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Stop calling Shakespearean English “Old English!” It’s not.

Banner for page on the difference between Old English and Early Modern English.

It’s early Modern English. Like my mother, it annoys me when people add a “thee” or a “thou” and think they are speaking Old English. Nope. Not.

The Old English period (450-1100s) is followed by Middle English (1150–1500), Early Modern English (1500–1650) and finally Modern English (after 1650), and in Scotland Early Scots (before 1450), Middle Scots (c. 1450–1700) and Modern Scots (after 1700).

Now, of course, there is no specific year in which everyone got together and said, “Hey! It’s 1183, let’s stop sounding like Barbarians and switch to Middle English!”

There was evolution, overlap, and pockets of older speech remained in isolated areas. Some of those pockets died out, some caught up with the dominant language, and some evolved into their own separate languages.

We do have examples of text which have been carried across the years to us, and have preserved the changes. one familiar example is The Lord’s Prayer.

There are many versions of The Lord’s Prayer in each era, but these will give an idea of the changes the English language has seen in the past 2000 years.

The Lord’s Prayer in Old English
Fæder ure
þu þe eart on heofonum,
si þin nama gehalgod.
Tobecume þin rice.
Gewurþe ðin willa on eorðan swa swa on heofonum.
Urne gedæghwamlican hlaf syle us todæg.
And forgyf us ure gyltas swa swa we forgyfað urum gyltendum.
And ne gelæd þu us on costnunge,
ac alys us of yfele.  Soþlice. 

The Lord’s Prayer in Middle English
Oure fadir that art in heuenes,
halewid be thi name ;
thi kyngdoom come to ;
by thi wille don in erthe as in heuene :
Ʒyue to vs this dai oure breed ouer othir substaunce ;
and forƷyue to vs oure dettis,
as we forƷyuen to oure dettouris ;
and lede vs not in to temptacioun,
but delyuere vs fro yuel.
Amen

The Lord’s Prayer in Early Modern English (the version I grew up with)
Our father which art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come, 
Thy will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
As we forgive our trespassors.
Lead us not into temptation.
But deliver us from evil.

The Lord’s Prayer in Present-Day English
Our Father in heaven, may your name be honored,
May your kingdom come,
May your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven. 
Give us our sustenance for today,
And forgive us our wrongs,
as we ourselves have forgiven our wrongdoers.
And do not lead us into doing wrong,
But deliver us from that which would lead us into wrong.

Now, if you, like me, want to give a FLAVOR of “Olden Tymes” to your speech, for cosplay, Renfaire, SCA, or what have you, then have fun with “speaking forsoothly!” Such speech be not of ein specific era, but rather an amalgamation drawn from thine own well of archaic speechcraft and presented from the mouth of thine character!

What does Old English sound like? Listen to this!

See the whole poem in Old English and Modern English by clicking this link.

This is what Old English writing looks like. This is a page from the Old English Hexateuch, depicting Miriam and the daughters of Zion playing harps to celebrate victory over Pharaoh (England, 11th century): Cotton MS Claudius B IV, f. 92v

Many Old English foods are still prepared today. If you enjoy meatballs or rissoles, you are carrying on the tradition. In a time when meat tended to be quite “toothy,” due to most of it being free range or game, mincing it up fine to cook made it more tender, juicy, and allowed an assortment of vegetables and various scrapings from previous meals to be incorporated. Here is a basic method for rissole.

Rissole

  • meat
  • parsley
  • onion
  • garlic
  • vegetables
  • eggs
  • milk
  • breadcrumbs
  • gravy

Mince everything fine and blend all except the gravy, one egg, milk, and breadcrumbs together well. Of course, if you have LOTS of breadcrumbs, you can use some to stretch the meat mix. Make balls of the mix and then flatten them a bit. Mix together one of the eggs with some milk. Soak the flattened meatballs in the mix, then remove and roll in the breadcrumbs. Fry in hot oil until browned. If you will serve them dry with the gravy over, then continue to cook through. If they will be simmered in the gravy, do so as soon as they are browned so that they finish cooking in the gravy, lest they overcook and toughen.

Be that as it may, here is a lovely page from the British Museum on how to create a medieval English feast.

Do you like our header image? Learn more about the Web Gallery of Art at this link.

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Visit to Hainan

I recently returned from Wenchang, Hainan. The trip was to attend the Galaxy Forum to discuss Lunar development and space exploration.

We stayed at the Wyndham Grand Wenchang, which is not where Google Maps says it is, but rather just seaward of Qinglan Harbor. I very much enjoyed watching the fishing board going in and out each morning, and seeing the fishing nets on their poles in the water. Swimming in the bay is not recommended as the current is deceptive – much faster than it appears from land. You can tell by the difference in the engine sound as the boats run out or in with the current.

Image from Google Maps

Only two months before we arrived, a devastating typhoon had hit the island. It was amazing how resilient and strong the people of Hainan are. With help from the central government the power and communications grids were up and stable within two weeks of the devastation. Our hotel had hosted many of the electrical and telecommunications engineers and other workers who had come to help rebuild.

By the time our conference arrived, the hotel was in full operation, giving us a warm and gracious welcome and providing all the support we needed.

Farms that had been flattened had cleared small plots and were growing vegetables, the shrimp farms were coming back into operation, and the famous Hainan chickens were in the buffet line.

Chickens in the buffet line at the Wyndham Grand Wenchang. Photo by DL Yuen

Hainan chickens are more flavorful than most of what we find in American supermarkets. They spend more time outside scratching and eating fresh greens and bugs, scratching and running, so the meat has more “tooth,” is more firm, without being dry. The breed of chicken is more lean and slower growing, which means they take longer to raise to market, but they are certainly worth the wait!

The famous Hainan Chicken Rice is a classic Hainanese dish. Probably the easiest way to learn how to prepare it properly is with this video from Woks of Life.

We took a tour out to see the launch facility. Yes, Hainan is home to top-notch rochet launch sites! While out, we had afternoon tea. We were told the dishes were classic Hainan tea fare, but that we were getting a full day selection all in one sitting! Many of the goodies are usually served at breakfast, though they all certainly can be enjoyed throughout the day.

Afternoon tea in Hainan. No, you wouldn’t normally eat all of this at one sitting, but they wanted to show us favorite Hainanese goodies. Photo by DL Yuen

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Butter Chicken

by D. Leilehua Yuen

Apparently, there is a Great Butter Chicken Controversy complete with lawsuits and everything!

The grandsons of the two men who founded Moti Mahal, possibly the first restaurant where Indian butter chicken was served, are in a battle over which grandpa created the popular dish. The suit has been filed with a 2,752-page-long document. Story and recipe at this NPR page.

Geraldine’s Murgh Makhanii (Butter Chicken)

Ingredients

  • 1 stewing hen
  • 2 medium-sized onions, peeled and coarsely chopped
  • 1 bulb garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
  • Fresh ginger, about thumb sized, peeled and coarsely chopped
  • 1 stick cinnamon, about 3 inches, broken into smaller pieces
  • Seeds from 6 green cardamom pods
  • 8 whole cloves
  • 1/2 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
  • 2 bay leaves, about as long as your finger, crumbled
  • Dried kashmiri (or other favorite) peppers, crumbled, to taste (if you are not used to spicy food, start with one)
  • 6 tablespoons sunflower or other vegetable oil
  • 16 ounces (2 cups) tomato sauce
  • 1 stick salted butter

Preparation

Remove then skin from the chicken, cut the bird into pieces, and bone it. (Save the bones for broth.) You can place the skin in a pan on the lowest possible setting and render it to add the oil to the dish. (The crispy skin is delicious lightly sprinkled with a little garlic salt!) Cut the meat into approximately 2″ cubes Pat dry and put aside.

In your blender, combine the onions, garlic, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, peppercorns, bay, kashmiri peppers, and a tablespoon of water. Blend, adding water a little at a time, until the mix forms a smooth paste.

Heat the oil in a deep skillet, like a chicken frier. When very hot, add the chicken pieces and brown them quickly. You’ll want to add a few pieces at a time, brown, remove, and repeat to get them done properly. Add too many at a time and the steam will prevent proper browning.

When all the chicken is browned, turn heat to medium and add the spices paste. Cook the paste rather as you would a roux for about 5 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pot well to keep it from burning. Add the rendered chicken fat and half of the stick of butter. When it is well blended, add the tomato sauce, and water to just a touch thinner than desired consistency. Bring to a boil. As soon as it boils, turn the heat very low and simmer for 30 minutes. Stir often.

Add the chicken pieces and their juices to the sauce, bring it back to a boil, cover and simmer over very low heat for 30 minutes or so, until the chicken is tender but not falling apart. Stir gently every so often to prevent burning.

Cut thin pats off the remaining butter – as many as people who will be dining.

To serve, scoop hot jasmine rice into soup plates. Top the rice with the a pat of butter each. Scoop the butter chicken over the rice.

Cardamom powder and pods
Image – Wikipedia

I learned a rather different version of butter chicken when I was traveling in Indonesia in the 1980s. My partner of the time, Rodrick, and I were somewhere in the hills and valleys above Ubud. I was hungry, and he was wanting to do rather more extreme hiking than I enjoyed, so I availed myself of a likely looking restaurant which had a chalkboard sign advertising butter chicken. I was settled into a comfy chair at a small table and ordered. About two hours later my chicken arrived with an apology. The boy who kills the chickens had gone home and they had to go fetch him before they could cook my lunch. It was a lovely setting, the chicken was delicious (and good exercise for my jaws!), and my correspondence was all caught up.

Here is the recipe, as best as I have been able to re-create it:

Leilehua’s Indonesian Village Restaurant Butter Chicken

  • 1 Stewing hen
  • chili pepper
  • salt
  • 1 pound salted butter

Skin the hen and render the skin in a deep skillet or chicken frier. It needs to have a heavy lit. You can put the butter in to melt along with it.

Cut the hen into frying pieces. Grind the chili pepper and salt together into a coarse blend. Roll the chicken parts in it.

Bring the temperature of the butter up and add the chicken. Be careful of splatters! When the chicken is golden and stops foaming, reduce heat as low as possible and add the heavy lid. Keep a good eye on it so the butter does not foam and boil over! Cook until tender.

Serve on rice. They did not present any side dishes. I didn’t know at the time that I was supposed to order them. And the chicken normally would have been served to four people or so. With the side dishes.

Keep the butter in the fridge to use in other dishes.

While we did not go to see a gamelon concert (we were traveling on a very minimal budget), we did have the privilege of listening to them in the evenings. I enjoyed very much listening to the sound as it drifted to us though the trees.

Looking for Christmas gifts? Books are always a great choice!

Frontier Sourdough by Geraldine Duncann
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Advent – Preparing for Christmas

Wreath of conifer greenery and red and purple berries. Four candles, the left, top, and bottom candle are lavender in color, and the right hand one is pink. the left candle is lit.

The word “advent,” in modern English, means the arrival of a notable person, thing, or event. In the Christian liturgical calendar it is the four week season leading up to Christmas. Each of the four Sundays in Advent is celebrated.

While we do not know when Advent first was celebrated, some scholars believe that when the birth of the Christ (Christ Mass) was tied to the celebrations around the winter solstice, it was instituted as a counterpoint to Lent. Lent is the season of preparation for the death of The Christ, so it made sense to create a season of preparation for the birth.

The first recorded evidence of Advent is found in the records of the. Council of Saragossa when church leaders in Hispania met to codify questions of the church, and encouraged people to attend services daily for 21 days starting in mid-December.  The council, however, was not committed to any specific date for Advent, only suggesting people attend church daily between December 17 and 29.

In the late fifth century Bishop Perpetuus directed that starting with the St. Martin’s Day on 11 November until Christmas, one fasts three times per week. The practice was adopted for the Diocese of Tours at the 581  Council of Macon. From there it spread through the Frankish Empire. Over the next century the season grew to four weeks and fasting began to wane, though under Charlemagne in the Ninth Century it seems to have been practiced.

In the 13th Century, the fast was more generally observed from the Feast of St. Andrew (30 November) to Christmas Day. In the 14th Century there was no consistency, with observance ranging from a few day to six weeks before Christmas, with fasting or abstinence observed. As each branch of the Christian faith expanded, it took Advent its own direction, with a slow evolution and little or no codification. The Roman Catholic Church codified practice at the Second Vatican Council in the 1960s.

Today, there are many ways to celebrate Advent. Here, I share the traditions I learned from Geraldine.

One of the traditional Advent activities is creating a wreath with four or five candles. The candles represent the light of the Christ illuminating the world.

  • First Sunday: Hope
  • Second Sunday: Love
  • Third Sunday: Joy
  • Fourth Sunday: Peace
  • Christmas Day: The Christ

Traditionally, Hope, Joy, and Love candles are purple. Peace is pink. The Christ candle is white. But some people use all white candles. My Nana used all red. My mother, Geraldine (the founder of this website) used red or white, depending on what was on sale.

The appropriate candle is lit each Sunday evening. Our wreath was on the dining table, and the candles were lit before asking the blessing on the food.

At the bottom of this post you will find a video showing one way to make an Advent wreath, and a video of traditional Advent music.

Following is a list of First Sunday in Advent dates:

  • 2024 – December 1
  • 2025 – November 30
  • 2026 – November 29
  • 2027 – November 28
  • 2028 – December 3
  • 2029 – December 2
  • 2030 – December 1
  • 2031 – November 30
  • 2032 – November 28
  • 2033 – November 27
  • 2034 – December 3

Four feasts and a solemnity also are observed during Advent.

Not part of the usual calendar, on November 28, the Anglican and Episcopal churches celebrate the Feast of the Holy Sovereigns, honoring King Kamehameha IV of Hawaiʻi and Queen Emma.

Following is a demonstration of making an Advent wreath. Even though there is plenty of water, NEVER leave the candles unattended when lit!

Geraldine loved to sing, and Advent was filled with her voice. I think she knew every Advent hymn written since 1400!

Books are a great holiday gift!

Your purchase of my books helps to keep this website on-line!

Pōhaku Makamae, a pastiche of The Blue Carbuncle, the only cannon Sherlock Holmes Christmas story, includes holiday recipes!

Enjoy my pastiche series featuring Kamaka Holmes and Fevronia Watkins!
Read GoodReads reviews here!

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Casual Racism in Icebreakers

Two rows of three fish, each cleaned and folded in half. They have blue-silver backs and white-silver bellies.

Editorial by Leilehua Yuen

This post was inspired by a recent discussion of casual racism in icebreakers. Most of the people I work with have had to deal with corporate get-togethers and company team-building events. Icebreakers are a common form of bonding used in these scenarios, and food is a popular topic for icebreaker questions. So, I thought it would be a perfect topic for this blog.

It is common to ask about what each person eats. This can become a delightful exchange of familial and cultural traditions and enhance group cohesion, or it can create an exclusionary racist environment. Unfortunately, far too often it devolves into the latter, with the majority being asked, “What do YOU eat,” and, say, a Hawaiian being asked, “And what do HAWAIIANS eat?”

What? As a Native Hawaiian I speak for the dietary preferences of all Hawaiians? Let me have the same respect for my individuality as you give the rest of the people in the group.

How would you like it if I said, “Kanani, what do you like to eat for breakfast?” “Mei Li, what do you like to eat?” “Jin Huei, what do you like to eat?” “Fred, what do Americans eat?”

The questions used by the group moderator will set the tone, and so should be chosen with care. Always focus on the individual and connection, rather than exclusion. Shun stereotypes.

It is hurtful when a question is framed one way for the majority of the students, and differently for minority students, who often are POC. When they are required to answer a question which is different from that of their majority group peers, it identifies them as outside the group. It demonstrates that the group does not consider them individuals, but as an interchangeable units in a stereotype of their presumed culture. This is hurtful and demeaning.

How the moderator responds to the answers also is important. When replying to the answer, never, ever call another person’s foods “strange,” “odd,” “weird,” or by any other demeaning terms. Every culture has food preferences that are strange to other cultures. But in most cultures, people are taught to be polite and not announce that they think the food of other people is disgusting.

Please be sure to phrase your questions with care, and to be inclusive.

Some suggested questions:

  • “What is your favorite food memory from childhood? Since becoming an adult?”
  • “When you are away from home, what food do you most miss? Why?”
  • “What is your favorite comfort food? Why?”
  • “What is your favorite meal to prepare? Why?”
  • “If you were a fruit or vegetable, which would you be? Why?”
  • “Do you post meals to social media? Why?”
  • “Do you have a signature dish you take to potlucks or prepare for friends? What is it? How did you learn it? Would you share the recipe?”
  • “Do you prefer to cook or eat out? Why?”

As you can see, all of these questions are inclusive and allow the answerer latitude in answering so the group can learn more about each individual.

Before asking the first question, you may wish to preface the exercise with something like the following:

“Everyone has their own favorite foods, and what we enjoy is based on all of our previous experiences growing up, eating with family and friends, and what has been available to us. The fact that we are gathered here means that the food we ate gave us the strength and energy to come this far on each of our journeys. Let’s share a little about the amazing gifts of this planet that literally made us into the people we are today.”

Resources

Racial Microaggressions and the Asian-American Experience

Unmasking ‘racial micro aggressions’

Food & Microaggressions

Be Gentle With Your Asian Friends, Microaggressions Hurt Us Too

Culinary Racial Micro-Aggressions

Verbal jiujitsu, disarming and other tips for dealing with microaggressions

Microaggressions are a big deal: How to talk them out and when to walk away

Shifting mediates gendered racial microaggressions and perceived racism among Asian American women

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About Santa. . .

Vintage Santa Claus in the snow with holly illustrating a post on how to explain Santa to kids

I grew up in a household that believed in Santa.

My late mother would pretend to whimper if anyone so much as suggested the slightest possibility that there might not be a Santa Claus. This she did well into my 50s.

But, at the same time, I did not have a specific belief in a jolly fat man in a red suit.

My mother used to love to tell this story about my own adamantine belief in Santa Claus / Sinterklaas / Father Christmas / et al.

Saint Nickolas

One day in December, during Show and Tell at Chabot Elementary School in Oakland, California, one of my schoolmates announced that there was no such person as Santa. I took umbrage at this blasphemy, but was informed by my teacher that my schoolmate was correct. Biting my words and biding my time, I waited for recess. I slipped out the school gates and ran all the way home. I sneaked into the house (one could climb on the garage roof and enter through the kitchen window) and went to the library (it was one of those lovely old Victorian Berkeley homes with lots of rooms for every purpose), extracted from the encyclopedia the volume containing Saint Nicholas, and ran back to school.

As the school was 1.7 miles from home I missed some class time, causing no small consternation among the staff, but managed to return in time to blend in with the students returning from lunch break to the classrooms.

As soon as we all were settled back at our desks, I marched up to the front of the room, encyclopedia volume in hand, and proceeded to read from the article on St. Nicholas. I then repeated what my mother had taught me.

Jaroslav Čermák (1831 – 1878) – Sv. Mikuláš

“Saint Nicholas was from the country we now call Turkey. He died a long time ago, but he was a good man who cared about children and other people. It made him sad when people did not have enough to eat or to take care of themselves, and he knew how important it is to get something special every once in a while. So, while he was alive he did his best to take care of people and never expected anything in return.

“People who believed the way he did started to copy him. Gradually even people who lived far away were copying him. Even after he died, people continued to copy his practice of giving gifts to others without expecting anything in return.

“As time went on, even people far, far away in different countries started copying him. Since the people in different countries speak different languages, they said his name in different ways. That’s why we have so many different names for him today. And since people in different countries dress differently and have different customs, that’s why he looks different in all the different pictures. Nobody knows what he really looks like except that he was a Greek man who was born in what is now Turkey.

“But it doesn’t matter, because the important thing is the lesson he taught about giving without expecting anything back.

“We all can keep the spirit of Saint Nicholas alive by copying him. Any time we do something nice for someone just to make them happy we become Santa Claus. , And getting to be part of making someone happy is the best present we can give to ourselves.”

I don’t really remember this, but my mother swore it was true. I do know that for some reason most of my teachers were surprisingly indulgent toward me, and allowed me to get away with things no one else could.

Remember, books make wonderful gifts!

Looking for a Christmas mystery? The Blue Carbuncle is the only canon Sherlock Holmes mystery set at Christmas time. If you would like a Hawaiian take on it, I invite you to read my pastiche, Ka Pōhaku Makamae.

Book cover for Pōhaku Makamae, a Kamaka Holmes mystery based on the Sherlock Holmes story of the Blue Carbuncle.
Join Kamaka Holmes, Fevronia Watkins, and Yuen Pak Lan as they solve murders and mysteries in the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi

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In Hawaiʻi, Every Day is Poke Day!

illustration of poke

by Leilehua Yuen

I was so excited to see our beloved poke (pronounced POH-keh) being recognized internationally with its own holiday on 28 September, and then soooo disappointed when I read the article. As it turns out, there is a website that, for $5000, will create a holiday for your industry and promote it.

Sadly, that site is promoting a bunch of misinformation. No, in Hawaiʻi, we do not call poke a “chop.” And no, we did not make poke part of Hawaiian culture “in the spirit of aloha.” And the dish was not specifically made as a snack with which to greet guests. It’s a yummy meal we make for ourselves, and also might share with guests.

“Poke” translates to English as to cut something crossways into pieces, or to press something out, as in pressing ʻopihi out of its shell or to press the gut-sack out of an ʻopihi. It also can be a bite-sized piece of something.

Despite the claims of certain websites, poke was eaten in Hawaiʻi long before the 1970s. Much like the term “lūʻau” (leaf of the taro plant, an important food at Hawaiian meals) in the 18th century was used as slang for an ʻaha ʻāina and eventually came into common use, so “poke” as the name of the dish probably originated as a slang term, since the fish is cut crosswise into bite-sized pieces to make the dish. No one really knows when it came into common use, but my late mother claimed to be familiar with it in the 1950s.

“O ka ino ke kumu i nele ai o Ulakoheo i ka ia i keia mau la. Aohe ohuohu pono o na papakaukau, o ke kamano no kahi ia ano mahuahua iki i keia mau la, aka, oia no ke kamaaina o ka makeke. Ua ike iho makou i ke kamano maikai loa ma kahi o McCandless ma, Ma kanela ma, ke kuai liilii ia nei no hoi, nunui no ka poke o ka hapawalu me ke ko, ki, palaoa, a me na mea ai maikai e ae no hoi, a he makepono loa ke kumukuai, aka, na oukou no nae e hele e ike maka no oukou iho.“

Nupepa Kuokoa, Buke 5, Helu 11, 17 Malaki 1866

The article says that despite the storms making it hard to catch fish, there is plenty of salmon poke (pieces) available at McCandless Store for an inexpensive price.

Dishes related to poke are iʻa maka (raw fish), iʻa lomi (massaged fish), and iʻa palu (fermented fish).

Lomilomi salmon became popular in the whaling era when Hawaiian people would use the imported salt salmon (mentioned in the above newspaper article), rinse out the salt, cut it up, and lomilomi (massage) it with limu (seaweed), tomato, and onion. It remains a popular dish.

Honolulu Magazine has an article interviewing Sam Choy about poke in which he discusses a little history of this iconic Hawaiian dish.

Here is Geraldine’s favorite poke recipe. It’s from the 1950s, when she was married to my father. Notice that unlike more traditional versions, there is no limu (seaweed). That is because at the time it was impossible to get limu kohu, līpoa, wāwaeʻiole, ʻakiʻaki, or even ogo seaweeds in Oakland, California, where they lived. But, being desperate for flavors from home, she and my father came up with this recipe.

For more about poke, visit Kau Kau Kitchen.

Poke

by Geraldine Duncann

Serves 6 to 8

Poke, like lomilomi salmon and sashimi, is raw fish.  It should be make with sushi or sashimi grade fresh, fresh, fresh fish. My mother used ahi (yellowfin tuna, Thunnus albacares), which unfortunately is very expensive.  This recipe calls for a pound of tuna.  This is a recipe about which you do not have to be precise.  Add what you like in what proportions you like.  You can only afford half a pound, fine; add a bit less of the other ingredients as well.  You’re feeding a gang, great; add more.

  • 1 pound fresh, fresh, fresh sashimi-grade ahi
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons dark soy sauce
  • 1 or 2 green onions, finely chopped, including the greens
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil, or to taste
  • 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root, or to taste
  • 1 or 2 small hot chilies, seeded and minced very finely, or to taste
  • 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds *
  • 1 teaspoon roasted and finely chopped kukui nuts
    (if kukui is not available, substitute macadamia nuts)
  • Hawaiian salt or rock salt to taste
     
  • Bok choy
  • Ice

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.  to serve, shred Bok choy finely, like cabbage for coleslaw and line a serving dish with it.  Pile the chilled poke onto it.  Place the serving dish on another dish filled with cracked ice.  Serve with chopsticks.  This is usually considered a “pūpū,” or appetizer.

* To toast sesame seeds, place them in a small dry skillet over medium heat and stirring frequently, toast for 2 to 3 minutes or until golden brown.  Watch closely as they burn easily.

Poke Bowl

A poke bowl is a wonderful example of Hawaiʻi fusion cuisine. It takes the Japanese concept of chirashizushi, literally “scattered sushi” and pairs it with Hawaiian poke. A poke bowl is simply a bowl of sushi rice topped with poke. That’s it. Youʻre welcome.

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Haymakers’ Harvest Beef

Image illustrating hay harvest in England 19th Century

A recipe from Shipton-under-Wichwood, Oxfordshire, England

Image: Farmers Haymaking With Horse And Cart, Wilson Hepple (1854-1937)

by Geraldine Duncan

Serves 4 to 6

This old time recipe is typical of the fare gracing the table at harvest time. Haymaking was heavy and hard work, producing prodigious appetites, particularly when you consider that the harvesters worked from sunup to after sunset. It was essential to get the hay in before the rains came. This hearty dish could be left on the back of the stove to cook, leaving overworked hands free to prepare breads, pies, cakes and other item needed for the harvest-time table.

  • 1 beef roast (3 to 4 pounds if boneless, 4 ½ to 5 pounds, bone in)
  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme
  • 2 tablespoons dry mustard powder
  • 2 tablespoons salt
  • 1 tablespoon fresh coarse ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 tablespoons paprika
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • 3 or 4 strips of bacon, diced, or about a cup of diced bacon scraps
  • 1 or 2 large yellow onions, diced
  • 1 or 2 carrots, diced
  • 1 stalk of celery, diced
  • 2 cups Home Made beef broth (or 1, 14 ½ ounce can of commercial)
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce   
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tablespoon pickling spice
  • 2 carrots, cut into half-inch pieces
  • 1 parsnip, peeled and cut into half-inch pieces
  • 2 to 3 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into one inch chunks
  • 10 to 12 small boiling onions, peeled
  • About ½ pound of small button mushrooms
  • Salt and fresh, coarse ground black pepper to taste
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

Pre-heat the oven to 325°. Mix the thyme, mustard, salt, pepper, nutmeg, cinnamon, paprika, sugar, and flour together and rub into all sides of the beef, massaging it well to work it into the meat. Leave sit for at least an hour. In a large heavy ovenproof dish with a tight fitting lid, gently sauté the bacon over a moderate heat until it releases most of its fat. Do not allow to become crisp. Add the diced onions, carrots, and celery and gently sauté until evenly coated with the bacon fat and soft but not browned, two to three minutes. Remove from the pot with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Place the beef in the pot, turn the heat up and sear, (brown) the meat on all sides. Return the sautéed vegetables to the pot. Pour in the broth and add the bay leaves. Put the pickling spice in a large tea ball or tie them in a square of cheesecloth and add to the pot. Cut a circle of brown paper from a grocery bag that is about an inch larger than the opening of the pot. Rub it with oil on both sides and lay on top of the pot, pushing the edges down so that they do not hang over the edge of the pot. Cover with a tight fitting lid and place in the oven. Leave undisturbed two and one-half to three hours. Remove the lid and paper and test for doneness. The meat should be fork tender. Place the carrots, parsnip, potatoes, boiling onions and mushrooms around the meat, return the lid and cook for another thirty minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Remove the meat and vegetables to a serving plate. Skim off as much fat as possible from the pan juices. Taste and adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper. Stir in the parsley and serve in a separate dish to be spooned over each serving.

In the northern hemisphere, the full moon nearest the Autumn Equinox, usually around September twenty first, rises earlier than it does the rest of the year. This fortunate occurrence made it possible for the harvesters to work late into the night, therefore making the race against the rains a bit easier; and so it was called “The Harvest Moon.”
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Making Stock, Broth or Bouillon

illustration of tofu and long rice in chicken broth

by Geraldine Duncann

Almost all soups, and in fact many other dishes are far better if made with stock instead of water. Stock, be it meat, bird, fish or vegetable is an easy thing to make. No recipe is really needed. Most kitchens in earlier days kept a pot on the back of the stove into which went all meat and vegetable scraps and trimmings. Covered with water, this was kept simmering through the day and provided a ready supply of tasty liquid to be used as the base for soups, stews, sauces and even just dished up as a soup on its own. The meat, fish and bird may be the trimmings of fresh meats or the bones and scraps of already cooked meats.

A warning; although it is feasible to combine the trimmings of meat and poultry, fish and seafood should be kept on their own. I also never add beets in any form. They taste fine but they turn the entire pot an unpleasant color. Onion skins on the other hand, help brighten the color of the pot to a wonderful gold. The following recipe is just a guideline. You should feel free to use whatever ingredients you happen to have at hand. If you have access to an ethnic market you will be able to find things appropriate for making stock than you are likely to in the standard supermarket chain.

Things that make excellent stock are:

  • Chicken giblets, backs, necks, and feet
  • Ox tail
  • Breast of lamb
  • Lamb shanks
  • Pigs feet
  • Other meat bones available at the market (If you are using large meat bones have the butcher cut them up for you)

Appropriate things for making fish stock are:

  • Any fish scraps, bones and skins
  • Fish heads when available
  • Shrimp and prawn shells
  • Crab shells

Basic Stock

Makes about four quarts

  • Approximately two pounds or more of meat, poultry or fish trimmings and bones (these may be raw or cooked)
  • 2 to 3 onions, coarsely chopped
  • 6 to 8 cloves of garlic, squashed
  • 2 stalks of celery, coarsely chopped
  • 2 or 3 carrots, coarsely chopped
  • 1 leek, if available, coarsely chopped and well washed
  • 1 parsnip, coarsely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon of mixed dry herbs, or sprigs of favorite fresh herbs
  • 1 or 2 bay leaves
  • 6 quarts of water

Method 1:

Put all ingredients into a pot large enough to hold them comfortably, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer, cover and continue to simmer for one and one-half to two hours or until you have a tasty liquid. Strain and allow to cool. Then skim off the fat that has risen to the top and discard. Store the stock in the refrigerator or freezer.

Method 2:

Although the above method is easy and perfectly adequate, you will get more bang for your buck if you do the following:

Put two to three tablespoons of olive oil into a large, heavy pot and add all the meat, poultry or fish. Cook over a medium heat, stirring frequently to prevent scorching until all is well caramelized (a rich brown but not singed) on all sides. Add the herbs and chopped vegetables and continue to cook until the vegetables are soft and somewhat browned. Then add the water, bring to a boil. Boil for two to three minutes, then reduce heat to maintain a simmer, cover and cook for one and one-half to two hours. Strain and cool. When cool, skim off any fat that has risen to the top and store.

Stocks will keep for about a week in the refrigerator and for several months in the freezer. I often pour stock into ice cube trays, freeze and then store these little flavor cubes in zip-lock bags to use when I want just a bit of stock to add flavor to a dish. 

If you are going to want a clear broth to serve or to use in an aspic, you will need to clarify it.

Clarify Stock, Broth or Bouillon

Salt:  It is best not to add salt to your stock pot. If you do use salt, add it to the dish you are making, not the stock.

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To Clarify Stock, Broth or Bouillon

image showing clarified broth

by Geraldine Duncann

On occasion you may wish to have a stock that is crystal clear and sparkling. This is useful if you are going to serve a clear broth or use the broth to make aspic. The process is not difficult.

1.  Strain the broth, stock or bouillon through clean, soft muslin or several layers of cheese cloth.

2.  Allow the broth to become completely cold.

3.  Remove as much fat as possible.

4.  Beat and egg and whisk into the cold stock.

5.  Return the stock to the stove and over a very low heat, allow the stock to heat.  Do not allow to even simmer.  As the stock heats the egg will congeal and float to the top, bring with it any particulate matter.  Allow to cool again.

6.  Very gently, pour the stock through cheese cloth or muslin.  The stock will now be quite clear.

7.  If your stock had a lot of particulate matter in it you may need to do the process again to achieve a crystal clear stock.