FOOD TRIVIA: Cocao

Kakaw was the primary word used for cacao beans in Mesoamerica from which the word cacao comes. Cocoa is a misspelling of cacao which appeared in a ship's manifest in the 18th century. This led to the replacement of the original word which is continued to be used in the U.S. and the United Kingdom today.

THINGS I LIKE: Loukoumades

I have liked sweetened fried dough treats all my life. I ate taiglach, a traditional Jewish Chanukah celebration fried dough treat coated in honey, made by my maternal Grandma Amper when I was a child. In my my teen years (and many thereafter) I started eating Italian powdered sugar covered  zeppole at New York's Feast of San Gennaro in Little Italy and many other Italian festivals. I had honey drizzled sopapillas and cinnamon /sugar coated churros at Mexican fiestas and enjoyed powdered sugar coated funnel cakes in the Pennsylvania Dutch country and at the Clermont County fair in Ohio. I loved each of them. Two years ago, my Chiropractor and good friend Kosta Linardakis, who is Greek/American and  is a member of the Board of Directors of his Greek Orthodox Church, Saint George's, invited me to attend his church's Panygyri. A Panygyri is a festival  that Greek churches use as fund raising events where all things Greek  are celebrated - culture, products, song  dance, and to me, most enjoyable of all, the  food where the best dishes best are prepared by the mothers and, especially, the yia yia,s (grandmothers) of the church members. It was there, I had my first taste of loukoumades;  light, airy fried dough-balls  that were drizzled with a sugar water/ honey syrup.They were so wonderful that, as soon as I had finished the first six that came with each purchase, I ordered another and ate them on the spot. Went the next year and did the same thing .They are WONDERFUL and have become my favorite fried dough treat. On New Year's Day, 2015 Kosta appeared at our door offering us a bowl of sweet syrup covered loukoumades, a gift from from him, his wife Maria and  his mother - in - law Faye, who had made them. We were  told us that it is a Greek tradition that you give gifts of Loukoumades to your neighbors on  New Year's day to wish them a "sweet year". In return, they give you a glass of water that you take home, sprinkle it in the sign of the cross and around your  house to bless it for the coming year. WHAT A MARVELOUS WAY TO START A NEW YEAR! A Faye approved recipe for loukoumades follows:




INGREDIENTS
2 lbs flour
1 C lukewarm water
2 C lukewarm milk
0.5 oz. dry yeast
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 tsp salt


vegetable oil for frying


SYRUP
1/2 C honey
cinnamon powder
chopped walnuts or toasted sesame seeds




PREPARATION
Mix water and yeast, stir with a fork and wait 5 minutes until yeast dissolves. Add the3 rest of thye ingredients for the dough and whisk at high speed, until the mixture becomes a smooth batter - about 2 minutes. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let dough rest in a warm place for, at last, six hours. pour enough oil into a medium size pan to deep fry the Loukoumades. Heat oil until it begins to shimmer. test to see if the oil is hot enough by dropping a bit of them dough into the oil. If it sizzles, the oil is ready.Dip a spoon into water and drop spoonsful of the dough into the oil until the surface of the pan is comfortably filled but the dough is still separated. dip the spoon into water each time you pick up some dough to cook so that its doesn't stick to the spoon. While the Loukoumades are frying, use a slotted spoon, to move them around inn the oil so that all sides are cooked to a golden brown. when browned, remove to paper towels to drained and  prepare the next batch. When they are all done, drizzle with the heated honey and sprinkle cinnamon and the chopped nuts or toasted sesame seeds, if using them.

COOKING TIP: Keeping Fried Shrimp Straight

When shrimp are fried, they tend to curl up. To avoid this and to keep them straight when frying, make two 1/4 inch deep incisions on the underside of the shrimp, about two inches apart.

THINGS I LIKE: German Shredded Salads

In my former  scientific career, I had the opportunity to travel to countries around the world for meetings, research presentations and to confer with colleagues. Many of these travels took me to Germany where I found a way that they made a dish that I had never seen before - shredded salad.  Carrots, beets and white radishes were shredded (rather sliced into very thin strips) and were prepared using a  a variety of vinaigrette dressings. Small portions of each  salad were placed  on some lettuce leaves and presented as  totally refreshing and very attractive, three colored salad. I enjoyed them enormously and found three very simple recipes to prepare them, which are presented below. Since every German Chef and home cook seems to have their own recipe for making these salads, what I have given below  is only a basic recipe for each salad. Salads can be made to your own taste by the modification of the amounts of the ingredients listed or addition of other ingredients*.

WHITE RADISH SALAD

 Diakon (Chinese radish) or White Icicle radish, shredded*
1/3 C extra virgin olive oil
1/4  C red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp kosher salt
TT  Freshly ground back pepper

Mix all ingredients, chill and serve alone or as part of a mixed salad plate.

CARROT SALAD

10 oz carrots, shredded*
1/3 C extra virgin olive oil
1/4 C lemon juice
TT salt and freshly ground black pepper

Mix and serve, as above

BEET SALAD 
 Whole beets, fresh, boiled, roasted or canned, shredded
1/3 C rice wine vinegar
1/8 tsp sugar
1/4 C extra virgin olive oil
TT salt and freshly ground black pepper

Mix and serve, as above.

*You can modify any of the the dressings to your own taste by adding sugar or a little honey  if you like your dressing sweeter, various herbs that you enjoy, horseradish for a more spicy salad or by using different acidic ingredients (other citrus juices, different flavored vinegar's, etc)

** To shred vegetables, use any slicing device such as a Mandoline that has attachments to cut vegetables into thin strips.I use a Japanese implement, called a Benriner slicer, which is easy to use for a variety of slicing tasks; cutting paper thin slices or cutting strips of various sizes, etc. They can be found at any good kitchen supply store or on line and are an excellent implement to have available in your kitchen. The largest holes on a box grater can be use in a pinch, also.

THINGS I LIKE: Susan's Pulled Pork

I have always loved almost everything  pork - ham, fresh and cured, bacon, chops, ribs, loin, etc.. The one exception was pulled pork, a  popular sandwich, topped with cole slaw, on a bun. It's a big favorite of my wife Susan, however. Recently, she did some pulled pork recipe research in preparation for a party we're having for our friends visiting from  California. Taking ideas from different recipes she looked up, she came up with her own recipe including the Cuban idea of using citrus juice in the marinade. I tasted what she prepared and now have become a fan of pulled pork; but only the one she makes. Below I share her recipe with you.


Ingredient

8 lb. pork butt

Marinade

1/2 C sugar
1/4 C kosher salt
1 Tbsp. paprika
1 Tbsp. cayenne pepper
2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. celery seed
1/2 tsp. mustard powder
2 C orange juice
5 cloves crushed garlic




Procedure

Day 1:


Score fat cap on meat, place in a lock top plastic bag. Add marinade, squeeze out as much air as possible and seal bag. Place in refrigerator overnight, turning occasionally.




Day 2:


Preheat oven to 275 F.


Remove meat from marinade and place in a pan lined with heavy duty aluminum foil.


Cook 6 - 8 hours until fork tender.


Remove from pan, allow to cool for a few minutes and shred with two forks or, very carefully, with your fingers


Serve on a bun with your favorite BBQ sauce and cole slaw










Line a pan with heavy duty aluminum foil, remove meat from marinade

FOOD HISTORY: Sweetened Fried Dough

 Dough, fried, sweetened and used as food, has been enjoyed for many, many centuries. However, it took two independent, historical events to make this possible. The first was the invention of clay pottery. Before clay pots were invented, cooking was done only by roasting food over hot coals. The second development was the Chinese discovery, in 8000 - 5500 BC, of the stone grinder which allowed grain to be pulverized into a fine flour that could be made into a dough. The dough could be baked or fried in a clay pot filled with oil. In the 2nd century BC, the Roman writer, Cato, described a dish called Scriblita, which consisted of moist dough spooned into hot fat and allowed to steam into random shapes. This may have been the precursor to both fritters and doughnuts. A 15th century cooking book - Harliean manuscript of 1430 - described a yeast batter using egg whites which were run down the fingers of the cook into hot fat where they "set" into tangles. When cooked, they were served sprinkled with sugar. It is believed that the art of deep frying came from China to Japan in the 7th - 8th century. However, cooking oil was very expensive so the only places that served deep - fried food were in Buddist temples. It was only in the 17^th - 18^th centuries, that vegetable oil was produced in enough quantity in Japan to be readily available to all people. It was then that the Portugese, who had been trading with Japan from their colony in Macao since 1549, introduced the method of deep frying food to the Japanese. Tempura, the famous Japanese dish of fried seafood and vegetables was a dish adapted from the early Portugese traders in Japan. Further, in 1878, Portugese workers were solicited in Hawaii. The Portugese always influenced the cuisines of the new countries where they worked, settled or traded. In the case of Hawaii, the Portugese workers brought recipes for their fried dough dish, "Malassadas" with them where they became a standard dish still eaten in Hawaii. (In Hawaii they are spelled with only one "s" - Malasadas ). The same was true when Portugese people settled on the East coast of the United States where "Malassadas", known as "Flippers" in Cape Cod, Massacuchetts, are eaten today. Thus, trade and immigration certainly were one of the means by which the knowledge of recipes for sweetened, fried dough dishes were transported around the world. An additional possibility for the development of these treats  arising  world - wide is that they developed independently in different countries using the taste preferences of each country.  Be that as it may, sweetened fried dough dishes are known, eaten and enjoyed the world over. There are probably few countries that do not have a fried dough dish, plain or filled, sweetened with sugar (sometimes other spices), sugar syrup or honey. Some of the more well -  known ones are: Malassadas; Portugal, Hawaii, east coast of US; Bienets - France; Churros - Spain/Mexico; Fritters - world - wide; Loukoumades - Greece; Zeppole - Italy; Oliebollen - Netherlands; Lokma - Turkey; donuts - US/ world - wide; Bamieh - Iran

FOOD TRIVIA: Louis XIV's Dinner

Think you eat a lot!


Louis XIV (1635 - 1715) was recorded to eat, “four soups, a pheasant, a partridge, a plate of salad, sliced mutton with garlic, two lumps of ham, a plate of pastries, fruits and preserves.” at one sitting.


And this was long before "All You Can Eat" buffets appeared on the scene.

The Foodies' Companion II: My New Book

My new book, "The Foodies' Companion II' is now available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. If anyone would like a signed copy, send a check for $20 (cost plus postage) to Ian Alan Holder at 206 Branch Ave, Red Bank, NJ 07701. Include the name to whom you want it inscribed (please print so I can get it straight) and the name and address of the person to whom it should be mailed. I will send it by post within one day of receiving your order. If you like the book after reading it, I would be most grateful if you would write a review for either Amazon, Barnes and Noble or both. Thanks.

The Foodies' Companion II: My New Book

My new book, "The Foodies' Companion II' is now available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. If anyone would like a signed copy, send a check for $20 (cost plus postage) to Ian Alan Holder at 206 Branch Ave, Red Bank, NJ 07701. Include the name to whom you want it inscribed (please print so I can get it straight) and the name and address of the person to whom it should be mailed. I will send it by post within one day of receiving your order. If you like the book after reading it, I would be most grateful if you would write a review for either Amazon, Barnes and Noble or both. Thanks.

THINGS I LIKE: Meatballs

When I was a teenager, I had two best friends, Kivy Gordon and Bob Roberti. Bob's parents were immigrants from Naples in southern Italy and, while they had been in the US for many years, they still retained some of the "Old Country" traditions. Among them was the, after church, Sunday "dinner"  at about three in the afternoon. The multi - course meal, the main part of which Mrs. Roberti had "simmering" for several hours, consisted of 1) antipasto, a small plate with  Italian salami's, prosciutto, provolone cheese, or similar items, 2) macaroni* (NOT PASTA) covered with the tomato - based  "GRAVY" **  in which  meats (beef chunks, pieces of pork, sausage, brasiole, and meatballs) were cooked, 3)  the  meats cooked in the "GRAVY", as a separate course,  4) some salad or vegetable, eg. broccoli or spinach sauteed in garlic and olive oil and, finally, 5) some biscotti or Italian cookies. Kivy and I were lucky enough to be invited to these "dinners" on numerous occasions. Mr. Roberti's home made wine was served to the adults throughout the meal while the boys had their wine diluted in  half with Coca Cola. They were all memorable meals but for me the best part, the thing I still  remember most, were Mrs. Roberti's meatballs - light, juicy and delicious. Subsequently, I have eaten huge amounts of  meatballs in peoples homes (Italian and non- Italian) and in restaurants but have never had one equal to Mrs. Roberti's. I have researched meatball recipes, extensively, and, finally, using  ideas from several recipes, have come up with one that comes close, but never equals, those from my youth. With that in mind, the recipe follows.
INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 lb ground meat (1/3 each, beef (80/20), veal, pork)
3/4 C fresh bread crumbs (Country White or baguette)
1/2 C fresh whole milk, more if needed
1/4 C fresh parsley, chopped
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 garlic clove, mashed
1/2 C grated Parmesan or Romano cheese***
2 tsp dried oregano
TT salt and freshly ground black pepper

PROCEDURE

Heat oven to 375 F.

Have sauce(gravy) simmering.

Soak bread crumbs in milk until all milk is absorbed. Gently, squeeze milk out of bread, then  mix everything together.. I use my CLEAN, WET hands to get thorough mix. Form into balls the size a golf ball or whatever size you choose.**** Place on baking sheet or other heat proof container and bake for 10 minutes. Drain any fat that has accumulated and add meatballs to whatever sauce (or gravy) with which you are going to serve them Cook until the meatballs are fully cooked;  20 -30 minutes. Serve with sauce/gravy over the pasta (macaroni) ))of your choice

.ENJOY!

* The modern word, "macaroni" derives from the Sicilian (southern Italy) term for kneading dough vigorously since early pasta making was a laborious and long procedure. Perhaps this was why some southern Italians referred to the pasta dish in Sunday dinner as "macaroni" rather than “pasta”

 **In Italian, the word "salsa" translates, in English, to "sauce" as in "Salsa di Marinara" (Italian); Marinara sauce (English). Salsa (sauce) has a light, fresh flavor, frequently using garlic, olive oil and tomato. The word, "sugo" translates to "juice" or “gravy" when meat is cooked in a sauce and their juices blend into the sauce. Gravy takes much longer to cook, has a more dense consistency, is more complex and, frequently contains meat. Thus, the “Sunday Dinner” sauce in which meats were cooked may have been considered, “gravy” not sauce by many southern Italians. An alternate suggestion was that when southern Italians first arrived in the US, they wanted to assimilate and started calling their "sugo" the same thing as other Americans called their meat sauces – gravy.

*** If you are using Romano cheese instead of Parmesan, remember that Romano is more salty than Parmesan so adjust your final salting accordingly.

**** Before forming the meat mixture into balls, take a small portion, flatten it into a patty, fry and taste. By doing this you will know, better, how to adjust the final seasonings before completing the making of the meat mixture into balls.

COOKING TIP: Making Things Using Cream or Milk

In making anything savory with milk or cream, add a small pinch or two of nutmeg - freshly grated is best but dried, ground is OK. This will add an additional layer of flavor to whatever you are preparing.

THINGS I LIKE: Mediterranean Stuffed Eggplant

Those who read my blog know the " THINGS I LIKE" posts present recipes for dishes  that I, personally,  like to prepare and eat. Some recipes I have developed myself while others have been given to me by family members, friends or were from recipes I found in cookbooks, food magazines or on line. In each case where I have presented a recipe not my own, have credited the source of the recipe. The recipe for the following  delicious stuffed eggplant dish came from Cooks.com recipe search, under the heading of "Mediterranean Stuffed Eggplant". Go there to see the original recipe. What I present below, began with that recipe but contains all the "tweaks" that I have added to the original, to make the the dish  mine in terms of the flavor profiles that suit my taste.

INGREDIENTS   (ITALIAN FLAVOR)
2 eggplants, cut in half lengthwise
2 lb ground beef
8 sun dried tomatoes in oil, chopped
1/4 c pine nuts, toasted, coarsely chopped
1 onion, small dice
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 c fresh parsley, chopped
1 Tbsp tomato paste concentrate*
1/2 C ,each,  bread crumbs (I use Panko - Japanese bread crumbs) and Romano or Parmesan cheese.
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
  
Scoop out some of the eggplant from the center of each half and finely dice. Mix all ingredients except crumbs and cheese and mound, evenly, onto the eggplant halves. Mix bread crumbs and cheese and sprinkle over filling.

Place eggplant halves on an oiled sheet pan and bake , uncovered, in a 350 F oven for 1 hour.

Serve as is or with store bought or home made tomato sauce.

(GREEK OR MIDDLE EASTERN FLAVOR)

The  recipe above can be made to reflect Greek or Middle Eastern flavors, as well, with the following
Substitutions:

 Lamb for beef
4 tsp tomato paste* for sun dried tomatoes
omit pine nuts
 1/2 tsp, each, cinnamon. nutmeg, ground cumin and coriander for oregano
1 Tbsp mint for parsley
grated feta cheese for Romano/Parmesan

Prepare and serve. as above.

*Concentrated tomato paste comes in tubes similar to toothpaste.It is very convenient and easyn to use, While many brands are available, I have found the Amore brand to be excellent.

FOOD HISTORY: Port Wine

While grapes have been grown in Portugal over 2000 years ago - the Romans who arrived in Portugal in the 2nd century and remained over 500 years, grew vines and made wine along the Douro river, where Port is made today - wine only became an important export when the Kingdom of Portugal was established in 1143. However, Port wine, as we know it today, occurred much later - in the second half of the 17th Century. In 1386, a close tie was formed between Portugal and England (The Treaty of Windsor) which allowed active trading links between the two countries and many English merchants settled in Portugal. Several became wine makers. In the 1550's, significant amounts of Portugese wines were exported to England in exchange for salted cod. ( bacalhau, in Portugese - where it eventually became the national dish of that country). In 1654, special privileges and preferential customs duties were allowed for the English and Scottish merchants in Portugal to import wool and cotton from England and to export a number of Portugese products, including what was called. "Red Portugal", a light, crisp red Vinho Verde produced in the Menho region of Portugal,  The "Red Portugese" wine was not as popular in England as wines from France. In 1678, however,  England and France were at war and the English fleet blockaded French ports creating a wine shortage in England. In 1703 the English and Portugese signed the Methuen Treaty which, among other things, brought about the trade of English cloth for Portugese wines. The increased demand for Portugese wine, with its potential for higher profits, caused the English wine producers to explore and grow grapes further inland in Portugal. By doing this, they found that wines made from grapes grown in the area of the Douro River, with the town of Oporto at it's mouth, were richer and more palatable. These wines took the name of the city of Oporto, from which they were shipped, becoming known, in Portugese, as "Vinho de Porto", meaning wine from Oporto, and, in English, as Port". However, these wines were not the  fortified, rich, sweet. dessert wines that we know as Port  today. These evolved by accident. The evolution began when a small amounts of brandy were added to the wine as a preservative for shipment.The addition of the brandy stopped the continued  fermentative transformation of the sugars in the wine to alcohol. In 1820, a vintage occurred with a very high sugar content. The addition of brandy to this wine vintage stopped the fermentation process leaving a brandy "fortified" wine higher in sugar content with a semi - sweet taste that was embraced, immediately, by the British. Because of the popularity of this "new" kind of port wine in  England, the expatriate, British wine  makers (and a few others) in Portugal cultivated their wine grapes to contain higher amounts of sugar to continue to make their sweet, brandy - fortified Port wines.  From England, Port found it's way around the world. While "Port" type wines are produced in countries other than Portugal today, the only "true" Port comes from Portugal and many of the world's most famous Port wine houses remain British.

FOOD TRIVIA: Weisswurst

Tradition says that Weisswurst, a white sausage speciality of Munich, Germany served at Octoberfest, should not be allowed to hear the church bell's noon chimes. This is because the sausage is not smoked but made fresh every day. Hence, it is not suitabe for storage and in the summertime would go bad before nightfall.

COOKING TIP: Creamy Viniagrettes

To make any viniagrette into a creamy dressing, add a tablespoon or two of mayonnaise to it and shake vigorously..

THINGS I LIKE: The Foodie's Companion's All Purpose Spice Mixture

I have put together a very simple, basic combination  of dried spices that I use as a general seasoning mixture for many different things; meats, chicken, fish,and even vegetable dishes. While I feel that most everything we cook should be seasoned with salt ( I use kosher) and freshly ground pepper, these are NOT included in my mixture. I believe saltiness is an individual taste preference and some people must avoid salt, altogether. Also, many people do not like pepper in their food although I can't understand why if it is freshly ground, since it  adds an additional depth of flavor to whatever is being cooked. These are the reasons why I avoided the addition of  fixed amounts of these ingredients in my base spice mixture. I do, however, suggest that you season with these two items, to your own taste, in addition to using my spice mixture. Further, you can add other seasonings to my base mixture to give the dish you are preparing the flavor profile you desire, eg, tarragon for fish, oregano and thyme for Greek flavor, cinnamon, cumin and coriander for Middle Eastern dishes, etc.

SPICE MIXTURE*

3 Tbsp, each:
garlic powder
onion powder
1 Tbsp. sweet paprika
1 tsp cayenne powder

You can double, triple, etc. these amounts. The mixture is stable for a long time.

* To use as a rub for ribs:
 Add 2 Tbsp. brown sugar plus 1 tsp chili powder to 2 Tbsp of above mix. Again, you can        double, triple, etc the amounts to give you enough mix  for the quantity of ribs you are cooking. Rub mixture into meat and let "sit", for at least one hour before cooking.

FOOD HISTORY: Nutella

In 1920, Pietro Ferrero was a pastry Chef in the city of Turin in Piedmont, Italy who would watch workers eating cheese, tomatoes and bread for lunch. It would be nice for them, he thought, to be able to eat something sweet on their bread, as well. He knew that in  Piedmont, a chocolate treat made with cocoa and chopped Hazelnuts called Giaduja, was already available. Since Hazelnuts wermmer of 1949. According to one story, in that  hot summer, the loaves in stores melted and the shopkeepers began to sell it as a spread. Another story is that the product melted in a warehouse in Alba and so it had to be scooped into jars, rather that be sold as solid loaves. Whatever the truth of these stories, the idea of a spreadable product was very appealing to Michele.  Therefore,  he worked to alter the formulation to make a more spreadable product which he then called, "Supercrema". However, in 1962 Italy's consumer agency banned superlatives, such as,"Super", "Ultra", etc. from being used in product names. Thus, Michele had to find a new brand name for his spread.  He came up with a name by  merging the English word "nut" for the products  principle ingredient Hazelnuts with the  positive sounding Italian suffix, "ella" and, in 1964, the first jar of  the newly named Nutella appeared. Now, Italians consume at least 60 million jars of Nutella a year, spreading it on bread or just eating it out of the jar. In the 1970's Nutella emigrated from Italy and is  now enjoyed by children, both young and old, around the world.e very abundant in Piedmont, this was one way that was found to use them up. In 1925, Ferrero experimented with and perfected a "pastone" (paste) of chocolate and hazelnuts that he found good to eat with bread.The "pastone" was hardened into loaves,wrapped in foil and sold so it could be sliced, placed on a piece of bread and eaten. He named his new product "Pasta Gianduja"; pasta meaning paste and Gianduja, the name of a carnival character famous in the Piedmont area. While it was eaten by some workmen, its appeal was mostly to children who, in many cases, threw away their bread and only ate the Gianduja. In 1946, just after WW II ended, Pietro Ferrero died and was replaced by his son Michele. The transition of Pasta Gianduja from a solid loaf  to a spreadable product occurred during the su

FOOD TRIVIA: Candy

The word candy comes from the Sanskrit word "Khanda" meaning Lump sugar.

COOKING TIP: Use a Grapefruit Spoon.

Using a Grapefruit spoon, with its serrated edge, makes removing "eyes from pineapples very easy. The spoon can be used to remove seeds from zucchini, summer squash and chile peppers, as well.

THINGS I LIKE: Sweet/Sour Onion Hot Dog Topping

When I was growing up and in Public School 134 in Brooklyn, NY,  sometimes instead of my mother making a sandwich for me to brown bag it, she gave me money to by my favorite lunch, two hot dogs with mustard and sauerkraut from the school's neighborhood Kosher Delicatessen. For the rest of my life, I have loved hot dogs from these kinds of deli's (which, today,  have almost all passed away)  but also from other brick and mortar places such as Nedick's,and  from the many hot dog carts found all over New York City. I especially enjoyed those from Sabrett carts, because of the sweet/sour onion topping they offer to top my hot dog. After reviewing several recipes, I came up with the following one of my own. While it is not exactly the Sabrett onion condiment (their recipe is secret), I think it is a reasonable facsimile but the recipe can stand on it's own, as well. The recipe is given below but you can adjust the ingredients to your own taste for sweetness, saltiness or heat.

INGREDIENTS

1 large onion, thinly sliced into half - moons
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp tomato paste, 2 x concentration*
1/2 C water
 3/4  tsp sugar
2 drops Tabasco sauce **
salt

PROCEDURE;
 Heat olive oil  over medium heat. Add onions, sprinkle with a pinch of  salt and cook, stirring, until soft, but not browned. Make a well in the onions and add tomato paste. Cook tomato paste for a minute or two and add water, sugar and hot sauce. Cook until water is reduced and the onion mixture is thick.Taste and adjust seasonings to your taste. Serve.

Steam, boil or grill hot dogs, put on bun, add mustard, slather on onions and EN JOY!

*  2 x concentrated tomato paste comes in tubes, Good brands are Amore, San Marzano and Cento.

** For more "heat" adjust the amount of Tabasco sauce to your taste. I like Tabasco because it brings a "touch" of  vinegar along with it's heat. However, use whatever hot sauce suits your own palate.

FOOD HISTORY: Pancakes

 Griddlecakes or griddle breads, the antecedent to "pancakes" are an ancient food. While the word
"pancake" appears in print in 1430, griddle cakes/ breads have been around since Neolithic man domesticated einkorn wheat (Farro-an ancient grain), made flour from it, added a birds egg and goats milk to it and cooked it on a heated rock. Ancient "pancakes" differ from modern "pancakes" in that while they approximated "pancakes", they may have been more like fritters made with either  sweet or savory ingredients.The first "pancake" that could be distinguished from older griddlecakes/breads was described by the Roman gourmet, Apicius who recorded recipes, in Latin, using batters of eggs, milk and oil, some with, some without flour, that were either baked in an oven or fried in a pan. These were  served with lemon and pepper or placed in between layers of savory foods in a casserole. However, it wasn't until 1430, that an English culinary manuscript used the name "pancake" to describe this dish. In early Catholic Europe, pancakes had a large place among Easter foods. Shrove*Tuesday, is the day before Ash Wednesday, the beginning of day of Lent, a long period of fasting and of denial of eating certain foods forbidden by the church. These include flour and fat. Pancakes became a means by which people could deplete their supplies of these items which would not hold up for the long duration of the Lenten fast. This tradition remains in in many countries around the world with large Catholic populations. However, during the Protestant Reformation, many Protestant groups rejected Shrove Tuesday as a day of religious significance. Whether Shove Tuesday is considered a religiously important day or not, the tradition of eating pancakes on the day before Lent begins, continues in many countries; only what the day is called differs. It is "Pancake Day" in the UK, Australia and New Zealand and "Pancake Tuesday" in Ireland and Scotland. In Brazil and the US it is called "Mardi Gras" (Fat Tuesday), "Carnavale" in Italy, "Fasnacht" in Germany and "Apocreas" in Greece. Australians use the name "Mardi Gras" as well as "Pancake Day". The religious aspects of pancakes associated with Christian tradition aside, sweet and savory pancakes are enjoyed everywhere. How pancakes "traveled" around the world is unknown but they are a delicious food eaten  everywhere,  differing only in their shape and ingredients. The French have their crepes; Germans their potato pancakes. In Hungary there are palasinta, blinis in Russia, trid in Morocco, pannekoeken in Holland, jeon in Korea, taginetes in Greece and bao bung in China. In colonial American there were cornmeal Indian cakes and in 19th century America, people ate flapjacks. From the American flapjack, drenched in butter and drowned in maple syrup to the Russian blini served with caviar and sour cream to the Chinese pancakes served with Peking Duck, pancakes are prepared, worldwide, and served and enjoyed regardless of religious belief.




*Shrove comes from the word, "shrive" which means "to confess". The day before Lent was a time for confession in the early church, so, that one was was clean and forgiven before Lent started.