>I was always under the impression that the bayleaf was poisonous > I think that this is an urban legend. In Mexico (particularly the central hot country of Michoacan), the bay leaf is ground into many of their moles, roast meat dishes, and into the chorizo. A little closer to home, take a guess as to the main ingredient in Old Bay Seasoning....mmmmmmmm.....crabs.... Matt ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ T. Matthew Evans Graduate Research Assistant Geosystems Group, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering Georgia Institute of Technology URL: www.prism.gatech.edu/~gte964w ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~