VAMPIRE REPELLANT
Garlic. What would we do without it? Garlic’s reputation precedes itself.
And a ponderous reputation it is. Garlic has been alleged to perform
everything from curing countless illnesses to warding off evil spirits and
vampires. The Egyptians fed garlic to the slaves who built the pyramids
believing it increased their physical strength.
Man has harvested garlic for at least 5,000
years. Horticulturists argue about its exact origins but a popular theory
places its genesis in, of all places, Siberia. Modern medicinal claims
purport that garlic lowers cholesterol and blood pressure, aids circulation,
alleviates coughs and colds, and has anti-oxidant and anti-cancer
properties. Garlic contains vitamins B1, B2, and C, niacin, and a wide
variety of minerals including calcium, phosphorous, potassium, selenium,
germanium, zinc and manganese. Miracle bulb or not, Americans consume 300
million pounds of garlic each year! The only bad thing that can be said
about garlic is it’s odorous side effects. These occur because the essential
oils in garlic permeate the lung membranes and are then expelled during
exhalation. Garlic’s scent also exudes from our skin.
Garlic is a member of the lily family and is
related to the onion clan. The most common types of garlic found in the US
are the American garlic, (colored white), and the Mexican and Italian garlic
which have a purplish or rose colored hue. The American is the most pungent.
Elephant garlic is not real garlic and is exceptionally mild. Choose heads
that are firm, heavy for their size, and with all their cloves in tact.
Store garlic in a cool dry place but never the refrigerator.
One of my favorite things to do with garlic
is to roast it. At what temperature and for how long depends on whom you
ask. An Internet site suggests 325 degrees for an hour and a half. James
Peterson’s vegetable book states 350 to 400 for 35 minutes. My CIA (Culinary
Institute of America) textbook recommends 425 degrees for 20-30 minutes. Go
figure. Just do this. Sprinkle the head with olive oil, loosely wrap it in
foil, and stick it in the oven until the cloves are soft. The end result is
magnificent. You can squeeze the garlic out of its paper jackets like thick
butter and spread it on everything imaginable.
Distribute it under the skin of a chicken
before roasting. Smother your steak or pork chops with it. Or, for a
healthy, low-fat, and tasty vegetable alternative, steam your vegetables and
then cover them with the roasted garlic. You could even temporarily convert
me to healthy eating this way.
Speaking of healthy eating, here are a number
of ways of making garlic bread, from lowest to highest calories. For totally
guilt free garlic bread, simply spread the roasted garlic on toasted slices
of bread with no butter or oil. It won’t be very rich but it will still be
delicious. For semi-decadence, you can sauté chopped garlic in olive oil and
then spread it on the bread and toast it. Here you’ll pick up some calories
but at least the olive oil, devoid of saturated fat, has some health
benefits. If you’re in my camp, then you believe we should invert the food
guide pyramid and laugh in the face of death. Sauté that chopped garlic in
butter and then spread it, butter and all on the bread.
Another mouth watering alternative is eating
garlic raw. I cannot think of a better example than bruschetta. Here is an
unequivocally delicious, healthy, and relatively low calorie dish, requiring
only a bottle of red to be transformed into a meal in itself. Chop up
tomatoes that are at the peak of ripeness. Ripe tomatoes are absolutely
essential for that ultimate flavor. Mix in an ample amount of fresh chopped
garlic, some basil, kosher salt, and extra virgin olive oil. (I’ll leave the
amount of olive oil up to you). Lightly brush your sliced bread with some
olive oil, or leave it plain if you like, toast it in the oven, and then
coat with the tomato/garlic mix. Yum!
Finally, to keep these ideas balanced between
the dieters and the indulgers, here’s my recipe for sinfully rich garlic
mashed potatoes.
4 Idaho potatoes peeled and chopped into a
large dice.
6 ounces heavy cream
3 ounces butter
6- 8 cloves garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
Bring the potatoes to a boil and simmer until
tender. Finely chop the garlic and simmer it in the cream and butter for
about three minutes. Strain the pieces of garlic from the cream. Pass the
cooked potatoes through a food mill or a ricer. Add the cream to the
potatoes and mix until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. And yeah, you
can cut back on the amount of cream and butter if need be.
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