A Year of Blogging: April 19, 2011

April 19 was National Garlic Day. I don't cook with garlic at home, but I know it's in a lot of dishes when I go out to eat. I don't mind it. I just don't buy it with the groceries. Even though we eat a lot of Italian food, we aren't Italian. Mom never kept garlic at home, and I have followed her footsteps. Perhaps if we were Italian, garlic would have been a staple in our house. My Grandfather really dislikes garlic. So he doesn't like to go to Italian restaurants. Thing is, garlic is used in all kinds of dishes now. I think every chef on the Food Network uses it in almost every meal. They chop it, slice it, mince it. It seems like so much work. And you know me- my cooking is easy and simple. My mom was visiting earlier this week, and I commented that I felt badly she was doing so much work in the kitchen (I think she was fixing a spectacular breakfast of sausage and pancakes). She said 'it's not work if you're in the kitchen'. We disagree on that, Mom! My favorite garlic dish would have to be garlic mashed potatoes, especially if the potatoes also have cheese in them. I'm never able to replicate it at home. Perhaps because I buy the jar of minced garlic and try to use that. Maybe if I used fresh garlic it would be more successful. But then we are back to the chopping, slicing, and mincing. Work. So I just make cheesy mashed potatoes, which are just as yummy. Everyone is happy. The biggest problem with garlic is of course the bad breath. One of the reasons I always carry gum and mints in my purse. Then when I get home, I brush my teeth well. I have heard of people gargling with mustard, and then swallowing mustard to kill the smell. I love mustard, but that sounds a bit harsh for me. You can chew on a couple of sprigs of parsley or mint. Or drink a cup of mint tea. Chocolate supposedly even helps with garlic breath (this might explain why whenever I eat Italian food, I feel I need chocolate to cleanse my palate). Of course, if you want to avoid the garlic breath the answer is really simple. Avoid the garlic. Ancient Greek and Roman brides carried bouquets of garlic and other herbs instead of flowers. My cousin is getting married in October, I wonder if she's considered such a fragrant bouquet? Somehow I don't think it fits into her plans. It might be the first wedding that single women aren't climbing over each other to catch the bouquet!