The language of food

 

I have a few European friends who travel to South Florida to enjoy our tropical climate, our laid back attitude and our exceptional pickleball communities. We welcome them one and all. My Hungarian friends invited us to a small dinner party at their condo. Hildi fixed an excellent feast of Hungarian chicken stew, called Csirkeporkoplt, which was delicious but don’t ask me to try to pronounce that word.

I plan to invite her and her husband over for a nice European meal that she will recognize. Swedish meatballs with potato dumplings on the side. Potato dumplings are called gnocchi in Italy, kroppkakor in Sweden, and shlishkes in Hungary. Where I grew up they were called fried leftover mashed potatoes. Deep fried with egg mixed in and rolled with flour. To make it more authentically Swedish I will serve lingonberry jam on the side.

The more you learn about food and cuisine the more you appreciate what brings us together.

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  1. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    Southern Pessimist: Potato dumplings are called gnocchi in Italy, kroppkakor in Sweden, and shlishkes in Hungary.

    What about Klingon?

     

    • #1
  2. Southern Pessimist Member
    Southern Pessimist
    @SouthernPessimist

    That show came on long after I watched any network TV but I guess I must have missed out on some good stuff.

    • #2
  3. Southern Pessimist Member
    Southern Pessimist
    @SouthernPessimist

    I think I quit watching sit-coms after Mash went off the air but I do remember enjoying random episodes of Welcome back Kotter, Taxi and Cheers. Has TV improved?

    • #3
  4. Southern Pessimist Member
    Southern Pessimist
    @SouthernPessimist

    The clip you showed was funny and appropriate as it pertains to foreign languages and I think it is from one of the longest running comedy series which has evolved through different iterations but I have never watched it. Maybe I should but probably not.

    • #4
  5. Southern Pessimist Member
    Southern Pessimist
    @SouthernPessimist

    Two or three years ago, I had a friend visiting me who suffered a significant laceration while we were out fishing. I took him to the doc-in-a-box near me and while he was in the back waiting to be sutured I had to watch three episodes of The Office. I never figured out what that show was about or why it was on the air. As it turned out, I should have insisted on being in the back to watch the doctor clean and suture his wound. He developed a major wound infection because the doc was too lazy or uninformed to adequately debris the wound. 

    • #5
  6. Southern Pessimist Member
    Southern Pessimist
    @SouthernPessimist

    I guess I have highjacked my own conversation. The language of food seemed interesting when I started this.

    • #6
  7. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    Southern Pessimist (View Comment):

    That show came on long after I watched any network TV but I guess I must have missed out on some good stuff.

    Pretty sure it’s available through Paramount+ which has all the CBS shows.  Definitely worth seeing, but start from the beginning.

    • #7
  8. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    Southern Pessimist (View Comment):

    I think I quit watching sit-coms after Mash went off the air but I do remember enjoying random episodes of Welcome back Kotter, Taxi and Cheers. Has TV improved?

    It has its moments.  Sadly, many of the best shows I caught, only went one season.

    • #8
  9. John H. Member
    John H.
    @JohnH

    Southern Pessimist:

    The more you learn about food and cuisine the more you appreciate what brings us together.

    Not to hijack your OP, but should that begin with “In spite of what…” or “Because of what…”? 

    I speak as someone who not only has eaten a lot of rice and beans, but can attest that the Brazilian for rice and beans translates literally as “rice and beans.”

    • #9
  10. Arahant Member
    Arahant
    @Arahant

    Southern Pessimist (View Comment):
    Has TV improved?

    No.

    • #10
  11. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    Southern Pessimist (View Comment):

    Two or three years ago, I had a friend visiting me who suffered a significant laceration while we were out fishing. I took him to the doc-in-a-box near me and while he was in the back waiting to be sutured I had to watch three episodes of The Office. I never figured out what that show was about or why it was on the air.

    British original version, or US rip-off?  I didn’t care for either of them, but I’m told the Brit version was supposed to be good.  Same thing apparently happened with “Coupling” and probably other shows too.  It may be that if you saw it all along, you’d enjoy it all.  Maybe so, but I don’t think I would enjoy it enough to justify that.  Big Bang Theory is not quite that way, I think.

     

    As it turned out, I should have insisted on being in the back to watch the doctor clean and suture his wound. He developed a major wound infection because the doc was too lazy or uninformed to adequately debris the wound.

    Debride.

    • #11
  12. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    Oh, there’s also Babylon 5.  You should definitely see that.  And start with the actual first episode/pilot, “The Gathering.”  Despite its title, “In The Beginning” is NOT the start.  It’s a kind of recap catch-up thing from when it went to TNT for season 5.

    • #12
  13. Arahant Member
    Arahant
    @Arahant

    Southern Pessimist (View Comment):
    As it turned out, I should have insisted on being in the back to watch the doctor clean and suture his wound.

    Definitely a better use of your time.

    • #13
  14. MikeMcCarthy Coolidge
    MikeMcCarthy
    @MikeMcCarthy

    Leftover fried mashed potatoes… Great British food!

    • #14
  15. Percival Thatcher
    Percival
    @Percival

    Arahant (View Comment):

    Southern Pessimist (View Comment):
    Has TV improved?

    No.

    “Reality” TV makes “Gilligan’s Island” look like David Mamet.

    In order for reality TV to be tolerable, someone has to get arrested. The criminal being sought, preferably, but if not then the showrunner will do.

    • #15
  16. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    Percival (View Comment):

    Arahant (View Comment):

    Southern Pessimist (View Comment):
    Has TV improved?

    No.

    “Reality” TV makes “Gilligan’s Island” look like David Mamet.

    In order for reality TV to be tolerable, someone has to get arrested. The criminal being sought, preferably, but if not then the showrunner will do.

    I’ve never seen any “reality” TV.  Nor “realty” TV for that matter.  House Flippers, etc.

    • #16
  17. She Member
    She
    @She

    Percival (View Comment):

    Arahant (View Comment):

    Southern Pessimist (View Comment):
    Has TV improved?

    No.

    “Reality” TV makes “Gilligan’s Island” look like David Mamet.

    In order for reality TV to be tolerable, someone has to get arrested. The criminal being sought, preferably, but if not then the showrunner will do.

    As I always say, “if it was reality, it wouldn’t be on television.”

    • #17
  18. Doctor Robert Member
    Doctor Robert
    @DoctorRobert

    Southern Pessimist (View Comment):

    Two or three years ago, I had a friend visiting me who suffered a significant laceration while we were out fishing. I took him to the doc-in-a-box near me and while he was in the back waiting to be sutured I had to watch three episodes of The Office. I never figured out what that show was about or why it was on the air. As it turned out, I should have insisted on being in the back to watch the doctor clean and suture his wound. He developed a major wound infection because the doc was too lazy or uninformed to adequately debris the wound.

    Pessimist, that’s a cheap shot.  Some wounds get infected.

     But you are right about “The Office”.  I’ve never understood what people see in that show.

    • #18
  19. Arahant Member
    Arahant
    @Arahant

    Doctor Robert (View Comment):
    Pessimist, that’s a cheap shot.  Some wounds get infected.

    Pessimist is also a physician.

    • #19
  20. Doctor Robert Member
    Doctor Robert
    @DoctorRobert

    Arahant (View Comment):

    Doctor Robert (View Comment):
    Pessimist, that’s a cheap shot. Some wounds get infected.

    Pessimist is also a physician.

    Yes, I know.

    • #20
  21. Scott Wilmot Member
    Scott Wilmot
    @ScottWilmot

    Way back in 1983 we (Esso Exploration) went into China to drill for oil in the South China Sea. We lived and worked out of Guangzhou. I would always get a good laugh at how they translated the dishes on the menu into English. My two favorites were Chicken with tumor (instead of turmeric) and Hand-choked chicken (I’ll leave that for your imagination).

    • #21
  22. AMD Texas Coolidge
    AMD Texas
    @DarinJohnson

    MikeMcCarthy (View Comment):

    Leftover fried mashed potatoes… Great British food!

    Mom called those potato pancakes in my house in North Texas. 

    • #22
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