I found a small bay tree at Hashimoto Nursery in Sawtelle last week. I brought it home and planted it in a big terra cotta pot on the balcony. I snipped off a branch near the bottom to allow the tree to direct its energy on vertical growth. I strung the laurel in the kitchen. I plan to use the leaves when cooking.
That night I watched an old episode of At Home With Venetia in Kyoto in which (coincidentally) Venetia dedicates her herb essay to bay. She calls it the "herb of strength" and sips a mug of warm milk flavored with a bay leaf and honey before going to bed.
I asked my friend Ryota to watch Venetia's show with me several nights later. I wanted to know if he thought her Japanese sounded native. He thought she sounded fluent but not entirely flawless. He found her minor mistakes charming. Ryota also explained to me that the title of the show in Japanese is Cat Tail and Frog Hand. I was shocked by this information.
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