Arrowroot is a starch obtained from the rhizomes (rootstock) of several tropical plants, traditionally Maranta arundinacea, but also Florida arrowroot from Zamia integrifolia, and tapioca from cassava (Manihot esculenta), which is often labeled arrowroot.  Polynesian arrowroot or pia (Tacca leontopetaloides), from Palawan-Philippines arrowroot ("uraro/araro"), Guyana arrowroot (Dioscorea alata), Japanese arrowroot (Pueraria lobata), also called kudzu, and purple arrowroot Canna indica, are used in similar ways.  Archaeological studies in the Americas show evidence of arrowroot cultivation as early as 7,000 years ago.  The name may come from aru-aru (meal of meals) in the language of the Caribbean Arawak people, for whom the plant was a staple.  It has also been suggested that the name comes from arrowroot's use in treating poison-arrow wounds, as it draws out the poison when applied to the site of the injury.  In the early days of carbonless copy paper, arrowroot, because of its fine grain-size, was a widely used ingredient.  After an economical way of centrifugally separating wheat flour was devised, arrowroot lost its role in papermaking.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arrowroot#:~:text=Arrowroot%20is%20a%20starch%20obtained,which%20is%20often%20labeled%20arrowroot.    

Arrowroot can be consumed in the form of biscuits, puddings, jellies, cakes, hot sauces, and also with beef tea, milk or veal broth.  Kudzu arrowroot (Pueraria lobata) is used in noodles in Korean and Vietnamese cuisine.  In the Victorian era it was used, boiled with a little flavouring added, as an easily digestible food for children and people with dietary restrictions.  In Burma, arrowroot tubers, which are called artarlut, are boiled or steamed and eaten with salt and oil.  Arrowroot makes clear, shimmering fruit gels and prevents ice crystals from forming in homemade ice cream.  It can also be used as a thickener for acidic foods, such as East Asian sweet and sour sauce.  It is used in cooking to produce a clear, thickened sauce, such as a fruit sauce.  It will not make the sauce go cloudy, like cornstarch, flour, or other starchy thickening agents would.  The lack of gluten in arrowroot flour makes it useful as a replacement for wheat flour for those with a gluten intolerance.  It is, however, relatively high in carbohydrates and low in protein (approximately 7.7%) and does not provide a complete substitute for wheat flour in bread-making. 

Arrowroot thickens at a lower temperature than flour or cornstarch, is not weakened by acidic ingredients, has a more neutral taste, and is not affected by freezing.  It does not mix well with dairy, forming a slimy mixture.  It is recommended that arrowroot be mixed with a cool liquid before adding to a hot fluid.  The mixture should be heated only until the mixture thickens and removed immediately to prevent the mixture from thinning.  Overheating tends to break down arrowroot's thickening property.  Two teaspoons of arrowroot can be substituted for one tablespoon of cornstarch, or one teaspoon of arrowroot for one tablespoon of wheat flour.  The English pub game of shove ha'penny, involving sliding a coin across a graduated slate board, traditionally uses arrowroot powder as a lubricating medium.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arrowroot#:~:text=Arrowroot%20is%20a%20starch%20obtained,which%20is%20often%20labeled%20arrowroot.    

BRICS is an intergovernmental organization consisting of ten countries—Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates.  It is considered to be a counterpart and alternative to the G7 bloc of the world's largest economies and combined represent nearly half of the world's population.  The term 'BRIC' was originally identified to highlight investment opportunities.  The multipolar grouping evolved diplomatically, geopolitically and geoeconomically, with their governments meeting annually at formal summits and coordinating multilateral policies since the founding countries of Brazil, Russia, India, and China held the first leaders summit in Russia in 2009 under the name BRIC.  Relations among BRICS are conducted mainly based on non-interference, equality, and mutual benefit.   In April 2010, South Africa attended the 2nd BRIC summit, making its first appearance as a guest.  The nation was added as a member and the organization was officially renamed BRICS in September 2010.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BRICS    

Here is my favorite chili recipe:

1. Go to Costco

2. Buy a carton of chili

3. Return home

4. Heat and enjoy!

Thank you, Muse reader!    

“Groundhog” is the common vernacular name of the ground squirrel formally known as Marmota Monax.  This animal also goes by other names; the terms “woodchuck,” “marmot,” “land beaver,” “whistler,” and even “whistle-pig” all refer to the same creature.  Whatever the name, there’s a strong belief that this little burrowing mammal predicts the weather, and a specific connection to the second day of February.  This Groundhog Day tradition is celebrated in many places in the United States and Canada, with an emphasis on tongue-in-cheek humor and ceremonious proclamations.  It is best known among people whose ancestors spoke German, especially the Pennsylvania Dutch.  If you like the folklore of holidays, you may be interested to know that Groundhog Day is related to two of the other holidays:  Halloween and Mayday.  In his 2003 book Groundhog Day, folklorist Don Yoder traces the roots of Groundhog Day to the same cycle of pre-Christian festivals that gave us those two celebrations.  In astronomical terms, these holidays were the cross-quarter days, those days that fall midway between a solstice and an equinox.  These festivals were apparently celebrated throughout Europe by the various tribes we now refer to as Celts.  https://blogs.loc.gov/folklife/2022/02/groundhog-day-ancient-origins-of-a-modern-celebration/  

Punxsutawney Phil has spoken:  Six more weeks of winter await us.  For the 139th time, Punxsutawney Phil took his stance on winter weather from Gobbler's Knob in Pennsylvania.  https://www.wtae.com/article/groundhog-day-2025-punxsutawney-phil/63589318   

James Augustine Aloysius Joyce (2 February 1882–13 January 1941) was an Irish novelist, poet and literary critic.  He contributed to the modernist avant-garde movement and is regarded as one of the most influential and important writers of the 20th century.  Joyce's novel Ulysses (1922) is a landmark in which the episodes of Homer's Odyssey are paralleled in a variety of literary styles, particularly stream of consciousness.  Other well-known works are the short-story collection Dubliners (1914), and the novels A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man (1916) and Finnegans Wake (1939).  His other writings include three books of poetry, a play, letters, and occasional journalism.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Joyce    

http://librariansmuse.blogspot.com  Issue 2902  February 3, 2025