Ingredient Spotlight: Eggs

About


We’ve been eating eggs for 6 million years! They are packed full of protein and don’t fight back so it makes sense that they would be a part of the human diet from early on as protein and fat were huge for the development of our brains.

By 7000 BC we were farming chicken eggs. This specifically began in China and India. Chicken eggs didn't make it to Europe or East Asia until 800 BC but they were keeping turkeys and ducks for their eggs instead. This gets even cooler when we hit ___ when in China and Egypt they found they could incubate eggs in a warm clay structure or oven and so the hens could continue to lay eggs even when the farmer’s wanted chicks. This of course lowered the price of chicken eggs and opened them up as a food source for poorer people.

Unwashed eggs would only keep for about a month before beginning to rot so ways of preserving them became popular. Pickling, drying and fermenting were all ways to do this. In addition to that i found recently that you can keep eggs in a lye mixture to preserve them as well. Fermented eggs are specific to China and are regularly referred to as century eggs because of their appearance as being very old.

As well as various bird (chicken, quail, duck etc) eggs humans also eat fish eggs called roe or caviar. When it comes to the metaphysical i would be pressed to say they hold a slightly different correspondence as they lack a shell. I would associate these more with the growth ideas and less with the protective ideas. And in addition to that look into correspondences of the fish they come from.

Most know a bird egg to consist of two parts, the yolk and the white, but there are actually more parts to an egg than that. The obvious addition of egg shell, the yolk is scientifically called the vitellus, the white is called the albumen and then there is the membrane. We notice this membrane more when we hard boil the egg than when we crack it open raw. Now of course we don't generally consume the eggshell but it is an important part of the egg.

Magical

Correspondence: Moon. Earth. Feminine. Eostre (and many other fertility deities)
Fertility, spirituality, rejuvenation, mysteries, creation, protection, resurrection, healing, abundance, new beginnings, breaking the mould for a new start, “birthing” new ideas and goals.

How to use:
The shell: egg powder (protection,) as a natural plant pot, make into candles,
The whole thing: buried on your property, scan your body for a cleanse
The inside: divination, cook with it

Mundane

Health

Whole eggs are pretty neat as they contain a little bit of almost every nutrient you need. The coolest thing is they contain whole protein because they are created to eventually be a little animal. This is pretty rare among non meat products (if there is anything else that fits the bill at all.) This high protein attribute also means that eggs are super filling as protein takes longer to break down in your system and therefore provides energy for longer.

Myth: eggs are bad for cholesterol.
Truth: most people can handle eggs. About 30% of the population are hyper responders and there is also a genetic mutation that will warrant a limitation of cholesterol and therefore eggs.
Fun fact: your liver produces lots of cholesterol and a diet high in cholesterol simply means your liver doesn't need to produce as much and therefore most people are fine with a moderate amount of cholesterol in their diet.

Eggs provide choline which most of us don't get enough of. Most other courses are meat however broccoli (and other dark greens,) cauliflower and soy also provides choline. So vegetarians may want to keep an eye on egg intake (along with these other sources,) for cell and brain health.

They are also full of antioxidants, specifically lutein and zeaxanthin which accumulate in the retina. Some studies show that adequate amounts of these antioxidants reduce the risk of cataracts and macular degeneration.

In the Kitchen

An important health precaution in the kitchen to keep in mind is the existence of salmonella. Just like with chicken you want to be sure that you cook your eggs to an appropriate temperature ( 71 °C (160 °F)) before consuming them. Unless of course you buy pasteurized (57 °C (135 °F) for an hour and 15 minutes) eggs in which case the risk is next to zero.

Eggs are almost necessary for baking (there of course are substitutes but do they really work the same?) Cakes and pies and cookies often call for eggs as a binding ingredient. In addition to their impotence in baking they are a staple for breakfast and a key ingredient in more sauces than you might realize!

Eggs are super versatile and can be used with probably any flavour you want! Sweet or savoury, spicy or mild, alone or hidden among other ingredients.

More

Egg whites can be used in a face-mask to help clear pores and possible help tighten up loose skin (take that second part with a grain of salt.) While egg yolk can be used to moisturize the skin and hair. Of course use with caution and do a patch test before spreading it all over your face. Also most recipes call for more than just the egg so check out the link below for some extra information on these claims.

Links:
History of Eggs
Healthline
Beauty

Beltane: the Recipe - Strawberry Balsamic Vinaigrette

Origin

So there are two “origin” stories for vinaigrette when you look them up but the timing of them makes one an actual origin and the other a weird fact. I want to start with the weird fact because I don't feel the need to make it super in depth but it’s worth knowing. In the Victorian era there was a non food item called a vinaigrette. It was a small, ornate box that was carried by women that contained a sponge soaked in vinegar and herbs and its purpose was to create a safe haven for the nose when in olfactory distress. It may also be used to revive a fainted woman. Basically, the source i used for this explained that there were many foul smells in the Victorian era from body odours and death to fecal matter in the streets.

Of course the origin of the name for this is the same as for the vinaigrette we know today. Vinagre, the french word for vinegar. However, the origin goes even further back to when even the food stuff called vinaigrette was nowhere near what we think of today. Vinaigrette began as a meat sauce! It is perhaps less French than medieval, illustrated in the 14th century Taillevent’s Le Viandier, one of the earliest surviving French cookbooks. Instructions for making “une vinaigrette,” state you start with a pig’s spleen, brown it on a spit, chop it up, add it to a pot with blood, broth, ginger, a pepper-like spice, saffron, wine, and vinegar (finally), and then boil. “It should be brown.” There are versions using different meats: a sheep-based vinaigrette calls for the head, stomach, and feet while a cow vinaigrette insists on using all four stomachs.

There is a lack of information from the then to the 16th century known as “the dark tunnel in French cooking,” that begins with food that you can cook in your fireplace and ends with more subtle or light cooking. So the different uses for the word vinaigrette make sense based on the cuisines that were being eaten. But the educated guess is that the new recipe actually comes from Italy but nobody will ever admit to it because of the rivalry.

This “new” recipe was used for dressing cold roasted vegetables and leafy greens, much the same as we use it now. The original recipe was simply oil, vinegar salt and pepper sometimes with some other herbs added in for flare. Now, we add in all kinds of things like STRAWBERRIES!

In addition to new ingredients there are also so many variants on what you can use for the oil and vinegar themselves. Good quality light tasting oils are best like extra virgin olive oil or canola. And for vinegars there is white, balsamic, wine, rice and apple cider. The suggested and traditional ratio is 2 - 3 parts oil to 1 part vinegar.

Ingredients

~½ cup (thawed) strawberries (I used frozen)
¼ cup balsamic vinegar (try it with apple cider or rice for a different flavour)
¾ cup canola oil
½ tbsp honey
½ tsp salt (or to taste)

Tools

Food processor or blender or *immersion blender*
Measures

Directions




In whatever blending tool or vessel you are using add your strawberries and balsamic vinegar. Blend these until they are smooth.

Slowly drizzle your oil while blending. This is a key part of creating a vinaigrette that looks nice, the emulsion. If you add your oil to quickly having it actually mix into your liquid ingredients is near impossible and much more difficult. By adding the oil slowly it allows the oil to incorporate the oil into the liquids in a homogenous mixture. Over time it will separate but not as quickly as it would without the emulsion.

Once your oil is entirely incorporated add your salt and honey to taste (start with my measurements but as always give things a taste and make sure they are to YOUR liking)

Serve or store in the fridge in a sealed container. 
 
 

Serving

I have only used this as a salad dressing as this isn't the most versatile recipe but I have an inkling it would be delicious on cold chicken, maybe even on a sandwich? Post writing this I might have to try that!

I recommend a salad with dark leafy greens like spinach and nuts like pecans. Fresh strawberries would be a no brainer but other fruit would add a more complex flavour profile: other berries, pear or apple would be good ones to try.

Short and Gritty

Ingredients

~½ cup (thawed) strawberries (I used frozen)
¼ cup balsamic vinegar (try it with apple cider or rice for a different flavour)
¾ cup canola oil
½ tbsp honey
½ tsp salt (or to taste)

Tools

Food processor or blender or *immersion blender*
Measures

Directions

1. Blend strawberries and vinegar
2. Slowly add oil while blending
3. Add salt and honey to taste
4. Serve

Sabbat Series: Beltane

 

That’s right, another holiday of the Wheel of the Year is upon us! Beltane is the third sabbat of the Julian calendar and marks the beginning of summer (pastoral summer season to be specific) Beltane is about union and fertility. Somewhat similar to Ostara but this holiday seems much more passionate where Ostara feels soft if that makes sense. We’ll touch on this later as to why we have two fertility sabbats. Of course, again, this fertility can be viewed as metaphorical rather than womb based.

At Ostara we were greasing our wheels now, for Beltane, we are out in full force grabbing our day by the horns and manifesting our projects. From an agricultural standpoint this is the point in the year when people were driving their livestock to the summer pastures to graze and crops were in full motion.

Of course we will get to a “seasonal” recipe but just like Ostara we're gonna stick to format and today’s post is gonna be all the witchy, metaphysical stuff and then you can find the recipe posted on sunday this week!

For my own practice I've been trying to put together what I’m calling, “Simplified Sabbats,” it’s still a work in progress but basically I want to focus on just a few correspondences rather than the whole slough that comes with each. This is what I want to share with you along with some traditional and historical stuff.

About Beltane

Some still celebrate May Day and this is where it originated. Usually celebrated on May 1st (or November 1st in the Southern Hemisphere) but some cultures historically had similar festivals throughout the month. It is also possible to celebrate it on the full moon afterwards or use the stars as a more correct date (when the sun is at 15 degrees in Taurus)

The word Beltane can be translated one of two ways: to “bright fire” or “fire day.” While I saw both in a few different sources the latter makes more sense to me because i found actual etymology for it.

The first part, Bel, also refers to some of the deities that are worshipped on or around this day. Including Belenus and Belisima from Greek and Celtic origins respectively. Interestingly, both of these deities are of the sun as well as a body of water (one being the sea the other rivers.) This lends to the importance of the balance between fire and water and Beltane is a time to work on balancing and acknowledging both your fire and water attributes. In other words your yin and yang, your emotion and drive, your passion and intuition. I have a fun thing planned this year to symbolize this but you’ll have to find me on instagram, facebook or tiktok in order to see it!

In addition to these deities there are a few other beings associated with Beltane. The Green Man, Cerrnunnos, the May Queen and Queen of Winter (who we’ll talk about in a second) the Fae or Aos Si, and lares (roman home spirits). As well as any fertility or lust deities such as Aphrodite.

So back to the Queens, Beltane is a day in which they battle one another for supremacy. The same way that the Oak King and the Holly King battle at the equinox every year the Queens must battle so winter can end and summer begin.

Though the festivals died out for a while, in Edinburgh, Scotland they are going trong once again. The main part of the festival both historically and today centers around fire. At all four fire festivals your hearth is extinguished and relit by the need fire. Today most don't rely on actual fire in their homes but those need fire are still being lit. Along with using these fires to light your hearth many would bless themselves and especially their livestock in the smoke or by jumping over the coals.

Other parts of festivities included, and for some still include: May poles and dancing; decorating, especially with yellow flowers; and, rituals and offerings to appease the Fae. Beltane, of course, is one of two times in the year where the veil is thinner. In autumn we celebrate the dead and in the spring we look to the living and the Fae. It is always a good idea to leave an offering for them; they especially love honey and milk.

I have a lot of other points I could make but I feel like this is more than enough to get you started on your way to understanding Beltane, especially since this is suppose to be a Kitchen Witchery blog. If you want to learn more I will be doing a live chat on Twitch on April 28 at 9:30 am EST.

Magical and Metaphysical

This is where my Simplified Sabbats comes in:

Colour(s): Red and yellow
Recipe: strawberry vinaigrette
Food/ingredients: strawberries, cherry, honey
Crystal: Emerald
Plant: Dandelion, mugwort
Animal: Bees, Unicorn
Focus: Fertility and Love/ Union
Deity: Belanus

Including your Muggle friends and family

Crafts with bright ribbons and flowers (Magic it up: write wishes or blessing on them or do some knot magic)
Create a fairy garden (Magic it up: leave offerings for the Fae where you place it)
Have a bonfire (or light a candle and pretend) (Magic it up: make a wish and jump the fire)
(for consenting adults) Get naughty ;) (Magic it up: sex and/or fertility magic)
Plant some seeds or a tree (Magic it up: so a seed blessing or use as an act of service offering)

Summer Favourites: Lemonade

When life gives you lemons...

Origin

Before lemonade, in the medieval time period, came kashkab which is a fermented barley drink from the Mediteranean coast of Egypt that also contains mint, rue, black pepper and citron leaf. There are written accounts from the 10th century describing a lemon juice and sugar drink from both Nasir-i-Khushraw and the books and documents of the Jewish Cairo Genizah. Nasir-i-Khushraw wrote of Egyptian life and this lemon drink was common. From kashkab came qatarmizat, which sounds like basically the exact same thing as lemonade, which was bottled and exported in the 13th century.

Jump forward to the 17th century and we see a rise of lemonade production in Paris. It made its debut on August 20th, 1630 as a lemon juice drink made with sparkling water and honey. This drink became so popular and was sold by vendors who walked around with a keg of the stuff on their back. It became such a large industry that a union was formed, called the Compagnie de Limonadiers, in 1676.

Spring forward and travel even further to the Americas, during the Victorian Era lemonade was promoted as a substitution for alcohol consumption through the Women’s Temperance Movement leading to the nickname Lemonade Lucy for the first lady of the time: Lucy Webb Hayes.

Modern lemonade comes in many forms and flavours and the word lemonade means something a little different depending on where you are. I learned this quite recently from a YouTube video about cocktails actually and then came across it during my research as well. In the UK lemonade is always sparkling and may refer to a soft drink like Sprite rather than the tart, cloudy lemonade we refer to in North America. *hot tip* In the UK you can ask for cloudy lemonade and you may get something closer to what you're used to from America and asking for a lemon lime soda/pop/soft drink you will get something closer to what you're used to in the UK.

LEMONADE
Ingredients
all link on ingredients are to the ingredient spotlight posts of this blog
I find parts to be the easiest recipe for this one

1-2 parts white sugar
2 parts fresh lemon juice (I used 4 lemon and got ~1 cup juice)
Zest from those lemons
2 parts water

2-4 parts cold water

Tools

Knife
Wet measures
Pot
Mesh sieve
Fine grater or Microplane
Jug/Pitcher/Vessel

Directions

Start by zesting your lemons straight into the pot (not on heat yet.)

Take those lemons, cut ‘em in half and juice the heck out of them. Of course you can do this by hand or with a device. I did it by hand because I find it's the best option with the device I do have. If I'm doing a large batch I'll break out the juicer to save my hands.

Measure the amount of lemon juice you have and add an equal part of water. Make sure you don't have any seeds in there as it will make your final product bitter (same reason why I prefer zest over the whole lemon to avoid the bitter pith.)

Toss the liquid into the pot with your zest and start it over heat. While it begins heating add in half as much sugar as you did water and start from there. You can taste it later and add more sugar OR if you know you like it sweet go ahead and add an equal part of sugar. Bring this concoction to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until your sugar is dissolved.

Once all your sugar is dissolved strain this through a fine mesh sieve to get rid of the zest. If it sits in there too long it will start getting too bitter. We’re going for tart not bitter here.

Put this into your final vessel with cool water starting with an equal part to the original lemon juice measurement. Taste and continue adding until you have a tartness you appreciate. If you know you don't want it to be too tart i suggest starting with 3 parts right away and adjusting from there. Keep in mind you will likely serve this over ice and the ice will melt and dilute your lemonade to a point so its better to adjust to a little too tart than have watered down lemonade later. But you know what you like!

Put your lemonade in the fridge to finish cooling and then serve as you like!

*If the parts in this section is confusing the short and gritty below is definitely easier to follow*

Serving

Best served over ice with a lemon wheel and/or a sprig of mint for a lovely garnish!

**pro tip** Can substitute sparkling water for the second amount of water.


Drink on a hot day while soaking up the sun or on a gloomy day when you want to add a little sunshine to your day.

Pairs well with a light lunch, snacks or BBQ meal!

Short and Gritty
Ingredients
I find parts to be the easiest recipe for this one

1-2 parts white sugar
2 parts fresh lemon juice (I used 4 lemon and got ~1 cup juice)
Zest from those lemons
2 parts water

2-4 parts cold water

Tools

Knife
Wet measures
Pot
Mesh sieve
Fine grater or Microplane
Jug/Pitcher/Vessel

Directions
1. Zest and juice lemons. Zest goes in the pot juice goes in a measuring glass.
2. Measure lemon juice. Half this measurement in 1 part.
3. Add 2 parts water and your lemon juice to the pot.
4. Add 1 part sugar. You can adjust this later just make sure you do it while it's still hot.
5. Bring to a boil, simmer until sugar is dissolved. State and adjust sugar. (remember we'll water this own so just do your best and experiment.
6. Strain.
7. Add 2 parts cool water. Taste and adjust with more water if its too tart.
8. Chill.
9. Serve.

Ingredient Spotlight: Lemon

About

Scientific Name: Citrus limon is what we commonly use and is a hybrid of bitter orange and citrus medica. Meyer lemons while seemingly similar are not actually part of the same family ( Rutaceae)
Origin: some form of citrus tree has been around for 7-8 million years but Citrus Limon appeared in Europe sometime during the 2nd century AD near Italy.
Cultivation: Cultivation as an ornamental plant in Islamic gardens was first found in literature from the 10th century. Lemons found their way to the America’s in the 13th century but remained mainly ornamental until the 19th century.

A little more in depth look at lemons origins come from National Geographic. Using DNA analysis the scientists were able to trace the current citrus fruits back to the Miocene Epoch (7 to 8 million years ago. The three original species of citrus were citrons, mandarins and pomelos.

Historically, while it was more commonly limes, lemons were used to help prevent scurvy aboard ships in the mid 18th century.

In China lemons are a symbol of happiness and this resonates with me personally, the scent is just so bright and fresh and the bright colour just adds to it.

Magic

Correspondence: Feminine/Yin, Water, Moon, Cancer and Pisces. Friendship, purification, love, spiritual openness, clarity, concentration, memorization, decision making, happiness, beauty, longevity, inspiration and on the other side of things can be used in curses.

How to use: Invisible ink sigils and petitions, in cooking/kitchen witchery, tea, as essential oils, in simmer pots, sachets, floor wash and added to a ritual bath.

Mundane

Health: The fiber and vitamin C may promote heart health and the compounds hesperidin and diosmin may help with cholesterol. The fiber also may contribute to healthy blood sugar levels.
There are a few theories that suggest lemon aiding in weight loss however the results leave me with a large dose of skepticism. One theory is about the pectin fibre (but few eat a whole lemon or even the lemon pulp at all) and the other concerning specifically lemon water and the water could easily be the reason for the results. There is one study that could prove fruitful but has only been tested on mice and that is a test done specifically on polyphenols from the peel.
The amount of citric acid found in a half a cup of lemon juice may be enough to help prevent kidney stones in those that have had them before however more studies are needed. The theory though is that raising the PH of your urine would make it more difficult for the crystalline deposits to form.
Works against anemia as it contains both Vitamin c and citric acid which help your body absorb iron from plant sources (our bodies are pretty good at getting iron from animal sources) so this is a good tip for those vegetarians and vegans out there.
As with anything that has antioxidants in it there's a possibility that lemons may help prevent cancer. Slightly more exciting research has been seen, in test tubes and rodents, cancer fighting properties. This of course comes with two caveats, the first being that it wasn't in a human body and the other being the fact that they used doses of the specific chemicals that you would not find in culinary uses of lemons.

In the kitchen: lemon is a super versatile flavour believe it or not. My favourites are lemonade, cocktails and marinades but it is also fantastic in salad dressings, roasted veggies, and, of course, baking.

Pro tip** lemon juice can help stop the oxidation of some cut fruits and veggies, I know from experience it works with apples but will also prevent the “rust” on potatoes and lettuce.

More: Cleaning because it has cleansing properties but it also just smells so fresh. It is one of the key ingredients in Sun-in for lightening of hair so just skip the extra dollars and grab a lemon. In this same vein be careful about having lemon on your skin and going in the sun since it does make you more photosensitive. And as I mentioned before in the magic section it's a really fun project for kids (or adults, who am I to age gatekeep) to make invisible ink messages. The lemon juice is reactivated by heat.

Links to check out for more info:

Healthline
Witchipedia
Wicca Now
White Witch Parlour

Falafel - Fritter or Wrap?

Origin

The word falāfil is of Arabic origin. There is a lot of from this borrowed from this but it all comes down to: filfal, from Aramaic pilpāl 'small round thing, peppercorn', derived from palpēl 'to be round, roll' which clearly describes the shape of the bean fritters called falafel. It became used in English in 1941.

The origin of falafel is a little controversial. It definitely comes from the middle east but the exact place is what causes the problems; Egypt, Israel, and Palestine all claim it was them that created falafel.

In Egypt a similar recipe for ta’amia may be the parent food leading me to believe that it is also the origin place of falafel. More specifically it’s thought that its origin is Alexandria and since that is a port city falafel quickly became a fast food. It would be wrapped in paper and sent on its way and this would have been an easy way to export the food, recipe and name form there.

I also found out that the way I make falafel is not technically correct! You’re actually not supposed to cook your beans! They are soaked and then ground up just like that. Unfortunately, I don't have the tools to do this properly right now so I'm sticking with the “modern way.” Perhaps in the future I will go for a more accurate recipe. Until then I'll continue working on perfecting and experimenting with this one!

Ingredients
all link on ingredients are to the ingredient spotlight posts of this blog

2 cups cooked Chickpeas
¾ cup Fresh parsley (as is, not chopped or pressed)
1/8 - 1/4 of a red onion
¼ cup* Flour (AP or Chickpea)
2-3 cloves Garlic
½ tsp Baking powder
1 tsp Salt
½ tsp Cayenne
1 tsp Cumin

Oil for cooking








Tools

Food processor
Bowl
Frying pan or heavy bottomed pot

Directions

Grab your food processor and toss in your chickpeas, onion, garlic and parsley. Process these ingredients until no large pieces are left. A little texture in your mixture is fine but large chunks will make it hard to get the mixture to stick together. Add in all the spices and pulse a few times to mix them in.

Move your mixture to a bowl and stir in the baking powder.

A little bit at a time mix in your flour. You want to add only as much as is needed to get the mixture to stick together. You will then want to move the mixture to your fridge and let sit for an hour.

** I think I made a mistake here and you would be better off making falls and then chilling those. So i will be trying that method and will update this if i decide that's a better option.

Heat, on medium heat, about a half inch of cooking oil in your pan while you begin the balling process. You want to use about two tablespoons of mixture for each falafel and roll it into a ball or disk (i did disks because i thought they'd cook nicer since I wasn't deep frying them.) Once you have a few for reference it's not necessary to keep measuring if you feel confident eyeballing it.

 
 
 

You will want to cook each falafel until both sides are golden brown. For me it took about 3 minutes each side. The less you touch them the faster and better that searing will be.

Remove to a paper towel or cooling rack (with something underneath it) to let the excess oil come away. You can serve them right away, hot; let them cool, or; store in an airtight container to eat later.

 
 
 

Serving

Historically falafel was eaten as an appetizer with dip. Not too long after it found a new way to be served with pita or other flat breads. Modernly we know it this way and the word has become synonymous with the sandwich or wrap itself. However, falafel is a fantastic vegetarian alternative in many ways. My favourites are still these two traditional ways but falafel can be used to top salads, as burger patties or meatballs! I could even see them being used on kebabs (you'd have to be careful though.) I haven't personally tried them all of these ways so if you choose to branch out please let me know in the comments below how your experimentation went!

Short and Gritty

Ingredients

2 cups cooked Chickpeas
¾ cup Fresh parsley (as is, not chopped or pressed)
1/8 - 1/4 of a red onion
¼ cup* Flour (AP or Chickpea)
2-3 cloves Garlic
½ tsp Baking powder
1 tsp Salt
½ tsp Cayenne
1 tsp Cumin

Oil for cooking

Tools

Food processor
Bowl
Frying pan or heavy bottomed pot

 

Directions

1. In food processor combine chickpeas, onion, garlic and parsley until fine.
2. Add spices and pulse
3. Remove to bowl and stir in baking powder

4. Slowly add flour until mixture can be moulded

5. Refrigerate for an hour

6. Make balls of about 2 tbsp mixture

7. Fry both sides until golden brown, about 3 minutes each side

8. Let drip, and/or cool, and serve or store.

Ingredient Spotlight - Parsley

About

Scientific Name:Petroselinum crispum, apiaceae family. AKA devils oatmeal
Origin: native to central and eastern Mediteranean (Sardinia, Lebanon, Israel, Cyprus, Turkey, southern Italy, Greece, Portugal, Spain, Malta, Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia)
Cultivation: most commonly you will find the varieties that we use for their leaves (curly and flat leaf parsley) but in Europe it is also cultivated for its root. This makes sense as it is a relative of carrot

Parsley comes originally from the greek for rock celery or petroselinum. It came down through Latin to french ending at peresil. Which was then merged with the old English petersilie (which is the current German word for parsley.)

Curly leaf is used as a garnish, flat leaf is similar but stronger flavour and easier to cultivate, root parsley is common as a snack or vegetable in soups and casseroles in most parts of europe. I personally have never seen or worked with root parsley but I am certainly intrigued by it. In the 3rd century BC linnaeus says that its wild habitat was Sardinia. It then supposedly began cultivation in Europe in 1548.

Uprooting parsley is bad luck and also will kill the plant, it does not like being transplanted. In this vein medieval Europeans believed you could kill someone by plucking a parsley sprig while saying their name. Also, from European folklore parsley should be sown on good Friday and only by pregnant women or witches. Otherwise the harvest would not be good.

Persephone is often depicted holding a bundle of parsley. Ancient Greeks associated it with death. They decorated tombs with it and it was never eaten because of this they also wouldn't grow it indoors. They thought it would bring death into the house. They did use it as fodder for horses.

Romans used parsley as a garnish that would keep away contamination from their food. It was used to sweeten the breath (like a palette cleanser) after their meal. They also wore it for protection if worn on the head it would protect specifically from inebriation

Magical

Correspondence: Air. Mercury. Masc/Yang Libra. Persephone, Venus and Aphrodite.
Death, rebirth, purification, cleansing, strength, protection, lust, transformation, fertility, prosperity, luck, calms and protects home, restores sense of well being, strength and vitality after illness, protects food from contamination. The underworld - divination and dreamwork

How to use: Cook with it! Use dried in sachets. Burn it. Wear it on your body. Dress your candle in its dried leaves. Use essential oils (safely, in a carrier oil) in your ritual bath.

Mundane

As always, here are some broad claims that you can look further into with the studies provided in the healthline article. Contains a fair amount of vitamins A, K and C. The addition of parsley to the diet may aid in healthy blood sugar levels. It contains carotenoids which may improve heart health by lowering bad cholesterol and chronic inflammation. Parsley may promote kidney health however it also contains oxalates which may increase your risk for kidney stones. So I assume there is some sort of balance that needs to be kept there, not sure it's worth the risk and maybe just increase your water consumption!

In addition to those here are some other mundane uses i found: Parsley contains essential oils including apiol and myristicin which have antibacterial qualities. A parsley infusion used as a hair rinse can prevent or treat lice infestations. It can be used as a diuretic. It can be used to encourage a late menstruation (and therefore large doses should be avoided by pregnant women.) An ointment or compress can be used to soothe bug bites.

In the kitchen: very commonly used as a garnish (this of course comes from the Roman’s) but in addition to that fresh parsley is a great addition to salad (especially tabbouleh or bean salad!) Of course dried parsley is a great addition to many dishes the most notable being tomato sauce but also a fantastic addition to roasted veggies and vinaigrettes!

A few link I used:
Witchipedia
Healthline

Carrot Loaf - Quick Bread

Origin

Instead of doing the origin of carrot loaf specifically we’re going to talk about quick breads (although I think we could tie carrot quick bread to the history we talked about it the mundane section of our carrot spotlight!) A quick bread is any bread that uses chemical leavening instead or organic leavening. Leavening is the fermenting and/or rising of dough. This means quick breads require less skill and also use ingredients that don't spoil as quickly (before they are in the dough of course.) The popularity of quick breads in North America today probably comes from the discovery (or rediscovery) of chemical leavening agents at the end of the 18th century but really took hold in 1846 because of arm and hammer, baking soda, being commercially introduced in New York and was further rooted in 1856 by the commercial production of baking powder in Massachusetts. Being that these leavening agents aren't thrown by environmental changes they became popular especially during wartime as they were quicker and required less skill to make.

Ingredients
all link on ingredients are to the ingredient spotlight posts of this blog

1 cup shredded carrot (about 2 medium carrots)
2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 ½ tsp baking soda
1 ½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp cardamom (optional, can also sub clove, allspice or nutmeg)
¼ cup milk
¾ cup oil
1 tsp vanilla

Optional nuts ( no more than ¾ cup)

Tools

Grater (or food processor)
Bowl x2
Wet and dry measures
A spoon
9x5 loaf pan

Directions
I missed some pictures this week; I'm sorry. When I make this again in the future I will update!


Start by grating your carrot if you haven't already. Preheat your oven to 350 so it is ready to go when your batter is and also give your pan a quick grease. You don’t want your batter to sit too long because of the reactions with the baking soda.

Mix your dry ingredients in one bowl (the smaller if there is a size discrepancy) and your wet ingredients in the other. Do not add your nuts in this step, keep reading.

Add your dry to wet and mix just until combined. If you are adding nuts you want to fold them in as you finish mixing here.

**pro tip** toss your nuts in a little bit of flour to keep them suspended in the batter

Put the batter in your greased pan and cook for 50 to 60 minutes. You’ll know it's ready when you can insert a wooden toothpick and it comes out clean.

Let the loaf sit for about 5 minutes and then place on a cool rack to cool.

Slice and serve.

Storage

If you don't plan on eating it all in one day, even if you really want too, it can be kept covered on the counter for a maximum of 3 days but will keep better and longer in an airtight container in the fridge. If you want to freeze it I suggest slicing it and putting wax paper between the slices so you can thaw as much or as little as you want.

Serving

You can go sweet or savoury or somewhere in between with this quick bread. I usually throw a little butter on a slice. You could make a honey butter to tow the line or go straight for a glaze to really sweeten the deal. I think this loaf is especially good with coffee or tea and therefore is great as a quick breakfast or an afternoon snack!

Short and Gritty
Ingredients

1 cup shredded carrot (about 2 medium carrots)
2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 ½ tsp baking soda
1 ½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp cardamom (optional, can also sub clove, allspice or nutmeg)
¼ cup milk
¾ cup oil
1 tsp vanilla

Optional nuts ( no more than ¾ cup)

Tools

Grater (or food processor)
Bowl x2
Wet and dry measures
A spoon
9x5 loaf pan

Directions

Preheat your oven to 350 F
Mix dry ingredients, excluding nuts, in one bowl
Mix wet ingredients, including carrots, in a second bowl
Mix the dry into the wet also folding in nuts if you are using them just until combined
Pour into lightly greased pan and bake for 50 to 60 minutes
Done when a toothpick can be inserted and come out clean. Slice and serve.

Ingredient Spotlight: Carrot

About

Scientific name: Daucus carota (wild carrot) or Daucus Sativus (domesticated carrot)
Appearance: a root vegetable, we usually think of them as orange but they may come in a variety of colours: purple, black, red, white, and yellow.
Cultivation: originally cultivated for its leaves and seeds it has been selectively bred to create the larger, less woody taproot we enjoy today. Close relatives including parsley, cilantro, coriander, fennel, anise, dill and cumin (all from the Apiaceae family) are still grown for their leaves and seeds.

Carrots are first mentioned in classical Roman sources from the 1st century. They refer to a root vegetable pastinaca which was either the carrot or the closely related parsnip.

Queen Anne’s Lace, which is the flower the wild carrot plant grows, gets its name from Queen Anne of Denmark (which one is disputed.) But the story is simple, the flower is a symbol for the lace she made and the one darkly coloured sterile flower that presents on some plants was caused by the prick of her finger on her tools.

Magical

Correspondences: Mars. lust and fertility. Increases masculine energy for both men and women coming to men in the form of virility.

The flowers or Queen Anne’s Lace (wild carrot) is associated with fertility but also encourages psychic ability.

How to use it. The vegetable is best when cooked with and consumed (or offered) although using seeds as offerings may also benefit you in a petition to a fertility deity. Queen’s Anne’s lace however, should be used in the garden or dried in a sachet.

Mundane

I’m sure you've heard the myth that carrots help you see in the dark but this is only true if you are already suffering from a nutrient deficiency. This narrative actually stems from World War Two British Air Force propaganda! In order to hide their technological advances they attributed their superior air force to carrot consumption. Various sources encouraged people of the time to grow and store carrots its new and novel ways leading to carrot jam and Woolton’s pie (not this week's recipe but maybe one of them should have been!) This of course was also partially due to the rationing of food. So while carrots do contain the nutrients for good eye health they won’t give you super human darkvision.

Chalk full of antioxidants and proto-vitamins (compounds that can be turned into vitamins) but other than that I didn't find any “big claims” like I often do.

Interestingly, unlike BROCCOLI, the amount of beta carotene (a precursor to Vitamin A) is actually increased by cooking. To increase it even further you should make sure to have some healthy fats in your meal as well as it is fat soluble rather than water soluble (like B vitamins)

In the Kitchen: cooked or raw, main, side or garnish almost any meal can be spruced up by the vibrant colour of carrots. My lunch go-to is as a side for soup and sandwich and for dinner I especially love them roasted in olive oil and rosemary. They add a lovely punch to salads and a little off the beaten trail… try pickling them!

The Kitchen Witch's Food List: Magical Properties of Food (otherworldlyoracle.com)
Food Correspondences • Luna's Grimoire