To all you American cooks this might sound a daft question - assuming
that you do have parsnips, that is.

It is simply that although parsnips are a basic British vegetable, they
do not feature at all in the cooking of most of the rest of Europe. I
am a disciple of French cooking BUT they do not have the parsnip.
Continental friends have never heard of it.

Yesterday I made my best ever 'coq au riesling' but instead of adding
cream I cooked parsnip in with the chicken and then liquidised the
cooking liquid plus the parsnip. Using a whole parsnip it rendered the
sauce beautifully creamy and thickish, without needing the cream. What
is more its gentle sweetness against the sharpness of the riesling went
superbly with this dish.

I'm sure our French friends would certainly have used it if they'd had
it available! (There's British arrogance for you!)

Derek
(Surrey, England)