Irish Stew

As with many popular dishes, there are variations in recipes for this stew. Instead of lamb, some recipes use beef, some use mutton; that is, the meat of sheep over two years old, which makes it less tender than lamb, and much stronger in flavor. Mutton is not easy to find in many (most?) parts of the U.S. Other variations use chicken broth, while others use beef broth, as I do, but others go the whole way and make lamb stock. Another variation doesn't use carrots.

When cooking the stew, give it plenty of time to cook slowly at heat that maintains a gentle steady simmer. At my age, chewing certain foods (okay, all of them) can be difficult, so I tend to chop or slice things into smaller pieces, so that they cook well, making them easier to chew. To my knowledge, the Irish don't have any hard and fast rules about into what size the vegetables should be cut; although photos of Irish Stew often show the potatoes and carrots are in somewhat larger chunks. Keep in mind, if you don't like the vegetables being "mushy," you'll likely want to cut them into larger pieces, as they will then stand up to the long slow cooking time. Large chunks or small pieces, either way, I don't think the Irish will send a leprechaun to bop you on the head with a shillelagh, although since I did this recipe here, I have wondered where I got this large bump on my head. Hmm?  

In the U.S., it's pretty common to see Irish Stew offered as a special on or around St. Patrick's Day in restaurants and bars; especially, in Irish-themed bars and restaurants. But there is another reason this stew is popular ... IT'S DELICIOUS!

Ingredients (about 4 servings):

1 to 1 1/4 pounds lamb, cut into bite-sized pieces

1 1/2 tablespoons oil (I use sunflower oil)

1 1/2 cups skin on, halved or quartered small red and small white potatoes, well rinsed

1 cup of peeled and chopped or sliced carrot

1 tennis ball size onion, quartered, then sliced

1 cup Guinness Stout

1/3 cup flour seasoned with 1/2 teaspoon pepper and 3/4 teaspoon salt, well mixed with 1/3 cup water

4 cups beef broth

1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme (put it in the palm of one hand and crush with the other thumb)

2 bay leaves

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 heaping tablespoon chopped parsley

I use a 12 inch non-stick skillet when I make Irish Stew, but you can certainly use a pan/pot. Add the oil over medium heat, then add the onions and saute for just 2 minutes. Now add the meat and keep mixing it around to let it lightly brown on all sides. Add the potatoes, carrots, crushed thyme, bay leaves and black pepper, then pour in the beef broth and the Guinness; let the ingredients come to a simmer; then, reduce the heat to maintain a gentle steady simmer (on my stove that's very low) and cover the pan/skillet with a lid or foil. Let simmer for 75 to 90 minutes, or until the meat and vegetables are tender. (NOTE: If you want the potatoes and carrots to be firmer, let the main stew simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes before adding the vegetables.) Add the chopped parsley just before serving, and try to fish out the bay leaves. 

 

WORD HISTORY:

Tory-This word is related to "rotary," a word English borrowed from Latin, to "roll," with both the noun and the verb being Latin-derived words and borrowed by English from Latin-based French, to "rodeo," another Latin based word, but in this case, borrowed from Spanish. "Tory" goes back to Indo European "ret," meaning "to roll, to run; that is to move, by rolling." This gave Old Celtic "to wo ret," meaning "a run to or a running up to." This gave Old Irish the noun "toir," meaning "a chase, a pursuit," which produced the verb "toraigh," meaning "to chase, to pursue," and this produced the noun "tóraí," the original meaning of which was "a pursuer, a hunter," but then used for "outlaw, robber," with a sense of "cruelty" attached. Borrowed into English as "tory" in the mid 1500s, and by the mid 1600s the word was used for many Irish Catholics who turned to being outlaws due to the loss of their possessions. The word then came to be used for supporters of King James II (born as the Duke of York), the last Catholic British monarch (Note: James was King of England and Ireland as King James II, and as King of Scotland as King James VII. He was king from 1685 until 1688). The name was used by a British political party, as Tory, from the 1680s, a term that properly was changed to "Conservative" during the first half of the 1800s, although the term "Tory" still lingers in use by many people. In American usage, the term "Tory" was given to supporters of the British crown during Colonial times, and in Canada, the members of the Conservative Party are called Tories by many.      

Cream of Carrot Soup

This is such a nice soup and an easy way to enjoy the naturally sweet taste of carrots. When using chicken broth mix, I've given 3 tablespoons in the recipe, but follow the instructions on the band of mix you use. By using the water you used to cook the vegetables to make the broth, you're not just tossing out any of the nutrients from the process. If you use your own homemade broth, just cook the vegetables in that broth; thus, retaining the nutrients. I use a chicken broth mix, so I don't add salt to this recipe at all, as the broth mix has salt. 

Ingredients (about 5 servings):

2 cups sliced carrots

1 cup roughly chopped onion 

2 cloves garlic, sliced

2 inch piece peeled ginger, sliced

3 1/4 cups water for cooking the vegetables, then for making the broth

3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons chicken broth mix (or use your own homemade chicken broth)

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

1 cup heavy cream or half and half*

To a thick bottomed pan, add the carrot slices, onion, garlic and ginger, over medium high heat until the water begins to boil; then, reduce the heat to maintain a gentle steady simmer until the vegetables are cooked, but still somewhat firm, and definitely not mushy. Add the vegetables to a blender/food processor. Add the chicken mix to the water used to cook the vegetables and stir until the mix is dissolved (or use your own homemade chicken broth to cook the vegetables), and add the ground turmeric, ground cumin, ground black pepper, cayenne pepper, dry mustard and ground cinnamon, then blend/process until smooth (or leave somewhat "chunky," if you like that texture). Pour the blended soup back into the pan over medium heat. Stir in the cream or 1/2 & 1/2 and let the soup heat up, but do not boil.   

 

* Half and half is 50% milk and 50% cream, but that can be deceiving, as some people use lower fat cream (like about 20% fat), while others use heavy cream (about 36% to 40% fat).

 

 

WORD HISTORY:

Easter-This religious holiday name is related to "east," a word from the Germanic roots of English, and further, it is related to "Australia," a word (name) from Latin "Terra Australis" (long a in 'tralis'), and "Austria," a Latinized form from Old High German "Ostarrihhi" (modern German "Österreich"). English and German are the only two Germanic languages to retain "Easter" as their main word for the Christian holiday.^ "Easter" goes back to Indo European "aus," which meant "to dawn, to give light, to shine." This gave Old Germanic "austro," meaning "toward the light, toward the dawn;" thus also, "east." This gave Old English "Eastre," which was the name given to a Germanic goddess of spring; perhaps, from the notion of increasing daylight at that time of year and the "renewal" of plant and animal life. This fits into Christian belief and the former pagan holiday celebrating the goddess in the spring, simply transferred to Christianity. The modern German form of "Easter" is "Ostern." Low German has "Oostern" as a secondary and a somewhat antiquated word for Easter (common Low German forms for Easter: "Paasch" and "Paaschen"). Low German is not a standardized language, but rather a collection of dialects. Dutch has "Pasen."

 

^ Other European languages use forms of Latin "pasha" as their word for "Easter." The word goes back to Greek and Greek got it from Hebrew, where it meant "Passover."  

Spanish Catalan Spinach: Espinacas a la Catalana

This dish is from the Spanish region of Catalonia (main city: Barcelona). The use of raisins in some Spanish dishes is from the long presence of the Moors, who once ruled over a large part of Spain for centuries. Most recipes call for black raisins for this spinach, but I used some of both golden and black. (NOTE: The Moors were Muslim Berbers from North Africa, whose incursions into the Iberian Peninsula saw them conquering an increasing amount of territory there, primarily in Spain. Their rule in many Spanish regions didn't end until 1492.)

 

It's important to try not to cook the spinach into oblivion, but to remove it from the heat as it collapses. When I was a kid, spinach was often sold in cans; and also, there was frozen spinach in small square waxed boxes covered with a wrapper (quite a number of frozen fruits and vegetables were sold in such packaging). Popeye was, and had been, a popular cartoon in those times, and if you've seen any Popeye cartoons, you know that, when in trouble, Popeye would pull out a can of spinach, squeeze the can until the spinach went flying into his mouth and he gained super strength to overcome whatever adversity he was facing. In spite of Popeye's spectacular feats, spinach was not popular with everyone, especially (?) kids. Just think of it. Mothers opened cans of spinach, plopped the compacted mess ... I mean, mass, into a pan, heated it, put it onto a plate with some other items, and expected their kids to down it to the last bite. I always viewed spinach in that form, as something a cow had already eaten, which was only confirmed by one of the local slaughter houses, where you could stand and watch the butchers kill, skin and disembowel the cows, as the "spinach" spilled out onto the floor. This brought me to say to myself, "Gee, Popeye has a lot of explaining to do about a cow with so much spinach being unable to save itself from becoming someone's hamburger or beef noodle soup." Anyway ...

   

Now that I've stimulated your desire for spinach, this is a good side dish. hahaha

Ingredients (4 servings):

10 ounces fresh spinach

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 tablespoons pine nuts, lightly toasted

1/4 cup raisins 

1 or 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (depending upon your lemony preference)

ground black pepper to taste

salt to taste

 

It's a good thing to let the raisins soak in a little warm water for about 5 or 6 minutes, so that they soften and plump up. Rinse the spinach and drain it of most of the water. In a small skillet (no oil), I toast the pine nuts over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, while shaking the pan as they roast to prevent sticking and burning, then remove from the heat. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat, then add the minced garlic and saute for no more than one minute. Drain the raisins and add them to the skillet along with about 1/3 of the spinach, and keep mixing the spinach with the garlicky olive oil until it begins to cook down, then add another 1/3 of the spinach and do the same, and then add the remainder of the spinach and the toasted pine nuts, and continue mixing as before. Add salt and ground black pepper to taste, and add a tablespoon or two of freshly squeezed lemon juice and mix well until all is heated through; remove from the heat and serve. (Note: Leafy greens, like spinach, can look intimidating if added to a pan all at once, as it will form a "heap;" but, when it cooks down, it only takes a relatively small amount of space compared to when it was raw. I chose to add the spinach in thirds, as that makes it easier to mix it, because if all the spinach is added at one time, you will likely have spinach falling from the pan, and you will have difficulty mixing it in well.)    

 

WORD HISTORY:

Candle (chandelier, chandler, candelabrum)-These words are related to "candor, candid, candescent (and incandescent), candidate, incense and some others (all are Latin derived words borrowed by English from Latin, except "incense," was came into English via Latin-based French). The words go back to Indo European "kand," which had the meaning, "to glow, to shine brightly." This gave Latin "candere," meaning, "to shine brightly," but also, "to glow white," and this produced the Latin noun "candela," which meant "torch, a kind of torch made of tallow or wax." This was borrowed into Old English as "candel" (later spelled "candle"), likely borrowed because of the Christian religious practice of using candles, as opposed to torches and oil lamps. Latin "candela" was also the basis of Latin "candelabrum" (singular, with "candelabra" as the plural), which meant "candelstick," and this was borrowed by English with the same meaning in the latter part of the 1300s. The meaning carried the implication of a candle standing on some base or holder. The Latin "candelabrum" passed into Latin-based Old French as "chandelier," which carried a somewhat difference in meaning, that referred to "a group of candles that hang from a ceiling and are situated on types of branches (often ornate). This was borrowed by English in circa 1300 (?), initially as "chaundeler," with the French spelling of "chandelier" prevailing somewhat later. French "chandelier" had others meanings: "candle maker;" thus also, "candle seller," and also, "one in charge of providing candles for the lighting of religious facilities or of large households." This gave English "chandler" in circa 1300 for "one who makes and sells candles," which replaced the fairly recent English compound "candleman." Later (by mid to late 1500s), the word had an expanded meaning of "a merchant who deals in specialized products, especially for ships."