Sweet bay

Sweet bay or Laurus nobilis, is a tree which is cultivated throughout Turkey, Israel, Russia, Italy, and France.  The plant is also known as cooking bay, and bay tree. It is known as laurel by Greeks who wore it as a garland round their heads.

The dark green leaves are typically two to four inches long, and the plant has a compact, tapering form. A similar tree is found in China but the variety is different and leaves contain an essential oil having a mark phenolic odor not unlike that of Pimento racemosa. The leaves yield above 2% essential oil when steam distilled.

Because of their agreeable flavor their leaves are popular in cooking and in various confections. As herb they are used to flavor soups, stew, shellfish, sauces, marinades, poultry, and fish dishes.

Bay is an essential component of any ‘Bouquet garni’. This French term is used to describe a small ‘herbal bouquet’ tied with string that is dropped into broth, soups, stews, causes and such and then removed before serving.

The leaves are usually used dried, as fresh leaves can be slightly bitter. Besides its distinctive flavour, bay is supposed to stimulate the appetite and encourage digestion.

Note that there are several varieties of laurel, but only laurus nobilis should be used in cooking.
Sweet bay

Chestnut flour for baked goods and confectionery

Chestnut is consumed raw, or more commonly boiled or roasted to improve its flavor and digestibility. Chestnut is dried the pericarp and the endocarp are removed and the nut is ground to obtain chestnut flour. Naturally sweet and tasty, this flour is a good alternative to grain for the totally grain free diet.

Chestnut flour is often in a package labeled farina di castagne, as it is imported from Italy.

For an adequate conservation, the moisture content of chestnut should be around 50%.

Chestnut flour is popular in Corsica, the Périgord and Lunigiana. In Corsica, it is used to cook the local variety of polenta. In Italy, it is mainly used for desserts.

Polenta-chestnut bread combines two Italian flours, chestnut flour ground from the fruits of the chestnut trees that grow out of Rome and northern Italian coarsely ground cornmeal, known for polenta.

Baked goods made with chestnut flour alone are very crumbly, so it s best to use chestnut flour with a binding ingredient such as a banana arrowroot or tapioca flour.

Chestnut flour also used as a confectionery paste, which is a basic ingredient for desserts.

Chestnut flour could be used as a functional ingredient in the formulation of snack-like products since it could improve the nutritional value of the extruded product.
Chestnut flour for baked goods and confectionery