[Editor Preamble] Now, in our last substack entitled “Who’s afraid of herbs?” Colleen got off to a great start trying to reassure or readers that fresh herbs don’t have to be some great kitchen responsibility to undertake if you’ve gotten a handle on a few basic facts and techniques; she even spent the time to make some really helpful graphics for storing fresh herbs short term and drying them long term. So then, it became clear there were so many more facts and tidbits about herbs she wants to highlight in this substack series because she’s so excited about all these wonderful garden or market treasures AND, let’s be honest, she loves nothing better than reading and sharing a really good cookbook or recipe. Please enjoy! [JMC]
Recently, while I was sitting at Remedy Cafe chatting with one of my book club gals, I was telling her about one of the new cookbooks that I’m in love with called “A Whisper of Cardamom" by Eleanor Ford. My friend said something that made me think though, she said, “Well, I like getting cookbooks, but then I’m always stressed because I feel like I have to make something from the cookbook.” She then asked me if that’s what I do, make all the recipes from the cookbook? I could have thought to myself, “Don’t be afraid of cookbooks! They’re so much more than just recipes!” but instead I let out a small giggle and told her my dirty little secret - I typically don’t make recipes from the cookbooks that I get. Shut the front door!
Cookbooks. Aren’t they for … ummm… cooking though?! Ok, maybe you’re sitting there shaking your head and wondering what the heck I do with them? Plus, if you’ve actually been to my Tasting Room [Editor: You mean the Tasteatorium? JMC] and have witnessed how many cookbooks I have, now you’re really scratching your head. For me, they’re not just about the design details, beautiful aesthetics, and all those pretty extras that make the books so divine to sit with and page through and just appreciate. It’s also that Lifelong Learning is a core value of mine and I learn so much by going through cookbooks page by page and enjoying the personal stories; looking through the recipes to see how they have put ingredients together; noting interesting facts and techniques and of course, enjoying all the pictures. It doesn’t mean I necessarily have to make everything or even anything from a cookbook, but I do look at it from the point of view of understanding somebody else who takes food seriously and then they put their thoughts together in the most beautiful way possible, which is their cookbook.
I’ve learned so much about herbs from cookbooks that I want to share! Today (because as we hinted in our “Who’s afraid of herbs?” article there was no way that we could do just one little article about herbs) is dedicated to the dynamic duo, the power couple that often gets paired together even though they are separate and distinct: parsley and cilantro.
But First, a Fun Factoid: Hey remember when I did a teaser about the song, Scarborough Fair and you sang it to yourself? hahaha Almost everybody recognizes that song by Simon and Garfunkel, but did you know it is based off an English ballad dating back to Medieval times (the real times, not the ones featured in Cable Guy!)? McGill university has a great article on “The Mystique of Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme” where they state, “Some historians claim that these specific herbs were mentioned both because of their medicinal properties and the mystical belief at the time that herbs had the ability to influence emotions. Parsley, for example, was thought to remove bitter feelings in the same way it eliminated bad odours.” If only life were that easy, LOL!
First up: PARSLEY, Did you know it’s part of the carrot family? You probably guessed that by the leaves looking so similar. It’s been around for 2000 years and was a medicine before being a food. It has vitamins A, C, and K as well as antioxidants like flavonoids and carotenoids. Did you know it’s actually a biennial plant, so it flowers in its second year of growth?
Italy: Let’s talk Gremolata. Gremolata is a traditional Italian garnish for meats or roasted veg combining parsley, lemon zest, garlic, and mint. Gremolata is great on top of meat, roasted veg (my personal favourite is on potatoes), and for the those pesky Italians, their osso buco must have gremolata - they love tradition!
France: Parsley is also an essential part of the Bouquet Garni gang along with thyme and a bay leaf. It’s a staple in French cooking and is typically tied with twine or wrapped in a cheesecloth or in some traditions a leek leaf (which provides extra flavour) so it can be easily removed once cooking is complete.
Middle east: It’s funny and weird that for a long time in North America, parsley was relegated to being a decoration on a plate in restaurants but many Middle Eastern countries knew how amazing it was to use it as an actual main ingredient. Considered an essential ingredient in dishes such as tabbouleh and fattoush - our reader Cheryl-Ann can attest to those being some of her favourite salads to eat, we totally agree! (We think an interview with her would be fun, what do you say Cheryl-Ann?)
Argentina, Uruguay and South America: The popular green garnish for meat that can vary by country or region but still is always based on parsley is chimichurri. It can also serve as a marinade or dipping sauce. (which we’ll give an easy recipe for later).
EVERYWHERE ELSE: Who doesn’t love some parsley in their egg salad or potato salad? Or nearly anything coming out of a kitchen that needs a little color and snap!
Next up: CILANTRO
Cilantro is actually part of the carrot family, too! Something I didn’t know!
It’s been around for 8000 years!! It’s widely used in many Latin American cuisines (and is known as Mexican Parsley in Mexico), as well as Caribbean, and Asian cuisines. Too many to start naming countries! Just don’t forget, you can use the whole thing - even the stems. They add a great crunch to any dish. We also should mention the genetic basis for cilantro taste perception differences among individuals. Jason can fill us in… [Jason] You’ve probably heard that some people have a “gene” that makes cilantro taste like soap, but did you know that the cilantro perception involves olfactory receptor genes so it affects the nose; this leads me to ask, Can you just plug your nose if your cilantro tastes funny? The mango/gene connection I mentioned last time was a bit of a myth, although one variety of mango does taste like turpentine unless it’s perfectly ripe - yuck! JMC
Personally, sometimes I just crave these 2 herbs and funnily enough there may be a good reason for that! Parsley and cilantro are also known as chelators or detoxifiers! Not only great for heavy metal detox and chelation but also as anti-inflammatory and high in antioxidants. [Jason Again] Detox? Well, sigh. There’s only one real study showing that Chinese parsley aka Cilantro has a suppressive effect on lead toxicity in mice BUT uhhh, the bad news is they used gastric intubation to give them literal tubes of the stuff rammed down their throats into their poor tummies! Yeesh. I’d say concentrate on the high levels of vitamin A (well, RAE or Retinol Activity Equivalents) and vitamin K and all the benefits these may confer to your immune system and liver and kidneys. Especially now, Post-Covid nonsense, that everybody’s immune system should be their top priority! JMC
Now, on to some fun stuff!! Like what are some good tips and where can we find recipes or restaurants that use Parsley and Cilantro? Also, how do we use these herbs in creating great recipes and using a lot of them to get all the great properties we’ve highlighted? Read on dear friends!
[Tips and tricks]
Herb-based sauces:
Make chimichurri sauce with parsley as a base for meats or vegetables.
Prepare cilantro chutney for Indian dishes or as a dip.
Soups and stews:
Add a handful of chopped parsley or cilantro to soups just before serving for a nutrient and flavour boost.
Pesto variations:
Create parsley pesto as an alternative to basil pesto.
Make cilantro pesto for a unique twist on pasta dishes or as a spread.
Herb-infused oils:
Blend parsley or cilantro with olive oil to create flavoured oils for cooking or drizzling.
Smoothies:
Add a handful of parsley or cilantro to your morning smoothie for a nutrient boost.
Herb-packed omelettes:
Incorporate generous amounts of chopped herbs into your eggs for a vitamin-rich breakfast.
Tabbouleh:
This Middle Eastern salad uses parsley as a main ingredient rather than just a garnish.
Herb-crusted proteins:
Coat fish or chicken with a mixture of breadcrumbs and finely chopped parsley before baking.
Cilantro rice:
Stir a large handful of chopped cilantro into cooked rice for a flavourful side dish.
Herb-infused water:
Add sprigs of parsley or cilantro to your water for a subtle flavour and potential health benefits.
[Restaurants and Resources]
Friends, if you live in Edmonton or Calgary there is a delightfully delicious restaurant called Seoul Fried Chicken and one of their mainstays is a Cilantro Lime Fried Chicken served with a Cilantro Chimichurri sauce - it’s excellent and cilantro and lime are such a winning combination. Does anybody know where we can get some Gremolata?
One of my favourite cookbooks to gaze at often is Eat Alberta First by Karen Anderson. It’s organized by eating seasons and features many local Alberta producers, farmers, chefs, restaurants, and even your favourite chocolatier (me) makes a cameo in the Food Artisans Appendix LOL. The book is a must have but she also posts many recipes on her Instagram page. Her Sesame Slaw can be found here and it features both parsley and cilantro! Plus, the Chipotle Bison Chili in the book would be a great summer staple, make a double recipe ahead of time, use fresh herbs instead of dried and freeze half the batch. Yum! Grab her book from your local indie store or here
It has been said before but we are huge fans of Evoolution Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar tasting bar - there’s never enough time spent there! They have a few really awesome herbal olive oils that if you haven’t tried them yet I highly recommend them. First, there’s Cilantro and Roasted Onion - a great combo to use in your marinades for all the BBQing you’re going to be doing this summer. And, the Milanese Gremolata Olive oil (hey, there’s that gremolata again) with lemon, garlic, parsley, and mint. If you’re thinking - meep! How do I use these in recipes - never fear! First if you go to an actual Evoolution store they have recipe cards but the staff can also help you out. On their website, they have recipe ideas - here’s some great ones for the Gremolata BUT did you know there’s a very cool chick that wrote a cookbook using all the ingredients found at Evoolution? Her name is Emily Lycopolus and she used to own an olive oil and vinegar store in Victoria but now she's a full time Olive Oil educator and cookbook author. I have her original The Olive Oil and Vinegar Lover’s Cookbook and if you’re looking to use herbs or oil infused herbs (we went over that process in our last article) her books will offer you some great ideas. Plus, I just realized she has a newer edition to that book, so now I covet!
Last thing friends is I’ll leave you with an amazing Cilantro and Parsley Chimichurri recipe. This has so many uses - top your grilled meat or veggies with a generous dollop, on fish it works great too! Add some yogurt and make it into a dip, or use it straight up as a salad dressing. Or grab your favourite sourdough and scoop it on top! We highly recommend the sourdough at The Farmhouse Bakery, again if you’re in Edmonton and area this is our go-to bakery!
Now we need to know all the things - don’t be shy about posting here! I love receiving all your messages and I think our other readers would love them too! Are you someone that uses either or both of these herbs? What’s your go-to way to use them? And, do you also have a lot of cookbooks? What’s your favourite? I like to think I’ve rescued mine from the bookstore!!