Editorial
Front Page - Friday, December 11, 2009
Kay's Cooking Corner
Kay Bona
As I was putting my roast in the slow cooker this morning, I dropped a few bay leaves in along with the mixture. They didn’t seem like they would add much flavor, all dried-up and stuff, but I put them in anyway cause that is what you do.
This prompted me to check out their freshness and shelf-stability, which of course led me to a lot of other information about Bay Leaves that I may have read somewhere before but don’t remember. So decided to share the more interesting things with all of you. Below is some of that information, some folklore, yet some of it true.
Native to Asia and cultivated in the Mediterranean and similar climates, the Laurus nobilis is an evergreen member of the Lauraceae family and is related to cinnamon and sassafras.
Bay leaves, also called Mediterranean Bay, are smooth, bright green, oblong leaves that grow anywhere from 1 to 3 inches long. Once dried, they turn a nice olive green color. With deeply aromatic flavors of wood, eucalyptus and clove, bay leaf works quite well in savory dishes, but, when chewed alone is very bitter.
Bay leaves have noble historic roots in Greek mythology as medicinal and magical herbs. In one famous story the beautiful mythological nymph Daphne was said to have been transformed into a laurel leaf (poor girl!) in order to preserve her virtue and virginity, which made the tree a longstanding symbol of all things pure and sacred. This association with the divine made laurel a ceremonial emblem of honor with the Greeks and Romans. Its leaves were woven into wreaths and given to athletes, warriors, and poets as a mark of distinction, a practice still used today. A poet laureate (meaning Laurel) is a highly accomplished poet, and baccalaureate means “laurel berries” which signifies the completion of a bachelor’s degree.
It was also believed that the laurel provided safety from thunder and lightning, so Emperor Tiberius always wore a laurel wreath during thunderstorms.
Bay leaf oil is useful for treating high blood sugar, migraines, bacterial infections and fungal infections, rheumatism, amenorrhea and colic.
The leaf and its oil are also used for their astringent, diaphoretic, digestive, diuretic, emetic and stomachic properties. The oil is used externally for bruising and sprains. Bay leaf helps the body process insulin efficiently, and bay leaf contains eugenol, which is an anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant. However, more recent research has ruled out many of its more unreasonalbe medicinal claims, such as the leaf can induce abortions.
Fresh leaves are more potent than dried. Dried leaves, should be stored out of direct sunlight in an airtight container. Leaves are generally used whole, but can be finely ground and added to sauces for a stronger taste. Dried leaves should keep for around two years before losing their potency. Test yours by bending them slightly — they should have a bit of flexibility, and when you do break them, there should be an aroma. Also, they should maintain their olive green color. If they are brown,
they need to be tossed.
So here is my chuck roast recipe. I always serve it with garlic-mashed potatoes and wheat rolls.
Kay’s slow-cooker chuck roast
About a 4 pound chuck roast
3-4 carrots, sliced into bite-size rounds
2 stalks of celery, sliced
1 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
4 cloves garlic, peeled
1 onion, quartered
3 cups beef stock
3 Bay leaves, whole
Salt and pepper to taste
Bistro brown gravy mix
Place all ingredients in slow cooker and cook on high 4 to 6 hours. When roast is done, remove meat and vegetables from liquid. Strain liquid if needed. Place about a cup of hot liquid in small pan, and stir in four tablespoons brown gravy mix. Cook and stir until thickened. Add to liquid in crock pot. Pour over
roast and serve.
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