Cooking Question

[TerryMB]

Once again I have bought basil leaves instead of bay leaves. I think I have four containers of them now and I don't know what they're used for and always forget they exist until I come home from the store and realize I've bought the wrong thing yet again. (It was raining and my glasses were in my pocket.)

So my question is this: can I substitute a basil leaf for a bay leaf in stew?

[Silva]

Basil is my favourite herb and it goes really well with tomatoes so, if you have tomatoes in your stew, it should be fine. It's used in Bolognese sauce and other Italian dishes.

[spacelover8126]

It won't taste quite the same but should work fine.  I love basil as well and use it almost all the time.  The only herb I like better is cilantro, which tastes awesome but isn't as versatile as basil.

[TerryMB]

Thank you both. When it comes to spices I just do what the cookbook tells me to and really don't know much about them. I'm making more than enough stew that one basil leaf won't change it that much so now I know I don't need to make another trip to the store!

[Perfect7]

Bay leaf adds an extra flavor to a soup that is really delicious! Next time you go to the store, do try to remember to get bay leaf, because you will like how it flavors your soup.

[Val-the-nomad]

Isn't pesto made from basil? I love sliced tomato with mozzarella cheese and pesto on top, so you could try making that with a leaf of the plant instead of the paste.