I f you cook regularly, you have probably come across a recipe that calls for a bay leaf and thought, "Do I need to spend $7 ...

Think of bay leaves as you would a cinnamon stick -- integral ... and even Thanksgiving turkey brine. Despite their ubiquity, there's a healthy debate surrounding their utility.

Make your Christmas turkey gravy a thing of beauty with this ... a saucepan and cover with 1.2 litres/2 pints water. Add the bay leaf, thyme, peppercorns and onion. Bring to the boil and skim ...

Rub the turkey all over with the butter, salt and freshly ground pepper, then grate over the nutmeg. Put the onion, carrot, garlic, thyme, bay leaves and cider (or dry white wine) in the slow ...