Bay Laurel

There I was driving to the office when right in front of me, practically on top of me onto the east runway lands a commercial air liner.So, you may think. But the East runway is on a military base. Commercial airliners land on those in emergencies. The last time I saw that happen was in Alaska. I of course get to the office and ask at the news room about it. They are not sure but it might be Clinton and his entourage. I make a call to the man who knows it all and he calls back with the info it is a group of delegates on a goodwill tour of some kind. Interesting….

Yesterday I created baked macaroni and cheese. Making rue and then turning it into a cheese sauce and browning up the bread crumbs and baking it into a hot mess in the oven. I have never baked it. I usually just create a cheese sauce, mix it with the pasta and serve. Oh this was soooo delicious.

 My grandson’s sperm donor made one for thanksgiving one time and it was so gooey and ooey and it is all I wanted. I could have been happy with just that, no smashed potatoes or sweet potatoes or dressing or turkey or Brussels sprouts. Mmm… Anyway as I was creating Shaggy was reading the recipe to me and it required a bay leaf be added during the initial creation of rue, ok I added two small leaves and proceeded to cook. Shaggy who has watched me cook and knows I use bay leaves in several dishes asks me what is a bay leaf and what it is for and are they edible. Why use one? Great questions and I wondered the similar ones myself so this morning I am going to find out. Join me?

I have just poured another cup of pumpkin chai tea and am enjoying the health benefits of that wonderful spice cardamom we learned about so let us study the bay leaf.

Bay leaf, the aromatic leaf of the Bay Laurel; the leaves are used in cooking for their fragrance and flavor especially in soups and stews in the Mediterranean.  The leaves do not attain their full flavor until several weeks after being picked and dried. The leaves have been cultivated since ancient times starting in Asia Minor and spreading to the Mediterranean. It is not grown in northern climates as it does not tolerate cold. The leaves taste bitter if eaten whole. They are prized for the fragrance they impart not the taste. The tree can grow up to 40 feet tall.

In ancient Roman and Greek cultures the Laurel was an important symbol of honor. In the Elizabethan era it was pinned to a pillow on the eve of St. Valentines feast day and it was said you would dream of your future spouse. Bay leaves were believed to contain magic.

They can be used in soups, stews, and vegetable and seafood dishes. Cooked in these dishes but removed before serving. They are harsh to the digestive system. The leaves can be crushed, ground or added whole however, they impart more flavor when broken but are harder to remove. This is why they are used more often in crushed form in a Bouquet Garni. Ground leaves add much more flavor but may not leave a desirable texture.

Bay leaves are used to repel insects in the kitchen cupboards. Scattering the leaves about will ward off, silverfish, cockroaches, meal moths and flies.

The leaves have been used to treat High Blood Sugar, Migraine Headaches, Bacterial and Fungal Infections, and Gastric Ulcers. Bay berries along with the leaves have been used for astringent, digestive, diuretic, and several other stomachic properties. Bay oil is used for bruises and sprains. It helps the body produce insulin more efficiently which leads to lower blood sugar levels, calms headaches and migraines.

Lady Tamara www.LochaberHighlandEstates.com is now going to decorate her pantry and cupboards with bay leaves to keep out the bugs who may decide her home is a grand place to live. I think she will investigate bay leaf wreaths too. I imagine they smell divine.