Basil, Dried Bay Leaves, and Garlic for Good Cooking

The feminist movement of the 70s made homemaking skills--cooking, quilting, crafting, and sewing--less desirable for many women. Thanks to people like Martha Stewart, in 2013 it is vogue again to cook, create, and sew. This country owes much to Martha for bringing homemaking skills to light again. Cooking has become a national pastime. Once relegated to women, cooking is now a favorite hobby of many men, especially when it comes to fixing up a good barbeque. Once again, people know what to do with dried bay leaves, basil, cilantro, coriander, cumin, garlic, paprika, and rosemary.

Dried Bay Leaves

Bay leaves are used for flavoring many kinds of dishes. It is especially popular in Mediterranean cuisines. The leaves are brittle when dried whole and can cause intestinal problems, so they are usually removed before eating. Bay leaves are delicious in Italian food, clam chowder, and pasta sauces. Ground bay leaves can be ingested safely and are often the secret ingredient in stocks and soups, and are a common addition for Bloody Marys.

Other Uses for Bay Leaves

Bay leaves are also know as laurel leaves and have a shelf life of approximately one year when stored dry and cool. Traditional medicine holds that the essence of oil found in the laurel or bay leaf alleviates rheumatism and arthritis when used in aromatherapy. It is also used to treat earaches, high blood pressure, and rashes. Some spices in your cupboard have more uses than simply making delicious soups and pasta.
The Versatility of Cilantro

Cilantro use is certainly on the rise in the States, as is fresh-Mex food in general. Add cilantro to salsa, guacamole, Tex-Mex, Mediterranean, Indian, Scandinavian, Chinese, and Asian food. All parts of the plant are edible, but the leaves are most often used in cooking. Cilantro is also known as coriander, dhania, and Chinese parsley. It is usually less expensive to just buy a bundle at the store than to try to grow your own. The delicate, rich flavor adds savor to any salad or sauce.

Garlic for All Cuisines

Garlic is the mother of all spices, along with its cousin, the onion. Garlic is easy to grow--almost too easy. It spreads and can take over your garden if not contained. It is best to grow garlic in a container. Garlic is used around the world to flavor foods. One garlic bulb has several smaller cloves. Remember this when a recipe calls for four garlic cloves; it is not four garlic bulbs!

Thanks to Martha Stewart, Food Tastes Good

Thank you, Martha Stewart, for bringing legitimacy to homemaking skills. The homes of America are prettier and more creative, and dinner with dried bay leaves, basil, cilantro, cumin, garlic, and other spices certainly tastes better.