with the same meaning. This gave Hebrew "qaneh" (same meaning). This was borrowed by Ancient Greek from Hebrew as transliterated "kánna," and also meant "reed." Latin took the word as "canna," also meaning "reed," but also used for other "large woody plant stems;" thus also, "tube." This passed into Italian as "cannone," with the meaning "tube," which came to be applied to the barrel of artillery pieces when these weapons came into common use, but then this began to be used for the entire gun in general. This was borrowed by French (1300s?) as "canon," and English borrowed the word, also as "canon," in the early 1400s. The modern spelling "cannon" dates from the early 1800s. (Note: German borrowed the word as "Kanone" in the 1500s, but "perhaps" more so directly from Italian, and with reinforcement from French?)   

^ Sumerian was an ancient language of Mesopotamia in the Middle East from thousands of years ago. It has not been connected to any particular language family, although it came into much contact with elements of  the Semitic languages, especially Akkadian. 

Austro-German Creamed Green Beans: Rahmbohnen, Rahmfisolen

"Rahmbohnen" are literally, "ream-beans" in English, with "ream," in this case, being an old word for "cream," now pretty much confined to dialect in the UK. The standard German term for "green beans" (plural) is "Grüne Bohnen," a term closely related to its English cousin's term, but German speakers also say "Gartenbohnen" (garden beans), and they have "Brechbohnen," literally "break beans," which corresponds to the English term "snap beans," and also "Stangenbohnen" (literally, "pole beans," and English once had the closely related noun "steng," which meant, "pole, rod, bar, staff," and German "Stange" still means all of those things. A derivative of English "steng" is still with us in the word "stinger." Then regionally there are a number of German dialect terms: "Fisolen," a word borrowed from Latin, which had gotten it from Greek, and used in much of Austria, but "Strankerl" in the Carinthia region (German: Kärnten), with "Strankerl" being a word borrowed from Slovenian, "Fasäli"in Frankish (German: Fränkisch), "Buanschoan" in Bavarian, which is spoken in much, but not all, of Bavaria and Austria, in general, but with many regional variations.

This is a very easy dish to make, and there are some variations in Germany and Austria, but I like this version, which has Hungarian influence, with a hefty dose of paprika. 

Ingredients:

1 to 1 1/4 pounds green beans, rinsed and trimmed, then cut into about 1 1/2 inch pieces
1 cup onion, finely chopped (red, yellow or white onion)
1/4 cup butter
1 cup beef stock
2 tablespoons sweet paprika (Hungarian paprika is authentic for this dish and it has a smoky taste)
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional, if your beef broth has substantial salt)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 to 2 tablespoons flour (depending upon how thick you want the sauce)
1 cup sour cream (reduced fat type is fine)
1 to 2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Melt the butter in a skillet or a pan over medium heat. I use a skillet, because its wide opening and shallow depth makes it easier to stir things and to maneuver, in general. Add the onion and let it cook, stirring it around, until it softens a little (you don't want the onion to be golden brown). Add the green beans, then pour in the beef stock and stir to mix. Mix in the paprika and black pepper (also the salt, if using). Let the beans simmer (you can adjust the heat downward a little, if you'd like). Simmer the beans until they reach the point you like them (I like mine to be a little crisp). Mix the flour and sour cream together well. "Gradually" add tablespoons of the sour cream/flour to the simmering beans, mixing well to blend it in. The sauce will begin to thicken. Continue to add sour cream until you reach the thickness you desire for the sauce. Sprinkle in the chopped parsley and stir it into the beans and sauce.

WORD HISTORY:
Steven-This is not the name, but rather it is a word now confined to dialect, although it once was far more prominent. It goes back to Indo European "stomen," which meant, "mouth, opening, muzzle." This gave Old Germanic "stemno" and also the variant "stebno," both of which meant, "voice;" that is, "the sound that comes from the mouth." These forms gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "stemn" and "stefn," both meaning, "voice, sound from the mouth or muzzle of a creature." The two forms became one as "steven," meaning, "voice, strong voice (thus, "command"), a say in a matter." The word lost ground quickly to "voice," a Latin-derived word borrowed by English from French. The verb form was derived from the noun with the meaning, "to speak forcefully, to give an opinion, to vote (often done by shouting one's choice at public gatherings in times past)." Relatives in the other Germanic languages: German has "Stimme" (voice, vote) and "Stimmung" (mood, public opinion), Low German has "Stimm" (voice), Dutch "stem" (voice, vote), West Frisian "stim" (vote, voice), "stimming" (ballot, mood). Danish and Norwegian "stemme" (vote, voice), Swedish "stämma" (meeting; that is, "a place where thoughts and opinions are expressed," voice, a legal order), Icelandic "stefna" (a legal order or notice, a summons, a public meeting).

Honduran Tortillas: Las Baleadas Hondureñas

Honduras is a country in Central America. It has a population of more than 9 million, with Spanish as its official language, and it was conquered by Spain in the 1500s, but gained independence from Spain in 1821, and Honduras became a truly separate country in the 1830s. The nation's capital is Tegucigalpa (pretty much pronounced like, "tay-goose-see-galpa").  

There is the basic baleadas, "baleadas sencillas" (simple baleadas), but then Hondurans often add other toppings, one of the most common of which is scrambled eggs, but perhaps also avocado and fried or grilled meat. I looked at 20 to 25 recipes and all were very similar in the basic ingredients, but some made the tortillas very thin, while others made them much thicker (see photos, below). This recipe is so you can make your own fresh flour tortillas, but you can certainly just buy some flour tortillas, heat them, and then fill them. Shhh .... I didn't tell you that! Perhaps you could double the tortillas when assembling the finished product to make the thicker type?  

Ingredients:

3 cups flour
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup olive oil
1 cup warm water
refried beans*
crema or sour cream **
crumbled queso fresco (cotija cheese is good for this)
avocado

Mix together the flour, the salt and the baking powder; then, mix the oil into the dry ingredients. Add the warm water and mix until a dough forms. Knead the dough until it is smooth. Divide the dough and roll the pieces into golf ball size rounds. Coat the rounds very lightly with some oil, cover them and let them sit for about a half hour. Heat a griddle or skillet (a cast iron skillet is good for this) on medium heat. Form the rounds into flattened circular shapes and place on the griddle or into the skillet. Cook for "about" 45 seconds per side. Some brown spots may develop on the tortillas, and that's okay. Spread a layer of refried beans on each tortilla, then add some crema or sour cream and crumbled queso fresco, and other toppings, if you so desire.

* For my article on "refried beans," this is the link: http://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2018/11/refried-beans-frijoles-refritos.html 

** I have not had Honduran sour cream, "mantequilla (blanco)," but just reading about it, I noticed some Hondurans who have moved to the United States say they buy sour cream, add varying amounts of heavy cream and a little salt, and they have "Honduran mantequilla." It is also my understanding that "mantequilla" generally means "butter" in Spanish, but in Honduras (perhaps elsewhere too???), it means butter, but also their style of sour cream. Mexican "crema" is available in many supermarkets in the U.S., but from what I understand, the Mexican variety is not quite like the Honduran. 

The thicker baleadas, left unfolded to show the topping

The thin, folded baleada

WORD HISTORY:
Grill-This word, coming in both noun and verb forms, is related to "griddle," a Latin-derived word borrowed by English. "Grill" "seems" to have originated from Indo European "kert," which meant, "to turn," which gave the idea of "braiding, twisting, weaving, entwining." This gave its Latin offspring the noun "cratis," meaning, "wickerwork;" that is, "products made by weaving twigs or small branches together." This then produced "craticula," meaning, "grill, grating, gridiron." This passed into Latin-based Old French as "graille," meaning, "grill, gridiron, fence railings." This then became "greil," then "gril." It was borrowed by English in the mid 1600s, by which time its main meaning was "gridiron, metal grid for cooking over a fire." The verb developed from the noun immediately thereafter. Old French "gril" later developed an alternative spelling of "grille," which meant, "grid, grating," which seemingly was used more in reference to "gates, fencing." This too was borrowed into English in the mid 1600s, with the distinction, but over time that distinction has become murky, as some restaurants use the spelling "grille" in their names; at least, in the U.S.       

Savory Hungarian Stuffed Pancakes: Hortobágyi Palacsinta

Slight update to "Word History" 8-14-22

This crepe-like stuffed pancake dish is called "Hortobágyi Palacsinta," in Hungarian. It is often made with veal, but other meat is not uncommonly used, especially ground pork, which is what I often use. Chicken is also commonly used, but it is not always ground chicken, but rather pieces of chicken are cooked as part of the stew, then the meat is taken off of the bones and chopped to the desired size. Of course, you can make the pancakes using a smaller skillet (like 6 inch) up to a large skillet (like 12 inch skillet), or something in between, which is what I do, as I generally use a 9 inch skillet. 

Ingredients:

Stew:

1 pound ground pork (or ground veal)
1 medium onion, chopped (smaller type pieces)
1/2 cup crushed tomatoes, with some of the juice
1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds
2/3 to 1 teaspoon salt
2/3 teaspoon pepper
2 1/2 tablespoons sweet paprika (preferably Hungarian, but use what you have)
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons olive oil

sauce:

1 cup sour cream
1 cup broth from the meat preparation
3 to 4 tablespoons flour

for the crepes:

1 cup flour
3 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
oil or butter for frying

In a skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and let cook for a couple of minutes, then add the ground meat. Keep breaking up the meat as it cooks with the onion, as you don't want large chunks of meat in the filling. When the onions are softened, add the tomatoes, the caraway, salt, pepper and paprika, and mix well. Add the broth and continue to simmer the stew for about 20 to 25 minutes. Strain the stew using a sieve.

Put the strained broth into a pan over medium low heat. Mix the flour with a little water and whisk it into the broth. Let the mixture cook for a couple of minutes, stirring constantly. Remove the thickened broth from the heat and let it sit for a few minutes, then whisk in the sour cream.

In a skillet (preferably non-stick), add a little oil or melt some butter over low heat. In a bowl, mix together the flour, eggs, milk and salt. Add enough batter to the heated skillet to form a thin crepe-like pancake. Let the crepe cook until the liquid is no longer runny on top, then turn the crepe over. Both sides of the crepe should be lightly browned.  

Put a couple of tablespoons of the meat mixture into each pancake (crepe). Tuck in the sides and roll up the palacsinta around the filling. Serve the palacsinta with the sour cream sauce over them, or put the filled pancakes into a baking dish, pour the sour cream sauce over them and bake at 350 F for about 12 to 15 minutes, then serve.

 Served with a small green salad of kale, tomato and red onion ....

WORD HISTORY:
Hinder-The ultimate origin of this verb (and sometime adjective) is uncertain, "perhaps" going back to Indo European "kom," which meant, "beside, near, together, by;" but I'm not totally convinced of this. Whatever the source, "hinder" does go back to Old Germanic "hindronan," which meant, "to put to the back, to keep back, to keep to the rear." This gave Old English the verb "hindrian," which meant, "to hold back, to obstruct, to impede or prevent advance." Later condensed to "hinder." The adjective use shows reference to "behind, in the rear, in the back." Other Germanic relatives (verb forms): German has "hindern" (prevent, hamper, impede), Low German Saxon "hinnern" (stop, hold in, hold back), Dutch "hinderen" (hamper, hold back, keep back from), Swedish "hindra" (prevent, keep back, hold in). This was all I could find, but Old Norse seems to have had "hindra" and Frisian once had "hinderia." By the way, German has the derived noun, "Hindernis," meaning, "barrier, obstacle," with the obvious tie to the verb, and English has the noun, "hindrance," originally spelled "hinderance," which dates to the mid 1400s. It is one of those mixed words, with "hinder," an English word derived from Germanic, with the "ance" suffix from French, from Latin "antia/entia." 

Spätzle in Sour Sauce (Sauer Spätzle)

This is a dish using "Spätzle," the little noodle/dumpling/pasta bits, almost always served in some manner in German-themed restaurants in the U.S., and, I'm sure, elsewhere. That term too is the general term in German, which is understood by German speakers in all areas of Europe, as "Spätzle" is a famous part of German cuisine, coming from the southwestern German region of "Schwaben" (Swabia). It literally means "little sparrows" in the dialect of that southwestern region of Germany,  called Schwäbisch *=Swabian in English). In other German areas in the south (German in the broad sense), including Liechtenstein, instead of "Spätzle," the term used is, "Knöpfle" (literally, 'little buttons'). The dumplings are made the same, with only slight variations, as some people use milk instead of water, and others, the total purists, belief they should only be made from eggs, flour and salt. I made mine the "purist" way. Germans (broad sense) often have special equipment at home to make the Spätzle, which is used to force the dough through, and it drops into the hot water, but you can just use a large spoon and drizzle the batter into the water in strands, or if the batter is more of a true dough, just use the spoon to take small bits of the dough and drop them into the water. This specific recipe for "Sauer Spätzle" is from: "The Cuisines of Germany," by Horst Scharfenberg, Poseidon Press, New York, 1980.  

Ingredients:

For the Spätzle:

2 cups flour
4 eggs
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup water
(optional) a good pinch of nutmeg
simmering salted water

For the sauce:

2 tablespoons butter + 1 tablespoon canola oil
2 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups beef stock
1 to 2 tablespoons vinegar (to taste)
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup sour cream

In a pan large enough to hold 4 to 5 inches of water (also wide; you want the dumplings to have plenty of room to "swim"), add a couple of tablespoons of salt, and bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat so that the water simmers nicely. In a bowl, mix the flour, eggs, salt and water. Germans (broad sense) make the batter/dough various thicknesses. With this recipe, I made it "somewhat fluid," where there was resistance when stirring with a spoon, and where the thick batter could be drizzled into the simmering water. If you make it even thicker, more of a true dough, you can cut off pieces. The batter will almost instantly solidify in the hot water, and the dumplings will float to the top when done (Germans often say "swim"), and you can use a slotted spoon to take them from the water, before you add another batch. Be sure to stir the bottom of the pot, as sometimes one or two might stick to the bottom.

For the sauce, heat the butter (and oil, if using) over low heat until the butter is melted. Sprinkle in the flour and stir constantly to form a roux. Cook until the flour turns light brown only. Gradually add the broth, stirring constantly, until the mixture is heated and thickens. Add the bay leaf, salt and pepper. Let gently simmer for a few minutes, then turn off the heat. Mix a little of the sauce with the sour cream, then gradually stir the sour cream into the sauce. Serve the sauce over the spätzle or carefully add the spätzle to the sauce, stirring to mix well.  

* Swabian is a dialect that is part of the overall German dialect "Alemannic," which is also spoken in Switzerland, Alsace, extreme western Austria (not in the rest of Austria) and Liechtenstein, as well as some small parts of northern Italy.

WORD HISTORY: 
Batch-This word, closely related to "bake," goes back to Indo European "bheg/bhog," which had the meaning "to bake or roast." This gave its Old Germanic offspring "bakanan," which meant "to bake." This then gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "bacan," with the same meaning. This then produced "bæcce," which meant, "baked items, baking." This then became "bacche," before the modern form, and along the way, the meaning broadened beyond baking to the making of items, in general. Old English also had the word "gebæc," which meant, "baked items, baked goods," and close relatives German and Dutch still have "Gebäck" and "gebak," respectively, meaning "pastry, baked goods."

Beef Stroganoff

One of my all time favorites, Beef Stroganoff (sometimes spelled Stroganov), developed in Russia in the second half of the 1800s. The "supposed" original recipe had no mushrooms. It is often served with noodles or rice, but I am a mashed potatoes guy, although I have also had it with noodles. I checked a number of serving suggestions before I wrote this, and a couple mentioned that Russians often serve their famous dish with crisp potato sticks, which are similar to shoestring (French) fries. I also found another serving suggestion which included mashed potatoes as being common in Russia. YES! As with all popular recipes, there are numerous variations for Beef Stroganoff, including the addition by some of white wine, some use Port wine, some use already prepared mustard of the Dijon type, some use a portion of tomato sauce. I even found that some use no sour cream! Now that's just over the line! I hope Vladimir Putin has their computer accounts hacked.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons neutral oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 pound of pretty lean, boneless beef, cut into strips or small chunks
1 large onion, chopped
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
2 cups beef stock
1 tablespoon dry mustard
3 tablespoons flour (well mixed with the stock)
3 tablespoons sour cream (regular or lower fat style is fine)
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon to 1 teaspoon salt (use according to the amount of salt in the beef stock)

Heat the oil and butter over medium heat in a large heavy skillet. Add the onion and meat, then reduce the heat to medium low. Lightly brown the meat as the onions soften. Add the mustard and stir to mix. Add the beef stock (reserving about 4 tablespoons to mix with the flour). Bring to a light simmer and cook until the beef is tender. Add the salt and pepper, mix. Gradually add the flour mixed with the beef stock, stirring constantly until the broth thickens, giving the dish a couple of minutes to cook to eliminate the raw flour taste (you can vary the amount of flour/stock, according to how thick you like the sauce). Add the sliced mushrooms and continue cooking for just another 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the sour cream.   

I had my "Beef Stroganoff" with mashed red skin potatoes and sliced tomatoes with homemade honey French dressing. * I tried washing the potatoes with easy on the skin detergent, but the potatoes still had red skin. Sometimes you just can't win.

* This is the link to my article with the homemade honey French dressing: http://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2016/08/homemade-honey-french-dressing.html

WORD HISTORY:
Pound-English has three different words "pound," but this is the noun for the "measurement of weight." The word goes back to Indo European "pen" (which had a variant, or was the variant form of, "spen"), which had the notion "to stretch, to draw out." This gave Latin "pondus," which meant, "weight," and the derived, "pondo," meaning, "by weight." This was borrowed into Old Germanic as "punda," with the meaning, "weight," but also with the developing sense of "a specific measurement of weight." This then gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "pund," with the meanings, "measurement of weight, measurement of money, a pint in liquid." The spelling changed to "pound" several centuries later. Its relatives include: German "Pfund," Low German Saxon "Pund," Dutch "pond," Swedish "pund," Icelandic "pund," Danish "pund." Frisian once had "pund/pond." I did not find a form in Norwegian, although Old Norse had "pund," but it may not have been retained by the dialects that developed into Norwegian. Note: The Danes ruled Norway for a few centuries, with DANISH being the official language, although Norwegian dialects remained among many people. So exactly why the Old Norse and Danish "pund" did not become part of Norwegian, I have no idea.

German Shoemaker's Pie (Schusterpastete)

The German name for this dish is "Schusterpastete." A "Schuster" is a shoemaker or cobbler, and "Pastete" means sort of a "pie;" that is, a dish covered with dough or some sort of crust, and this dish is more of a layered casserole, than a pie, as you'll see. The dish originated in East Prussia, a region, since World War Two, mainly part of Poland, but also with a part now belonging to Russia. The idea lying behind the dish, was that shoemakers often struggled financially, and they had to be very efficient in  the use of their limited resources, so this dish was a way to use leftover roast by combining it with ingredients that were not usually all that expensive. Of course, you can make the dish with fresh beef and uncooked potatoes by simply extending the cooking time, and perhaps by adding the top "crust" after the dish has baked for awhile. Sour cream was a VERY common component in East Prussian cooking, something the Germans likely picked up from the various Slavic people they encountered as they settled in parts of eastern Europe a few centuries ago, where sour cream was/is common, as dairy farming was one of the main professions. East Prussia also bordered on the Baltic Sea, which usually made fish, especially herring, plentiful, and cheap, something that is not much the case in this day and age.

There are variations to Schusterpastete, including those with fish only, or with some type of pork as the main meat component, but this is the version I know, and it can be a bit dry if you don't use just this side of a ton of butter (see recipe below), so I add a little beef broth. With East Prussians having ready access to dairy products, butter was used more to keep the dish moist, but with all that butter, and then sour cream too, you might hear your arteries clogging before you finish eating; that is, IF you finish eating. I don't always measure things when cooking; all that, "a quarter cup of this, and a half teaspoon of that," is not for me, so I'll try to give you some general guidelines, and you can adjust things to the amount you are preparing. I've made this dish many, many times over the years. This recipe is very much based upon one found in, "The Cuisines of Germany," by Horst Scharfenberg, Poseidon Press (Division of Simon & Schuster), New York, 1989, from original German edition of 1980.

About 2 lbs or so, leftover roast beef, cut into bite sized pieces
about 7 or 8 medium potatoes, boiled in their skins, but then cooled, peeled and cut into about 1/4" slices
a couple of tablespoons of butter, or more if you'd like (the recipe I first used many years ago called for like the equivalent of a stick of butter)
a good deal of fresh pepper
a large onion, chopped
several pieces of herring, chopped (pickled herring is usually readily available in markets, but I just made this dish again a few days ago, and I didn't have herring, but I did have a can of boneless, skinless sardines, and they worked just fine)
a little beef broth (I wouldn't add much, as you don't want the dish to be runny. Just a tablespoon or two, so it will help to "steam" the dish during baking, keeping it moist)
1 cup of sour cream (you can use "light")
breadcrumbs
a little seasoned salt (my own addition)
canola oil or vegetable oil to grease the baking dish (the recipe actually calls for ....BUTTER!)

Grease the baking dish, place potato slices to cover the bottom of the dish, add a little seasoned salt and pepper over the potatoes, add the beef, which should be cut into bite sized pieces, then cover the meat with more potato slices. Saute the onion in some of the butter (or oil) until slightly softened, mix the herring and onion together and layer the mixture on top of the potatoes. Cover the onion/fish mixture with the remaining potatoes, add a little seasoned salt and pepper. Now spread the sour cream on top, then add the breadcrumbs; this is the "crust" of the "Pastete" (Panko-style breadcrumbs will give you a good crunchy crust, but regular breadcrumbs are really traditional). Put some pieces of butter on top. Remember, the main ingredients are already cooked and just need to be heated through, so bake at 400 degrees for 30 to 45 minutes, until the "crust" is crispy.

WORD HISTORY:
Fresh-This word has a variety of meanings: "newly produced, newly found, not in preserved form, unspoiled, previously unknown," and a number of others, and while the meaning, "too forward, overly flirtatious, cheeky, impudent, sassy," is applied to a word with the same spelling, the word of that meaning was borrowed from German "frech," which also has those meanings.^ The ultimate origins of "fresh" are unknown, but Old Germanic had "friskaz," which meant "fresh," and this then gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "fersc" (that's not a typo, the "e" sound came before the "r" sound back then, see other Germanic language forms below), and it had the meanings, "unsalted (thus modern "not preserved"), pure," but later the spelling became "fresch," before the modern version. The meaning was also later influenced by French "fres/freis" (modern "frais"), and the French form's meaning of "new, recent." The French form, and also the Italian form, "fresco," trace back to Latin, and Latin borrowed it from the same Old Germanic form. The other Germanic languages have: German "frisch," meaning "fresh," also, "crisply cool, chilly (of weather)," Low German Saxon "frisch," meaning "fresh," Dutch "vers," meaning "fresh" (notice the similarity to how English once spelled it's form, with the "e," then the "r"), West Frisian "farsk," meaning "fresh" (also with the vowel sound before the "r"), Danish "frisk," meaning "fresh"), Norwegian "fersk," also meaning "fresh" ("e" before "r"), Swedish "färsk," meaning "fresh" (another vowel before "r"), and Icelandic "ferskur," meaning "fresh" (and the vowel before "r").

^ English once had "frec," with the meaning "bold, daring," but it died out in favor of other words, like "bold" and "daring."