The Language of Food

 One of the most fun aspects of food is not eating it - surprisingly - but finding out its' origins. Where did the word barbecu ecome ffrom? Or something as ordinary as Romaine lettuce? Now there's a new book that explains allthat and it's a tasty read.

Regular contributor Kim Severson wrote about this in yesterday's New York Times Food section.The book is Romaine Wasn't Built In A Day (Voracious Press 2023) by medieval scholar and English professor Judith Tschann. This is not just the book for foodies but for word lovers too. It's chock full of interesting nuggets about food and food related words. Who would have thought that seersucker which comes from the Hindi word sirisakar whic derives from a Persian word meaning milk and sugar. The smooth stripes are the milk while the bumpy ones are the sugar.  Our popular barbecue comes from the Caribbean Arawak word barbacoa for roasted meat on a spit.You know that Caesar salad is named after Caesar Cardini, anItalian chef who moved to Tijuana. and create this fantastic salad for the 1920's movie stars. Yet did you also know that Romaine lettuce originated from the medieval French laitue romaine, which arrived with the popes coming ot the then seat of the Church, Avignon. France.  Although some words like avocado have spicier origins, ahucatl coming fromthe Nahuatl word from the Aztecs which was slang for testicles.

There are tons of delicious morsels. like this in the book. "Language is amusing,"said the book's author ."It has a playfulness to it and so does food." Yet some words have a weighted history like the word  recipe. It derives from the Latin verb recipere to receive or take. IN Western medieval and early modern manuscripts it was used to instruct people to take medical prescriptions. The  abbreviation Rx is a remnant of that. Another interesting fact is that the English language as a habit of sucking up foreign words and then making them its' own. Take relish for example. Again another word coming from Old French relaisser which means to release. The idea is that it releases flavor according to Dr. Tschann. Then there is mushroom which comes from the old Anglo-French word musherum and the central French word moisseron. We have the Yemeni port city of MUkha to thank for the word mocha. Their coffee originally had a chocolate-y flavor  that we now used for a mix blend of chocolate and coffee. Surprisingly place names like Chicago are  aasociated with food. the name cones from the  word leek in the Miami Illinois language while Topeka means the palce for digging potatoes in the Dakota language.

Romaine Wasn't Built In A Day is the perfect book for food and word lovers. It's a tasty look into our word salad of cooking terms. Buy it for a good read.

The Savory Side Of Apples

There will be apple recipes galore now that it's autumn. This luscious fruit can be used in sweet dishes  and desserts, but try something different. Apples can be a great savory dish as well.

The Germans have long used apples in savory dishes, mostly pork ones. One of the most flavorful and favorites is pork with apple laced sauerkraut. The shredded cabbage is mixed and cooked with  sliced apple, brown sugar and caraway seeds. The best kind for this is Braeburn or Red Delicious but you could use a Granny Smith for some zing. Ladle this over the chops and bake for about forty-five minutes until the meat is no longer pink inside. You can also stuff pork chops with the fruit as well.Mix the Granny Smith slices with pecans and mustard along with coarsely crushed Ritz crackers. You can add raisins too, if you' like. The chops should be split open and then stuffed. It only takes thirty minutes to cook at 145 degrees F.Surprisingly chicken and duck can also be stuffed with apples.Use the small Cortland apples shredded and blended with breadcrumbs, butter and corn flour. You can also try the apples with celery and raisins. It doesn't matter if you keep the peel on or not. Apple stuffed duck is another treat. Combine Macintosh apples with ginger along with maple syrup and onions for a zingy stuffing that goes well with the mellow meat.

Apples can also star in sides too. Golden Delicious ones can be used in a tasty slaw along with red cabbage Dijon mustard and caraway seeds, Apple cider vinegar and olive oil are the base for the dressing. Combine two different kinds of apple such as the sweet Red Delicious and the tart Granny Smith for a tangy side salad. Another idea is relish, a perfect side for roasted ham. It's combining four tart apples with apricots with sugar and vinegar,Orange peel and almonds are also thrown in for color and crunch.Even mashed potatoes can be zinged up with a sliced  Macintosh Empire or, Spartan  Shallots and butter are added so that the dish doesn't turn too dessert-ish. This would be a great side with any pork loin or roast ham. Apples can also be combined with mashed turnips too. For a fun holiday side tries mashed sweet potatoes with  apples. Cinnamon and nutmeg give it a warm, spicy flavor. This is the perfect accompaniment for any Thanksgiving or Christmas turkey instead of the usual marshmallow laden yam dish.For a smoother texture try applesauce instead.Applesauce can also be made savory by the addition of thyme garlic and cider.

Apples are just as good in savory dishes as they are in sweet. Use them as stuffing or in a slaw. Combine them with cabbage or apples. They make for a delicious ingredient in any main meal.

Relish This

Relish has been overlooked for so long not many people know about it.It doesn't have the pizzazz of its fellow condiments mustard and ketchup.However that's all changing.Soon it may be just the thing for hot dogs and hamburgers This was the subject of an article in yesterday's New York Times Dining section.The piece ,written by Steve Kurutz,tells about the rebirth of this much overlooked condiment. Relish is basically misshapen cucumbers that were too ugly to make it to pickles.They are chopped up and put into a vinegary brine and the fermented into relish.Unfortunately it is not that popular(except in England where it is loved and cherished).Most stores usually put relish on the bottom shelves. Relish is coming into it's own. Relish is becoming artisanal thanks to companies like McClure's Pickles where it's more of a salad.It has a fresh ,vinegary flavor as opposed to the usual sweetness associated with relishes.NewYork's famed Shake Shack chain makes a corn relish as well as one with dill.There are now relishes made with cranv Berries and red peppers.There is also a chow chow style one that has a tomato based one full of onions,cabbages, celery and bell peppers This would be good not only with the usual hot dogs and hamburgers but grilled chicken or steak. Relish may not have the oomph of mustard and ketchup.However that may all change.It may be the go to topping for everything from chicken kabobs to hamburgers and hot dogs. It will be the right accompaniment to anything ,given the chance