Ragout

Today’s Word of the Day is “Ragout.”

 

Ragu sauce
Mmm-mmm good!

ragout  (or commercially, “Ragu”)

 

 

noun

ra·​gout | \ ra-ˈgü

Definition of ragout

 

1 : well-seasoned meat and vegetables cooked in a thick sauce

Used in a sentence:

 

“I have been assured by a very knowing American of my acquaintance in London, that a young healthy child well nursed is at least a year old a most delicious, nourishing, and wholesome food, whether stewed, roasted, baked, or boiled; and I make no doubt that it will equally serve in a fricassee or a ragout . . .”

 

        — Jonathan Swift, A Modest Proposal, which is subtitled:
“FOR PREVENTING THE CHILDREN OF POOR PEOPLE IN IRELAND FROM BEING A BURDEN TO THEIR PARENTS OR COUNTRY, AND FOR MAKING THEM BENEFICIAL TO THE PUBLIC”

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Did You Know?

 

 

If you need an English word that can refer to either a combination of food items or a random assortment of things, there’s no shortage of options on the menu.  If you’re in the mood for a stew, there’s hodgepodge (formerly “hotchpotch”), olla podrida, or gallimaufry.  Perhaps you’d rather start with a palate cleanser, like macédoine or salmagundi.  We also have gumbo or jambalaya, if Southern cooking is more your thing, or smorgasbord if you prefer words of Swedish descent.  Then there’s ragout, which comes from French ragoûter, meaning “to revive the taste,” and ultimately from Latin gustus, meaning “taste.”

 

**** Disclaimer ****

 

No children, Irish or otherwise, were harmed in the production of today’s post.

 

Penzy's Spices - for Ragu!
Punctuation. Is.  Everything.

 

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