This simple stew recipe comes from an old family cookbook from Basel. The city's cuisine reflects its place in the Rhineland rather than Switzerland, and similar recipes are found in neighboring Freiburg and Alsace. Basel in the 18th and early 19th centuries was quite poor, and its traditional dishes reflect this provincial character. Lamb is a cheaper cut of meat, and parsley root is a flavorful but common vegetable in the region. This dish would have graced the table of the city's middle class.