The Bay - Laurel

We're near the bay, and laurel groves are everywhere. Stews are conveniently flavored with all manner of local leaves, the bay laurel being the most masterful and plenty of the trees furnishing said spices. A victory for the sauces of the neighborhood.

The leaves are better the older they get, mellower and full-bodied. The young leaves burn your tongue and inflame your nostrils.

Here is some information on the California Bay Laurel from our local children.

The California Bay Laurel

We made wreaths for the heads of our boys in cub scouts. They performed an adapted version of C. Cavafy's "Waiting for the Barbarians" while dressed in togic garb. It's a timely poem, although I've always feared the barbarians and still do. The word is a bit like "terrorist" though. Can you really argue with the supremacy of good plumbing and plasma flat-screen TVs? And such tasty sauces.


Waiting for the Barbarians