Culinary mysteries

[shewhomust]

Whatever happened to lemon drizzle cake?

I remember when it was a new thing, a plain, slightly lemon-zested pound cake tangy with lemon syrup, and a slight crunch on top where the syrup had soaked in, leaving some sugar behind. Now, I order lemon drizzle cake and they bring me random cakes with lemon icing and barely a hint of lemon in the cake itself. There may even be butter cream (feh!). I'd be happy if my cake were drenched, rather than drizzled, with lemon, but other than that, please stick to the specification.

Whatever happened to parsley?

When did flat parsley become the default? Parsley should be curly! It has more flavour, it lasts better, it doesn't go limp, and there's no risk of making a mistake and buying coriander (which I dislike) instead. But it has become a rarity in the shops, even in my beloved greengrocer's (they say: "We can order some for you"). I have tried and failed to grow it, but maybe it's time to try again.