[chrose]

Video - Breaking News Videos from CNN.com
To each their own I suppose, but I guess it could be an interesting experiment too to try some things without it...

 

[free rider]

I don't like garlic at all. Instead, I use asafetida, which has to be stored in a very tightly sealed container because it smells just awful until it's cooked. After being "bloomed", so to speak, the asafetida imparts a nice garlic/shallot taste without the unfortunate consequences.

 

[dc sunshine]

Don't reckon garlic bread would be very interesting without it...
Sure it stinks - but so does shrimp paste. Depends what you do with it.

 

[kuan]

Just for that I'm gonna broil some 4-6's tonight... with garlic!

 

[ninja_59]

I'll back you up Kuan, I'll make myself a spaghetti with lots of garlic, I just love the stuff

 

[oregonyeti]

Doing without garlic would be about like doing without black pepper or onions.

No way!

If there came a thread about 100 uses for garlic, I could just about fill it with my favorites.

 

[oldschool1982]

Never gonna happen in this Gumbas kitchen Personal or professional. May use it in moderation but USE is the key word!

 

[bluezebra]

I Lurves Garlic!

 

[chicagodan]

Meh. What a bunch of fools.

A favorite Friday night Shabat meal in our house is a chicken roasted on a bed of potatoes, parsinps, carrots, onions and about 5 HEADS of garlic separated, but not peeled. There is nothing finer than garlic cooked in shmaltz. Trust me, the chicken is not the star of this dish!!

Dan

 

[oahuamateurchef]

This is not my favorite link!

How about a preservative-free ingredient restaurant instead?

 

[suzanne]

That is nonsense about how quintessentially Italian garlic is, and how food without it isn't "traditional Italian" cooking. That's like saying there is only one style of Indian food, or Chinese, or American.

If LaMantia doesn't want to cook with garlic, fine for him. And Rosella's book will no doubt be useful to people who are allergic to garlic. But to make it a crusade against propriety and history? Piffle.

 

[scarecrobot]

That right there is a **** shame. Garlic has got to be one of the most sacred smells to me. It ranks up with salt for basics in the kitchen. I'll sometimes get requests for dishes with no garlic in them & I almost don't want to cook it because it seems like it must be someone with no soul. Brotherhood of the bulb baby !!!!!!!

 

[kuan]

Yeah, he's this guy:

 

[kyheirloomer]

That's all I have to say on that subject.

Except that you all owe it to yourself to read Chester Aaron's "Garlic Kisses."

 

[mikelm]

Very bad message. Judging by the opinions above, I suggest the Mods banish people who abhor garlic from the site.

They're most likely vampires. Who needs to cook/trade recipes with them?

Sort of seriously, though...

It's been my impression that the farther north from the Mediterannean you go, the less garlic you will find in the cuisine. I'm not sure the Scandinavians have even heard of it... God knows what the Finns or Latvians do with it.

Garlic in Russia? Iceland? Well, Alaska, for that matter?

On the other hand, The Poles, who are not exactly semi-tropical, make very effective use of garlic in their sausages. So do the Germans.

So, OK- I'm really interested in information from people who are better-informed about these cuisines than I am.

Is this a valid hypothesis, or am I full of... umm, garlic?

Thanks,

Mike

 

[free rider]

Mike, some Hindu don't use garlic at all because of religious reasons. You didn't mention India, but I thought I'd throw that tidbit in there with all of yours.

 

[oregonyeti]

Ok but there are probably very few Hindus who don't use garlic. I grew up in India and it's a good thing that garlic's really popular there

 

[dc sunshine]

Mike,
Interesting theory. My heritage is Latvian, and I can't say I've had a dish with it or any time with food while growing up. Never had it till I left home and began cooking for myself, and our cuisine ranged from German, Latvian to Russian and all areas inbetween. At least for the cooking we had at home. Maybe the parents didn't like it!

But what about South of the mediterannean? I think you'll find it increases. And probably continues all the way south (although I don't know if the Antarctic penguins like it ). I don't know about southern african cuisine - anyone know if garlic is used there?

But - life without garlic??? <<shudder>>

DC

P.S. Good for the heart and fighting colds (and vampires) too

 

[kyheirloomer]

"Garlic in Russia?"

Absolutely, Mike.

In fact, many garlic varieties originated in Siberia. And the Georgian Republic is one of the largest garlic producers going. There's not a garden anywhere that doesn't grow it---often a variety different than the one in the neighbor's yard.

Two of the favorite varieties grown by Americans---Red Toch and Chesnook Red---come from Georgia.

Garlic is also found in the Ismamic republics of the old USSR, and some have been imported to the U.S. The variety misnamed "Persian Star", for instance, is one such.

 

[ishbel]

Whoops, I inadvertently posted this comment in the Vidalia onion thread, instead of this one!

I visited the Isle of Wight one year when they were holding their annual Garlic festival. I tried (BLECH) the garlic ice-cream. It was up there with sweetbreads as one of my least favourite flavours!

The Isle of Wight Garlic Festival