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Bay Leaves Photo By: Lord-Williams |
Their green fruits or berries, appearing in the fall turn
brown when dried, are not as well known. Due to their bitter taste, they are
best in strong gravies and hardy sauces.
The Greeks named the plant after Daphne, who turned into a
laurel shrub or tree to escape from Apollo, the Greek god of poetry, prophecy
and healing, who was chasing her. From then on not only was the tree sacred for
Apollo but he also wore a laurel crown in remembrance of the lady he lost.
At Delphi, Apollo’s priestress, communicated his prophecies
by giving oracles but first she always ate a bay leaf. The narcotic effect of
the leaf put her into a trance. There the roof of Apollo’s temple was made of
bay leaves, which protected against lightning, disease and witchcraft. Since,
architectural moldings have been shaped like bay leaf wreaths.
At the Python Games, begun in 582, in honor of Apollo the
winners wore laurel wreaths to display their excellence. Poets too adopted this
tradition. Later, Roman Emperors wore laurel wreaths as a symbol of Apollo. The
leaf was dedicated to Aesculapius, the Greek god of medicine and Apollo’s son.
Over the centuries, it has been used against the plague and other diseases.
It is interesting to note that of the medieval manuscripts examined, Nola uses bay leaves with fish and shellfish. The 13th C Anoymous Al-Andaulus calls for bay leaves in a syrup.
[Anón/Huici. 1965:516:281; Bremness. 1990:90; ES: Collins. Apr 1, 96; ES: Katzer.
“Laurel.” Feb 10, 03; and ES: “Laurus nobilis.” Feb 11, 2003; Nola. 1989:lxv-4:lxvi-6:lxvi-1; and Trapiello.
1994:137]
HOW TO COOK OYSTERS ADAPTED
FROM NOLA’S lxvi-6 COMO SE GUISAN LAS OSTÍAS
Ingredients
olive oil for
frying
¼ tsp white
pepper
1 pinch of saffron
diluted and mashed
juice from 1 orange
2 bay leaves
Preparation
Fry oysters in
oil. Add pepper, saffron, spices to taste oranges juice and bay leaves.
Another way of preparing oysters is to roast them seasoned with white pepper. and
Also they can be eaten boiled in water, with a splash of oil, and spices. First gently fry onion and oil in a frying pan; or the onion gently fried alone in the frying pan; and then add vinegar to taste, and herbs to taste.
A fourth way of cooking oysters is in a casserole with water and oil, spices and herbs with onion previously sautéed. Add vinegar to taste.
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