Rehydrating Dried Herbs

Sometimes, you need to make do with what you have.

Sometimes, what you have is dried parsley flakes.

There's no use crying about it. The parsley in your refrigerator went bad a couple of days ago. You didn't manage to preserve it. You don't have time to run out and get more. Your eyes turn to your spice rack. There's a jar there that's labeled Parsley. You're not sure you believe it. You don't believe everything you read.

You open the jar. You smell it. It smells a bit like parsley, but the aroma is fainter than you are fully comfortable with. At least it hasn't gone musty.

In a flash of inspiration, you put a tablespoon or so into a ramekin with some water and swirl it around. You watch as the dried leaves smooth out and their color brightens. You take a deep breath. The aroma of parsley has intensified. You smile.