Q: Can you eat bay leaves? I have a spice rack that has powdered bay leaves in it, but I am scared to use it, because everyone on the Food Network always pulls the leaf out before serving. Tim Black, Camden, NJ

AskFN: Bay leaves (powdered or crumbled) are perfectly safe to eat, and are a good choice for quick-cooking dishes - long, slow soups, stews, or braises allow whole bay leaves to let off all their flavor. The only reason they're not served in dishes is that their texture can be unpalatable and there's a bit of a choking hazard, but if they're crumbled or powdered, you don't have that problem. Whole leaves have a strong flavor, and depending on when yours were powdered, they may not be so strong - taste them and see before adding them to a dish.

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