Garlic dates back to over 6000 years ago and is native to Asia,
Africa, Europe and the Mediterranean region. There was a time when
garlic was so highly priced it was used as currency. The Egyptians
worshipped garlic, clay models of garlic bulbs were found in the tomb of
Tutankhanem. American snobs who frowned upon the use of garlic,
thinking its only for the poor class, now consume over 250 million
pounds of garlic per year.
When I was a child I disliked the smell of fresh garlic. I am sure it was an important ingredient in my mother's kitchen but as long as I did not smell or taste it, I wasn't any the wiser. I remember looking on in utter amazement with my face all screwed up in disgust, at an aunt who loved to eat grated raw garlic sprinkled with olive oil on bread. With every big bite into the garlic bread she would roll her big eyes around with pleasure and say as if to convince herself, 'hhhmmm, it's sooo healthy.'
In New York sometimes during summertime when there were many Chinese, Asians or Italians, or maybe just anyone who ate a lot of garlic, in the underground carriage, the smell of garlic could knock you over like a feather. I started playing with the exercise of how long I could hold my breath to avoid the strong odor of garlic. It was a known thing that couples would make sure that both eat garlic so they wouldn't smell it on each other.
Later during my travels and eating out in an authentic Japanese restaurants, where you sit in a group of perhaps 8 or 10 people, at a table in U form, so you can watch your cook prepare the dishes you ordered, I watched with interest, how the cook would slice the garlic clove and grill these first and then added the meat or whatever else the menu was.
I started gingerly to befriend garlic, and now I use garlic with great vigor copying that Japanese guy. And you know what I finally understand my aunt of those old days. She was right garlic after all. Garlic is very healthy for you. I made a huge discovery, garlic rocked!
Just look at the benefits.
Garlic is an excellent source of vitamin B6 and vitamin C, of manganese and selenium. It is also a good source of minerals, such as phosphorous, calcium, potassium, iron and copper.
Many of the perceived effects of garlic are thought to be due to its active ingredient, a sulphur-containing compound called allicin. Garlic reduces heart disease, cancer and cholesterol levels. Recent research studies have found that garlic can reduce blood clots and heart attacks. Garlic also widens the blood vessels and so lowers blood pressure. What more garlic has a long history as an infection fighter, against fungi, viruses and bacteria. It is also used to cure warts and insect bites and is anti-oxidant. Sometimes its called 'Russian Penicillin' I suppose it was a Russian doctor who thought of that one.
The sad news is it is believed that cooking the garlic inhibits some of the medicinal properties, some but not all. Now I know why Mediterranean cooks use so much fresh garlic in their salads and sprinkle it over other cold dishes. The recommended daily amount of garlic ranges from half to one full clove per day. Too much garlic can cause indigestion, intestinal gas and diarrhea.
Go ahead be adventurous and do yourself a favor. Use fresh garlic for your salads, a grated small clove will do the trick, and you will not smell of garlic. And here's a trick eat a couple of leaves of parsley and that will diminish the smell of garlic. A few seeds of cardamom, fennel, and/or anis, also does the trick. But don't over do it or you will stink of garlic out every pore.
Caution: Do not save half unused clove, bad idea. And once you break the head of garlic, it reduces its shelf life to a few days. Do not buy garlic that is soft, it's got to feel hard and store it in an open container, in a cool dark place, room temperature, away from sunlight and heat. Depending on the variety a whole garlic bulb can keep fresh from 2 weeks to 2 months.
Garlic toast bread is easy to make and to serve when you have surprise guests or when you want a quick snack. Cut long slices of bread, ciabatta, or Baguette, you know the one the French buy and walk home with it under their arm. Mix some olive oil or butter with basil and a pinch of salt, spread on the slices of bread and either bake in an oven or put under the grill until golden, excellent to eat with a glass of red wine. Please do not gulp the wine down as if it was soda water as one sees actors do on TV. Wine, red or white, is meant to be sipped slowly, to enjoy the flavor!
When I was a child I disliked the smell of fresh garlic. I am sure it was an important ingredient in my mother's kitchen but as long as I did not smell or taste it, I wasn't any the wiser. I remember looking on in utter amazement with my face all screwed up in disgust, at an aunt who loved to eat grated raw garlic sprinkled with olive oil on bread. With every big bite into the garlic bread she would roll her big eyes around with pleasure and say as if to convince herself, 'hhhmmm, it's sooo healthy.'
In New York sometimes during summertime when there were many Chinese, Asians or Italians, or maybe just anyone who ate a lot of garlic, in the underground carriage, the smell of garlic could knock you over like a feather. I started playing with the exercise of how long I could hold my breath to avoid the strong odor of garlic. It was a known thing that couples would make sure that both eat garlic so they wouldn't smell it on each other.
Later during my travels and eating out in an authentic Japanese restaurants, where you sit in a group of perhaps 8 or 10 people, at a table in U form, so you can watch your cook prepare the dishes you ordered, I watched with interest, how the cook would slice the garlic clove and grill these first and then added the meat or whatever else the menu was.
I started gingerly to befriend garlic, and now I use garlic with great vigor copying that Japanese guy. And you know what I finally understand my aunt of those old days. She was right garlic after all. Garlic is very healthy for you. I made a huge discovery, garlic rocked!
Just look at the benefits.
Garlic is an excellent source of vitamin B6 and vitamin C, of manganese and selenium. It is also a good source of minerals, such as phosphorous, calcium, potassium, iron and copper.
Many of the perceived effects of garlic are thought to be due to its active ingredient, a sulphur-containing compound called allicin. Garlic reduces heart disease, cancer and cholesterol levels. Recent research studies have found that garlic can reduce blood clots and heart attacks. Garlic also widens the blood vessels and so lowers blood pressure. What more garlic has a long history as an infection fighter, against fungi, viruses and bacteria. It is also used to cure warts and insect bites and is anti-oxidant. Sometimes its called 'Russian Penicillin' I suppose it was a Russian doctor who thought of that one.
The sad news is it is believed that cooking the garlic inhibits some of the medicinal properties, some but not all. Now I know why Mediterranean cooks use so much fresh garlic in their salads and sprinkle it over other cold dishes. The recommended daily amount of garlic ranges from half to one full clove per day. Too much garlic can cause indigestion, intestinal gas and diarrhea.
Go ahead be adventurous and do yourself a favor. Use fresh garlic for your salads, a grated small clove will do the trick, and you will not smell of garlic. And here's a trick eat a couple of leaves of parsley and that will diminish the smell of garlic. A few seeds of cardamom, fennel, and/or anis, also does the trick. But don't over do it or you will stink of garlic out every pore.
Caution: Do not save half unused clove, bad idea. And once you break the head of garlic, it reduces its shelf life to a few days. Do not buy garlic that is soft, it's got to feel hard and store it in an open container, in a cool dark place, room temperature, away from sunlight and heat. Depending on the variety a whole garlic bulb can keep fresh from 2 weeks to 2 months.
Garlic toast bread is easy to make and to serve when you have surprise guests or when you want a quick snack. Cut long slices of bread, ciabatta, or Baguette, you know the one the French buy and walk home with it under their arm. Mix some olive oil or butter with basil and a pinch of salt, spread on the slices of bread and either bake in an oven or put under the grill until golden, excellent to eat with a glass of red wine. Please do not gulp the wine down as if it was soda water as one sees actors do on TV. Wine, red or white, is meant to be sipped slowly, to enjoy the flavor!
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