SO MANY things in recipes are optional. But if you live in Southern California, and you lack that bay leaf for a soup, stew or roast, it’s almost criminal to cook without it. This is the one place in ...

Why do so many recipes call for a single bay leaf? Does one single leaf really add a noticeable change to the flavor profile or is it mostly stemmed in traditions that were never questioned? What a ...

When seasoning a dish before popping it in the oven, you might not think about the plants the herbs and spices came from. One time you might is when using bay leaves. It’s one thing to sprinkle food ...