Thursday, November 13, 2014

In a pickle?

Ever been in a pickle of a situation? If you have been, or are presently, in a pickle, you find yourself in a difficult position, or have a problem to which no easy answer can be found. The ‘in difficulty’ meaning of the expression alludes to the idea of being as mixed up as the pickled cucumbers packed in the jar! Or it's like having ordered a chip bar-be-que sandwich only upon taking that first bite to discover the cook left off the dill pickle! You have left the restaurant, eating on the run so to speak with no place to get an immediate pickle. Now, that is the pickle of being in a pickle! Of course, the literal meaning of in a pickle does not really reference the edible pickles except when the day of celebration is a pickle of a day. So, remain cool as a cucumber!

November 14 is...

The pickle...what a great accompaniment to so many dishes! Whether on the side or included as an ingredient, just the right amount of pickle can make all the difference or simply just the pickle itself, whole, speared, or sliced and served on the side. Gherkin, Dill, Lime, Bread-and-Butter, Branston, Cornishon, Hungarian, Polish, Danish or Swedish, in brine or vinegar, these fermented morsels are so much more than mere hors d’oeuvres. Where did this little gem of crispy green crunch get its first dunking...in brine, that is?

Pickles take their name from the Dutch word 'pekel', meaning 'something piquant', and originally referred to a spiced, salted vinegar or 'brine' used as a preservative. Pickles began to be a popular food some 4,000 years ago. In 2030 B.C., cucumbers were imported from India to the Tigris Valley. Cleopatra is said to have attributed her looks and youth to the green treats, and Napoleon is said to have been fed pickles to his armies for health benefits.

This Pickle Day try something different. Venture outside the pickle jar and do something way out of the ordinary.