As always, Guy, you are amazingly encyclopedic in your knowledge. Though I grew up avoiding MSG due to my aunt's allergy, the rest of that recipe idea sounds delicious. Usually if I'm trying to give something vegetarian, especially something vegan, a bit of a 'meaty' seasoning I'll use something like Lawry's Seasoning Salt. Though my favorite lentil seasoning is balsamic vinegar, unless I'm making a full-on red-lentil dahl....then it's sour cream with red curry.
Since you mention Lithuania, 3 things:
(a) One of my pals who is Lithuanian often posts photos on Facebook of traditional dress and formalwear.
(b) When I was a kid, we made an annual trip to my favorite museum, The Museum of Science & Industry, for its Xmas Trees From Around the World exhibit. My very favorite was always the Lithuanian tree, because it was very natural, totally not gaudy. Nothing artificial, just snowflakes made from straw, maybe a cornhusk angel.
(c) I had grokked that the tree in (b) was lovely for its naturalism & simplicity, but only just now from what you posted, am also catching that it probably is also emblematic of that remembering of Mary & Joseph's poverty. Many Jewish rituals are also about remembering times of poverty, even providing space at the dinner table for and building shelter in one's yard for wandering homeless folks (respectively for Pesach /Passover& for Succhot, which is this week). This is that whole "for some thus have entertained angels unawares" theme as well as remembering time as slaves in Egypt & nomads in the desert. BTW, I'm intrigued by the cave idea. Many holy spots were caves. I've actually been to the Cave of the Apocalypse on Patmos, physically put my hand (as they have tourists do) on the rock wall where John rested his head when receiving Revelations. My direct lineage ancestor who founded Chassidism also lived in a cave for meditations & mystical studies (albeit not as a monk; his wife was there too).
