How to use herbs and spices in cooking!

Step 19 Parsley.

Parsley is probably the most famous of all the herbs, and used the most widely. Its leaves can be curly or flat, I prefer flat. It has a very fresh, green taste and works well with spicy or heavy foods. It can also be used to perk up soups, stews and sauces. It's a very common garnish.

It can also be found dried. One of my favorite uses of dried parsley is in plain white rice. Just add some butter, salt and pepper and a generous amount of dried parsley and you have the only way my grandmother would make rice. Simple but satisfying.

You can top almost any dish with parsley to make it better: curries, anything with a tomato based sauce, dishes heavy with lemon or garlic, nearly any dish with Asian flavors, fish, etc.

Plus, it keeps very well in the fridge using the damp paper towel and ziploc bag trick. I've been able to store it for a few weeks. A $2 bunch of parsley can greatly improve your cooking and eating. :D

Comments

[TheJovialOne]

And on a fun side note, the parsley sprigs you get at the restaurants were originally (according to my yia-yia) intended to freshen your breath after you eat! Seriously! Just eat it. It won't make your mouth minty fresh, but it neutralizes your breath. As they say, no-smell breath is good-smell breath.

[jessyratfink]

It's true! I do that with basil, too. :D