The message
from "Mike Lyle" contains these words:


Older cookery books can be misleading by using "laurel" for "bay";
the original 1861 Mrs Beeton is, in my opinion, plain wrong. The 1906
edition is clearer, and says the "cherry-laurel" is sometimes used
with discretion to give an almond-like flavour -- I don't think I
ever would, though.

I think that "almond flavour" is the cyanide content of the laurel leaves.

Butterfly collectors used to put their victim in a jar with laurel
leaves for the cyanide gas to kill them.

Janet