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 brand 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."    

Buttermilk Pie

Buttermilk is a favorite of mine; therefore, buttermilk is something I always have in the refrigerator. To keep things simple, you can just buy pie dough from the refrigerated section of your supermarket, or you can buy preformed shortbread or graham cracker crust pie shells, which come in a baking tin. I "believe" they are all 9 inch pie shells, but this amount of filling from this recipe should be fine for 9 or 10 inch diameter pies.

 

 

Ingredients (for one 9 to 10 inch pie):

 

1 cup buttermilk 

1 1/4 cups sugar 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 extra large eggs 

3 tablespoons flour

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 tablespoon orange or lemon juice

1 tablespoon orange or lemon zest   

unbaked pie dough (preformed shortbread shell)

raspberries, blackberries or strawberries for garnish 

Mix together well the buttermilk, sugar, vanilla extract, eggs, flour, melted butter, orange or lemon juice and orange or lemon zest. Add the filling to the pie shell and bake at 350 F for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the middle of the pie is well set. Let the pie cool for about 15 or 20 minutes, then cover it lightly with a kitchen towel or a paper towel and let it cool a further half hour; or, refrigerate until the pie is chilled.  Serve with fresh or thawed frozen raspberries, blackberries or strawberries; OR, a mixture of these. Oh, and there is whipped cream to top the fruit, or you can simply top the pie slices with whipped cream.   

Variation #1: Chocolate Buttermilk Pie: use a preformed chocolate pie shell, use no lemon (or orange) juice, no lemon (or orange) zest, add and mix into the filling 1 heaping tablespoon cocoa.

Variation #2: Chocolate & Peppermint Buttermilk Pie: use the same mixture as for the chocolate pie  above, except, use no vanilla extract, but add 1 teaspoon peppermint extract to the filling mixture.

 

 

WORD HISTORY:

Bore-This is the noun and verb form having to do with "piercing a generally solid material to make a hole." It is related to the main body of "perforation" and "perforate," both words borrowed from Latin. "Bore" goes back to Indo European "bher(h)," which meant "to pierce or cut through." This gave Old Germanic the verb "buronan," meaning "to pierce, to make a hole in a material by turning a sharp tool to drill into the material." This gave Old English the verb "borian," with the same meanings. This then became "boren," before the modern form. The English noun form "bore" either developed from the verb or there is a possibility that Old Germanic had a noun form "bur/bor," meaning "a tool for piercing," but the English noun form doesn't seem to show up until the 1300s, which adds the possibility that it came along into English via Old Norse, or that Old Norse strongly reinforced a developing native form based upon the existing English verb form. The noun also took the meaning of "the result of boring;" that is, "the bored hole in a material."   

Salisbury Steak

Salisbury steak was the invention of James Salisbury in the 1800s. Salisbury believed that many human afflictions were the result of poor diet. He theorized that ground beef was better for a person than large chunks of meat, as it didn't require as much digestive effort. Salisbury was from New York (state), but he lived in Cleveland, Ohio for a number of years after the Civil War; and indeed, he and his wife are buried in Cleveland at Lake View Cemetery, where President James Garfield, federal law officer Eliot Ness and John D. Rockefeller, the super wealthy founder of Standard Oil, are also buried.

Salisbury Steak has long been one of the selections of frozen meals, including the well known "TV Dinners," and that continues right up to the present. The gravy that goes along with Salisbury Steak makes mashed potatoes a common side dish in Mom & Pop diners, as well as in frozen dinners. 

 

Ingredients (4 servings):

 

For the beef patties:

 

1 pound ground beef (85/15 meat to fat)

1/4 cup very finely chopped onion

1/4 cup panko (coarse and somewhat chunky) breadcrumbs

1 egg

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon seasoned salt 

1 tablespoon oil (I use sunflower oil) for frying

 

Put the ingredients into a bowl and then mix them (I use my hands) until everything is mixed together well. Form the meat mixture into 4 patties (traditionalists would likely say the patties should be oval shaped). I use a 10 inch nonstick skillet to fry the "steaks." Add the oil to the skillet over medium heat. Place the patties around the skillet and let them cook for 2 to 2 1/2 minutes on each side. Remove the patties to a plate and make the gravy (the patties will cook further, in just a bit).

For the gravy:

 

2 tablespoons butter 

1 large garlic clove, minced

1 cup sliced mushrooms

3 tablespoons flour

2 cups beef broth

1 teaspoon ketchup

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

 

Set the heat to low, then melt the butter in the same skillet, add the minced garlic and the sliced mushrooms. Saute until the mushrooms are softened, then sprinkle the flour over the mushroom/garlic mixture, and mix it in. Add 1/2 cup of broth to the skillet, stirring constantly. When the mixture thickens, add another 1/2 cup of broth, and repeat the process until the beef broth is all mixed in and it has a thickened consistency. Stir in the ketchup, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire and pepper. Now add the patties back into the skillet, cover the skillet with a lid or foil, and let the patties cook in the gravy on low heat for about 6 minutes. Check the patties after about 2 or 3 minutes and stir the gravy as best you can (you want to make sure nothing is sticking to the pan, but if it is, remove the skillet from the heat and turn the heat to very low; put the skillet back on the heat after about one minute). After the patties cook for 6 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat, but keep the lid in place. Let sit for about 2 minutes before serving.   

  Salisbury Steak with mushroom gravy, mashed potatoes, corn and cottage cheese ...

WORD HISTORY:

Adore-This verb, with derived noun "adoration," and adjectival forms: "adoring," "adorable," is related to "oral," "oration," "orator" and some others. The "ad" part of "adore" is related, through Indo European, to English "at," as they go back to Indo European "ad," meaning "near, at, toward, to," which gave Latin "ad," with the same basic meanings, with the spelling and pronunciation shortened at times in Latin's offspring to simply "a." The origin of the main base of "adore" is disputed. Dutch linguist Michiel de Vaan^ believes the origin is Indo European "os," which meant "mouth," and which gave Latin (via Old Italic) "os" (genitive case: "oris," dative case: "ori"), which then gave Latin "orare," which meant "to speak in public," with the secondary meaning of "to plead, to beg, to pray."^^ The two parts combined to form "adorare," with the meaning "to plead, to beg, to ask for, to pray," and then also, "to worship," which brought the broader meaning, "to honor, to revere," and this sense lessened somewhat in the 1800s to, "to like highly, to hold in high regard." The Latin form passed to Old French as "aorer," meaning "to worship, to give praise," which then became "adorer," which saw the Latin spelling influence. English borrowed the word in the latter part of the 1300s as "aouren," which later became "adouren/adoren" (also with the restored 'd' from Latin spelling), with the French meaning, and with the later meaning "to like highly, to hold in high regard," being applied beyond religious deities or figures; as in, "The couple frequently dined at the seafood restaurant, as they adored Oysters Rockefeller." 

 

^ "Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages," Volume 7 of the Leiden Indo-European Etymological Series, by Michiel de Vaan, Brill (Publishing), Leiden (Netherlands), Boston (U.S.), 2008 

 

^^ Others believe the possible source of origin to be Indo European "or/er," which meant, "to speak a ritual, to speak solemnly," and some believe that this was the basis of the Latin verb "orare."       

Deviled Eggs

 "Deviled eggs," or sometimes simply "Devil eggs," have been around since ancient times, and recipes have varied down through the centuries, as they still do today. "Devil" or "deviled" came from the yolk mixture being "spiced up," although not necessarily to the point of eye-watering heat, as spiced eggs have long been served to party and dinner guests. Out of superstition, some people prefer to call the eggs "stuffed," rather than use the name of that evil caricature with the arrow-shaped tail and the horns projecting from its head. I dare not enter the name, or I might turn into Vladimir Putin.   

 

I like the filling to be a little "mounded" above the egg cavity; so, I boil a dozen eggs, but I only fill 10 eggs, and I add the yolks from the extra two eggs to the other yolks for the filling. You can always vary the amounts of the seasonings; for instance, if you like "heat," add more cayenne pepper, if you like a creamier filling, add a bit more mayonnaise.

 

 

Ingredients (for 10 deviled eggs):

 

12 hard-boiled eggs

5 tablespoons of mayonnaise

3 teaspoons Dijon mustard

4 pitted green olives, drained and then finely chopped

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground white or black pepper

1 teaspoon celery salt

1/4 teaspoon Hungarian sweet paprika, for sprinkling on the tops

 

Hard boil the eggs, cool them, and then peel the eggs; cut the eggs in half lengthwise, scoop out the yolks and put them into a bowl; mash the yolks with a fork; and then, add mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, finely chopped olives, cayenne pepper, white or black pepper and celery salt. Mix everything together well. Use a fork or a spoon to fill the egg white cavities with the mixture, and sprinkle some paprika over the tops of each egg half. 

 

 

WORD HISTORY:

Part (Party)-This word is related to a large number of words using "part" (sometimes with varied spelling) as a portion of the word; such as: "parcel, apartment, compartment, department, partial, portion, particle" and others. This goes back to Indo European "per," which had variants, but the basic notion was "distributing;" and thus the idea of "dividing" and "portioning" comes out. This gave Latin the offshoot noun "pars" meaning "a piece, a share, a portion," and this passed into Latin-based Old French as "part," and this was borrowed into English, circa 1250, with those general meanings. (Note: Old English had its own word "part," borrowed directly from Latin, and meaning "a piece, a portion," but also, "a segment of speech." It is assumed by some (many?), that the Old English form died out before the borrowing from Old French arrived in England, and that the borrowed form from Old French is the actual ancestor of our modern word "part," but it is possible that this French borrowing combined with, and reinforced, the Old English form.) The Latin noun "pars" produced the verb "partire," which meant "to divide up, apportion, split up," which passed into Latin-based Old French as "partir," meaning "to divide, to apportion, to separate," and its past participle was "parti," which was used as a noun, with the spelling "partie," and literally meant "that which is separated or divided," giving it the meaning "a piece, a part, a segment, a portion." English borrowed the word as "partie" circa 1300 with those meanings, which are now obsolete, but are meanings used for the word's close relative "part." "Party" was also used in legal matters with the expression "party of the first (or second) part," which came along with the judicial system established by the Normans in conquered England, and that expression endures to this day, with frequent usage in legal cases and formal agreements. Use for "political party" is from the idea of "a group (a segment, a part) of people advocating for particular laws and governance or for those who represent those ideas." The meaning "people gathered for some celebration or enjoyment" seems to come from circa 1700 (perhaps a little earlier?). Circa 1920 saw the use of "party" as a verb meaning, "to have a party," and "to have frequent parties," both uses referring to "party" meaning "enjoyment or celebration."

Korean Tuna & Rice Lettuce Wraps: Ssambap

For these common Korean lunch or snack foods, you can use head lettuce, butter lettuce, red lettuce, romaine lettuce, or some of more than one type of leaves, or even some of all types. Koreans often include some kind of meat, fish, or seafood in their lettuce wraps; and for this article, I used tuna. Sesame seeds are a common addition to many Korean dishes. 

Unless you make Korean style foods often, you will need "gochujang" Korean chili paste. It typically comes in rectangular plastic containers. You will also need "gochugaru" red chili flakes and "ssamjang" paste. "Ssamjang" paste is a spicy Korean paste made with a base of fermented soy beans. All of these Korean products can almost always be found in Asian stores, spice shops, and even in some supermarkets, especially those located in areas with people of Korean ancestry. None of these products is terribly expensive.   

Ingredients: 

 

For the tuna:

 

5 or 6 ounce can of tuna in water or oil, drained

1 heaping tablespoon FINELY chopped or grated onion

1 tablespoon gochujang Korean chili paste 

1 teaspoon Korean gochugaru red chili flakes

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1/4 teaspoon sugar

Into a bowl, add the ingredients and break up the tuna, then mix everything together very well, take a taste and adjust the seasonings to make them satisfactory for you. 

For the rice: 

1 cup sushi rice

1 1/4 cups water

1 heaping teaspoon sesame seeds, toasted

1/3 teaspoon salt 

Over medium heat, add the sesame seeds to a dry skillet; shake the seeds around in the skillet for about 2 minutes; remove the seeds to a small bowl or other dish, and set them aside briefly. To fix sushi rice, you only need a little more water than rice; therefore, for 1 cup of sushi rice, you will only need 1 1/4 cups of water. First, rinse the rice a couple of times. Then add the measured rice, measured water and the salt to a heavy bottomed pan. Let the rice sit for about 25 minutes, then put the lid onto the pan, and turn the heat to high. You can lift the lid to see if the water is boiling, and if so, then immediately turn the heat to low or very low, and keep the lid on for 12 minutes; at which time, you can lift the lid to see if the water is gone, then keep the lid on and remove the pan from the heat. Let the pan sit for 10 minutes, then remove the lid, add the sesame seeds and fluff the rice with a fork. (Note: Sushi rice has a somewhat sticky texture; so, it's not likely to be in individual grains like some other types of rice.)

To make the wraps:

ssamjang paste to top the filling

Take a lettuce leaf and place a tablespoon of the cooked rice in the middle of the leaf (Note: trim off any stem that prevents the leaf from being folded, and if the leaves are too large, cut them in half). Add a teaspoon of the tuna mixture to the top of the rice, then add about 1/2 teaspoon ssamjang paste to top the tuna. Fold up the lettuce around the filling and ... These wraps are supposed to be put into the mouth in one bite, and then chewed, but don't risk choking yourself.

 

 

 

WORD HISTORY:

Icon-The origin of this word is unknown, but Ancient Greek had transliterated "eikon," meaning "image, reflection, likeness." Latin borrowed the word as "icon" with the same basic meanings, but later also, "image or portrait of religious individuals or religious events," which became most significant in the Eastern Orthodox branch of Christianity. English borrowed the word in the 1570s, and the meaning, "a significant person, event or object that serves as a symbol," was eventually added to the word's meanings. The early 1980s saw the use of the word in computer operations.

Goan-Style Meatball Curry

Goa is a small state on the southern half of India's western coast. It's capital city is Panaji. The Goan region was a colony of Portugal for more than 450 years, ending only in 1961 with annexation to India. The main language is Konkani, an Indo European language; and thus, a relative of English, although further down the family tree. Up until more recent decades, varying degrees of Portuguese was known by some segment of the population. Hinduism is the majority religion in Goa, but about a quarter of the state's population is Christian, a result of Portuguese involvement for such a long time, and Muslims are about 8 to 9%. To give some perspective, Christianity is only about two and one half percent of India's overall population. The influences of the Portuguese, and of Christianity and Islam, show up in Goa's cuisine, as beef is not uncommon in Goa (practicing Hindus do not eat beef).

 

 

Ingredients (3 to 5 servings): 

1 1/4 pounds ground lamb

2/3 teaspoon ground cumin 

2/3 teaspoon ground turmeric

2/3 teaspoon ground pepper

1 1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 finely chopped onion

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 green chili pepper (serrano is good for this), chopped

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1/4 cup chopped coriander (also called cilantro)

2 eggs

1/2 cup bread crumbs (fine not panko) 

 

Put all of the ingredients into a bowl and mix them together well. Form the mixture into meatballs about the size of pingpong balls.

For the curry sauce:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/2 cup chopped onion (small chop)

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 whole cloves

10 to 12 curry leaves

2 cardamom pods, slit 

1 1/2 inch piece of cinnamon stick

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric 

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 tablespoon Kashmiri chili powder (or 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper and 2 teaspoons sweet paprika)

1 or 2 green chilies, left whole, but slit, or chopped up (your choice)   

1 cup water

1 cup coconut milk

1/4 cup crushed tomato

3/4 teaspoon garam masala

1 teaspoon salt (more or less by your preference)

(optional) 1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/3 cup chopped coriander (cilantro) 

In a large skillet (or pan), add the oil over medium heat, then add the onion and saute for 90 seconds, then add the garlic, cloves, curry leaves, cardamom pods and cinnamon stick; saute 1 minute. Add the ground turmeric, ground cumin, ground coriander, Kashmiri chili powder (or cayenne pepper and paprika), crushed tomatoes and the green chilies; mix everything around; then, add 1 cup of water and mix thoroughly. Allow the sauce to come to a light boil, then reduce the heat to maintain a nice gentle simmer and let cook for 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in the coconut milk and allow the sauce to return to a gentle simmer, then stir in the garam masala, salt and sugar. Now carefully add the meatballs to the sauce and cover the skillet/pan with a lid or foil. Let cook for 5 minutes, then remove the lid/foil and turn each meatball, cover the pan again, reduce the heat to low and cook another 8 minutes. Remove the lid and sprinkle the chopped coriander over the curry. Use a fork to mix about half of the chopped coriander into the sauce. Remove the curry from the heat and let sit just a minute or two before serving with rice on the side and/or naan or chapati flatbread. (Note: If you'd like to make your own chapati flatbread, here is the recipe: https://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2018/10/easy-flatbread-of-indian-subcontinent.html    

 

WORD HISTORY:

Clad-This word was actually the past tense and past participle (now archaic) of "(to) clothe," used adjectivally; thus, "clad" means "clothed, covered." In the Middle Ages, the adjective form was "cladde" (the ending 'e' pronounced 'eh'), then "clad."

For the verb "clothe," here is the link to that article: https://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2012/11/its-about-coalitions-not-purity-part_22.html?m=1

Gravy & Meatballs with Gorgonzola Polenta

Oh, this is so good! 

 

For those unaware, Gorgonzola is a blue cheese from the north of Italy, and it is a protected product in Italy, and within the European Union; which means, that to be called "Gorgonzola," it has to be produced within certain geographic areas in northern Italy, and only with specific ingredients. I tend to use "Gorgonzola piccante," which is aged longer and has a sharper flavor; although, "Gorgonzola dulce" has somewhat less sharpness, but it is still very good. While Gorgonzola is likely sold in just about all supermarkets and cheese shops, if you can't find it, you can try Roquefort, a blue cheese from France, or really any blue cheese you like.

 

Ingredients:

 

1 pound ground beef (80/20 meat to fat ratio)

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon seasoned salt

1/4 cup breadcrumbs

1 egg

1/4 cup finely chopped or grated onion

2 cloves minced garlic

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon thyme, crushed in the palm of your hand

In a bowl, add all of the ingredients and mix them together well by hand. Form the mixture into meatballs the size of golf balls, and no fair trying to substitute real golf balls (I've tried that, and no matter how long I cooked the golf balls, they were too tough). You should get 9 or 10 meatballs by using the amounts above.

 

Gravy:

 

2 1/2 cups beef broth

1/3 cup chopped carrot (smaller chop)

2 tablespoons butter + 1 tablespoon oil (olive or sunflower)

3 tablespoons flour

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

1 clove minced garlic

1 teaspoon Gravy Master

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

 

Add the butter and oil to a skillet over medium heat, when the butter is melted, add the finely chopped onion and carrot and saute for 1 to 2 minutes before adding the minced garlic and saute another minute. Sprinkle the flour over the mixture and stir everything; then, gradually add the beef broth, stirring constantly. When the gravy thickens, stir in the Gravy Master and Worcestershire sauce and let cook another 2 to 3 minutes.

Polenta:

 

1 cup polenta

3 1/2 cups chicken broth

1 cup milk 

3 tablespoons butter

salt (the butter and broth should supply enough salt)

1/3 cup crumbled gorgonzola piccante 

In a heavy bottom sauce pan over medium heat, heat the milk and broth until it just starts to boil, then stir in the polenta little by little (initially using a whisk is recommended; it will help to prevent lumps), then continue stirring (I usually change to a spoon) until the polenta is nice and thick (4 to 6 minutes?). Stir in the butter until it is completely melted and well mixed in. I don't mix the cheese into the polenta (see below).

Serving:

I use shallow bowls for this, because they will allow you to add a good bit of gravy to top the meatballs and polenta. In each shallow bowl, add some of the crumbled Gorgonzola, then add the polenta and smooth it over, then add 2 or 3 meatballs and cover with gravy. If you prefer, you can add the polenta, then sprinkle the crumbled Gorgonzola on top and proceed from there.

                                             

 

WORD HISTORY:

Fawn (Fain)-This "fawn" is the verb form, which is unrelated to the noun (baby deer).^ It is closely related to 'fain,' which was once spelled with a 'g' in the middle. The origin of the verb "fawn" is uncertain, although the Indo European root "pek," meaning "to make pretty," has been supported by some, with that meaning then extending to a meaning of "glad, happy, pleased," with the Indo European 'p' rendered as 'f' in Old Germanic, which had "faganaz," an adjective with the same meanings. This gave Old English the (dialectal?) verb forms "fægnian/fagnian," meaning "to celebrate, to be glad, to be happy with." The "fagnian" form then became "faunen," and then "fawnen," before the modern form, and it was often used in the Middle Ages in regard to dogs "wagging their tails as a display of happiness." This became the basis of the modern more negative meaning of "showing a groveling and flattering devotion to someone in order to gain or retain favor with them." The Old Germanic form produced the Old English adjective "fægen," meaning "glad, joyful, cheerful," which then became "fain," where it has remained for hundreds of years, although it is not a terribly common word in more modern times; at least, not in American English, but I'm not certain about in the UK and elsewhere. Many of the related forms in the other Germanic languages have died out, but there are a few that have survived into modern times: Icelandic has the adjective "feginn," Norwegian has the adjective "fegen" and Swedish has the adjective "fägen," all meaning "happy, merry." Old Saxon,^^ the Saxon that remained in what is now northern Germany after some of their kinsmen sailed to Briton, once had "fagan" and Old High German had "faginon" meaning, "to be merry."

^ For the noun's history, here's the link:  https://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2023/10/scrambled-eggs-smoked-salmon-wrap.html?m=1

 

^^ Old Saxon became part of the dialects of Low German. 

Band of Brothers: Episode 10/Final, Points

NOTE: "Band of Brothers" is a highly realistic World War Two miniseries from HBO in 2001. Part of the "realism" is the profanity used; so, if you are sensitive to such language, the miniseries is definitely not for you. Also, there are numerous highly bloody scenes of killed or wounded soldiers, and scenes of people in a concentration camp, who have been the subject of horrendous treatment. So here too, if you are sensitive to these kinds of scenes, it is probably a good thing if you skip viewing the miniseries. As for this article and those I'll be doing about the miniseries, I have tried to keep things from being too blatant.

 

This very realistic HBO series is based on the book "Band of Brothers" by historian Stephen Ambrose. Remember, this is NOT a documentary nor an actual reenactment, but rather a series with characters representing the actual men, with their real names, of East Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division. The series does present events and actions that the men of Easy Company related to Stephen Ambrose, the historian who wrote the book. In the book's "Acknowledgements and Sources," Ambrose writes that he "circulated the manuscript of this book to the men of Easy Company." He goes on to say there were criticisms, corrections and suggestions offered by the men, and that Richard Winters and Carwood Lipton were heavily involved in reviewing the book, the original publication of which was in 1992, while the first airing of the miniseries was in 2001.

As I wrote about this series, I used the mens' army rank on occasion, but for the most part, I used last names, just as the men did. The cast of this series is so large, I decided not to list it, as it would have been overwhelming, although I did decide to list just a few names of the cast who portrayed the men most seen, most heard and most heard about in the stories presented in this series. Believe me, the whole cast is likely 8 or 10 times as large as those I list here, and everyone did a great job.

 

Partial Cast

 

Damian Lewis as Lieutenant, then Captain, then Major Richard Winters

Ron Livingston as Lieutenant, then Captain Lewis Nixon

Scott Grimes as Private, then Sergeant Donald Malarkey 

Shane Taylor as Medic Eugene "Doc" Roe

Donnie Wahlberg as Sergeant Carwood Lipton 

Michael Cudlitz as Sergeant Denver "Bull" Randleman

Frank John Hughes as Sergeant Bill "Wild Bill" Guarnere

Rick Gomez as Technician 4th Grade George Luz

Kirk Acevedo as Staff Sergeant Joe Toye

James Madio as Technician 4th Grade Frank Perconte

Eion Bailey as Private David Kenyon Webster

Dexter Fletcher as Sergeant John Martin

Ross McCall as Technician Fifth Grade Joseph Liebgott

Neal McDonough as Lieutenant Lynn "Buck" Compton

Nicholas Aaron as Private Robert "Popeye" Wynn 

David Schwimmer as Lieutenant, then Captain Herbert Sobel 

 

Here is the link to the previous article as Episode 9: Why We Fight

https://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2023/10/band-of-brothers-episode-9-why-we-fight.html

 

The name of this episode, "Points," is in reference to a system of "points" used by the U.S. Army to demobilize (discharge and send home) enlisted men. When the war in Europe ended, men of a rank less than commissioned officers had to have 85 points in order to be able to be sent home. The calculation was determined this way: a soldier got one point for every month in the service, dating from September 1940; they got another point for every month they served overseas; they got five points for every combat decoration they received (for example, Distinguished Service Cross, Silver Star, Bronze Star, Purple Heart, and others); and they received twelve points for dependent children under the age of 18, and limited to three such children. So for example, when Germany surrendered, Corporal John De Snickerdoodle had entered the service in May 1944, giving him 12 points. He was sent to Europe in September 1944, giving him 8 more points for a total of 20 points. He was wounded in November 1944 and received the Purple Heart, giving him 5 more points, now a total of 25 points. He has a 2 year old daughter at home, giving him 12 additional points and a final total of 37 points ... get used to occupation duty, Private, you're not going home. You may even be sent to the Pacific to fight the Japanese. This system of points is very impotant in the episode, because the men naturally calculated their points to see where they stood, and because as the war in Europe was ending, the talk about redeploying the 101st Airborne Division to the Pacific against Japan was commonly heard.

 

This episode opens in July 1945, as Major Winters prepares to take a morning swim in Lake Zell at the city of Zell am See, Austria (it is about 35 miles from Salzburg). Captain Nixon comes by and asks his friend Winters what he plans to do after the war ends (this is one of those scenes that starts in July, but then goes back to early May to present the events that had occurred; so, to set the situation, by July, Germany had surrendered, but the Allies were still at war with Japan). Winters tells Nixon that the regimental commander, Colonel Sink, had spoken to him about staying in the Army and making a career of it. He says he told the Colonel that he would think about it. So now Nixon, who is from a wealthy family, offers Winters a job at a family-owned business in New Jersey (Winters was from Pennsylvania). Winters thanks his friend and says he will think it over. Winters dives into the lake for his swim, and he narrates as the scene shifts back to early May, as the men of Easy Company want to capture Hitler's villa, known as the "Berghof," located in the mountains above the Bavarian town of Berchtesgaden. High above Hitler's villa is the "Kehlsteinhaus," known to many as simply the "Eagle's Nest," a kind of chalet that was completed as a gift to Hitler by the Nazi Party in 1938. Hitler seldom used the "Eagle's Nest," but it survived the war and still exists today; however, the "Berghof" villa was heavily bombed late in the war, and its remains were later demolished.

The Nazi SS had blocked the road up one side of the mountain to Hitler's "Eagle's Nest," and French forces also wanted to capture this Hitler possession, but Colonel Sink, the commander of Easy Company's regiment, the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, tells Winters to get there ahead of the French. So, Easy Company heads into the town of Berchtesgaden, where they take over the "Berchtesgadener Hof," an elaborate hotel used by guests of Hitler and other Nazi leaders who were visiting Hitler's villa (Britain's prime minister in 1938, Neville Chamberlain, stayed there when he went to see Hitler at his villa about the then crisis over Czechoslovakia). The hotel provides Winters, Welsh and Speirs the opportunity to take some Nazi souvenirs. Winters then tells Speirs to take Easy Company and go up the mountain and capture Hitler's Eagle's Nest, which they do. Later, Nixon, Welsh and Speirs are on the balcony of the "Eagle's Nest," when they are joined by Lipton and Winters. Winters tells them the news that Germany has surrendered, and he takes his friend Nixon by jeep to a huge wine cellar with thousands of bottles of expensive wine and liquor at the nearby vacation home of Nazi leader Hermann Göring. 

The war in Europe is over, but the 101st Airborne Division is assigned to occupation duty in Austria. A German colonel (played by Philip Rham) surrenders to Winters,  and the Colonel wonders what he and Winters will do "without war to occupy our time." He removes his pistol from its holster and offers it as a show of his personal surrender to Major Winters, so that he won't be forced to surrender to a person of lesser rank, but Winters tells the Colonel he can keep his pistol (Note: Actually, in real life, Winters accepted the pistol, but why such a thing was changed in the script, is beyond me, although things like 2+2 are also beyond me. Winters later said the pistol had never been fired by the Colonel, and that was how he too kept it for the rest of his life ... unfired.)

 

A number of troops from the 101st Airborne watch newsreels from the still ongoing war in the Pacific. Winters tells Speirs, Nixon, Lipton and Welsh that the divisional commander, General Maxwell Taylor, has said the 101st Airborne will be sent to the Pacific to fight the Japanese. Winters tells them that training has to be maintained to keep the men ready to fight. We then see several of the men cautiously walking through a forest, but they are hunting deer. When they finally come upon a male dear with a large rack of horns, Shifty Powers, the great sharpshooter, can't bring himself to pull the trigger, and the deer runs off (Shifty has had enough killing). We then find out that Shifty will be required to remain in the army, because he lacks adequate points to be discharged and sent home (he's from Virginia). Easy Company is assembled and Captain Speirs, the company commander, tells the men that General Taylor has authorized one man from every company in the division to be sent home, who otherwise lacked the points to go home. So, a drawing is held for Easy Company, and Harry Welsh draws a piece of paper from a helmet and hands it to Speirs, who reads out the man's serial number and name... Darryl "Shifty" Powers. We see the helmet had only contained Shifty's name and no others. The whole company is happy for Shifty, and we see him go to Major Winters to say goodbye. An emotional Shifty searches for the words he wants to say to Winters, but he can't get them out, although we can tell the high regard he has for Major Winters. Shifty tells the Major that he doesn't know how he will explain all of his experiences when he's back home in Virginia, but Winters tells Shifty, "You're a hell of a fine soldier, Shifty, there's nothing more to explain." Shifty salutes Winters, and the Major returns the salute, but he then reaches out to shake Shifty's hand. As Shifty leaves, he wipes away a tear. We go from being happy for Shifty, to then learning that the truck carrying Shifty and a couple other men was hit head on by a drunken soldier from another American unit, and Shifty spent months in the hospital recovering from a concussion, a broken pelvis and a broken arm. Life sometimes leaves us little time to celebrate.

Winters, Nixon and Welsh are together when Nixon tells Welsh that Winters has put in to be transferred to the 13th Airborne Division, which he believes will be deployed to the Pacific soon. Nixon tells Welsh he's going with him, jokingly adding, "Somebody's got to go with him, he (Winters) doesn't know where it is." Welsh wants to go home and marry his long time sweetheart, and he says to Winters, "You're leaving the men?" Winters replies, "They don't need me anymore." We then see Winters seated in front of Major General Elbridge Chapman (played by David Andrews), the commander of the 13th Airborne Division. Chapman goes over Winters' combat record, asking some questions or making comments at times, and at the General's mention of the various places Winters has served, the Major's mind flashes back to those locations and to the action he and his men saw there. The General then asks, "Why do you want to leave the men?" In the end, the General tells Winters he needs to stay with the 101st Airborne, and if that division is deployed to the Pacific, that Winters should be leading one of the battalions. The General says to him, "Let me tell you something son, you've done enough."

We next see Liebgott, Sisk (played by Philip Barantini) and Webster riding along a dirt road toward a small farmhouse. We find that Liebgott wants to see the man at the house, as some of the freed prisoners of a concentration camp said this is the man who was the camp commandant (Note: Speirs ordered this). Webster is hesitant, but they go inside and see a burly man who asks them in German what they want. Liebgott speaks in German to the man about the camp, and he then pulls his pistol and puts it to the man's head. As the heated exchange takes place, the reluctant Webster goes outside trembling, and he lights up a cigarette. Sisk comes out and says the guy is guilty, but then there is a shot, and the man runs from the house with a wound on his neck and with Liebgott following. Liebgott tries to fire, but the gun jams, and he yells "Shoot him!" Webster makes no move to fire, but Sisk shoots the man as he runs away.

Next, at a crossroad checkpoint, Janovec (played by Tom Hardy) is on duty, but Webster is his relief and Janovec tells him he has 75 points, and that makes him 10 points short to go home. Webster tells him that he has 81 points. Janovec gets into a jeep to go back to where the company is staying. The jeep sets off, but a barrel from a passing truck falls off the truck and Janovec is killed in the ensuing accident, but the actual accident is not shown. (Note: Ambrose's book says Janovec had been leaning on a door of a truck, when it flew open. Janovec hit the pavement fracturing his skull.) Just before Janovec's accident, a German soldier on crutches hands Webster a document. It's the man's discharge, and Webster looks around, then he goes over to a German field gendarme, who is being used to help control traffic and check identification information. He speaks English too. He has just checked the papers of a private citizen's car with a husband and wife and Webster asks him where the couple are going, and the gendarme says they are going to Munich. So, Webster asks the German soldier on crutches if he'd like to go to Munich, and he gladly accepts. Webster opens the back door, tosses a couple of suitcases to the side of the road, and lets the soldier get in; all as the couple protests (Note: I take the point to be that Webster feels much in common with the injured German soldier and he figures the civilians can make the sacrifice of a few personal belongings to give him a ride. In a previous episode, Webster wondered if American civilians realized how much their troops have sacrificed to win the war.)

Winters narrates that, with the war in Europe over, the men had plenty of three things: weapons, alcohol and time on their hands. One night, Sergeant Grant (played by Nolan Hemmings) has two troopers in a jeep he is driving. As they approach a checkpoint, they see a dead German officer lying in the road and an American soldier standing nearby with a pistol in hand. Grant tells the two men to stay in the jeep while he goes to see what is going on. When he approaches the man with the gun, it's obvious the guy is drunk and the guy cracks that the German officer wouldn't give him any gas. There is another jeep nearby (the jeep that had been driven by this American soldier), and then a dead British officer, and then that officer's jeep. Grant asks the soldier for his weapon, but the guy totally ignores Grant and says that he is going to take the British officer's jeep, and Grant steps forward and the guy fires the pistol in Grant's direction, and the bullet hits Grant in the head. The man takes off in the jeep.

The scene shifts to the aid station where an Army doctor tells Speirs and Doc Roe that Grant needs brain surgery, but that he doubts he will live. Speirs and Roe head out with Grant on a stretcher to find a German brain surgeon, and when they go to the home of a doctor, Speirs points his gun at the doctor and orders him to come along. The doctor briefly looks at Grant and he tells Speirs to put the gun away, and they leave for the hospital. The men of the company had gone out to find the shooter, and they get him, and then in a room at the headquarters they begin working him over. A visibly angry Speirs comes in, draws his pistol and asks the man where the weapon is that he used. When the man cockily says, "What weapon," Speirs uses his pistol to smack the man across the mouth, saying, "When you talk to an officer, you say 'sir.' " Speirs points the gun right at the guy (if you have followed these articles, you know the reputation Speirs has), the men move away out of caution, but Speirs doesn't pull the trigger. He orders them to get the MPs (military police) to "take care of this piece of s--t." Sergeant Talbert (played by Matthew Leitch) asks, "So Grant's dead?" Speirs tells them Grant is expected to live.

Everyone knew the points system wasn't perfect, so Winters and other officers try to get the long time veterans away for a while. Winters talks with Malarkey and sends him as an "advisor" to an airborne exhibition featuring Allied aircraft on display in Paris, where he will stay at a nice hotel. When Malarkey salutes; instead of returning the salute, Winters reaches out to shake his hand. Carwood Lipton is waiting to see Winters, who tells him that because the war is over, that the Army policy about battlefield commissions is to transfer the officer to another unit, and Lipton says he was expecting this. Winters says that he was given the job to reassign Lipton, and he thought he would move Lipton to the battalion headquarters; that is, Lipton is really not going anywhere, he just won't be with Easy Company on a continuous basis. This is really what happened with Winters back in Holland, he gave up total hands on control of Easy, but he was right in the battalion headquarters keeping his eye on the men. Winters tells Lipton his first assignment is to accept the surrender of a German general and his men, because the general doesn't want to surrender to Private Babe Heffron from South Philly (for those unaware, Philly is a common shortening of Philadelphia). So, Winters tells Lipton, "I figure 2nd Lieutenant Carwood Lipton of West Virginia will soothe the general's feelings."

Winters drives the jeep that takes Captain Nixon and Lipton to the surrender. When Winters stops the jeep, Captain Sobel and another soldier come walking by. The soldier salutes Major Winters, but Sobel turns his head. Winters calls Sobel out by saying, "We salute the rank, not the man," and Sobel stops and salutes, with Winters returning the salute. There is a large number of German prisoners and the General (General Theodor Tolsdorf, played by Wolf Kahler) comes to Major Winters, who motions for him to go to Lipton. He asks Lipton for permission to speak to his men, and Lipton agrees. The General walks to the front and speaks a few lines to his men, but the sentiment is the same as for the American troops. Liebgott translates for Winters and Nixon: "Men, it's been a long war, it's been a tough war. You have fought bravely and proudly for your fatherland. You are a special group, that has found a bond in one another, that can only develop in combat. We comrades have shared foxholes and have supported each other in terrible moments. We have seen death and suffered together. I am proud to have served with you. You all deserve a long and happy life in peace."

The scene shifts to a baseball game among the men, as Major Winters narrates a bit about the postwar lives of several of the men. This miniseries was filmed in 2000 (first shown in 2001), and a fair number of the men were still alive, but Winters' narration tells when some had passed away. Winters tells about his own life and how "there isn't a day that goes by that I don't think of the men I served with who never got to enjoy the world without war."

 

 

 Photo is of the HBO 2015 Blu-Ray Miniseries release ...

WORD HISTORY: 

Shrapnel-This word is from the family name of Henry Shrapnel in 1806. He invented an explosive device that was filled with metal balls (commonly lead), which were then the "bullets" of the day. When it exploded, the "bullets" went in all directions, causing numerous injuries and deaths to those exposed to the blast. "Shrapnel" was a member of the British Royal Artillery. The name "Shrapnel" is thought to be from French "Charbonnel," the diminutive of "charbon," meaning "charcoal" (perhaps in reference to hair color), from Latin "carbo" (meaning "coal, charcoal"). It's origin is unclear, but it may be from the same Indo European form that gave English "hearth," a word from the Germanic roots of English.

Chinese Hot & Sour Soup

You are likely to find this soup on just about every menu in every Chinese restaurant in America. There are lots of variations in recipes, with some using chicken in the soup, and others using tofu, and still others using meaty tasting mushrooms, and I guess you could call it the "deluxe version" with all of these ingredients included.

 

For this, you use the white part of the green onions in the actual preparation of the soup, and you keep the green part for finishing the soup and as a garnish.

 

 

Ingredients (6 servings):

6 cups chicken broth

1/3 cup thinly cut carrot (matchsticks)

4 green onions, white part only, chopped

1 tablespoon grated ginger

1/3 cup sliced shiitaki mushrooms 

1/3 cup firm tofu cubes

3 cloves of minced garlic 

3 tablespoons Asian chili sauce

1 teaspoon ground white pepper

4 tablespoons soy sauce

2 teaspoons brown sugar 

1/4 cup rice vinegar (1/3 cup if you like a bit more tartness)

1 teaspoon sesame oil 

4 tablespoons cornstarch, mixed with equal amount of water

2 large eggs, well beaten

green part of 4 green onion, chopped

In a pan, add the chicken broth, carrot, white part of the green onions, ginger, minced garlic, chili sauce, white pepper, soy sauce and brown sugar. Let come to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to simply maintain a nice gentle, but steady simmer for 10 minutes. Add the sliced mushrooms and tofu, and simmer another 5 minutes, then stir in the rice vinegar and sesame oil. With the soup still simmering, stir in the cornstarch mixture and continue stirring until the soup thickens. Gradually add the beaten eggs, and then stir lightly after about 45 seconds. Add half of the green part of the onion and give it a quick stir. Remove the soup from the heat. Garnish each serving with a bit of the remaining green from the onions.

 

 

 

 

WORD HISTORY: 

Clerk (Clark/Cleric)-These words are related to "clergy." The ultimate origin of "clerk/clark/cleric" is uncertain, although Indo European "kleh," meaning "to cut down," is thought to be the ancestor by some. Ancient Greek had transliterated "kleros," which meant "a chip of wood used for casting lots," but then the expanded meaning of "something assigned by lots (land, farm, house, etc), inheritance,"^ which produced the transliterated Greek adjective "klerikos," meaning "of or about the clergy," as in religious usage in Greek, the word came to be applied to priests, who were seen as ordained by God's choice (lot). Latin borrowed the adjective as "clericus," meaning "of or about the priesthood, priestly," but it also used the word as a noun to mean "priest, member of the clergy." This was borrowed into Old English as "clerc," meaning "priest, clergyman." In those times, the clergy were some of the few in society who were educated; thus, they were used as record keepers of accounts and of other written documents. This idea of being able to read and write eventually superceded the meaning of "priest;" thus, those employed to keep records continued to be called "clerks," but without the "clergy" meaning at all. The idea of a "sales person" is from the latter part of the 1700s in American English. The verb form is from the noun in the mid 1500s and meaning "to provide the services of a clerk." "Clark" is from a spelling variant of "clerk" in the Middle Ages, which has remained as a popular family name dating from those times (also spelled "Clarke").

^ In this case, the idea of "inheritance" is seemingly from God, and this meaning connects the word to religion.

Scrambled Eggs & Smoked Salmon Wrap

There are various ways to scramble eggs; so, use your own method. Some people add water, some add milk, some add cream, and some see the addition of any of these liquids as heresy. Then, some people draw in the edges of the cooking eggs, some start in the middle and move them outward, some just start stirring. None of this will end civilization, unless we choose to make it the next silly thing we say we will fight to the death over. Four ounces of cream cheese is simply half of a typical "block" package of cream cheese. In the U.S., smoked salmon is more typically sold in flat small packages with one or more thin slices of smoked salmon per package, but you may also find it in pieces that you can slice yourself. I added the optional red chilies for chili pepper lovers, but if you love the taste of smoked salmon, you should probably leave the chilies out of the recipe, as they will likely overwhelm the other flavors. Finally, if you haven't worked with avocados, once you cut them open and remove the seed, you can the scoop out the flesh in one piece, with a large spoon, and then slice it, but you must squeeze some lemon juice over the avocado, or it will begin to darken.

Ingredients (4 wraps)

1/4 pound smoked salmon, cut or torn into bite size pieces

2 tablespoons butter (more if needed)

4 eggs

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt 

(Optional) 2 to 3 small red chilies, chopped

4 tablespoons evaporated (canned) milk

4 ounces cream cheese, cubed

1/4 cup chopped onion

1 avocado, sliced with some lemon juice squeezed over it

4 slices tomato, chopped (remove the seeds, if you'd like)

hot sauce to taste

4 flour tortillas (8 inch diameter size)

Crack the eggs into a bowl, add the evaporated milk, ground black pepper and salt; then, whisk the egg mixture well, until there is a little foaminess in the eggs, set aside briefly. You can heat the tortillas in the oven, but I run some water onto a paper towel, wring it out, then cover a tortilla with the paper towel on a microwave safe dish, then zap it for about 20 seconds; repeat individually for whatever number of tortillas you are using. In a large nonstick skillet, melt the butter over low heat. Whip the eggs again briefly, and the add the eggs to the skillet and, if using chilies, quickly scatter the chopped chilies around to prevent them from piling up in one or two locations, and creating a flamethrower for the person getting them (of course, if you or others love the heat, pile them on). Then spread around the salmon pieces and cream cheese cubes. While this has only been a few seconds, the eggs will be motoring right along; so, scramble the eggs by your own method, but I begin to draw the edges of the eggs in toward the middle, then keep moving them around (swirling motion, I guess is best to describe it). You can lift the skillet off of the heat while you're moving around the eggs, but if there isn't much "liquidy" egg to be seen, turn off the heat. Remember, the residual heat of the skillet will help cook any remnant of uncooked egg. When finished, divide the cooked eggs and place a portion that runs through the middle of each tortilla. Top the eggs with a little raw onion, a couple of slices of avocado and some chopped tomato. Sprinkle on a few drops of hot sauce (or more than a few, for those who like some sizzle). Fold the tortilla around the filling and you're ready to eat.

 

 

WORD HISTORY:

Fawn (Fetus)-"Fawn" is the noun for a baby deer (the verb, often used with 'over,' in 'to fawn over,' is a different and unrelated word). "Fawn" is related to "female" and to "feminine," Latin-derived words borrowed by English from Latin-based French. "Fawn" goes back to Indo European "dhe(i)," which meant "to suck, to suckle." This gave Old Italic "fetos" (the Indo European form rendered as "f" in Italic), which gave Latin "fetus," meaning "an offspring, the production or fruit of a plant" (fruit in the general sense, not the specific classification). This gave Latin the noun "fetonem," with the meaning "young animal." This passed into Old French as "feon," meaning "a young animal," with more of a tendency to usage for "a young deer," and also with the spelling "faon." English borrowed the word in the mid 1300s, with the spellings "foun," "fowne," "fawne," before the modern form, and by which time the usage for deer type animals had become pretty much the exclusive meaning.