Tuna Melt (Open Face)

Tuna melts are served warm, which distinguishes them from regular tuna sandwiches. 

For those not familiar with the term "open-faced sandwich," it is a sandwich where the toppings are put onto ONE slice of bread, rather than the far more commonly used two slices of bread for a true sandwich.* Sandwich with one slice is actually something of a misnomer, as the word sandwich came to mean "some type of filling to go between two slices of bread;" that is, "a filling sandwiched between two slices of bread."

You want to use tuna packed in olive oil that totals to like 24 to 25 ounces. Tuna comes in various size cans, so you'll likely need at least two cans, or 3 to 5 smaller size cans. I use niçoise olives, which are small dark olives from the Provence region of southeastern France and one of its main cities, Nice, but you can use whatever olives you have or like. You can chop the capers or you can leave them whole, which is what I usually do. "Traditionally" served with potato chips (I don't know who makes up these rules).

Ingredients (4 open-faced sandwiches):

24 to 25 ounces canned tuna packed in olive oil

1/2 cup chopped green onions (scallions), including much of the green

1/4 cup pitted niçoise olives, sliced or chopped (or other olives, dark or green, use what you have)

1 heaping tablespoon capers, whole or chopped

1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon sambal oelek**

1 cup mayonnaise

1 heaping teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice 

1teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt 

sweet paprika to top each sandwich

sharp cheddar or sharp American cheese (white or yellow, sliced or shredded)

sliced bread (thickly or thinly sliced)

garlic for seasoning the toast

In a bowl, add the tuna, along with the olive oil from the cans; break up and mash the pieces of tuna. Add the chopped green onions (scallions), olives, capers, sambal oelek, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, ground black pepper and salt; mix together well, then set it aside briefly. Toast the bread slices, then use a clove of garlic to rub onto each slice of bread (the side you will use for the tuna). Put the slices of toasted bread onto a foil lined baking sheet. Add tuna to each slice of toast, and then add a slice or two of cheese, and a sprinkling of paprika to each sandwich. Place the open face sandwiches so that they are about 10 to 12 inches from the broiler. Broil until the cheese is melted (you can let the cheese brown a little or a lot, if you like it that way).         

* "Sandwich" seemingly dates back to the 1700s. The common story is that the 4th Earl of Sandwich, John Montagu, loved gambling so much, that he put pieces of meat between bread slices so that he could remain at the gambling table and not move off to a table to sit down for a meal. "Sandwich," the name, was taken from the English town of that name in Kent. In Old English it was "Sandwicæ," meaning "sandy settlement or port."  

 

** Sambal oelek is a paste/relish/sauce of hot chopped chili peppers that originated in Indonesia, but with versions produced outside of Indonesia, including in the U.S. It is easily found in supermarkets or Asian stores in the U.S., and likely, in some other countries too, although finding the Indonesian version may be difficult, but it is available online. I've found the "Kokita" brand of Indonesian sambal oelek to be totally amazing, but if you don't like much "heat," it's not for you.

 

 

 

 

WORD HISTORY:

Laugh-"Laugh" goes back to Indo European "klegh," which meant "to laugh, to chuckle," seemingly in imitation of a laugh. This gave Old Germanic "hlakhjan(an)," meaning "to laugh," and this gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "hliehhan/hlæhan" (dialectal forms), meaning "to laugh, to laugh at (with scorn or derision)." The form later became "laghen," then "laughen," before the modern version, but while the spelling became "laugh," the 'gh' came to be pronounced as "f," as the guttural 'gh' sound died out in English, and the spelling has remained right up until today, although I'll watch the 11 o'clock news to see if anything has changed. haha In the past, the 'gh' spellings were pronounced much in the same way as cousin German 'ch' is pronounced; that is, from the back of the throat. "Laughter'' is from the same Indo European source, which gave Old Germanic "hlahtraz," which meant "the action or process of laughing, the sound of laughing, the collective sound of people laughing." This gave Old English "hleahtor," with the same meaning, and it then became "laghter," then "laughter." The 1500s saw the development of the word "laugh" as a noun, which is interesting, considering that it came well after the noun ''laughter.'' The other Germanic languages have: German has the verb and the noun "lachen" (noun=Lachen, as all German nouns are capitalized), and the noun "Gelächter" (laughter), Low German has the verb "lachen," West Frisian has the verb "laitsje" and the noun "laits," and "gelaak/gelaits" (laughter), Dutch has the verb "lachen" and the noun "lach," as well as "gelach" (laughter), Danish, Norwegian and Swedish have the heavily contracted "le" (to laugh) and Danish and Norwegian have "latter" (laughter), Icelandic has "hlæja" (to laugh).

Ground Beef Quesadillas

"Quesadillas" are a Mexican dish of tortillas filled primarily with cheese, but often with other ingredients like meat and seasonings. In some form, the idea of quesadillas "likely" date back to the Aztecs, but there seem to be all sorts of stories about the origin of this popular food, although no one story has persuaded me to view it as conclusive. I use 6 inch diameter flour tortillas to make quesadillas, and I got eight quesadillas from the amounts in the recipe below, but naturally the amount of filling used in each quesadilla is the deciding factor, so let's say this recipe will make 6 to 8 quesadillas.

 

Ingredients (8 six inch quesadillas):

 

8 flour tortillas (6 inches in diameter)

1 pound ground beef

1/2 cup thinly sliced onion

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 teaspoons olive oil

2 teaspoons ancho chili powder

1 heaping teaspoon dried Mexican oregano (or regular), crumbled in the palm of your hand

1 chipotle (chopped) with a tablespoon of adobo sauce*

2 teaspoons (dry) adobo seasoning**

2 tablespoons thick ketchup

1 tablespoon Maggi or Gravy Master seasoning

2 teaspoons Spanish sweet paprika

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

(Optional) 1/2 teaspoon salt (the cheese and some seasonings already have salt)

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese or chihuahua cheese

 

Add the olive oil to a skillet over medium heat; when heated, add the onion and saute for about 2 minutes, then add the garlic and saute a further 1 minute, stirring the contents about the skillet, then add the ground beef and keep moving it around and breaking it up so that no large clumps of meat are present. Add the salt, pepper, ancho chili powder, dried Mexican oregano and adobo seasoning; mix the seasonings in well throughout the meat. Add the chipotle pepper and adobo sauce, ketchup and Maggi or Gravy Master and mix everything well. Saute further for about 2 minutes, stirring everything around often. Put some of the meat mixture onto 1/2 of each flour tortilla, sprinkle a good amount of shredded mozzarella and some Monterey Jack or Chihuahua cheese over the meat, then fold the other half of the tortilla over the filled side. Fry for 2 to 3 minutes on each side in a nonstick skillet (I don't use any oil in the pan) over medium heat (or you can bake 6 to 8 minutes on a foil or parchment paper lined baking sheet at 400 F). Pay very close attention when frying the quesadillas, and use a cake turner to make sure they don't stick to the pan (nonstick skillet or not, foods still stick).    

 

 * If you are not familiar with chipotle peppers, they are smoked jalapeno peppers. They are typically sold in small cans packed in adobo sauce. Adobo sauce is a dark red sauce made from ground chilies and some seasonings. It is spicy and kind of earthy in flavor.  

 

 ** "Adobo seasoning" is not the same as "adobo sauce." "Adobo seasoning" is a mixture of dry ingredients that form a kind of seasoned salt. It is very popular in Puerto Rico, where many people make adobo seasoning according to their own family recipes. Of course, there are commercial brands of adobo seasoning too. Here is the link to dry adobo seasoning ingredients: https://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2017/11/adobo-seasoning.html

 

 

 

WORD HISTORY:

Vehicle-This word is related to many words, including: "via," a word borrowed by English from Latin, to "voyage" and to "convey," Latin-derived words borrowed from French, and it is distantly related to "wagon," "way" and "weigh," all words from the Germanic roots of English. "Vehicle" goes back to Indo European "wegh" which had the notion of "movement, travel, ride." This gave its Italic offspring "weyo" meaning "to carry, to bear, to convey," and this gave Latin "vehere" with the same meanings, which produced the noun "vehiculum" meaning "means of transport, conveyance;" thus also, "carriage or cart." This passed to Latin-based French as "vehicule" and English borrowed the word in the first quarter of the 1600s with likely Latin reinforcement and with the idea of "transport," including that of "a means to administer medication to patients," and "a device used to transport people or other livings things or objects;" seemingly, more and more common in usage as motorized transport became increasingly popular. 

No Cook Stuffed Peppers

This is a dish that requires no cooking, as it is a good way to use already cooked ham. Bright red bell  peppers have lots of Vitamin A and Vitamin C and you simply remove the tops of the peppers, the seeds and the pithy ribs.

For the cream cheese, you can use the low calorie or low fat type, if you'd like, but the thing to do is to have it somewhat softened. You can let it sit out to come to room temperature, unless you live within in an igloo inside the Arctic Circle; in which case, bringing it to room temperature likely won't help, or you can put it into a bowl and pop it into the microwave for maybe 10 to 12 seconds. You want to be able to have the cheese soft enough to mix the other ingredients into it without having to rent a cement mixer; on the other hand, you don't want it to be almost liquid, although you'll be putting the finished peppers into the refrigerator to have the cream cheese firm up again. You can adjust the amount of filling ingredients a little, if you'd like, as I've made these to just give a basic guideline. One other thing, fresh herbs are pretty easily available in stores today, so get some fresh thyme to use. Dried thyme is great in soups, stews and gravies, because it has hot liquid to soften it, but in this dish, dried thyme could have some sharp and pointed stems that will not be fun to bite into, as in "YEEOW!" 

Ingredients (4 to 6 servings):  

3 large red bell peppers

1/2 cup finely chopped already cooked ham

1/4 cup white Cheddar cheese, chopped or shredded

3 green onions, chopped (including green part)

12 green and black olives, sliced

3 tablespoons finely chopped pickles

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves 

1 1/2 cups cream cheese, softened

1 or 2 teaspoons milk or cream

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon salt 

mustard and horseradish for serving

Cut the tops off of the peppers and remove all seeds and and the whitish colored ribs or veins inside the pepper (it's called pith). In a bowl, add the softened cream cheese and 1 teaspoon milk or cream. Use an electric hand mixer to whip the cheese. If needed, add another teaspoon of milk or cream and whip. Now add the other ingredients; mix carefully, but well with a large spoon; this can take a little time. Spoon the mixture into each pepper, pressing it down with the spoon so that it is tightly packed in. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours, if you are in a hurry, or preferably several hours otherwise. Cut the peppers into 1/2 to 1 inch slices for serving. Serve with mustard and horseradish on the side and I cut off the pepper parts around the stems and use them to garnish the pepper slices.  

 

 With some grainy mustard and horseradish ...

WORD HISTORY:

Icicle-This is a compound word formed from "ice" ^ and the addition of what was once spelled "ikel." This second part goes back to Indo European "eyhso" meaning, "frost, solidified water from cold." This gave Old Germanic "jeykilaz," which meant, "piece or chunk of ice," "seemingly" also with the secondary notion of  "cone or wedge shaped." This gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "gicel" (likely pronounced with a beginning "gy" or even "y" sound),^^ meaning, "piece of ice, icicle." This later became "ikil." It was put into a compound to give English "isikel," before the modern form, "icicle." There are (and were) Germanic relatives of the compound word and of the second part of the compound (naturally there are relatives of "ice" in the other Germanic languages, see link below): German once had "isilla, isel," and it has "Kegel" (cone, bowling pin, which is cone shaped), Low German has "Iesjökel" (icicle, Ies=ice + Jökel=icle), Dutch "ijskegel" (icicle), Icelandic has "jökull" (ice formation, glacier), Danish has the antiquated (dialect?) "jisegel" (icicle), Norwegian has "isjukel" (icicle). 

^ For the history of the word "ice," this is the link:  http://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2011/01/german-question-part-seventy-one.html

^^ Low German is a close relative of English and its "g" is typically pronounced "y," a characteristic carried over to the dialect of Berlin ("Berlinerisch"), a former Low German speaking area, where certain Low German elements have survived for centuries since High German spread to Berlin.

A Bunch of Baloney (Sandwiches)

When I was growing up in the 1950s, "baloney" sandwiches were common, including "fried baloney" sandwiches, which were a bit fancier than regular baloney sandwiches that were made from slices of baloney taken right from the refrigerator, or "icebox," as many people still called it back then. "Bologna" traces back to mortadella sausage from the northern Italian city of Bologna. It "seems" Germans took the Italian idea and made a similar sausage which was brought to America by German immigrants, and then Italian immigrants brought actual mortadella, and these were given "American" touches to become "bologna." By the 1920s and 1930s, sandwiches had become highly popular in the U.S., as they were quick and simple to make and they could be easily transported to jobs in bags or lunch boxes, and a common meat used was "baloney," the more typical Americanized pronunciation of "bologna." It wasn't fancy, but it wasn't expensive either, and that was important to every day American working people, and especially so when these "working people" didn't always have a steady job in the days of the Great Depression in the 1930s. It seems baloney was originally made from pork, but then also came beef, then chicken, then turkey, and even mixtures of meat products.

 

"A bunch of baloney" is a slang expression that means "a bunch of nonsense," and the expression seems to have developed in the 1920s in the U.S., in New York City, likely from the idea of baloney then being made from cheap cuts or remnants of meat, thus being of little worth, with nonsense seen the same way.
 

You can use beef baloney, or baloney made with chicken or turkey, if you don't eat pork.

My "Regular" Baloney Sandwich; totally simple:

2 slices white sandwich bread (you can certainly use whole wheat or multigrain bread)

1/2 to 1 tablespoon butter

2 slices baloney

thick ketchup, with more in reserve, if needed; okay, WHEN needed

Spread one slice of bread with butter. Place the 2 slices of baloney on either slice of bread, squeeze a "good" amount of thick ketchup onto the baloney, then place the other slice of bread on top of the ketchup covered baloney. Keep more ketchup nearby, and dip the sandwich into it before every bite. 

 

 

Is This the Typical Baloney Sandwich? 

 

Is this simple sandwich the "typical" baloney sandwich? There's really no way to prove or disprove it.

 

2 slices white bread

1 or 2 teaspoons mayonnaise

1 or 2 leaves of lettuce

2 or 3 slices of baloney

1 slice of American cheese

Spread one slice bread with mayonnaise, to the other slice of bread, add the lettuce, 2 or 3 slices of baloney and then top with the slice of cheese.

 

Variation: yellow or brown mustard supplements, or replaces, the mayonnaise, or try a good honey mustard on this sandwich (with no mayonnaise). 

"Regular" Fried Baloney Sandwich

 

You can cut slits around the edge of the baloney slices to help prevent curling of the meat when frying. 

 

2 slices white bread

2 to 3 slices baloney

1/2 tablespoon of butter

2 teaspoons mustard (more if you choose to put mustard on both slices of bread), or 2 teaspoons ketchup, or 2 teaspoons mayonnaise

1 pickle on the side, or 3 or 4 pickle slices

 

 

  

 

"Deluxe" Fried Baloney Sandwich

 

2 slices white bread

2 to 3 slices baloney

1/2 tablespoon butter (another 1/2 tablespoon butter, if needed)

1 slice Swiss cheese (or white or yellow American cheese)

1 or 2 slices onion, separated into rings

3 to 5 slices of bread 'n butter pickles (the slices are sometimes referred to as 'chips')

1 tablespoon mayonnaise

(optional) 2 teaspoons mustard or honey mustard

Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat, add the rings of onion and saute. Move the onion rings to the side of the skillet and add the baloney (add more butter, if needed). Fry the baloney on both sides until lightly browned. Keep mixing the onions around to brown them, as the baloney fries. Add the baloney to one slice of bread, top with the fried onions, then the pickles and then the Swiss cheese. Add mayonnaise to the top slice of bread, or if using mustard, spread the top slice with mustard first, then spread on the mayonnaise and add the bread to the top of the sandwich.

 

 

Fried Mortadella Sandwich

 

Mortadella is Italian bologna; actually, THE original bologna.

Ingredients (per sandwich):

2 slices bread (white, whole wheat or multigrain)

2 or 3 slices of mortadella

1 tablespoon butter + 1 teaspoon olive oil (or other oil of your choice)

1 or 2 slices of American cheese (or you can substitute white or yellow cheddar, or Colby)

2 to 3 teaspoons mayonnaise

1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

2 or 3 tomato slices (I tend to use Roma tomatoes, which are usually smaller, so 3 slices)

3 or 4 pickle slices (dill or sweet and sour chips)

Spread the Dijon mustard onto one slice of bread, followed by the mayonnaise. Add the tomato slices, then turn to preparing the mortadella. Add the butter and oil to a skillet over low heat (the oil will help keep the butter from browning quickly). Add the mortadella; brown the meat on both sides, then add the cheese on top of the meat for only about 20 to 30 seconds. Put the mortadella/cheese on top of the tomato covered bread slice and then top the meat/cheese with the pickle slices, and cover with the other plain slice of bread. In the photos below, the bottom photo shows building the sandwich, then the second photo shows completing the sandwich. I didn't add the cheese to the mortadella in the skillet so that the meat could be seen. This is a really good sandwich. 

Mustard followed by mayonnaise, then tomato slices, then mortadella

Fried Onion & Garlic Baloney Sandwich

 

2 slices white bread

2 slices baloney

2 to 4 cloves of garlic, sliced or finely chopped

1 green onion, white and green, chopped

1/2 tablespoon butter 

ketchup, mustard or mayonnaise, your preference, or some combo (I used mayo and ketchup in the photos below)

 

Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat then add the green onion and garlic; saute about one minute, then move the onion and garlic to the side of the skillet and add the baloney slices. Fry on both sides until lightly browned. If the onion and garlic begin getting too dark (especially the garlic, it will become bitter) remove from the skillet until the baloney is done. I put some mayonnaise on the bottom slice of bread, then I add the meat, followed by the green onion and garlic and then some ketchup.

  

  

WORD HISTORY:

Weasel-The ultimate origin of the noun "weasel" is difficult, but it "seems" to go back to Indo European "weys," with the notion "to flow, to melt, to run," and the extended noun form "weselos/wiselos," which was the name for the animal, and this gave Old Germanic "wisulon," which meant the same thing. This gave Old English "weosule" then "wesle," which then became "wesele," before the modern form. Relatives in the other Germanic languages: German has "Wiesel," Low German "Wes(s)el," West Frisian and Dutch "wezel," Icelandic "vesla" (but it also has an unrelated word for the animal), Danish "væsel," Norwegian "vesle/væsel," Swedish "vessla."  

Swiss Potato and Cheese Soufflé: Kartoffel und Käse Auflauf

German "Auflauf" means "casserole," in general, but it can also mean the more specific "soufflé," a type of casserole; and indeed, the dish uses egg whites to be "puffed up." It is often accompanied by watercress or garden cress. There are variations to the general recipe in Germany and Austria, where the potatoes aren't usually mashed, but rather sliced or diced, and other ingredients are often layered in as another type of casserole.

Ingredients:

2 pounds potatoes, peeled and chopped, then cooked in salted water
4 tablespoons flour
4 egg yolks
1 cup Gruyère, shredded
1 cup Pecorino Romano, grated or shredded (the Swiss often use "Sbrinz"*)
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk
4 egg whites, whipped to peaks
2 tablespoons butter
oil or butter for the casserole/baking dish

Simmer the potatoes until tender. Drain the potatoes and mash with a potato masher or use a hand mixer. In a bowl, mix together the egg yolks, flour, cheeses, nutmeg, salt, milk. When mixed, add the potatoes to the mixture and mix everything together, then fold in the egg whites. Butter or oil a casserole or baking dish, then add the potato mixture and smooth it out. Flake the 2 tablespoons of butter and top the casserole with the butter flakes. Bake at 325 F for 70 to 90 minutes, until set in the middle.

* "Sbrinz" is a hard cheese produced in central Switzerland from cow's milk. It is frequently used in place of Parmesan or Pecorino Romano by the Swiss, either of which can usually be more easily found in stores outside of Switzerland than Sbrinz. I use Pecorino. 

 

Swiss Potato and Cheese Soufflé with watercress ...

WORD HISTORY:

Wipe-This word is closely related to "whip," a word derived from the same Germanic source as "wipe," but seemingly borrowed by English from Dutch and Low German, and it is more distantly related to "waive" (to forgo legal claim or right to something), a word borrowed from French, which had it from Germanic, and to "vibrate," a Latin word borrowed by English from that language. "Wipe" goes back to Indo European "weip/weyp," which had the notion "to turn, to wind (long 'i'), to rotate, to shake." This gave Old Germanic "wipjan(an)," meaning "to move back and forth quickly," which gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "wipian" meaning "to clean by rubbing with a back and forth or rotating motion." This then became "wipen," before the modern form. "Wipe" and "whip" are so closely related, it can be difficult to separate some other Germanic forms, but here are some relatives in some other Germanic languages: German has "wippen" (to move up and down; thus also, "bob, seesaw"), which was borrowed from Low German in the 1500s, but earlier, German had "wifan,"^ then "wifen," which meant "to move back and forth," but then also, "to rotate, to swing," Low German has "wippen," meaning "to move up and down," Dutch has "wippen" with the same meanings as German, except it also means "whip." 

^ A common difference between Low German, English, Frisian and Dutch versus German has been the change of "p" in those first languages to an "f" or "pf" in German; thus, English has "pipe," but German has "Pfeife," which shows both changes in one word. 

Brazilian Romeo & Juliet: Romeu e Julieta

This is a real tough recipe. haha  You'll need guava paste (Portuguese: goiabada, pronounced like: goyah-bawda), which is of course made from guavas, a fruit originally from the New World, but the Spanish and Portuguese took guavas back to Europe and elsewhere; for instance, the Spanish took guavas to the Philippines, and the Portuguese introduced the fruit to India.

  

This snack or appetizer was seemingly developed in the Brazilian region of Minas Gerais in the 1700s by Portuguese colonists, as Brazil was then a colony of Portugal. Remember, Brazilians speak Portuguese, not Spanish. Minas Gerais has its own fresh cheese, but it can spoil after a relatively short time, so you're not likely to find it outside of Brazil, but you can use other types of cheese. I've made this with Greek feta cheese, Mexican Cotija, farmer's cheese and fresh mozzarella. The idea is to pair a somewhat "salty, tangy" cheese with the sweet guava paste. Guava paste is often available in Latino grocery stores, and "perhaps" in some supermarkets, but it is easily found online, and guava paste is not typically very expensive. By the way, in spite of its visual resemblance to jellied cranberry sauce, it is much firmer in texture than that easily found (in the U.S., at least) product.      

 

Ingredients:

 

queso fresco/fresh style cheese or other white cheese (see above for suggestions)

guava paste

toothpicks

 

Cut the cheese and guava paste into pieces of "about" 1 to 1 1/2 inches long and about 1/3 to 1/2 inch thick. Put pieces of each onto some toothpicks and you're done. Hey, I said this was a tough recipe! Serve with some crackers, but I've also had it with toast. 

 

 

 

WORD HISTORY: 

Guava-This word seems to go back to the Arawakan language family, which is from the native peoples of Central and parts of South America, as well as some of the Caribbean islands. Arawakan "guayabo" meant "guava tree," but it might well have also referred to the fruit of the tree. Spanish initially borrowed the word as "guayabo" in the early 1500s, which then was altered to "guayaba," and was applied to the fruit. This was then shortened to "guaya," and "guaba." English borrowed the word in the mid 1500s.  

Czech & Slovak Fried Cheese: Smažený Sýr/Vyprážaný Syr

In Czech it's "Smažený Sýr," pronounced kind of like "shmah-zhawny seer," and in Slovak as "Vyprážaný Syr," pronounced like "vee-prah-zhawny seer," they both simply mean "fried cheese." Typically they use Edam cheese in the Czech Republic and in Slovakia. Edam cheese is a round-shaped, off white colored Dutch cheese, encased in red wax, but Edam is also made outside of the Netherlands. If you can't find Edam, you can use gouda, another cheese originally from the Netherlands, but also produced elsewhere, or in the U.S. you can even try Monterey Jack, an American cheese that is pretty much available in any supermarket. The thing is, these cheeses all have relatively low moisture, which is what you want. I hadn't bought Edam cheese for many years. It's not that I don't like it, but for whatever reason, it just wasn't on my mind, but when I went to buy it recently, I couldn't find it at cheese shops or at the supermarket. I don't know if this is because of the pandemic, which disrupted the suppy of some items, especially from outside the country, or if Edam has fallen in popularity (of course, it's possible that your local store will have it). Anyhow, I ended up buying it online. Gouda is readily available in cheese shops and supermarkets, and I actually bought some of it too, just to have it.    

Serve with french fries, Czech tartar sauce and don't forget a nice cold glass of beer. The Czechs have a good reputation for pilsner beer.

Ingredients (2 to 4 servings):

 

4 pieces of Edam, gouda or Monterey Jack cheese, cut into slices about 1/2 inch thick, 2 inches wide and 2 1/2 inches long

2/3 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs, beaten

2/3 cup breadcrumbs (fine type)

oil for frying

 

Add enough neutral flavor oil to provide a quarter inch of oil in a skillet, then heat the oil over medium high heat (NOT just medium heat). Spread the flour out onto a plate, then beat the eggs in a separate shallow bowl/plate, then spread the breadcrumbs out onto another separate place. Roll a cheese slice in the flour to coat it, shake off excess, then dip the cheese slice into the beaten egg to coat it, then roll the cheese in the breadcrumbs to coat. I dip my cheese slices back into the egg and then back into the breadcrumbs to make sure they are well coated (no need for another dose of flour). Do the same with each cheese slice. Fry the cheese quickly over medium high heat, turning the cheese pieces to brown them on both sides. Frying the cheese quickly helps to prevent the cheese from running out (the double breadcrumb coating naturally helps too). Stay alert, because the frying does not take long, and if you blink twice, the breadcrumb coating may become too dark, or even burn. Not that I know anything about that ... Actually, the first time I fixed this recipe, I turned around to simply rinse a dish off in the sink, and when I turned back to the stove, the breadcrumbs were so dark and burned, they looked like I had doused them in soy sauce, which gave me an idea, but that's another story. 

 

For the Czech tartar sauce:

 

1 cup mayonnaise

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon vinegar

1/4 cup sweet gherkins, finely chopped (you can use somewhat less, to your own preference)

1/4 cup onion, finely chopped or grated

1/4 teaspoon chopped dill

1/3 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

In a bowl, add all of the ingredients and stir well to mix. Cover and refrigerate for a minimum of one hour, but preferably for several hours. Stir the sauce before serving it.  

 

Fried cheese with fries, Czech tartar sauce and a glass of beer ...

WORD HISTORY:

Howitzer-This word is related to "heap" (both noun and verb), which are from the Germanic roots of English. "Howitzer" goes back to Indo European "k(h)oup," which had the notion of "raised surface;" thus, "hill." This gave its Old Germanic offspring "houpaz/haupaz," which "seems" to have reduced the meaning from "hill" to the lesser "pile or stack of something," although the reduced meaning may have first come in the West Germanic branch of Germanic. This gave Old High German "hufo" (heap), which then became "hufe (heap) (this also was used in the sense "group/band/crowd"). This was borrowed by Czech (often called "Old Czech" for the time period until the early 1500s) as "houf," which meant "heap, crowd, flock," and this gave Czech the noun "houfnice," initially a "catapult," seemingly from the trajectory (an arc) of the objects hurled by the device. German borrowed the word from Czech during the Hussite Wars (wars within Christianity in Bohemia, but before Christian "protesters against the Church" took the name "Protestants") for a "catapult" in the 1400s, apparently initially in German as "huffnitze," but also as an occasional name for some small Czech cannons. As artillery became more common, the name shifted to the shell-firing mortar-type gun that can be used to fire indirectly upon targets; that is, upon targets that cannot be seen by the gunners, as the shells are fired over all types of visual obstructions, and in German the term became "Haubitze," which was then borrowed by Dutch as "houwitser," and this was borrowed by English, initially as "hauwitser," in the latter part of the 1600s.   

Bacon Jam Cheeseburgers

 

There are commercial brands of bacon jam available in supermarkets and grocery stores, but you can make your own bacon jam, here is the link ... https://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2021/04/bacon-jam.html

 

Ingredients (per burger):

 

6 ounces ground chuck

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

2 pinches ground black pepper (a pinch for each side of the burger)

2 pinches salt (a pinch for each side of the burger)

a little oil for cooking

hamburger bun

1 thick slice of tomato

2 or 3 cucumber slices (medium thickness)

lettuce or arugula 

2 slices sharp American cheese  (one for bottom, one for top)

2 heaping tablespoons bacon jam

 

Mix the Worcestershire into the ground chuck to be used for each burger patty. Form the patty and add the salt and pepper to each side. Use a little oil for the skillet or grill to help the burger get started. Cook the burger to the preferred state of doneness and then remove it to a dish. Add the split bun to the skillet or grill and just very briefly let it soak up some of the drippings and toast a little, about 1 minute. Place the opened bun on the serving plate and add 1 slice of cheese to the bottom, then top this with the burger, and then the other slice of cheese, then the bacon jam (spread it out evenly). Add the pickle slices, the tomato and the lettuce or arugula, then place the top of the bun on and press down a little to set everything in place. Serve with French fries. 

 

 

WORD HISTORY:

Craft-This word is related to ''crave'' and to "cram," both from Germanic. "Craft" goes back to Indo European "ger," which meant "to pull together, to gather up, to fit or put together, twist, wind (long 'i')." This gave Old Germanic "kraf/kreb," which meant "strength, might;" that is, "the energy or force put together from within, manifested in physical strength." The meaning broadened beyond an individual's physical strength to "tribal might and skill in war." This gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "cræft," meaning, "strength, might, power, strength in mind, skill;" thus also, "trade, profession," and this then became "craft," with the "strength, might" meaning diminishing over the centuries and becoming obsolete by the 1500s, but with the "skill" meaning becoming more and more prominent over time. The second half of the 1600s saw the word also applied to "a small boat," although exactly why is unclear (skill required to make them? Skill required to operate one? Or perhaps the strength [rowing] or power [wind] required to sail one, which would take the meaning back to the roots of the word? Whatever the case, this meaning remains with us to this day). The verb also dates to Old English "cræftan," which meant, "to build or make (using skill)." Relatives in the other Germanic languages have all stayed with or close to the original meaning: German and Low German have "Kraft" (strength, might, power), in German, "Streitkräfte" means "military forces, armed forces," Dutch "kracht" (force, power, strength), West Frisian "krêft" (force, power), Icelandic "kraftur" (energy, force, might), Norwegian "kraft" (force, power, might), Danish "kraft" (power, energy, might), Swedish "kraft" (force, energy, might, vigor). 

 

3 Cheese Macaroni & Meat Sauce Casserole

 

 I'd say this is "Italian-American," rather than truly "Italian."

 

 

Ingredients:

 

2/3 pound sweet Italian sausage (removed from the casing)

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (divided use)

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup shredded carrot

1 can (28 ounces) peeled tomatoes, crushed

1 can (14 to 15 ounces) regular tomato sauce

1 teaspoon Gravy Master or Kitchen Bouquet mixed with 1/4 cup water

1 teaspoon dried oregano (crushed in the palm of your hand)

1 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes 

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup dry macaroni, cooked in lightly salted water

1 cup shredded mozzarella

1/2 cup shredded fontina

1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano

In a skillet over medium heat, add 2 teaspoons of olive oil and then add the chopped onion and the sausage and keep stirring and breaking up the sausage as it cooks. Cook until the sausage is lightly browned, then add the carrot and garlic and cook for another 90 seconds. Add the crushed tomatoes and bring to a simmer for 3 minutes, stirring a little. Add the tomato sauce, Gravy Master/Kitchen Bouquet and water mixture, oregano, basil, red pepper flakes, sugar and salt, stir well to mix. Turn the heat to low (or you'll have sauce spattered all over everything, including your outdoor doormat), and gently simmer the sauce for about 15 minutes, stirring often. If the sauce is too thick, add a little water to thin it out. Meanwhile, cook the macaroni in some lightly salted water until it is almost done. Drain the macaroni and stir it into the sauce. Swirl 1 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil in a casserole dish, then empty the macaroni mixture into the casserole. Drizzle another 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the top, then distribute the shredded mozzarella over the top, followed by the shredded fontina and finally sprinkle on the grated Pecorino Romano. Put the lid or aluminum foil on the casserole and bake in a preheated 350 F oven for about 40 minutes, then remove the lid and bake at 400 F until the cheese browns lightly.     

 

 

WORD HISTORY:

Tone-This word is related to quite a number of words. A few examples: it is really the same word as "tune" (collection of sounds into a song or melody), it is closely related to "tonic," a word borrowed from Greek, it is distantly related to "tendon," a word English borrowed from Latin, which had gotten it from Greek, to the adjective "tense" (also the verb), borrowed from Latin, and to "tense," the noun (used in reference to the time form of a verb, as in, "Do I use the present tense or the past tense in this sentence?"), a word borrowed from French, which had it from Latin, to "tender," the verb, borrowed from French, which had it from Latin, and "tender," the adjective, likewise borrowed from French, which had it from Latin (but from a different Latin word than the verb), and to "thin," a word from the Germanic roots of English. It goes back to Indo European "ten," which meant, "to stretch, to stretch out." This gave transliterated Ancient Greek the verb "teínein," which meant, "to extend, to spread," and this produced the noun "tónos," meaning "rope" (materials wound together and then extended to tie or secure something), which developed the secondary meaning, "tension," from the idea of "taut rope," and further, "accent, voice stress, intonation," from the sound made by various degrees of tension applied to rope or cords when plucked. Latin borrowed this as "tonus," with the same general meanings, but with "particular sound or pitch of something" gaining in prominence, with Latin-based Old French taking the word as "ton." English borrowed the word from French in the mid 1300s, but with influence from Latin, and that influence likely brought about the later spelling with the ending 'e' to signify the 'o' being long. The mid 1600s saw the use for "firm body" begin, and the mid 1700s brought the additional meaning "attitude expressed in spoken (later even in written) words." The idea of high and low pitch in sound came to be used figuratively for shades of color.         

Creamy Brazilian Cornmeal Cake: Bolo de Fubá

Brazil is the largest Portuguese speaking country or region in the world. The basic recipe for this cake was given to me by my friend Gustavo of Brazil, whom you can just call "G." Over the years I have helped him with his language, which has left him as one of the few people to speak "Klingon." The problem is, I was helping him with English! Hahahaha  The Brazilian name for the cake is "Bolo de Fubá," in Portuguese, and it is common throughout Brazil, although with many recipe variations, some of which do not include cheese. Those without cheese are very much like American cornbread, although the Brazilian form tends to have more liquid and more sweetener (some use sweetened condensed milk). I read some articles about the cake, including one from a Brazilian cookbook I have, and most note that this cake is often served at breakfast or later in the day, on both occasions with a cup or two of coffee. I also found different pans/dishes used for the cake, and I chose a round pie/cake dish (10 inches x 2 inches), and G uses a round cake pan (Hm, I wonder what 'cake pan' is in Klingon?). I used Pecorino Romano cheese, although Parmesan cheese is traditional. G used a blender/food processor to mix his cake batter, but I just used a hand mixer. The thing is, the batter will be runny, but that is okay; it's supposed to be that way. When poured into the baking pan and put into the oven, the milk and the melting cheese will form a layer of creaminess on the cake (see top 2 photos, below). You do need to keep track of the time or set a timer for this cake, as you can't insert a toothpick to see if it's done, because of the creamy layer. Preheat the oven to 350 F and bake the cake for about 50 to 55 minutes. Since this was the first time I made this cake, I baked it 55 minutes, although slightly less would likely have been fine. The top should be nice and golden brown (see photos, below). I would have just put G's recipe here, but I figured none of you know Klingon. Hahaha  Actually, his English is very good, no thanks to me! But if anybody wants to pretend to learn English while actually learning Klingon, I'm your guy! 

Ingredients:
3 eggs
1/4 cup butter
2 1/2 cups of milk
1 1/2 cups of sugar
1 cup of yellow cornmeal
3 tablespoons flour
3/4 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese (I LOVE Pecorino Romano)
1 1/2 tablespoon baking powder

In a blender or a bowl, add all the ingredients (except the baking powder). Mix in the blender or use a hand mixer to mix the ingredients together very well. Add the baking powder and mix it in with a spoon. The batter will have a pretty liquid consistency. Preheat your oven to 350 F and let your cake bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until the cake has a "golden" surface. Let the cake cool down about 30 minutes before slicing.

WORD HISTORY:
Jaguar-This word for "a large cat of prey of the Americas, especially in parts of South America." It goes back to Tupi, also called Tupian, a language family of some of the indigenous peoples of South America, particularly in Brazil. The early 1500s saw the Portuguese colonize Brazil and they took the transliterated Tupi word "yaguara/jaguara," which seemingly meant "a large meat eating animal," and therefore also used for the big cat, which was rendered as "jaguar" in Portuguese (also as yaguareté and jaguareté). English borrowed the word from Portuguese as "jaguar" around 1600. It was used as the name for a British automotive company and their line of luxury and sports cars beginning in 1935, later often shortened by the public to the trendy sounding "Jag."    

Indian Fried Cheese in Chili Gravy

Paneer is a compressed form of fresh cheese. It is available in cheese shops, Indian/Pakistani grocery stores and some supermarkets. It is very similar to farmer's cheese, and I've read that you can use farmer's cheese or tofu as a substitute, although I've never used either of these for this recipe. This is an Indian dish with Chinese influence. You can make it as mild or as spicy hot as you'd like, but at least I hope you'll use the ground red pepper to experience a little "kick" to the recipe. "Heat lovers" can add both the ground red pepper and 2 to 4 fresh hot chilies, which should keep their mouths blazing, their foreheads sweating and their moods happy. Some people make a batter to coat the cheese before frying it, but I've dry coated the paneer, although I've also made batter fried paneer. Both are wonderful, but I give this recipe the edge. Americans and Canadians, at least, would likely call the liquid part a "sauce," but the people of the Indian Subcontinent call it "gravy," and that's groovy by me. Good served with rice or with naan or roti bread.    

Ingredients (2 to 3 servings)

To fry the paneer:
1/2 to 2/3 pound paneer, cut into about 3/4 inch cubes
2 tablespoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper or hot paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground black or white pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons vegetable oil or canola oil (more if needed)

To make the gravy:
3 tablespoons vegetable oil or canola oil
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
3 green onions (with green), chopped
1 tablespoon grated/minced ginger
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 to 4 hot chilies (serranos or jalapeños are good), chopped (seeds removed if you prefer)
1 chopped Roma tomato (or medium tomato) with juice
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 teaspoon ground hot red pepper (like cayenne)
1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika (the redder the bedder ... ah, better)
1/2 teaspoon ground black or white pepper
1 tablespoon butter 
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sugar 
1 cup water
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch well mixed with 3 to 4 tablespoons water  

To fry the paneer: In a bowl, add the cornstarch, flour, ground red pepper, ground white or black pepper, turmeric and salt, mix well. Add the paneer cubes to the dry mixture and gently turn to coat. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Shake excess flour mixture from each paneer cube, then add the cubes to the skillet. Lightly brown the cheese cubes on all sides by frying for a total of about 4 minutes (do not overcook, or the cheese will become tough; just lightly brown it, and the outside will have a slightly firm texture, while the inside will remain nice and soft). Drain the paneer cubes on paper towels. To make the gravy: Have your ingredients lined up and ready to go. You can use the same skillet and just add enough oil to make about 3 tablespoons, heat the oil over medium heat, then add the green and red pepper and stir, then about 1 minute later add the chili peppers and stir, then add the grated ginger and minced garlic and stir well. After about 30 seconds, add the tomato and stir, then add the soy sauce, ketchup, ground red pepper, paprika, and ground white or black pepper, stir very well. Add the rice vinegar, the sugar and the butter, stir until the butter melts, then add the water, stirring well to get everything mixed together. Let the gravy cook until it bubbles, then begin stirring in the cornstarch/water mixture, and let the gravy thicken to your preferred level of thickness.     

With naan bread ...

WORD HISTORY:
Paneer (also "panir")-This word's ultimate origin is uncertain, but it goes back to Persian "pynl," which meant "cheese," in general. This then developed to transliterated Persian "panir," which was taken by Hindi/Urdu as transliterated "panir." This was borrowed by English, but I cannot determine when it was borrowed. The "Merriam-Webster Dictionary" says "1954" for first use in English, but I would believe the word to have been around earlier, although perhaps not in great usage. It is still not a terribly common word in American English, but it might be used more in British English because of Britain's colonial connection to India. I would think mainly people with knowledge of foods from the Indian subcontinent or cheese experts are most commonly familiar with it. Other sources do not even give a presumed date for an English borrowing.    

Frankfurters with Cheese & Bacon: Berner Würstel

This is a food item to have for a snack on its own, or as the centerpiece for lunch or even for dinner. While pretty common in Austria and parts of southern Germany (Bavaria), these are likely not unknown in Liechtenstein and parts of Switzerland, although they actually come from the Salzburg area of Austria. Understand, the "Berner" part of the name has nothing to do with the Swiss city of Bern, but rather it is the family name of the man credited with the recipe.      

Often served with mustard on the side, some people use ketchup or seasoned tomato sauce, and others are a bit more elaborate by serving chopped onions or freshly grated horseradish alongside, as well as accompaniments like potato salad, fried potatoes and/or some type of garden salad. In the U.S., what we call "Swiss Cheese" is based upon Swiss Emmentaler cheese, which indeed originated in Switzerland, but which is also produced by U.S. cheese companies with their own recipes. Emmentaler is also produced in Germany, specifically in Bavaria, and in France, where it is termed Emmental, and in some other countries too. Gouda originated in the Netherlands, but it too is imitated elsewhere.   

Ingredients (for each Frankfurter, see photo below):

1 Frankfurter
1 or 2 strips of Swiss Cheese (Emmentaler) or Gouda, cut from a slice
1 or 2 thin slices smoked bacon
small amount of oil for frying

Cut the frankfurter lengthwise from one end to the other, but do NOT cut completely through the sausage (although some do just that, and I've made them both ways; the bacon will bind around the Frankfurter either way). Put the cheese into the cut part of the frankfurter then press lightly to close. Wrap the bacon around the frankfurter to completely enclose the frankfurter. These are sometimes grilled, but I put just a few drops of oil into a skillet over medium heat and I fry the bacon-wrapped frankfurters on all sides until browned. The oil will help to prevent sticking as the frankfurter(s) begin to cook and the fat from the bacon will gradually be rendered to help even more.

For one Berner Würstel: a Frankfurter, strips of Swiss cheese or Gouda and 1 or 2 slices of bacon (thinly sliced)

2 Berner Würstel with some fried potatoes, chopped onion and tomato slices

WORD HISTORY:
Cripple-This word is related to "creep," a word from the Germanic roots of English. It goes back to Indo European "grewb/greub," which meant, "to turn, twist, to wind." This gave Old Germanic "krupilaz," meaning, "one who is bent and walks haltingly." This gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "crypel" meaning "a cripple," but also used adjectivally and meaning, "crippled." This then became "crepel," then "cripel," before the modern form. The noun form is considered by some to be offensive and, while it is still around, it has largely been replaced by "disabled person" and "handicapped person" (this is also largely true of the adjective, but mainly when applied to people, and of course "lame" is still used at times). The verb form developed from the noun/adjective in the 1200s and meant, "to walk haltingly," a meaning now seldom, if ever, used as a verb. In the 1300s came the further meaning "to make someone or something lame or otherwise handicapped," with the figurative use expanding further to "hinder someone or something"^ (example: "The heavy rains are crippling our effort to have a backyard barbecue"), and these are the meanings still today. Relatives in the other Germanic languages (I'm giving noun forms, unless noted): German has "Krüppel" (the exact history of the standard German form is unclear to me, but the word seems to have been at least influenced by Low German), Low German has "Kröpel," West Frisian "krepel" (?), Dutch "kreupel" (this is an adjective) and "kreupele" (noun), Danish "krøbling" (?), Norwegian "krøpling," Swedish "krympling," Icelandic "krymppill" (I'm uncertain of this, but Old Norse had the same/similar, and Icelandic is still remarkably close to its ancestor).  

^ "Hinder" is a good word to use in the meaning, and the tie can be easily seen with "hinder," as in German, a "Behinderung" is "a disability, a handicap," although it can also mean, "a hindrance, an obstruction."

Spicy Mexican Corn Soup

This is a good and spicy soup with no actual meat, although I use chicken broth, and you could certainly use vegetable broth instead. Using 2 chipotle peppers will not likely bring smoke billowing from your ears, but if you like more heat, 4 chipotles will likely do the trick. Be sure to include some of the adobo sauce from the chipotle peppers; it will provide great flavor for the soup. Optionally, if you want to thicken the soup, you can add some cornmeal or corn flour. While both are ground corn, corn flour is finely ground. Queso blanco or other white cheese are great with this. I actually used "Chihuahua" cheese, and if you think this is a "dog cheese," you're barking up the wrong tree... It's a white cheese popular in Mexico which originated in the state of Chihuahua. The little dog of that name is simply named after that state. 

Ingredients (about 6 to 8 servings):

3 cups corn (fresh, but frozen corn is fine)
1 tablespoon ancho chili powder
2 to 4 chipotle peppers with adobo sauce
4 1/2 cups chicken broth
3 Roma tomatoes, chopped
1 tablespoon Mexican oregano
2/3 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon butter + 2 tablespoons regular olive oil  
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
white cheese in small cubes (queso blanco, Chihuahua cheese, mozzarella or Monterey Jack)
3/4 teaspoon salt (if the broth has a high salt content, you can omit adding salt or just add a pinch)
(Optional) 3 to 4 tablespoons cornmeal or corn flour (or more to your own preference of thickness)

In a heavy-bottomed sauce pan over low heat, melt the butter and heat the olive oil. Add the chopped onion and saute for 4 to 5 minutes, then add the minced garlic and saute another 1 to 2 minutes. Increase the heat to medium and add the chopped tomatoes, oregano, chili powder, chipotle peppers with adobo sauce; saute further until the tomatoes soften. Empty the cooked ingredients into a blender of food processor and process until smooth. Return the smooth mixture to the sauce pan over medium heat and add the chicken broth, mix well and bring to a simmer. Add the corn, the cilantro and any salt you're using (if using corn flour or cornmeal, mix it with some water or broth and stir well to prevent lumps, then stir it into the soup). Maintain a steady simmer and cook for 6 to 8 minutes more. When serving, add 4 or 5 white cheese cubes to each bowl of soup. You can also add a dollop of sour cream to each serving (reduced fat sour cream is fine). Serve with tortilla chips and/or grilled corn cakes. 
     
With tortilla chips and a grilled corn cake on the side ... 

WORD HISTORY:
Gringo-This word is related to "Greek" (the word for the people of Greece and their language), a word of shaky origin that was passed to English from its parent language, Old Germanic, which had borrowed it from Latin. While there is no firm evidence as to why the "Hellenes," the previous name for the Greeks, began to be called the "Greeks," the Romans used the term "Graeci" as the word in Latin, seemingly as a borrowing from Greek "Grakoi." The Latin form was passed down to Latin-based Spanish as "griego," which spawned the Spanish word "gringo" (also passed on to Portuguese as such) with the meaning, "speaker of unintelligible words, speaker of gibberish, speaker of such poor Spanish, so as not to be understood;" thus also, "speaker of a foreign tongue." ^ Later in Spanish speaking Mexico, which had lots of contact with Americans, much of the contact being contentious, the word took on the meaning there of "foreigner, an Anglo-American," but often implying that in a less than flattering way. The word seemingly came into more English use during the "U.S.-Mexican War," in 1846-48.    

^ In English we say, "it's all Greek to me" to convey that we don't understand something written or said. This was either developed by Shakespeare for use in the play "Julius Caesar," or it was taken by him from some unknown source, but the saying remains with us to this day. Further, what is now the name for the country of "Wales," and for the people of Wales, the "Welsh," came from the Germanic words for "foreigners, (usually) Celts," and for, "gibberish, foreign (usually Celtic) speech." The Anglo-Saxon conquerors of Britain used their forms of the words (dialects in those times) for the Celtic speaking people of Britain, especially for those who survived the Germanic invasions in Cornwall and Wales.