Uzbek Lamb & Vegetable Soup: Shurpa

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

 

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

 

Ingredients (6 servings):

 

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

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

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

2 potatoes, each cut into 8 pieces 

1 cup chopped carrot

1 large red bell pepper, cut into strips

2 medium tomatoes, chopped

2 chili peppers, sliced

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

2 bay leaves

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons ground coriander

2 teaspoons ground black pepper

2 teaspoons salt (or to taste)

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (coriander)

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

5 green onions, chopped (with the green)

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

2 tablespoons vegetable oil 

 

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

 

 

WORD HISTORY:

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

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

Indian Vegetarian Burgers

Vegetarian substitutes for meat have been gaining in popularity over the years, and even many of the fast food places entered into the market for such foods. Somewhere around a third of India's population is vegetarian, and that figure "could" even be higher.  

 

As I'm sure many of you know, the foods of India are often "spicy," and you can certainly adjust the heat level of these "burgers." Scrub the potatoes well and you can leave the skins on, if you'd like. There are lots of chili pepper varieties used on the Indian Subcontinent, and many of the specific types are not available all over the world, but "generally," you can substitute other types of chilies; as for instance, you can use jalapeño chilies in place of the various green chilies used on the Indian Subcontinent. As I've mentioned in some other articles, I've had jalapeño chilies that really had no heat; I mean, they were like green bell peppers; but on the other hand, I've had jalapeño chilies that could bring smoke billowing from your nostrils. So, use the number of chilies to accommodate your desired level of heat, but remember, chilies also provide a degree of flavor. 

Ground coriander is not the same as fresh coriander, which is better known as cilantro in many parts of the world. Ground coriander is the spice made from the seeds. As for cardamom, you can buy ground cardamon in a jar (some say bottle), or you can buy, or you might already have, whole green cardamon pods, and you can grind them yourself (I often use a mortar and pestle, and sometimes a spice/coffee grinder). You might find ground fennel in some supermarkets or spice shops, but certainly not in all. Or you can use a spice or coffee grinder, or a mortar and pestle and grind about 6 or 8 fennel seeds for this recipe.

 

You don't have to be precise in how you chop or cut the veggies, because they will be mashed or processed after cooking. You don't want the veggies, lentils and peas to be mushy, and you don't want them dripping with moisture, so drain them super well. The lentils and split peas will be processed too, so they don't have to be cooked until totally tender, as if you were making soup or curry, but you don't want them to be hard either. By the way, if you don't have red lentils, or if you can't find them easily, use brown lentils; the earth won't shift because of it.  

I know the list of ingredients looks long, and there's a reason for that ... IT IS! But it includes the spices often used in Indian cooking. Generally speaking, I'm not a real big fan of commercial Indian spice blends like garam masala or curry powder (and there are others). Many people of India, and from the overall Subcontinent, as well, make their own spice blends at home; so, they are not "standard." I keep a couple of commercial spice blends for occasional convenience, but I often prefer to add individual spices to recipes myself; thus, that's another reason for the list of spices here. The long list doesn't mean any of this is complicated, because it isn't. All you're doing is measuring out various spices and adding them to the recipe.

Serve with fried potato wedges

 

Ingredients (4 to 6 burgers):

 

2 1/2 cups chopped potatoes

1 1/2 cups chopped carrot

1/2 cup green beans

1/3 cup red lentils (or brown lentils)

1/4 cup split green peas

1 onion (tennis ball size), peeled and quartered

1 1/2 inch piece ginger, peeled

4 cloves garlic

1 to 3 chilies (depending up desired heat level)

1/4 cup fresh coriander, known to many as cilantro

2 teaspoons ground coriander (NOT the same as ground up fresh coriander, ground coriander is a spice made from coriander seeds)

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground cardamon 

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon ground fennel 

1/2 teaspoon ground mace

about 1/3 cup breadcrumbs (more if needed, I prefer fine breadcrumbs for this, not panko)

1/4 cup flour + 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper + 3 to 4 tablespoons water

1/2 to 3/4 cup of breadcrumbs (separate from amount above)

oil for frying 

hamburger buns, lightly dry toasted, then buttered

lettuce leaves

tomato slices

onion slices

1/2 cup mayonnaise + 1 clove minced garlic + 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper + 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Use a pan that can hold the potatoes, carrots and green beans. First, cook the potatoes and carrots in lightly salted boiling water, but keep them rather firm, NOT mushy, then add the green beans for just a couple of minutes before removing the vegetables from the heat, as the beans shouldn't take long to cook. DRAIN WELL!

Cook the lentils and split peas in lightly salted simmering water until softened, but again, NOT mushy ("about" 15 minutes) ... DRAIN WELL

Mash about a third of the vegetables, lentils and split peas to a coarse mixture in a large bowl (this will provide some texture to the burgers). Process the rest of the vegetables, lentils and split peas, along with the onion, ginger, garlic, chilies and fresh coriander until just finely chopped; add to the bowl with the coarsely mashed ingredients; add the spices (ground coriander, cumin, ground cardamom, ground turmeric, cinnamon, black pepper, cloves, ground fennel, mace) and the 2/3 cup breadcrumbs; mix together very well (remember, this mixture needs to be able to hold together as a "burger-type" patty, so if it needs more breadcrumbs, don't hesitate to add them). 

Roll the mixture into rounds (golf ball to tennis ball size), then press them to make patties (I make them about 1/2 inch thick). Mix together the flour, pepper and water in a shallow bowl (it should be thick, but not really a paste). Put the breadcrumbs onto a plate or into a shallow dish. Dip the patties into the flour mixture, then into the breadcrumbs to coat.

Fry the patties in oil over medium heat until browned on both sides  

For the mayonnaise, mix the ingredients together well. Serve with any or all of the toppings.

 

 

WORD HISTORY:

Oblige (Obligation)-"Oblige" is related to "ligament," a word borrowed by English from Latin, and to "liaison," a Latin-based word borrowed from French, and to "league" (the noun meaning "confederation, alliance, association"), another Latin-based word borrowed via French, which had it from Italian. The prefix "ob" goes back to Indo European "ep(i)," which meant "toward, near, against, to." The main body of the word "oblige" goes back to Indo European "leig," which had the meaning, "to bind." This gave Latin "ligare," with essentially the same meaning, "to tie, to bind." The combination gave Latin "obligare," meaning "to tie to, to fasten;" thus also, "to bind to responsibility, indebtedness, liability." This passed to Latin-based Old French as "obligier" meaning "to commit to something, to pledge oneself to something," and then became "obliger," and English borrowed the word circa 1300 as "obligen" meaning "to commit/pledge oneself to something (sometimes involving an oath), to feel compelled to do or behave in a particular way,"^ later also, "to be indebted (or to feel indebted) to someone." The noun "obligation" goes back to Latin "obligationem," the accusative form of the verb "obligare" (see above). This passed into Old French as "obligacion" meaning "legal or perceived responsibility or duty, a pledge, commitment or contract to do something (often to pay indebtedness)." English borrowed the word in the early 1300s, initially as "obligacioun," from French, but with influence from Latin. 

 

^ Verb forms ending in "en" was how English indicated the infinitive form in those times, and how its cousin, German, still does. As such, English speakers didn't have to insert "to" into sentences, as the "en" signified that same meaning; thus, "obligen" meant "to oblige." English later changed its way of conjugating verbs by dropping the "en," but usually adding "to" to statements like, "I have to go;" whereas, German still just uses the "en" form; thus, "Ich muss gehen," meaning "I have to go," but it also means, "I must go," it can be translated either way (notice English doesn't have to use "to" when we say, "I must go," with "must" being an auxiliary verb).    

Scotch Broth

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

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

Ingredients (6 to 8 servings): 

 

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

couple lamb bones

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

1 cup chopped onion

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup pearl barley

1/2 cup green split peas

2 bay leaves

1 1/2 tablespoons thyme

1 cup chopped carrot (peeled)

1/2 cup chopped parsnip (peeled)

1/3 cup chopped turnip

1 cup chopped leek, rinsed well

2/3 cup cabbage, shredded

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

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

 

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

 

 

 

 

WORD HISTORY:

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

Chicken Fricassee

There are other dishes that pair "fricassee" and a type of meat for the name of the dish, with veal, turkey and rabbit being examples, but "Chicken Fricassee" is likely the best known and the most common.* Some people pronounce it like "frik-ah-see," others pronounce it as if "frik-ah-say." Probably because of chicken being used most often, "fricassee" is likely thought by many to have a light colored sauce, and I'll admit, that's what I think of when I think of fricassee, as that's how my grandmother made it when I was a little kid. But there are some recipes for chicken fricassee that are darker in color, and some are reddish, even downright red. It depends upon the culture behind any given recipe. I've seen German recipes that add juniper berries** or capers (chicken fricassee in German is "Hühnerfrikassee"), while Hungarians add paprika, which of course will add a somewhat red or orange tint to the sauce, and dishes derived from Spanish background may be much more red, as they may well contain both paprika and tomatoes, and some recipes do not use cream or milk at all. If I remember right, my grandmother made chicken fricassee with carrots, asparagus and peas. In those times canned peas were common in household pantries in the U.S., as they still are, but they were a dull green, or olive type color, and my grandmother used frozen peas, which were bright green, and with a much better taste. I use boneless chicken, but you certainly can use whole bone-in chicken pieces, if you prefer. As you'll see in the ingredient list, I actually use boneless chicken breast, but I also list one whole wing. This gives a little of the added taste of skin-on and bone-in chicken. Rice or noodles are commonly served with chicken fricassee, but myself, I'm a mashed potatoes guy, and the delicious sauce screams for mashed potatoes to me.

 

The history of this dish is rather obscure, although some, including myself, assume it to be of French origin, with the French sounding name adding support to that assumption; see "Word History," below.

Ingredients (5 to 6 servings):

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast + 1 whole skin-on wing

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 tablespoons butter + 1 tablespoon olive oil (or vegetable oil or canola oil)

1 cup sliced mushrooms (I used cremini mushrooms, but I've used white mushrooms at times over the years too)  

1/2 cup diced or small chopped carrot (smaller is better, as larger pieces naturally take longer to cook)

1/2 cup chopped asparagus (about 1 to 1 1/2 inch pieces)

1 cup chopped white onion

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 1/2 cups chicken stock

2 1/2 tablespoons flour

1 bay leaf

1/2 cup heavy cream (or half and half)

2 egg yolks, tempered with small amount of sauce

(optional) 1 or 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley, divided to sprinkle on the individual servings 

 

Note on salt: I salt the chicken pieces with the 1 teaspoon of salt, but I don't add any other salt directly to the dish, as the chicken stock has salt. 

In a skillet add the butter and oil over medium heat. Salt and pepper the chicken. When the butter is melted, add the chicken pieces to the skillet and saute until the chicken starts to get a little browning to it (we're not cooking the chicken through, at this point). Remove the chicken to a plate or platter, then add the chopped onion to the skillet and saute for about 1 minute before adding the carrot; saute for about 3 minutes, turning and stirring the vegetables often, then add the mushrooms, and mix all of the vegetables together. After another 2 minutes, add the asparagus and saute another 2 minutes (always turning and mixing the veggies around). Sprinkle the flour into the skillet and mix it into the veggies and butter/oil. Now add the white wine and the chicken stock and mix everything together well, add the bay leaf. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook at this level for another 2 minutes (that is after it starts to simmer), stirring a lot (the liquids should begin to thicken somewhat). Stir in the cream, then add the chicken pieces to the sauce and cook at a gentle simmer (adjust heat accordingly) until the chicken is tender (check the carrots too, as they can sometimes take some more cooking). Turn off the heat, or remove the pan from the heat. Add two egg yolks to a cup or a small bowl and use a spoon to break and beat the yolks briefly. Add a tablespoon of the sauce to the yolks and immediately beat it into the yolks, followed by another tablespoon of sauce with the same procedure, and then one more time of the same. GRADUALLY stir in the yolk mixture to the sauce, and keep stirring until the yolks are fully incorporated into the sauce. Remove the bay leaf. You can sprinkle some chopped parsley over the top of each serving, if desired.    

 

* I like Cajun Meatball Fricassee, too, and here's the link to the recipe: https://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2021/12/cajun-meatball-fricassee.html

 

** If you've never used juniper berries, they come from certain evergreen trees; thus, the "berries" are actually little "cones" from these trees, but they look a lot like blueberries, but dried. They are most famous for the flavor they give to gin, and they are not uncommon in certain dishes from German language and cultural regions, like Germany, Alsace (part of eastern France), Austria, Switzerland, Luxembourg, as well as in some Scandinavian, Czech, Slovak, Hungarian and Polish recipes. The German name for "juniper berries" is "Wacholderbeeren." 

 

I had my "Chicken Fricassee" over mashed potatoes with some cottage cheese on the side ... 

 

 

 

When I fixed Chicken Fricassee this time, I cut the chicken into smaller pieces ... 

WORD HISTORY:

Fricassee (Quash)-The term "fricassee" is thought to be a combination of words, with the first part coming from the French verb "frire," meaning "to fry." Indeed, English borrowed "fry" from the Latin-derived French word. The second part of "fricassee" is presumed to be from French "casser," also spelled "quasser," which meant "to break up, to cut up." This part of the word is closely related to "quash," a word formed by the merging of two separate verb forms with similar meanings and even spellings, one that goes back to Indo European "kwet," which had the notion of "to shake, to shake up, to excite or agitate." This gave Latin the verb "quatere" with the same general meanings, and its participle "quassus," produced Latin "quassare," which meant "to shake violently, to shake forcefully." This passed into Latin-based Old French as "quasser," which was also spelled "casser," and with the same meaning as the Latin parent, but also, "to weaken, to break apart." This was borrowed by English within the first couple of decades of the 1300s as "quaschen/quashen," which then simply became "quash," with the meaning "to smash, to crush, to defeat completely," but its meaning was then also influenced by the second verb. The second verb goes back to Indo European "kes," with the general meaning of "to cut." This gave Latin the verb "carere," meaning "to separate, to be separated (from);" thus also, "to be without, to be lacking in," and this gave Latin the adjective "cassus," meaning "empty, void, hollow," and this produced the verb "cassare," later as "quassare," which meant "to nullify, to make or declare void," and this passed into Old French as "quasser," and also as "casser" (as with the first verb), with the "to nullify, to void" meaning, and it was often used in legalistic matters, which brought it into English in the mid 1200s, but by the late 1500s, the word began to be used for, "to suppress, to halt something," from the notion of "nullify," and it is this meaning that is best known in English today ... "to put down, to suppress, to put a firm stop to something."        

Nigerian Salad

Nigeria is a country in the western part of Africa with a population of about 210 million. The 1500s saw the Portuguese begin to have lots of contact with the Nigerians for trade, primarily via the city of "Eko," which the Portuguese called "Lagos," which has remained the name of the city. (Note: Lagos is one of the world's largest cities, with a metro population of some 25 million.) The slave trade was centered in the Nigerian region and by the early 1800s, the British had outlawed slavery, and they actively fought against slave traders, which brought their involvement in that general area of Africa, and by the early 1900s, Nigeria became a colony of Britain, a status that lasted until 1960. While there are hundreds of languages and dialects spoken in modern Nigeria, English is the official language.  

There are naturally variations to some of the ingredients, and some recipes include pasta or boiled potatoes. Green cabbage is traditional, but I like to use red cabbage at times, if I have it, which I did when I made the salad for the photos below (it adds great color). You can peel the cucumber or leave the peel on, or partially peel it.

 

Ingredients (4 to 6 full servings):

 

2 cups shredded lettuce

2 cups shredded cabbage 

1 cup shredded carrot

1 cup chopped cucumber, small chop

1 cup chopped tomato, small chop

1/2 cup chopped red onion, small chop

1 cup baked beans*

3 or 4 hard boiled eggs

1/2 cup corn (canned, frozen/thawed/off the cob) 

1 to 1 1/2 cups salad cream, Heinz or homemade**

 

In a large bowl/dish, add the lettuce, cabbage, carrot, cucumber, tomato and red onion. Mix to combine (I use my hands). You can serve up the vegetable mixture in individual servings, then add some corn over the top of each serving, then add some dabs of baked beans around the top. Quarter the hard boiled eggs, then place a few pieces of the egg around each serving, followed by some salad cream in the middle of the salad. Otherwise, you can put the corn, baked beans and hard boiled egg pieces on the top of the vegetable mixture in your large bowl/dish for everyone to serve themselves. Put the salad cream in a separate dish for each person to add to their salad.   

 

* Heinz beans are, and have been, very popular in Britain and in some former British colonies. While they are "similar" to the beans the company markets in the U.S., they are slightly different. You can find the British style Heinz beans in some U.S. supermarkets (if they aren't with the other canned beans, check the international section) and in some specialty shops that deal with international products. If you like looking for products, and you want to try to make as close to a genuine "Nigerian Salad" as possible, the recipes I've seen over the years for the salad all had the Heinz beans, an influence carried over from the time when Nigeria was a colony of the British; so, you'll want to try to find the British style Heinz beans. If the type of beans isn't that important to you, use the baked beans of your choice. By the way, the same is true of the salad cream, as the Heinz brand is very popular in Britain and in some of the former colonies, including in Nigeria. It is not easy to find in the U.S., and while it is available online, it will cost you more than a couple of dollars for a bottle, perhaps more like about $8.00 or more, and then there are the shipping charges. I'm not here to market for Heinz, but these are the products commonly used by Nigerians, so it is what it is.   

 

** For homemade salad cream, here is the link to the recipe:  https://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2021/08/british-salad-cream.html

WORD HISTORY:

Jumbo-This is one of those words that requires the use of "could be," "possibly," "maybe," "perhaps," as the reason for the name is not really known, although the speculation for the name makes some sense, but that does not guarantee that it's true. "Jumbo" was the name of an orphaned elephant calf captured in East Africa in the 1860s. It was said to have been an unusually large elephant calf, and it grew into a huge adult. The young growing elephant was sent to Europe, spending time in Italy, Germany, France and England, before being sold to American circus showman and promoter (and exploiter) Phineas "P.T." Barnum in the early 1880s. The elephant's immense size had proven to be an attraction in Europe and Barnum popularized the attraction even more. Of course, the question of the day is, why was the baby elephant named "Jumbo?" Some have speculated that the name was taken from Swahili "jumbe," which meant "chief, leader." The abnormally large elephant certainly fit with its name as a "chief" or a "leader," and as initially Europeans turned out in considerable numbers to view "Jumbo," the name also tied in nicely with a creature from Africa.^ The name became so well known, that the idea of its size provided the basis for other abnormally large objects to have the word applied to them as an adjective, a use still in existence to this day. Another possibility is that the name came from a European-ized version of "nzamba," a word that meant "elephant" in Kikongo, a language spoken in and around the Congo region. I use "European-ized," as one of the elephant's original captors was a German.

 

^ By the mid 1800s, many European countries were colonizing regions of Africa (or had already colonized some areas).   

 

Bulgarian Salad: Shopska Salata

Bulgaria is a country in the Balkans bordering on the Black Sea in southeastern Europe. The country traces its history back to the Bulgars, one of the Turkic groups from Asia who eventually migrated into Europe. The Bulgars settled in a part of the Balkans and they mixed with the inhabitants there, many of whom were Slavic. This led to the Turkic language of the Bulgars being overtaken and replaced by the Slavic based language of the region that came to be called Bulgarian, which is written in Cyrillic, as are Serbian, Russian and Ukrainian, for instance.*

 

This salad is one of the national dishes of Bulgaria, with its main components providing the colors of the Bulgarian flag (white-green-red); however, the salad is also well known in Serbia and in Macedonia (North Macedonia), one of the former components of Yugoslavia.** Bulgarian sirene cheese is not easy to find, and you can substitute Bulgarian feta cheese, which might be a little easier to find, or just use Greek feta cheese, which is easy to find, although Bulgarian feta is more tart than its Greek cousin. NOTE: I get Bulgarian feta here in Cleveland at the "Culinary Specialties" shop at the West Side Market (it's not expensive).

 

Ingredients (4 to 5 servings):  

3 medium tomatoes, chopped

1 medium cucumber, peel on, split lengthwise and seeds scooped out, then chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 white or yellow onion 

1/4 cup chopped parsley

1/3 cup sunflower oil (or Greek olive oil)

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup Bulgarian sirene cheese (substitute Bulgarian or Greek feta cheese), crumbled

(optional) some large green olives for garnish  

 

Add the tomatoes, cucumber, green and red bell peppers, onion and parsley to a bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together well the oil, red wine vinegar, ground black pepper and salt. Refrigerate the vegetables and dressing mixture for a minimum of 2 hours, then mix the dressing well again and add it to the salad, tossing the vegetables to coat with the dressing. Top each serving with some crumbled cheese.  Optionally add some large green olives around the edge of each serving or on top.

 

* "Cyrillic" is a writing system developed back in about the 900s (A.D.) and it is named in honor of the Eastern Orthodox saint, Cyril.

 

** Macedonia is a region in the Balkans that has been contested by Greece, Bulgaria, Serbia and (the former) Yugoslavia. The terminology "Macedonia" itself is controversial, as across the border lies the Greek region of Macedonia. When Yugoslavia dissolved in the early 1990s, its former component state of "Macedonia" became an independent country. In early 2019 the "official" name was changed to "(Republic of) North Macedonia," although many citizens there do not agree with the renaming. 

 

  

WORD HISTORY:

Desk-This word is related to "disk/disc" and to "dish," words tracing back to Greek, then borrowed by Latin and then borrowed by English, to "dais," a word borrowed from French, which had it from Latin, which had it from Greek. The ultimate origin of "desk" is unknown, but it goes back to transliterated Ancient Greek "diskos," meaning "a round, flat plate or stone." This was borrowed by Latin as "discus," meaning "dish, platter," and in Italian this devloped as "desco," meaning, "plate, platter," but also "table for eating," and "writing table for an official." Latin "seemingly" took the Italian form as "desca," with the "writing table" idea prevailing as the primary meaning by circa 1300, and English borrowed the word in the mid 1300s with that same meaning. The idea of a desk being used by officials or authorities in some capacity brought about usage in that sense, even though a physical desk was not necessarily involved, as in, weather or sports segments of news on radio or television, "Now for tonight's weather, here's Jim from the weather desk." A "desk job" came into use (late 1800s?) to contrast a clerical or official position with a job of manual labor.  

Indian Mashed Veggies & Rolls: Pav Bhaji

This dish is commonly sold by street vendors and fast food outlets in India. It seems to have originated in Mumbai on the western coast of India (it was formerly called "Bombay"). Indians use a spice blend called "pav bhaji masala" to season this dish, and this spice blend can be found at Indian and Pakistani shops, or perhaps at some spice shops, but if you keep a good variety of spices in your home, you can just add many of the individual spices to the recipe yourself, and if you're missing one or two, you shan't be banned from fixing or eating Indian food for the rest of your life, although 20 lashes with a piece of spaghetti might be in order. Below I've listed the most common spices used in the spice blend. The use of bread rolls is likely from Portuguese influence ('pav,' pronounced like 'pow,' from Portuguese 'pão;' that is, 'bread'), as the Portuguese maintained a colonial presence in India for centuries, longer than England/Britain. 

 

Fenugreek leaves are used in this dish. The seeds (often ground) and the leaves of the fenugreek plant are fairly common ingredients in certain foods of the Indian subcontinent and they would be good additions to your herbs and spices.

Ingredients:

2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

1 large carrot, peeled and cut into about 1 1/2 inch pieces

10 to 12 ounces green peas, canned (drained), or frozen

1 cup finely chopped onion

2 fresh medium tomatoes, chopped

1/4 to 1/2 cup of the water used to boil the potatoes and carrots

spices:

-1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

- 1 teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne or other)

- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

- 1/2 teaspoon fennel seed (crushed, or even better, grind it if you have a spice grinder)

(optional) 1/2 teaspoon dried mango powder (also called 'amchur')

1 or 2 tablespoons fenugreek leaves

1 heaping teaspoon salt

(optional) 2 tablespoon fresh chopped coriander (also called cilantro)

1 tablespoon vegetable oil + 1 tablespoon butter

3 or 4 tablespoons butter

dinner rolls, split and toasted in a skillet

Boil the potatoes and carrots in just enough water to cover. Cook until tender. You can microwave the peas and tomatoes, if you'd like, or heat them on the stove, then add them to the cooked potatoes and carrots, along with 1/4 cup of the water used to boil the potatoes and carrots. Mash the vegetables with a potato masher, a stick blender, a mixer or use a food processor (you can add a little more of the cooking water, if the mixture is too thick). Toast the rolls in a skillet over low heat with melted butter (you can add a little pinch of ground cumin and a tiny pinch of ground red pepper to the melted butter and then toast the rolls). Top the mashed vegetable mixture with pats of butter. Serve with some raw chopped onion on the side, a couple of lemon or lime wedges and a green chili pepper or two (jalapeños or serranos are good suggestions).

 

Pav Bhaji with a pat of butter, piece of lemon, piece of lime, browned rolls, green chili pepper and some chopped red onion

WORD HISTORY: 

Fenestra-This word is now really only in use among anatomical specialists in English, but believe it or not, forms of it have been around in English and other Germanic languages dating back many centuries. Its history is obscure, although many etymologists and linguists believe it is of Etruscan derivation,^ because its ending of "stra" being the ending of other Latin words borrowed from Etruscan. Anyway, Latin had "fenestra," presumably from Etruscan, and meaning, "an opening in a wall or a roof to let in light;" thus also, "a window, a hatch." It was borrowed into some of the Germanic languages, "apparently" individually, rather than borrowed by the parent Germanic language, Old Germanic; and for instance, long ago the German spoken in what became Switzerland had "feister" for "window" from dialectal Latin "festra." Old English had "fenester," Old High German had "fenstar," with isolated cases of "finestra," all meaning "window." Low German and Dutch (both had "venster," both perhaps from German "fenstar?"). English kept its form as a synonym of "window" clear into the 1500s, when the word was totally superseded by "window" and "fenester" (also spelled "fenestre") became archaic. The 1800s saw the medicinal and anatomical use of the Latin form "fenestra" for "openings" in body parts, mainly in bones, especially in the second half of the 1800s regarding part of the middle and inner ear. German still has a form of the word as its word for "window," that being "Fenster."    

^ Etruscan is a mystery language, but it was "possibly" related to some languages of the Aegean Sea area, including "Minoan." In ancient times, Etruscan was spoken in a fairly large part of what is now Italy, but it eventually died out when Latin came to the area, although some of its words were borrowed into Latin.

Algerian Lamb Stew With Couscous

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

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

 

Ingredients:

 

For the stew:

 

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

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2 cups chopped onion

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 cups peeled and chopped carrot

2 cups chopped zucchini

2 cups peeled and chopped potatoes

2 stalks celery, chopped

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

2 Roma tomatoes, chopped 

5 cups broth (or water)

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves

1 1/2 teaspoons ground turmeric

1 tablespoon ground black pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

3 tablespoons chopped mint (or dried)

 

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

For the Couscous:

1 1/2 cups Moroccan couscous

1 2/3 cups chicken broth

2 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil 

(optional) 1/2 teaspoon salt

Bring the chicken broth to a boil in a sauce pan (with a lid). Add the butter, olive oil and salt (if using). Add the couscous and stir very well to mix. Let cook like 30 or 40 seconds, then shut off the heat and cover the pan with a lid for about 5 to 6 minutes. The broth should be completely absorbed. Fluff the couscous with a fork.   

WORD HISTORY: 

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

Olivier Salad: Russian Salad

The developer of this salad was Lucien Olivier, a chef from Belgium, who actually might have been born in France, and he developed the salad in the 1860s at the Hermitage, a popular restaurant in Moscow. Olivier either owned the restaurant, or he was one of the owners, but whatever the case, he did perform chef's duties at the restaurant. The thing is, the salad, which is really a type of potato salad, he put together changed a great deal over the years, and since Chef Olivier guarded the recipe, no one truly knew the exact ingredients, although the main items were obvious. Further, however, even some of the main ingredients changed over time and his presentation of the salad also changed, as for one thing, the sauce, which he originally used to top the salad, he later mixed it into the salad. The popularity of the salad brought numerous variations in recipes, including in areas beyond Russia. As such, this is my version, which I've given as vegetarian, but if you'd like, mix in some diced ham or diced chicken breast. Of course, you can use the meatless salad as a side dish to a serving of meat (see photos below). 

Ingredients (multiple servings):

1 cup mayonnaise (reduced fat type is fine)
1/4 cup sour cream (reduced fat type is fine)
2 to 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 medium potatoes, boiled in their skins, cooled, peeled and diced
1 medium to large carrot, peeled and diced
1 cup cooked peas, cooled and drained
1/4 cup diced gherkins
2 to 3 hard boiled eggs, chopped
3 tablespoons capers 
2 tablespoons chopped dill
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
1 teaspoon salt

In a bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, sour cream, extra virgin olive oil, 1 tablespoon chopped dill, the ground black and white pepper and the salt. In a much larger dish, add the diced potatoes, diced carrot, peas, diced gherkins, chopped egg, capers and 1 tablespoon chopped dill. Gently mix the salad to distribute the main ingredients, then mix in the dressing (I add half of the dressing, mix, then add the other half and mix, but whatever you prefer to do).

NOTE: I consulted the article at the following link for some of the information about the history of this salad:  https://web.archive.org/web/20180718213638/http://www.sras.org/Russian_olivier_salad

"Olivier Salad" as a side dish for a smoked pork chop ...

WORD HISTORY: 
Mammoth-This word for "an extinct type of large elephant of shaggy hair and curved tusks" seems to come from Uralic, the language family with prominent members Hungarian, Finnish and Estonian, but with numerous other smaller and less well known languages. Uralic is thought to have developed in and around the Ural Mountains. Uralic languages have forms like "me, ma, meh, mah," having to do with "earth;" that is, "soil, land," with further Uralic forms like "ahnt," meaning "horn, tusk." The idea is that these two forms were combined to describe the large hairy creature with long curved tusks. As Russian moved northward and eastward it borrowed the word as transliterated "mamant," then later as "mamont," as tusks and fossils of mammoths were found in western Siberia in the 1600s and 1700s. English borrowed the word in the early 1700s from Russian, but likely with heavy reinforcement from Dutch "mammuth," which Dutch got from Russian. German borrowed the word in the 1700s, initially as "Mammuth," then "Mammut," but German borrowed it from French "mammouth," itself from Russian. English also developed usage of the word adjectivally to indicate "very large in structure, gigantic."        

Corsican Vegetable Soup: Minestra

Corsica is an island located some 100+ miles southeast of the French coast (at its nearest point), about 60 miles west of the northwestern Italian coast, called "Liguria," and about 7 or so miles north of the Italian island of Sardinia. It was under the control of Genoa for a few hundred years (this was well before Italy was united as a modern nation) and there was a brief period of independence, followed by a takeover by France in the 1760s. The ethnic composition of the island was varied in those times, as many peoples traipsed across the island at one time or another, but "likely" the population was more tilted to Italian than any other one group, and Italian and a Corsican dialect/language (closely related to Italian) prevailed as the languages on the island until French was strongly pushed after the takeover by France, whereupon French became the dominant language during the mid 1800s, as it remains to this day. Napoleon Bonaparte was born to Italian parents in Ajaccio, Corsica in 1769, and his birth name, "Napoleone di Buonaparte," reflects his Italian heritage. Since France took control of Cosica in the 1760s, there has only been relatively weak interest by some Italians on the mainland, as well as by some highly vocal Italo-Corsicans, to reestablish Italian control over Corsica. This intensified during the fascist era of, "don't you want to go back to the Roman Empire; nothing like the past," but except for a brief period of less than one year of Italian military occupation, reinforced by some German military units, Corsica's control by France has remained intact, although with much debate about Corsican autonomy within France.      
This recipe is a version of Italian vegetable soup, called minestrone, but the Corsican version is made with smoked pork, like ham hocks, smoked pork shoulder or even bacon, and this imparts a smoky taste to the soup. Don't be intimidated by the rather lengthy list of ingredients, because many are vegetables, and I've never found any one vegetable added to the soup that makes it "Corsican." Both the Corsicans for minestra and the Italians for minestrone use the vegetables that are freshly available by season, so there really isn't a set recipe. Corsicans sometimes use Swiss chard, but cabbage is also common, and leek is another common ingredient, but if you don't use leeks much, you can leave them out, Napoleon won't get you, he's been dead for quite some time.   

Ingredients (8 to 12 servings, depending upon serving size):

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
6 cloves garlic, chopped
2 cups chopped onion
2 cups canned cannellini beans or about 2/3 cup dried cannellini beans soaked in water overnight
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
2 stalks celery, sliced into about 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 medium head of cabbage, cut into fairly large pieces, about 2 inch pieces (no thick stems)
2 small to medium smoked ham hocks
8 cups chicken broth (you may want to even add more later)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 baseball size tomato, chopped
1 cup green beans cut in 1 inch pieces
1 zucchini (washed and skin on), chopped
1 1/2 cups chopped smoked pork shoulder (I chop the pork into about 1/2 inch pieces)
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon freshly chopped rosemary
2/3 cup macaroni
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional, remember, the broth and smoked pork likely have salt)
1 teaspoon black pepper
extra virgin olive oil for serving 

In a pot over medium heat, add the oil and let it heat up briefly, then add the onion and garlic, saute for a couple of minutes. If using dried beans, add them now along with the carrots, potatoes, celery, cabbage, ham hocks, chicken broth and oregano. (NOTE: I check the ham hocks to make sure no pieces of bone are loose and therefore likely to fall off into the soup. I've actually wrapped ham hocks in cheesecloth to prevent bits of bone from getting into the soup also.) Bring the soup to a simmer and keep the heat at that level to maintain a gentle simmer for about 75 minutes. (Note: if you use dried beans, they naturally will soak up lots of liquid, so you'll likely need to add more broth, or just water.) Now add the zucchini and tomato and simmer for another 10 minutes. Add the chopped smoked pork shoulder, thyme, rosemary, macaroni, black pepper, salt (if using), and if using canned beans, add them now (check the liquid level too and add more, if needed; to me, broth is better than plain water). Simmer the soup for about another 20 minutes, or until the macaroni is just tender. Take the soup from the heat, take the ham hocks from the soup, cut off the skin and remove the meat from the bones, and return the meat to the soup. Drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil on top of each serving.

WORD HISTORY:
Vend (Vendor)-This contracted compound is closely related to "venal," a Latin-derived word borrowed by English through Latin-based French. The very abbreviated ending is related to "donate," another Latin-derived word borrowed by English through French. "Vend" goes back to Indo European "wes," which had the meaning, "to buy, to sell." This gave Latin the noun "venum," meaning, "something for sale." The ending goes back to Indo European "do" (long 'o'), which meant, "to give;" thus also, "to present, to offer." This gave Latin "dare," meaning, "to give." Together Latin had "venumdare," meaning, "to give for sale, to offer for sale." This produced the Latin verb "vendare," meaning, "to sell," but with a secondary meaning, "to offer for a bribe." Old French had "vendre" ("to sell") from the Latin, and likely English borrowed "vend" from French, but with heavy reinforcement by Latin, although it could be the other way around, circa 1600. French also had the noun "vendeor," which was "vendor" ("seller") in the waning days of the French spoken in England (Anglo-French), and this was also borrowed circa 1600. French had the word from the Latin noun "venditor," "seller," but also, "one who sells for corrupt purpose."     

Indian Vegetable Fritters: Pakoras

"Pakoras" are fried "clumps" of seasoned batter made of chickpea flour which is filled with a mixture of chopped vegetables, or just individual vegetables like onion, cauliflower or chili peppers (mild or hot). Another word used for them in India is "pakoda," although potatoes fixed this same general way are generally called "bajii" or "bhaji."* Pakoras are often served with tea or spiced tea (masala chai) and some also serve some chutney on the side. Myself, I like some ranch dressing for dipping. To make your own ranch dressing, here is the link:  https://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2016/06/homemade-ranch-dressing.html 

Pakoras are easy to make and I made mine somewhat larger than is likely typical in India (most recipes call for the use of a tablespoon of batter, but I used a serving spoon). Once you are ready to cook, fry the pakoras in batches and do not overcrowd the pan or they will likely soak up the oil and become soggy. The temperature of the oil has to be maintained (350 F, about 180 C), and a small cube of bread should sizzle and brown when dropped into the oil. Remove each batch of fried pakoras with a slotted spoon and drain them on paper towels. Also remove any small bits that may have broken off into the oil while frying, or these bits will burn and discolor the oil, as well as imparting their burnt flavor to the oil and to the next batches of pakoras. 

Ingredients (for about 15 to 25 pakoras, depending upon the size):

1  2/3 cups chickpea flour
2/3 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 to 1 teaspoon ground red pepper (according to your heat preference)
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 inch piece of ginger, grated
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup onion, finely chopped (larger pieces likely won't cook properly)
1/4 cup mild green chili pepper, like banana pepper, chopped
1/4 cup mild red pepper, like red bell pepper, chopped
1 to 2 green hot chili peppers (I use serranos), seeded and finely chopped (again, according to your heat preference)
1/4 cup chopped spinach leaves (no stems)
1/4 cup coriander/cilantro leaves
water (enough to make a thick batter)
oil for frying

In a bowl add the chickpea flour, baking powder, ground red pepper, turmeric, garlic, ginger and salt; mix together well. Now add the chopped vegetables and the coriander/cilantro leaves. Slowly add water and mix to incorporate the water until a thick batter forms. I use my hand to do the mixing. The batter should be a bit thicker than pancake batter. Let the batter sit while the oil heats, then use a table spoon (or the somewhat larger serving spoon) and put the batter into the hot oil. Fry the pakoras in small batches until they are golden brown, which should only take a few minutes for each batch. If you use a smaller amount of oil that won't cover the pakoras, you will need to turn the pakoras to cook them on both sides.

* For such a recipe for potatoes, here is a link. This is based upon heavy Indian influence in Kenya, where the potatoes are called "bhajias" : https://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2020/03/kenyan-potato-bites-potato-bhajias.html

WORD HISTORY:
Bungalow-This word for a "low level one story house" is related to "Bangladesh" and to "Bengal," words from the Indian subcontinent borrowed by English. The origin of the word likely goes back to the name of an ancient god from some parts of the Indian subcontinent which formed the basis of the words "Bengal" and "Bengali." Transliterated Hindi, an Indo European language, and one of the main languages of the Indian subcontinent, had "bangla," which meant "a low level house with a thatched roof." This gave Gujarati, an Indo European language now spoken by about 60 million in the Gujarat area of India, the transliterated "bangalo," with the same general meaning. English borrowed the word in the latter part of the 1600s from Hindi and Gujarati from British involvement in India and it conveyed the meaning, "low level house of the Bengali style, with a covered terrace." 

Egg Foo Yung

Egg Foo Yung seemingly developed as a part of the cuisine of Canton in China, and it came to the United States in the 1800s with Chinese immigrants. The dish is really a type of omelet (also spelled omelette) and it is often, but not always, served in the U.S. with a sauce or gravy spooned over the top, which is something that became common in Chinese-American cuisine. Believe it or not, before I made Egg Foo Yung myself, I only recall having eaten it one time in my life, and that was at a Chinese restaurant buffet. I've used no meat in this recipe, but you can easily do so by using some chopped up ham or precooked pork or chicken (a good way to use leftovers). If you like a "kick" to your food, mix in some chopped hot chili pepper with the bell pepper. Make sure to drain the bean sprouts well, or they will add lots of liquid to the mixture (I actually squeeze them in my hands to get rid of excess water). Because of the chicken stock, the oyster sauce and the soy sauce, the gravy will have a salty taste, so you really don't need to add much salt to the actual omelet mixture itself.     

Ingredients:

8 eggs
1/3 cup chopped green onions/scallions
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup carrot shavings
1/2 cup chopped bell pepper (red, orange, yellow, green or some mixture)
1/3 cup beans sprouts (drained and dried)
2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
vegetable oil or peanut oil for frying

(for the sauce:)
1 cup chicken stock
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 inch pieces ginger, peeled and grated
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water

For the sauce, in a sauce pan, add the chicken stock, the oyster sauce, the soy sauce and the ginger. Bring to a gentle boil over low to medium heat and simmer for 4 or 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Keep the sauce at a simmer while gradually whisking in the cornstarch/water mixture. Let the sauce thicken, then remove from the heat and cover. Chop/cut the vegetables and assemble the ingredients for the omelets. In a skillet (a non stick skillet is good for this), begin to heat some oil over medium heat.* In a large bowl, add the eggs and cornstarch and whisk until the whites and yolks are well combined. Add the other ingredients and stir to mix and distribute everything. Use a ladle to put the egg mixture into the hot oil of the skillet. Let the eggs begin to set and you can reduce the heat a bit. When the bottom half of the omelet is nicely browned, carefully (they're kind of fragile) turn the omelet over to cook on the other side. Be careful not to burn the omelets, as the outsides should be browned, but the insides should be somewhat airy and fluffy, and there should still be some crispness to the vegetables, not mushiness. Unlike the traditional omelets of the "western" world, these omelets are not folded over. Serve with some of the brown gravy spooned over the top.

* I've found the using a 5 or 6 inch non stick skillet for Egg Foo Yung works very well. I add about 2/3 teaspoon vegetable oil for each omelette. The small size of the skillet keeps the omelets uniform in size and appearance, but you can also use a larger skillet and cook more than one omelet at a time.

Two omelets per serving is likely better, but I found that in doing so, it is difficult to see in a picture, so I used one omelet with some sauce for the photo.

WORD HISTORY:
Logic-This word is related to a number of English words, including to the last part of "apology," a word borrowed by English from Latin, which had borrowed it from Greek. "Logic" goes back to Indo European "leg," which had the notion "to gather, to collect, to pick;" thus also, "select, choose," with the extended form "lego/logo,"meaning, "to pick out/choose words;" thus, "to speak." This gave transliterated Greek the noun "logos," meaning, "something said, something uttered;" thus also, "speech, an expressed thought/expressed thoughts," thus a further meaning of "thoughtfulness, reason, rationality." This produced the transliterated Greek adjective "logikós," meaning, "of or about speech or reasoning," which gave Greek the noun, "logikē," meaning, "logic;" that is, "rational thought, reasoning." This was borrowed by Latin as "logica," which passed to Latin-based Old French as "logique." English borrowed the word from French initially as "logike"^ in the mid 1300s meaning, "way of thinking things through, use of rationality to determine conclusions;" in every day usage, "the process of determining what makes sense and also that which one determines to make sense."  

^ While I could not find the evidence for this, I "wonder" if this spelling is from the Anglo-French dialect that developed from the Norman dialect and other French dialects carried to England beginning in late 1066, and which was then influenced by French from the Continent over time.       

Veggie Fritters with Basil Cream

I found making these fritters with adobo seasoning gives them a little more flavor, rather than just using plain salt. These are very easy to make, but you want to be sure to grate or very finely chop the vegetables so that they will cook relatively quickly. You also may find you want a "little more" flour (either whole wheat or all purpose), but I would add it just a tablespoon at a time. You can always make one fritter and fry it to see how the texture is, before proceeding with the rest of the fritters. Myself, I don't like the fritters if they have too much flour; just a coating of flour mixture on the vegetables is sufficient for me. Of course, you may like the fritters to be more like vegetable pancakes. Rather than just using sour cream with the fritters, the basil cream adds a nice touch with its mild basil taste.   

Ingredients (approx. 8 fritters):

1/2 cup grated zucchini
1/4 cup grated yellow squash
1/4 cup grated carrot
1/4 cup kale, thinly sliced
1/3 cup grated or finely chopped red onion (or white onion)
2 teaspoons marjoram (or oregano)
1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons adobo seasoning* (for those controlling salt intake, this is about 1 teaspoon of salt)
oil for frying

To a bowl, add the vegetables, the marjoram and the adobo seasoning; mix everything together. In a cup or small bowl, mix together the whole wheat flour and the all purpose flour. Add the flour to the vegetables, then add the beaten eggs and the oil. Mix well. Over medium heat, heat enough olive oil to just about thinly cover the bottom of a frying pan. Take enough of the vegetable dough to make about a golf ball size round, then flatten the ball into a patty. Add some patties to the hot oil and fry until golden brown on both sides. Serve with a dollop of basil cream** on each fritter.

* "Adobo" seasoning is available in many supermarkets or Latino markets in commercial brands, or you can make you own. Here's the recipe:  https://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2017/11/adobo-seasoning.html  

** For the easy recipe for "basil cream," here is the link: https://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2019/06/basil-cream.html

WORD HISTORY:
Crust-This word is related to "crystal," a word borrowed long ago from Latin (reinforced by French?), which Latin had borrowed from Greek. "Crust" goes back to Indo European "krus/kreus," which had the notion, "to form a crust, to begin to solidify, harden or freeze." This gave Latin "crusta" which meant, "crust, tree bark, scab, shell." English borrowed the word circa 1300 from Latin, reinforced by French "crouste" (the form taken by Latin-based French from Latin), or perhaps the other way around; it's difficult to say. German has "Kruste," borrowed way back in the 800s from Latin, which perhaps gives some support to English having borrowed the word directly from Latin.