On 31 Mar 2005 23:56:29 -0800, "-L." > wrote:

> > What flavor do they impart?
>
> Um...Bay flavor. ;P They are pretty strong. One is plenty.

My SIL says too much makes food taste like medicine.

I'm like Katra... my mother never used bay leaves in her cooking, so I
didn't learn to cook with it until i was an adult. I don't use it in
many dishes and when I do, I use it sparingly.

On Fri, 01 Apr 2005 02:04:26 -0600, Aaron Bergman
> wrote:

> I read once that California bay leaves should be avoided, but I've never
> done a comparison.

Only wimps avoid California Bay... because it's stronger than Turkish.
One way to get around their strong flavor is to use 1/2 a leaf
instead of a whole one.

sf

On Fri, 01 Apr 2005 08:25:42 -0500, Kenneth
> wrote:

> On Fri, 01 Apr 2005 02:16:38 -0600, Katra
> > wrote:
>
> >> They are the leaves from the Bay tree.
> >
> ><grins> THAT I knew!
>
> Well, it is false. They are the leaves of the Laurel...
>
FYI: It's called California BAY Laurel, which we shorten to "Bay"...
and it's called many other things too, including Oregon Myrtle (a real
eye opener for me).

Umbellularia californica
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/54075/

Katra wrote:
> Ok, I know this is really going to make me sound ignorant, but my mom

> almost never used bay leaves and I did learn to cook mostly from
her....
> <snip>
>
> I understand you use them whole because you need to remove
> them when you are done as they are toxic if eaten???

This is just a footnote to the discussion of bay leaves. I happened to
be reading one of my cookbooks, and in an index where various herbs and
spices were discussed, the author wrote that for "Stuffings: Crush a
bay leaf and add to stuffings for fish, pork or poultry". So if you're
still worried about bay leaves (the ones used for cooking) being
toxic....

Mac

wrote:
> Katra wrote:
> > Ok, I know this is really going to make me sound ignorant, but my
mom
> > almost never used bay leaves and I did learn to cook mostly from
> her....
> > <snip>
> >
> > I understand you use them whole because you need to remove
> > them when you are done as they are toxic if eaten???
>
> This is just a footnote to the discussion of bay leaves. I happened
to
> be reading one of my cookbooks, and in an index where various herbs
and
> spices were discussed, the author wrote that for "Stuffings: Crush a
> bay leaf and add to stuffings for fish, pork or poultry". So if
you're
> still worried about bay leaves (the ones used for cooking) being
> toxic....
>
> Mac

Bay leaf is NOT toxic. But they do *not* soften during cooking and
have very sharp edges which can and will slice flesh like a razor blade
and can and do become lodged in the throat and/or aspirated causing
asphixiation. Do NOT ever "crush" bay leaves directly into a recipe...
use whole or powdered only... and when used whole count how many you
put in (write it down) and be certain to retrieve same prior to
serving. Whenever possible contain bay leaves securely by tieing in a
cloth or place in a metal infuser... when placing bay leaves directly
into a pot choose only those fully intact, not damaged... save the
broken ones for the infuser.

I use a lot of bay leaves. I buy my bay leaves from Penzeys by the
pound (there're a lot of leaves in a pound). The last batch they sent
contained what I thought were an excessive number of broken ones, which
I did ask they replace, indeed they were.

Sheldon

Katra replied to Ophelia:

>> I love rosemary and I chop it very finely and of course it stays in. My
>> DH likes the taste in food but if I leave them whole he will complain
>> about the 'bushes' and pick them out
>
> Heh! I mince rosemary also!
> It's excellent on poultry...

Try this sometime (you can use lavender instead of rosemary, too):

ROSEMARY SHORTBREAD

3 sticks (3/4 pound) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup sugar, plus 2 teaspoons for sprinkling
2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary, or 2 teaspoons dried
2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/4 teaspoon salt

1. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, cream the butter at medium-high
speed until pale yellow, about 2 minutes. Add the 2/3 cup sugar and beat
until fluffy, about 1 minute.

2. If using dried rosemary, grind it in a spice grinder or crush it with a
mortar and pestle or rolling pin until finely ground but not pulverized.
Add the all-purpose flour, rice flour, salt and rosemary to the butter
mixture and beat until thoroughly combined. Pat the dough into 2 squares,
wrap in wax paper and refrigerate until firm, about 1 1/2 hours.

3. Preheat the oven to 375F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment
paper.

4. On a well-floured surface, roll each square of dough into a 10-inch by
6-inch rectangle, about 1/8 inch thick. Cut the dough into whatever shape
you like. Transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheets, spacing them
about 1/2 inch apart. If desired, sprinkle the tops with the remaining 2
teaspoons sugar, then bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until golden at the edges.
Cool cookies on a rack and store in an airtight container.


Bob

In article .com>,
wrote:

> Katra wrote:
> > Ok, I know this is really going to make me sound ignorant, but my mom
>
> > almost never used bay leaves and I did learn to cook mostly from
> her....
> > <snip>
> >
> > I understand you use them whole because you need to remove
> > them when you are done as they are toxic if eaten???
>
> This is just a footnote to the discussion of bay leaves. I happened to
> be reading one of my cookbooks, and in an index where various herbs and
> spices were discussed, the author wrote that for "Stuffings: Crush a
> bay leaf and add to stuffings for fish, pork or poultry". So if you're
> still worried about bay leaves (the ones used for cooking) being
> toxic....
>
> Mac
>

Thanks!

And thanks so much to everyone else as well for their input.
I appreciate it!

--
K.

Sprout the Mung Bean to reply...

There is no need to change the world. All we have to do is toilet train the world and we'll never have to change it again. -- Swami Beyondanada

>,,<Cat's Haven Hobby Farm>,,<Katraatcenturyteldotnet>,,<

http://cgi6.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...user id=katra

On 3 Apr 2005 16:30:08 -0500, "Bob" >
wrote:

> Katra replied to Ophelia:
>
> >> I love rosemary and I chop it very finely and of course it stays in. My
> >> DH likes the taste in food but if I leave them whole he will complain
> >> about the 'bushes' and pick them out
> >
> > Heh! I mince rosemary also!
> > It's excellent on poultry...
>
> Try this sometime (you can use lavender instead of rosemary, too):
>
> ROSEMARY SHORTBREAD

How did I miss this thread? I have rosemary growing in the side
yard... it's one of those plants that can thrive in arid conditions.

Try making Focaccia al Rosmarino (Rosemary Focaccia)
The Artisan: http://home.earthlink.net/~ggda/bredfrm.htm

Rosemary is excellent with lamb! I throw branches of it (from my
bush) over coals to create flavored smoke when grilling poultry and
lamb.

I have a friend who makes the most delicious oven roasted rack of lamb
that has a mustard, rosemary, breadcrumb crust (I don't do breadcrumb
crusts). Here's a URL that sounds almost exactly like how she told me
she does it http://teriskitchen.com/meats/lambrack.html

Do you like your lamb butterflied and grilled? Try this recipe
http://www.fbnr.com/Recipes/290/1198001290.htm

Mmmm. Now I'm hungry for lamb!

It's raining and pizza is scheduled for dinner. I made the dough a
couple of hours ago and we're getting ready to make a wide variety of
pizzas from chicken to vegetarian.