Bay Leaves History,Uses in Medicine and Cookery;Recipe:Basic CHICKEN STOCK

BAY LEAVES

The Latin name for the bay tree is Lauraceae nobilis, Laurus means praise and nobilis, renowned; hence the phrase ‘to rest on one’s laurels’ meaning to reflect on past triumphs or achievements and not do anything new. The bay tree is also known by other names, including the laurel tree.

This tree is native to southern Europe, and is the basis for a Greek legend. Eros (Cupid) and the god Apollo were both skilled archers, and one day in a fit of pique, Eros let fly two arrows, one tipped with lead and the other with gold. The golden tipped arrow struck Apollo and the lead one hit Daphne, a nymph and daughter if the river god Peneus. Apollo, who had gone to the valley of Tempe to cleanse and purify himself after slaying the Python, the ancient evil serpent, immediately fell in love with Daphne, who, because of the effect of Eros’ arrow, loathed and feared Apollo. She fled from him and ran to the river which embodied her father. On seeing his daughter’s plight, he changed her into a bay tree. This is how the tree gets its Greek name, Daphne.

Apollo was not cured by this metamorphosis, of his love for Daphne, and on his return to civilization, to commemorate his victory over the Python, established the Pythian Games, and victors at these games were given crowns of Daphne, or laurel to wear. When the Olympic Games were established in 776BC, victors were also crowned with wreaths of laurel, as were later Roman Emperors.

Nowadays poet laureates are also given symbolic wreaths of laurel, and this is a throw back to the belief of the ancient Greeks that, among other things, Apollo was god of poetry. His temple at Delphi had a roof made only of bay and the Pythoness, the priestess there, would eat a bay leaf before giving the oracle. Bay is said it have some narcotic qualities, so maybe it helped in giving the priestess visions of the future.
We know that bay trees were also common in the temple gardens of ancient Egypt, and that Aesculpius, Apollo’s son, an a healer, believed that bay was a powerful; antiseptic, and guarded against the plague. He incurred his father’s wrath when he had the bay dedicated to him. In the 17th century Culpeper wrote that the oil of the bay leaf and berries could get rid of pimples, and’all griefs and pain proceeding from wind…’

The bay’s properties have not been much researched yet, but it is believed that it can promote digestion, lower blood sugar levels, cure migraines and can relieve the pain of gastric ulcers. However much more research is needed before these claims can be verified.
We use it to flavour almost every European dish we cook, although we tend to omit it in Pakistani cuisine, but there is no real reason for that. It goes with just about everything and is even used as a pickling spice.
The recipe below is a useful one for a basic chicken stock which can be frozen in small or large quantities and kept till you are ready to use it. It’s healthier than a stock cube, and much tastier. Also it’s a good way of using the whole chicken after it’s been roasted.



BASIC CHICKEN STOCK
Ingredients
1 whole chicken carcass, skin removed
1 large whole onion stuck with 2 cloves at the top and 2 at the bottom
2 large carrots, peeled and cut into thirds
1 bunch parsley
1/8 tsp nutmeg
8 black peppercorns
3 or 4 bay leaves, torn depending on their size
2 tsps dried mixed herbs, or just dried thyme
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste


Method
Put all ingredients in a large pan, cover with water and bring to the boil. Remove any scum that rises to the surface and do this at regular intervals when you start cooking this stock.
Cover and simmer for 2 to 3 hours.
Cool and freeze for future use.
This has Taste and is a Treat, and can be used in many dishes.

Curry Leaves Origins Medical Uses And Recipe

CURRY LEAVES

Curry leaves come from a shrub or small tree, called the curry tree, or Indian Bay. The dried leaves look a lot like bay leaves, but have an entirely different aroma. I am told that they are easy to grow and keep on a window sill, as you can take a leaf with a stem as a cutting and put it in a pot, and it will grow. But as I have disasters with herbs, I’ll leave that to this site’s administrator who really does have green fingers. Fresh leaves can be frozen for later use, so growing your own is a good idea.

The word curry comes from the Tamil word kari, which is used as a term for a spicy sauce. The plant originated on the subcontinent and spread as the inhabitants took it on their travels with them. Now it happily grows in Australia, the Pacific islands, and Africa, where it is cultivated.

It is not a constituent of British curry powder, which the Brits have made as a quick way of making spicy sauces. This usually contains cumin seeds, turmeric, coriander seeds, black peppercorns, roasted fenugreek seeds, cinnamon and cloves, and chillies, although the mixture varies from company to company. We do not use curry powder at all, as we prefer to mix our own spices to create the flavour we want for each dish.

In traditional medicine here on the subcontinent, it is used to relieve digestive problems, help skin conditions, and people suffering from diabetes. Recent research in the West has shown that it does indeed help sufferers of diabetes and currently there is hope that they will produce a breakthrough in treating this disease.
  In Pakistan curry leaves are used in a variety of herbal remedies. Oil is extracted from the fresh leaves by steam, but you can heat them over a flame to produce the oil too if you hold them in a pair of tongs.They contain collagen which has anti-aging properties, as it promotes new skin cell growth to make skin youthful looking and smooth out wrinkles. The hakims say that if you have a history of diabetes in the family, or if you have developed diabetes because of a weight problem, you should eat ten curry leaves every morning for 3 months as they provide some protection for those with a history of diabetes in the family, and can cure those who have developed it because of surplus pounds.Tender young leaves mixed with honey and eaten can help in cases of diarrhoea and piles. Another remedy is to grind the leaves to a powder and put in a glass of lhassi (a yoghurt and water drink) and drink it on an empty stomach; this will cure any stomach problem associated with the digestive system. Curry leaves can strengthen the whole digestive system and they say that this is the best recipe: 15 gr. fresh curry leaf juice, 2 tbsp lemon juice, with sugar according to taste, and drink every morning on an empty stomach. This can also stop nausea, vomiting or help if you have eaten a lot of fatty food and your stomach feels heavy.
Here it is usually used fresh, although it can be used dried and/or powdered. It is hardly ever used in meat dishes, only to flavour vegetable dishes. The leaves should be fried in oil to release their aroma. You can use them in any of our vegetable dishes and in biryanis. You can also use them in meat dishes; it’s just traditional here not to. If you have your own curry plant you will find the leaves useful for using as a garnish.
Check out our chicken biryani recipe. Alternatively, here’s a rice dish!
It has Taste and is a Treat.


QUICK BASMATI RICE WITH CURRY LEAVES
Ingredients

1 cup basmati rice, washed and soaked for 10 mins
1 large onion, finely sliced
1 tbsp cumin seeds
½ tsp garam masala
5 or 6 curry leaves
250 gr peeled and chopped tomatoes
2 tbsps oil
2 or 3 red chillies


Method
Heat the oil in a pan and fry the onion, curry leaves, chopped red chillies, cumin seeds and red chilli powder .Add the rice and coat in oil, by stirring it around the pan. Add about 1 and a half cups of water, the tomatoes and salt to taste, and cook for about 15 mins. When the rice is cooked, remove from the heat and serve, garnished with curry leaves.
                           This has Taste and is a Treat.

CLOVES

The word clove, comes from the Latin, clavus, meaning nail, and this is an apt description of the clove. It is the dried flower bud from the clove tree, which is indigenous to the Malaccan Islands, and it has much the same history as the nutmeg and mace.It is in the Carophyllaceae family of plants making it a relative of carnations, soapwort and the soapnut or reetha.
 It has been around for a long time, and we know that it was used in Syria around 1721 BC as archaeologists found a ceramic pot dating from that time, with cloves in it. We also know that it was prized by the Romans, as Pliny carped about its expense – he was somewhat niggardly and miserly, I fear! In 226 BC the Chinese used to chew them to have sweet breath during an audience with the emperor.

It has antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal and antiseptic qualities and it’s a natural anaesthetic, which is why it is still used to cure toothache (at least temporarily). It is good for the digestion and the metabolism, in this modern medical practitioners agree with their predecessors of the ancient world.
If you mix freshly ground cloves in hot or warm milk, and add a little sea salt and drink the mixture, it can relieve a headache.
In the 17th century in England an orange or lemon was studded with cloves as a pomander, to mask unpleasant odours. You can do this too, as they make good decorative table pieces or you can hang them with clothes in a wardrobe.
You can also use cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg to make mulled red wine in winter.



BONG PASANDA
Ingredients
500 beef in one piece, (brisket would be good)
250 gr yoghurt
1 tsp cumin seeds
4 cloves of garlic
8 cloves
8 black peppercorns
1tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
½ cup oil
½ handful fresh mint leaves, shredded
salt to taste


Method
Pour 2 glasses of water into a pan with the meat, garlic cloves and salt and cover it. Cook over a medium heat bring to the boil and simmer until the water has evaporated.
Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the meat on all sides to seal it. Remove the pan from the heat, remove the meat and cut it into slices.
Put the yoghurt into a bowl and mix in the turmeric, cumin seeds, salt and pepper and pour this mixture into the oil in the frying pan. Cook until it boils, stirring well and pour it over the sliced meat.
Garnish with mint leaves and serve.
This has Taste and is a Treat.

CARAWAY SEEDS
Caraway seeds are also known as Persian cumin, and they do look almost identical to cumin seeds, but taste more like anise. Be careful! Caraway seeds are slightly curved, like tiny half moons, whereas cumin seeds are flat.
The name comes from the Arabic,al-karwiya, and not as Pliny thought, from Caria in Asia Minor. He probably believed this as the Latin name for caraway is carvi.
Archaeologists discovered caraway seeds in a rubbish dump, dating back 8000 years, while excavating in Switzerland, so these seeds have been around for a long time. The Romans combined them with milk to make bread, and they’re still used in rye bread today Coated with sugar they were served with fruit in the Middle Ages. They were recorded in the papyrus of Thebes, a medical text, in 1500BC, or thereabouts.Dioscorides believed they aided digestion, and modern studies show that they are a good digestive. The Germans make Kummel, the liqueur with them.
In German folklore, they were supposed to keep sleeping children safe. If some caraway seeds were placed under their beds, they would be safe from witches. In other folk tales we are told that they should be added to a love potion to keep the loved one from straying. If they were added to chicken feed or put in a dove cote, these birds wouldn’t stray either. One other belief was that if something contained caraway seeds it couldn’t be taken out of the house by a thief, but rather, would imprison the thief, so he would be captured.
Shakespeare mentions caraway seeds in his history play, Henry V, when Squire Shallow invites Falstaff to sample ‘a pippin and a dish of caraways’. Roast apples with caraway seeds were popular in his day.
What do you do with them? Well you can make seed cake with them like my grandmother used to do, but it’s dry and an acquired taste, I think. You can mix them in with your favourite potato salad recipe or you could try the recipe below, which is a side dish, good with chicken or with salads.



CUCUMBER AND CARAWAY SEEDS
Ingredients
50 gr butter or olive oil
1 tsp sesame seed oil
1 large cucumber, sliced
1 tsp caraway seeds
a few fronds of fresh dill shredded
freshly ground black pepper
salt to taste

Method
In a frying pan melt the butter or oil and the sesame oil, and fry the slices of cucumber with the caraway seeds for a few minutes until the slices become transparent.
Remove from the heat and pour into a shallow serving dish. Sprinkle with the seasonings, garnish with dill and serve warm or cold.
This has Taste and is a Treat.