A Harmony Of Flavors Published “The Noble Bay Leaf from Kitchen to Craft”

March 1, 2013 - PRLog -- Chris Rawstern, Culinary Advisor for A Harmony of Flavors, published  the article “The Noble Bay Leaf from Kitchen to Craft”.

This article is part of A Harmony of Flavors mission to publish pertinent articles to help bring people’s attention to important issues or problems and hopefully offer some form of education for them to make the best decisions. This Article describes that the bay tree has been sacred since ancient times.  Even its name suggests greatness.  Nobilis means renowned, and the bay branches were woven into wreaths of victory. Apollo’s temple was said to have its roof made entirely of bay leaves for protection, and bay leaf garlands were later used in architectural moldings. The genus Laurus is derived from the Latin laus, meaning praise.  Yet this wonderful plant also has a prominent place in the kitchen, giving wonderful flavor to countless dishes, and wreaths of laurel are still made as beautiful craft projects to decorate our homes.

The Bay Tree, also called Sweet Bay or Bay Laurel, is indigenous to the Mediterranean and Asia Minor, though it is now cultivated in many temperate climates.  It does not tolerate strong winds and very cold temperatures, so container growing is an alternative. In the wild, the tree can grow to 60 feet, though outside its natural growing area, it may not grow to more than 10 to 15 feet.  Container plants generally do not get more than about 5 feet tall, though this is more than adequate if growing for kitchen use.  The leaves maybe used either fresh or dried for culinary purposes. For crafts, the branches may be woven into wreaths while still supple and green, and will dry beautifully to maintain shape.  If not from plants sprayed with poisons, wreaths are great for use both as a decoration and as a handy place to grab a bay leaf when needed for cooking.

Bay leaves are key ingredients in many spice mixtures, such as the French bouquet garni, and some garam masala mixtures. The leaves themselves are very stiff, with a strong vein and stem. Remove leaves from a dish before serving, to prevent any choking hazard.  In making a garam masala, all the ingredients will be ground, so any vein or stem that has not been pulverized is easily removed. The bouquet garni herbs are used whole in a bundle and removed before the dish is used. Some dishes that typically use a bouquet garni are Boeuf Bourguinon, Osso Buco, Bouillabaisse, French Onion Soup and Cassoulet, among others.

Rawstern is an author, teacher, gourmet cook as well as a photographer and graphic artist.  She has taken or created all images appearing on these sites. Her articles have been syndicated nationally.

Her background is Slovakian on her mother's side and Yugoslavian on her father's. Her grandparents came from Europe to the United States to make a better life for themselves and their families. Her ethnic cooking influences began at the cradle. She began her cooking career in Guatemala, in 1970 when she moved there as a 20-year-old newlywed, and set out to learn to cook in a foreign land. This process was complicated by the fact that she could not speak or read the language.

Rawstern loves food, new recipes, and to teach people how to cook from scratch. Her passion is to teach people how to create A Harmony of Flavors when they cook, find joy in baking and help pass along her love of and joy in foods, both simple and exotic, plain or fancy, as she continues her journey in both ethnic cooking and domestic. Her favorite saying in her class is “Life is short – eat dessert first”.

About the Author

My name is Chris Rawstern and I have been on a cooking and baking journey for 42 years. I love food. I love to cook, and teach people how to cook, from scratch.  I love baking.  I love to create new recipes and try them.  I hope to inspire you to follow me!

I would love to hear from you, to help me continue my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of collecting favored recipes of your own.  Visit me at my Web site (http://www.aharmonyofflavors.com/) my Blog or Marketplace (http://www.a-harmony-of-flavors-marketplace.com/).  Email me at chris@aharmonyofflavors.com.