Wrapped up with a Bow 25

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So, this is it for the third year on the Parsley-Lane. Time to look back and maybe plan ahead as well.

I love wrapping presents. It’s not so much about the size or extravagance of the gift. The gesture is the most rewarding part. It starts with wrapping up good thoughts for someone you care about. And I care about you, my esteemed readers. That’s why I especially enjoy wrapping this up for you. After all, this has been an amazing year with you.

For one, it has provided a new perspective on developing recipes for both you and me. I discovered the types of dishes I enjoy creating: Soups, stews, salads, and bowls. No surprise there. Those are the kinds of dishes I like to eat a lot. As it turns out, I am also pretty keen on inventing alternative doughs for cakes and other baked goods. Never thought of myself as a baker, but that wasn’t my motivation anyway. I love the idea of cake because it’s an iconic way to share food with friends and other people I care about. So, I needed to find a way to make that idea fit the pattern of mindful eating and good food. Since it only worked on a second try, or a third, or a fourth, I decided to keep doing it under the motto, “Dough It Right the Second Time.”

Additionally, I found that I am a big fan of modular food. That’s not much of a revelation either. I have been involved in many sustainable living projects, and modularity is the common concept behind it all. I will tell you more about that at the beginning of February next year. So, more modular dishes are definitely on the way.

As I mentioned in my post, “Parsley-Lane Blog 101×2,” another general thing about creating recipes and dishes is that: My recipe creation process has changed quite a bit in the last year and a half. This trend has continued and is even more true now. I now create recipes based on what is currently available, considering the season, region, and locality (our fridge and storage space). Then, I make the rest work. This means I have even less waste because I make use of whatever I have on hand. This has affected the stock of basic ingredients we have at home, by the way. But I will tell you more about that next year.

“Reduce Waste” was, of course, the first true feature I tried out this year, thereby starting a new tradition. I will share more about that next year. It’s an important aspect of what I want to do with this blog. Hence the category “Learning from Scraps.”

As I sum up this year, there is definitely another category of posts I have to mention because I love writing them: Ingredient Specials. I can talk about some of my favorite ingredients, and I learn something along the way while researching the context for you. I love learning as much as I love good food. This year, I learned about red lentils in January (“Follow the Red Dots“), miner’s lettuce in February (“Clementine’s Dress“), king oyster mushrooms in March (“Oyster with Plenty of Pearls“), topinambur in July (“Tubed,” a combination of Table Talk and Ingredient Special with Georg from Topinambur Manufaktur in the beautiful Allgäu), and most recently, parsnips in October (“Square Roots“) and chestnuts in November (“Treasured Tree“). The combined Table Talk and Ingredient Special worked so well that I’m going to use that format once or twice next year.

So, it’s been another remarkable year for the Parsley-Lane Blog. One thing that I did not create but that has had a significant impact on me and my work with this blog is the renewed credo of the “Planetary Health Diet.” In times of difficult news, when it might be tempting to focus solely on one’s own challenges, this unique concept offers hope and a unifying idea. It’s about learning to look out for each other and working together to preserve our beautiful planet. Thank you so much, everyone at the EAT Forum, and to all those involved in making this idea great and workable around the world.

I think that’s the best I can offer as my closing words for this year. Peace and love to you all! See you next year!

Side Notes:

  • Don’t worry; I haven’t forgotten your special treat. A “Sidewalk Scenes December 25” is coming up, which will provide the dates for the next few weeks, as well as the grand finale of “The Apple Paradigm,” the fifth adventure of Salty & Cara. Have fun reading it!