[Sca-cooks] Lovage and Rue

[jenne at fiedlerfamily.net]

> It has been suggested that modern cooks substitute celery leaves for
> lovage leaves. Does anyone have experience using actual fresh lovage?
> And if yes, can you verify this substitution?

I've used actual fresh lovage. If there is any way you can get fresh
lovage, do so. It's got a very different taste than celery. (Where are you
getting lovage seeds? My mom killed the lovage I left in her yard, I need
a new one!)

If you are going to substitute, you might try 1 part of cilantro to 2
parts celery. But I don't recommend it.

> Rue
>
> Many of the Roman recipe i'm looking at call for rue as a green herb.
> I doubt i can find any. But if i do, i am concerned about the
> possibilities of contact dermatitis, which rue can cause.
> Has anyone used fresh rue leaves? Can you possible describe the
> taste? Suggest a substitute?

Rue tastes green and bitter... the big part of the sensation is the smell
of fresh rue, though that fades over time. There may well be asian herbs
that could be used instead, but I'm not familiar enough with asian herbs
to help.

Contact dermititis with Rue is one of those things that a small portion of
the population have. If you will be serving the rue in a cooked dish, then
I would find someone who has a bush of rue (anyone who has such a bush
will probably have plenty to give away-- and a helper to prepare the dish
who doesn't have the contact dermatitis reaction. Then label it 'Contains
rue, not recommended for people preggers or trying to get pregnant' and
leave it at that.

-- Jadwiga Zajaczkowa   jenne at fiedlerfamily.net
"Our whole American way of life is a great war of ideas, and librarians
are the arms dealers selling weapons to both sides." -- James Quinn