Reheated Leftovers, 4th Course Quiz

Answer: "sopa de albóndigas"

Albóndigas is the Spanish word for "meatball." The name probably comes from the Arabic "al-bunduq," dropped off in Spain while Muslim people occupied the Iberian Peninsula. In Mexico, albóndigas are normally served in a light broth with various vegetables, called "sopa de albóndigas" meaning "meatball soup."

Answer: "angels on horseback"

Typically served as an hors d'oeuvre, "angels on horseback" are shucked oysters wrapped in bacon and then broiled. If served on toast, they are a canapé. They are not the same thing as "devils on horseback" in which prunes or dates are wrapped in bacon.

A recipe appears in "Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management" (1888). In Ian Fleming's "Doctor No" (1958), James Bond is served dinner at the Crab Key mansion of the villain and angels on horseback is on the menu. The dish is British but popular in the US, as well.

Answer: "prairie oysters"

The testicles of male beef cattle are removed for a variety of reasons: to prevent unwanted breeding, to calm the cattle, and to promote skeletal muscle development. When skinned, coated with flour, salt and pepper, and deep-fried, the result is called prairie oysters, Rocky Mountain oysters, meat balls, "animelles", calf fries, and "huevos de toro." In season 15, episode 12, set in Colorado, the contestants in the American TV series "Top Chef" prepared this dish as their Quickfire Challenge.

Answer: "nasi goreng"

In both the Indonesian and Malay languages, "nasi goreng" means "fried rice." This dish is common to Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, and Sri Lanka. It is also popular in the Netherlands, due to their colonial history. The variety of meats, spices and vegetables which may be included is what makes for so many different versions.

Answer: "crying tiger"

There are many legends to explain the source of the Thai name "sau rong hai" (Crying Tiger Beef). The dish is of marinated and grilled beef brisket served with a potent dipping sauce. One myth was that wild tigers wept at the necessity of killing wild cows in the forest. Another was that the spices in the sauce made even tigers weep. Yet another was that the fat melting off the brisket resembled tears falling into the coals. This dish is popular both as street food and in fine-dining restaurants in Thailand.

Answer: "chawanmushi"

The name "chawanmushi" in Japanese means "tea cup steam" and, when applied to this dish. "steamed in a tea cup." An egg custard is prepared, seasoned with soy sauce, dashi and mirin, to which savoury ingredients are added: shrimp, shiitake mushrooms, or lilly root. Few Japanese dishes are eaten with a spoon; chawanmushi is.

Answer: "colcannon"

On Hallowe'en in Ireland, wise people leave a small dish of colcannon and a spoon at the base of a hawthorn as an offering to the fairies. These fairies, being Irish, have a developed sense of taste for a combination of mashed potatoes and cabbage cooked in butter and milk.

This dish originated as a way to use up leftover potatoes and leftover boiled cabbage. Modernists adulterate the dish by substituting kale; epicures enhance it by adding Irish bacon.

Answer: "bagna cŕuda"

In the north of Italy, in an area called the Piedmont, the dish "bagna cŕuda" evolved in the 16th century. In Italian, the name means "hot dip" and this is precisely how it is prepared and served. A pot of hot oil (sometimes truffled or flavoured with garlic or anchovies) is placed on the table where diners dip in pieces of vegetable and/or bread.

In this sense, it is very much like a fondue. Italian immigrants have carried the dish with them, for example, to Argentina and the American Midwest.

Answer: "sauerbraten"

Sauerbraten is a popular dish in Germany. It is made by marinating a roast of beef, venison or horse in pickling spices for about a week before putting it to the oven. The German word "Sauer" means pickled; the word "Braten" means roast meat. The marinade may be turned into gravy by adding crushed ginger snap cookies and sour cream. This dish is traditionally eaten with potatoes or Spätzle, and beer.

Answer: "Bombay duck"

Bombay duck is neither actually duck nor is it necessarily from Bombay. It is the English name of a fish (Harpadon nehereus) caught in Bombay during the Raj. It remains a popular Indian dish; it is caught in many countries. The dried fish was shipped to England where it became popular.

Its importation was prohibited by the European Commission in the 1990s due to contamination but this has been resolved and the dried fish is now shipped to the UK, Canada, Goa, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.