A Bouquet in Both Senses

I wonder if a bride with a passion for cooking has ever put basil in her bouquet? I know there is a language of flowers; is there a language of herbs? Basil's probably better as an accent; you don't want your guests, not to mention your intended, to be thinking about food when they should be marveling at your dewy beauty. I'm re-launching "52 New Foods" as "Dancing With the Whisks" which doesn't limit me to writing about unusual/new ingredients (not that it has 'til now). Whatever fun I get up to in the kitchen is now fodder for the blog. This post was inspired by that garden-fresh bunch of basil my colleage Christine Zika brought me when we had lunch on Friday. Note to self: there is no better get-well gift than freshly picked, fragrant herbs with the dirt still clinging to the stalks. We're anxiously awaiting "Frankenstorm," a nor-easter roaring up from the Caribbean to devastate the coastline for the next three-four days, so I'll make pesto and Chuck and I can eat in in style. Who needs canned goods when you can whip up a batch of fresh sauce?