Parsley-Lane Blog 101
Some of the insider information on the Parsley-Lane Blog
This is the 101st genuine post on the Parsley-Lane Blog (Tattatta Taaaah!). And I take the opportunity to let the editor of the blog do an interview with the creator and main author of the blog, so that you can see a little clearer what this is all about… 😉
Editor: How did you come up with the idea for the Parsley-Lane Blog?
Mag: I have always been interested in food. I grew up in a family where practically all of the food was homemade. My mother had a strict ‘no exotic packaged powders’ policy. And my father kind of knew the trade from the bottom up, so I had the opportunity to watch and ask questions. Also, we had a big garden with food that we grew, and my grandparents did too. It wasn’t until I was a little older that I realized you could actually buy preserved fruits and vegetables in the store, because ours always came from my grandparents. I also had problems with eating certain foods early on, as did some other people in my family. So I was always very careful about what I could eat and what would make my stomach upset. Then the family got bigger and the circle of foods that would not work with us grew as well. At some point, I really got into the background of mindful eating and good food. Two years ago I was talking to some friends about how I was thinking about writing it down and the idea of a blog came up. So I just started working on that and after a little more than half a year I was ready to put it together.
Editor: There is a wide field of work in mindful eating and good food. Where do you get your ideas for the posts?
Mag: Well, some of them come naturally as part of the current season or holidays, like Easter, Christmas, New Year, Carnival, etc. Some of them also make sense because of common holidays like Women’s Day or Children’s Day. Also this year, I have started to feature an ingredient special once a month – plus an easy recipe using the featured ingredient. These specials are based on the harvest seasons in the area where I live. For example, this month there will be a special on bear’s garlic, and next month there will be one on small red radishes because they are in season. And then there are those posts where the inspiration was just flying really low the day I wrote them, so it was inevitable that it would hit me. Sometimes topics come up while I am researching some background information. Like the one about medieval food traditions.
Editor: You invent all the recipes on the blog. Do you have a favorite?
Mag: No. I love them all the same. But I am quite proud of my line of alternative doughs. Which is why this year I am going to explore the subject a little further down Parsley-Lane. When it’s ready, you’ll see.
Editor: When you open the site, you have to make the usual cookie choices, including ‘Marketing’ cookies. Does that mean the Parsley-Lane Blog is commercial?
Mag: No, the cookie choice is required by law. I have enabled safe linking to certain social media services such as Instagram and Pinterest (both of which are registered trademarks and commercial). That may explain the ‘Marketing’ aspect of the cookie choice. But as I stated on the ‘Transparency’ page, the Parsley-Lane Blog is strictly non-commercial. I do this because I think it is important to talk about mindful eating and good food, as I know that wise choices here can make a huge difference. Both personally and in the bigger picture. Also, I do not want to clutter the site with ads to make it easier to read. So I am funding the hosting etc. out of my own pocket as part of my civic engagement.
Editor: What is the story behind ‘Salty and Cara’?
Mag: Hm, I have been asked that a few times. As I wrote in the notes to the initial episode ‘Salty and Cara – The Crime Story’, last year around August there was the usual summer slump. Newspapers really got into the weird stuff. I think the most popular one at that time was about a wild sow that was first reported as a lion sighting … Yeah, well… So I started making up my own summer slump sensation. Only this one had to do with food, of course. From there, it was just a few ingredients away from a detective story involving fruits and vegetables. I mean, there are talking pets all the time, even kangaroos fighting secret wars for world domination with a penguin. And to make it more interesting, of course, there had to be a love story. Your classic ‘opposites attract’ kind. And I could not think of a more extravagant fruit than a starfruit and on the other hand something more common than a salted cucumber. That was the beginning. Making the famous nightshade fruit the villain was also kind of obvious. And it turned out to be so much fun to write that I just could not stop. Also I found out that there are actually quite a few ‘serious’ issues about foods that can be treated on that level. Like in a fable. Only with fruits and vegetables instead of animals.
Editor: What is your favorite ingredient?
Mag: Vegetable broth. Definitely. I never cook anything without a homemade broth. It completes the whole dish, thickens the flavors. I read that you call this effect ‘Umami’. I also think patience is very important, so that ingredient would be time, as I mentioned before ([‘Another Secret Ingredient‘]).
Editor: Who does your photos and illustrations?
Mag: I have to see which of my photographers and artists have time to do it … No, just kidding. Of course I make them myself. I love to be creative, so whenever I have time, I start putting the pixels together – manually and personally, not automated. I also have quite a large database of my own photos to choose from. And I draw from time to time. Especially when I am traveling.
Editor: Thank you very much for this interview, Mag.
Mag: Always happy to help.
Editor: What is the story behind ‘Salty and Cara’?
Mag: … Also I found out that there are actually quite a few ‘serious’ issues about foods that can be treated on that level. Like in a fable. Only with fruits and vegetables instead of animals.
Side Notes:
- If you are wondering what ‘Bear’s Garlic’ is: You may have heard of this type of plant as ‘Bärlauch’, ‘Wood Leek’, ‘Wild Garlic’ and ‘Ramsons’ or ‘Ramps’. You can read more about it in the Ingredient Special [Who’s Seen the Bear?]
- Want to know about Salty and Cara’s story of love and crime in a world of fruits and vegetables? Here is how it all began: [‘Salty and Cara. The Crime Story‘]