|
Q:
Where did the terms "hash browns"
and "home fries" come from?
(Mike
R., Torrance, CA)
A: Hash
as a verb (1657) meant "to hack,
chop," from the French words "hacher"
and "hache" for axe.
Originally the full name was 'hashed
browned potatoes'. They are cooked
potatoes chopped up. The name was
gradually shortened to 'hash brown
potatoes' (1945, H.L. Mencken), and
finally around 1970 the most common
name had become simply 'hash
browns.'
Home fries or home fried potatoes is
merely meant that the potatoes were
chopped or diced like at home not
shredded more finely as in hash
browns. Also called cottage fries or
cottage fried potatoes.
...........................................................................................................................................
Q: Is
there Corn in Corned Beef?
(Cindy G., Paramount,
CA)
A: No,
the term “corned” is coarse salt
used in the pickling process. Corn
originally meant grain, as in a
small particle of something, and
referred to the corns of salt. The
early process was to stick corns of
salt in the beef same way stick
cloves are stuck into ham for
cooking.
Famous Corned Beef sandwiches: the
Reuben Sandwich which is served hot
but in Philadelphia is it served
cold and called the Corned Beef
Special
The Irish favorite was Cabbage and
Irish Bacon but New York Irish
immigrants couldn't find Irish
Bacon. Their Jewish neighbors
introduced them to corned beef … and
voila!… Corned Beef and Cabbage was
born.
In Canada the fav is Smoked Corned
Beef. In the UK, “bully beef”
is corned beef commonly found in the
canned form, and served "loose"
at a counter is sliced from canned
meat. Also known as salt beef.
In Denmark corned beef is
alternatively known as either
saltkød ("cured meat") or sprængt
oksebryst ("lightly salted beef
brisket").
...........................................................................................................................................
Q:
"What kind of bait do you use to
catch Gefilte Fish?"
A:
Gefilte Fish, a dish best known for
its appearance at Passover Seders,
is a traditional Jewish food
consisting of white fish, ground and
formed into balls complemented by
the use of horseradish.
Obviously that leads to the next
question...
...........................................................................................................................................
Q: "Why
is it called Horseradish?"
A:
The name "horseradish" is thought to
have come from an English adaptation
of its German name for the plant, "meerrettich"
(meaning "sea radish". it grew wild
in European coast line). The German
word meer (sea) sounds like "mare"
in English. Perhaps "mareradish"
became horseradish."
...........................................................................................................................................
Q: "What
is a knish?"
A:
The knish, created in Eastern
European, was dough wrapped around
potatoes (Not your Atkins diet type
product). It is baked, never fried.
Today it was filled with vegetables
or meat as well as potato.
...........................................................................................................................................
Q: "What part of the cow is pastrami made from?"
A: Pastrami is made from corned beef which has been smoked or dry cured giving it its distinctive flavor.
|
