Are you kidding me?

[K Frame]

Jesus wept...

I brought homemade chicken soup from home  today. I missed getting a bay leaf out and almost ate it. I mentioned it to my late 20s something office mate.

She has no clue what bay leafs are.

I'm gobsmacked.

[charby]

Jesus wept...

I brought homemade chicken soup from home  today. I missed getting a bay leaf out and almost ate it. I mentioned it to my late 20s something office mate.

She has no clue what bay leafs are.

I'm gobsmacked.

Seems like everything had a bay leaf in it in the 1970s-1980s.

[K Frame]

Bay leaf is what I would consider one of the core herbs/spices...

Pepper, oregano, basil, cinnamon, paprika, nutmeg, thyme...

and bay leaves.

It's not a flipping black cardamom, fenugreek, or garam masala...

[Scout26]

Dad, and now I, buy Bayleaf by the large container*, not the standard sized bottle.   And just about every meal has one has the mix.  It imparts into meat(s) that help bring out the flavours.

My mother used to freak out if she couldn't find all the ones that Dad put in.  Dad was never really precise on counting them, and she would be all worried that we were going to be poisoned if we didn't find every last one.  Dad wasn't worried as they were all full leafs and said we'd find them while eating.  




*-

[mtnbkr]

she would be all worried that we were going to be poisoned if we did find every last one. 

While I know what a bay leaf is in terms of cooking, I had no idea what plant they came from, so this thread prompted me to consult the googles.  One thing I learned is that the common misconception about bay leaf being poisonous if eaten is due to their physical similarities to actual poisonous plants such as Mountain Laurel.  There are, however, physical risks to eating bay leafs such as digestive system damage from the stiff leaf.

Chris

[charby]

There are, however, physical risks to eating bay leafs such as digestive system damage from the stiff leaf.

Chris

That is what Mom and Dad said growing up, don't eat the bay leaf because you'll poop blood.

[K Frame]

"There are, however, physical risks to eating bay leafs such as digestive system damage from the stiff leaf."

Yes, there are. I've heard of people having rectal cuts requiring medical attention from passing an eaten bay leaf.

[BlueStarLizzard]

*shrug* I didn't know what the hell it was until a few years ago when I really started doing more cooking.

I do have to explain to Dad what it is every time I use them in something though, since I never find them in the pot, and I have to tell him not to eat them. For some reason he seems to think finding the leaf is some sort of prize.

[zxcvbob]

Whiz the bay leaves to a powder in an electric coffee grinder.  This works really well with the cheap ones you get in a big cello bag at the Middle Eastern grocery that have good flavor and aroma but most of them are broken.  Put it in an old spice bottle with a shaker top (not an Old Spice bottle   )  

Add the bayleaf powder near the end of cooking; you can even add it at the table.

[KD5NRH]

Whiz the bay leaves to a powder in an electric coffee grinder.  This works really well with the cheap ones you get in a big cello bag at the Middle Eastern grocery that have good flavor and aroma but most of them are broken.

Or just stuff them in a bottle of cheap vodka (good) or Everclear (better) and work out the dosage by trial and error.  Ground dried spices lose potency over time, whereas alcohol extractions tend to get stronger.