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SUSAN HALLETT is an Ottawa-based writer with a special interest in Eastern and Western Europe, history, travel, food
and art.
scallions (a contemporary replacement for chibol, a type of
small onion no longer grown). Olive or a local nut oil was used
to dress the salad, along with salt and vinegar that was actually
wine not properly sealed and therefore acidic, or sometimes a
vinegar made from very ripe pears.
Greek scholars wore a sprig of rosemary in their hair while
they studied to increase their level of concentration.
Interestingly, the University of Northumbria published a paper
in May, 2017 that agrees with those Greek scholars. They found
that the scent of this bushy, pine-scented perennial herb
actually does boost memory. Their experiment used essential
oil of rosemary in a room where students were tested and it
was found that students in that room did five to seven percent
better in memory tests that those not exposed to the scent of
rosemary.
A member of the mint family, Rosmarinus officinalis grows
in thick, rounded clumps which can reach eight feet in height.
Its name comes from the Latin, ros maris, or “dew of the sea.”
The herb has antiseptic and insecticidal properties. The leaves
and young shoots are used medicinally and as an infusion it
was once believed helpful in curing jaundice and for the relief
of nervous headaches. Dried, it was smoked to relieve asthma,
throat and lung problems. These days it is used in some
rheumatic ointments and also by cosmetic companies in
various herbal bath preparations, perfumes and hair tonics.
It is said that Queen Isabella of Hungary used an alcohol
extract of rosemary to treat gout. And both Gypsies and
contemporary Greek women rinse their black hair in rosemary
to keep it glossy and dark. Some people use a rosemary rinse
for clothing to keep a black shirt black.
In North America, rosemary is now used mainly in cooking
but also by the cosmetics industry. It is good combined with
many vegetables, especially broccoli, Brussels sprouts,
cauliflower, green peas, potatoes, spinach, squash and
mushrooms. Remember, though that when using dried herbs
they are three to four times stronger than the fresh ones.
THIS PHOTO Rosemary
sprigs and lemon.
SERVES 6–8
Mushrooms à la Vincent
La Chapelle
CHEF AND COOKBOOK author Vincent La Chapelle
ͳ̧̟̤̞ͧőĩ̢̟̥̣ʹūÁʼnĩùĢĩŅőĂHőÁěĆÁĢĩŅĆúĆĢ͠ƋĆʼnĆʼnĂĆʼn
recipe for a superb mushroom treat.
Button Mushrooms
1 ½ lbs, cleaned
Dried Rosemary ½ tsp
Dried Tarragon ½ tsp
Dried Oregano ½ tsp
Dry White Wine 1 cup
Bay Leaf 1 small
Garlic 1 peeled clove, with a
toothpick in it
Olive Oil ½ cup
Lemon Juice of 1 lemon
Salt and Freshly Ground
Pepper to taste
1 CUT the mushroom
stems level with the cap.
Reserve the stems for
other uses.
2 PUT the mushrooms
in a saucepan with all
the other ingredients
and bring to a boil. Turn
down the heat to a
gentle simmer and cook,
covered, for ten minutes.
3 ALLOW to cool to room
temperature. Discard the
garlic before serving.
86 TAST E&^ TRAVEL INTERNATIONAL^ APRIL–JUNE 2019
R O S E M A R Y
TAST E& TRAVEL KITCHEN
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it