Why do the English have so many different accents?

Posted on October 31st, 2007 by Sigurdur Nordal.
Categories: Uncategorized.

English developed in England over time as a result of several waves of invaders entering the country. Coming into England from across the North Sea in the fifth century, the Anglo-Saxons were at least the fourth major wave of humans to reach the island of Britain, and the descendants of the previous waves were still there when they arrived to mix with them (Fisher). The Norman conquest of 1066 added to this mix. Geographic pockets of speakers of different languages led first to the development of different languages, including several forms of Gaelic, and then English, spoken with a variety of accents. The social phenomenon of speaking with the accent heard in one’s social class and region allows accents to remain similar over time, despite greater access to travel in modern times.

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How to barbeque spare ribs?

Posted on November 6th, 2006 by Sigurdur Nordal.
Categories: Uncategorized.

There is a great deal of debate over whether it is proper to parboil spare ribs before grilling them (OChef.com).  The general consensus among true barbeque aficionados is that parboiling is neither necessary nor authentic. While thick ribs like country-style ribs require smoking for a very long time to thoroughly cook them and make them tender, this is not required for spare ribs. A good dry rub, however, is an essential part of the barbeque process for spare ribs (Raven).  They should be coated with the dry rub and put in a plastic bag for several hours or overnight in the refrigerator.  This allows the seasoning to soak in.  When ready to grill, the ribs should be placed bone side-down on the grill to start.  Turn several times during cooking.  Depending on the thickness of the ribs, cooking time should be approximately two hours, over medium heat. Some chefs recommend a “mop sauce” as well as a “finishing sauce,” but all that is really required is a good, thick barbeque sauce in which to dip the ribs after they are done.

 

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How to cool pasta in a simple way?

Posted on October 30th, 2006 by Sigurdur Nordal.
Categories: Uncategorized.

Pasta should always be added to briskly boiling, salted water. If cooking long pasta such as spaghetti or vermicelli, grasp a handful of it and plunge it into the boiling water, smashing downward in a circular motion so that the pasta goes in a little at a time.  Stir to separate the individual pasta strands. When it has boiled to the desired consistency, which in Italian is called al dente, the pasta should be immediately drained into a colander and rinsed with cold water. The cold water cools the pasta just enough to stop it from continuing to cook. Put the pasta into the serving bowl and pour a cup of sauce or a tablespoon or two of olive oil into the serving bowl. Toss the pasta the way you would a salad. This is the key to keep it from sticking together (Sidener).

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How old is Iceland ?

Posted on October 29th, 2006 by Sigurdur Nordal.
Categories: Uncategorized.

In geological terms, Iceland is relatively young – about 20 million years (“History of Iceland”). It remained uninhabited for millennia, longer than most other large islands on the planet. A few Norse explorers began discovering the island, independent of one another, around the 9th century. The first permanent settlement was established by a Norwegian chieftain named Ingólfur Arnarson in about 874. In 930, the ruling chiefs established an assembly called the Alþingi. Laws were not written down; there was no written Viking language at that time. Instead, the laws were memorized by a Speaker of the Law, who was elected by the parliament. The Alþingi is believed by some to be the world’s oldest existing parliament.

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What is geothermal heat?

Posted on October 28th, 2006 by Sigurdur Nordal.
Categories: Uncategorized.

 Geothermal heat comes from natural sources on or in the planet. It is heat under the surface that exceeds temperatures found on the surface of the earth. The deeper you go inside the earth, the greater the temperature. Much of the heat is believed to be created by decay of naturally radioactive elements. The term is most often used these days to refer to areas where the heat under the surface rises to the surface in the form of hot water and steam. These are known as geo-thermally active areas.

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Geothermal heat and Iceland

Posted on October 27th, 2006 by Sigurdur Nordal.
Categories: Uncategorized.

Geothermal heat and Iceland Geothermal heat is one of Iceland’s greatest natural resources (Corbin). Iceland uses mainly two sources of energy: geothermal energy and hydro power. Tapping geothermal heat is a very clean and sustainable way to provide energy to the continent. Geothermal heat is mostly used in Iceland to heat fresh water which can be utilized directly for central heating. Reykjavik, Iceland, has the largest district heating system in the world; the system processes geothermal water through its heat exchanger, and then it transfers the heat derived from this process to the city’s clean water that goes to the city’s buildings. Then, the system sends a second heat transfer to provide energy to the building’s heating system. Finally, the geothermal water is sent back to the reservoir to be utilized again. Almost 90% of all the houses in Iceland are heated through geothermal water.

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How to cook halibut?

Posted on October 26th, 2006 by Sigurdur Nordal.
Categories: Uncategorized.

As a non-oily fish, halibut is easy to cook and has a light flavor (Kaimmer).  If you are in a hurry, bake ten minutes per inch of thickness in a hot oven, 400 degrees F.  When you lower the temperature, sauces have more time to interact with the fish.  Lowering the temperature to 325 F. increases the cooking time to one-and-a-half hours. Put the fish in a baking dish, cover about 2/3 with milk, put a small pat of butter on each piece, and bake for 1 1/2 hour at 350 degrees.

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What makes Olympia Greece special?

Posted on October 25th, 2006 by Sigurdur Nordal.
Categories: Uncategorized.

Olympia was the home of the first Olympic Games in 776 B.C.E. The festival was open to only Greek-born men at first; later Roman men were allowed to compete because they had conquered Greece (Hirst). The first modern games were held there in 1896 and were not held again in Greece until 2004. Amid much speculation that Greece could not pull it off, the 2004 games were considered to be a great success.

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Mozart’s symphony number 37.

Posted on October 24th, 2006 by Sigurdur Nordal.
Categories: Uncategorized.

Although the symphony had been attributed to Mozart for many years, Symphony No. 37 it is thought to have been written by Michael Haydn (1737-1806). He was the brother of the more famous composer, Joseph Haydn. Mozart furnished only the slow introduction (Gaddis).

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Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons.

Posted on October 23rd, 2006 by Sigurdur Nordal.
Categories: Uncategorized.

Antonio Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons” (Opus 8 “Il Cimento dell’ Armonia e dell’ Inventione” No.1-4) was one of the earliest examples of “program music.” The original score was printed with four sonnets in Italian which, together with the music, depicted the unfolding of each of the four seasons, with each season divided into three sections of varying tempo: Spring, Allegro/Largo/Allegro in E major; Summer, Allegro non molto/ Adagio e piano - Presto e forte/ Presto in G minor; Autumn, Allegro/Adagio molto/Allegro in F Major; and Winter, Allegro non molto/Largo/Allegro, in F minor (“Antonio Vivaldi”).

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