THE LOVELY BAY LAUREL
My first memory of hearing about herbs and spices is linked to the bay leaf. It was probably the wonderful beef stew made by the SpiceQueen. Before this, I just ate--never thinking about the flavoring that was done to food. I'm guessing I was 9 or 10 years old, and had spooned out of my stew a bay leaf, thinking it was a sibling joke. What followed was my first lesson in food flavorings. Later sometime in school, I found it hard to believe that those dried bay leaves were the laurel wreaths of ancient Greek and Roman heroes. The words baccalaureate and poet laureate, as well as the name Laurence owe homage to the ideas that surround the bay laurel.
Bay leaf was one of my kitchen start-up herbs when I began my married life, and so it has flavored my numerous stews and soups, and broths along the way. Lately, I've begun to sniff my spices like I sniff my wine looking for the aromatic elements that make them individuals. I noticed that the smell of bay leaf is mildly reminiscent of rosemary, although rosemary is stronger and more piney when crushed. Bay leaf is also part of that fragrant mix we call pickling spice.
In looking to stretch the boundaries of how I cook with ingredients, I discovered this most adventuresome cook who has opened my MiddleNorthernEastern European cooking eyes to the baking side of bay leaf. Scroll down to September 17th '07 for a pistachio tart flavored with bay leaf. I don't have a bay leaf recipe to share yet, but I'm now thinking in a new direction.
1 comment:
Happy Birthday Saucymama! Just wrapped up cooking carne asada tacos on the grill tonight. Suppose I should have had some strawberry shortcake w/whipped cream - they've just come into season. It'd have to be a big piece of cake to hold all those candles though!!! :)
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