-= GARLIC =-

[MosJan]

"Each clove of garlic has a sacred power..."

-- Reverend Hilderic Friend, 1891

 

Garlic is one of the most versatile flavors to ever grace a kitchen. It not only tastes wonderful, it's very good for your body. Learn about Mother Nature's most precious gift to cooks of all levels of expertise. You don't have to be dodging vampires to love garlic!

 

Garlic (allium sativum) has lovingly been dubbed The Stinking Rose, yet it is actually a member of the lily (Liliaceae) family and a cousin to onions, leeks, chives, and shallots. The edible bulb or head of garlic is composed of smaller cloves. It's a root crop, with the bulb growing underground. Crops are harvested in mid-July and hung in sheds to dry before reaching their prime in late-July/early-August.

 

There are over 300 varieties of garlic grown worldwide. American garlic, with its white, papery skin and strong flavor is one of the most common varieties. Italian and Mexican garlic, both of which have pink- to purple-colored skins, are slightly milder-flavored varieties. Elephant garlic (allium scorodoprasum), which has very large, extremely mild-flavored cloves, is not a true garlic, but a closer relative to the leek.

 

A Little History

The word garlic comes from Old English garleac, meaning "spear leek." Dating back over 6,000 years, it is native to Central Asia, and has long been a staple in the Mediterranean region, as well as a frequent seasoning in Asia, Africa, and Europe. Eqyptians worshipped garlic and placed clay models of garlic bulbs in the tomb of Tutankhamen. Garlic was so highly-prized, it was even used as currency. And, of course, folklore holds that garlic repels vampires, protects against the Evil Eye, and warded off jealous nymphs said to terrorize pregnant women and engaged maidens. And let us not forget to mention the alleged aphrodisiacal powers of garlic which have been extolled through the ages.

 

Surprisingly, garlic was frowned upon by foodie snobs in the United States until the first quarter of the twentieth century, being found almost exclusively in ethnic dishes in working-class neighborhoods. But, by 1940, America had embraced garlic, finally recognizing its value as not only a minor seasoning, but as a major ingredient in recipes. Quaint diner slang of the 1920's referred to garlic as Bronx vanilla, halitosis, and Italian perfume. Now, Americans alone consume more than 250 million pounds of garlic annually

[MosJan]

Ooooh...That Smell!

And what causes that smell, you may ask? When garlic cells are ruptured by cutting or pressing, they release an enzyme called allinaise chemically changing the inherent alliin into allicin, a sulfur-containing molecule, which results in that heady, pungent garlic smell which is a mainstay in kitchens around the world. These sulphur molecules are absorbed into the bloodstream and lungs, escaping through exhaled air and perspiration. Thus, the garlic breath. And, in some people who consume massive quantities, a noticeable garlicky body odor can result.

 

If you are a garlic-lover, it's wise to surround yourself with others who enjoy garlic, or try munching on parsley to rid yourself of garlic breath. And, to rid your hands of the smell after peeling and/or chopping garlic, simply wash your hands and then rub your clean hands on a chrome faucet. It works like magic!

 

Selection and Storage

Choose heads that are firm to the touch, with no nicks or soft cloves. If you notice dark, powdery patches under the skin, pass it up since it's an indication of a common mold which will eventually spoil the flesh. Store unpeeled in an open container in a cool, dry place away from other foods. Do not refrigerate or freeze unpeeled garlic. As garlic ages, it will begin to produce green sprouts in the center of each clove. These infant green sprouts can be bitter, so discard them before chopping the garlic for your recipe. However, if you plant the cloves and let them sprout to a height of about six inches, you can use the sprouts like chives in salads and such. Properly stored garlic can keep up to three months.

 

To peel a clove, place it on a cutting board on its side, and gently press down quickly with the flat side of a butcher knife. The skin should then easily peel off. If you find the skin clinging desperately to the clove, congratulations! You have fresh garlic. As garlic ages, it shrivels inside the skin, making it easier to peel.

 

Garlic can also be purchased as peeled whole cloves or minced, both stored in olive or vegetable oil. It's imperative that garlic in oil be stored under refrigeration to avoid potentially-deadly bacteria growth. If you use a lot of garlic and wish to cut your preparation time down, you can also pre-peel and store your own in olive oil in the refrigerator, but the best flavor will come from freshly-peeled cloves. Use garlic powder, garlic salt, and garlic extract (juice) only as a last resort.

[MosJan]

Usage

Believe it or not, one raw garlic clove, finely minced or pressed releases more flavor than a dozen cooked whole cloves. When garlic cloves are cooked or baked whole, the flavor mellows into a sweet, almost nutty flavor that hardly resembles any form of pungency. This nutty flavor makes a surprisingly nice addition to desserts, such as brownies or even ice cream. Whole, unpierced cloves barely have any aroma at all, while raw garlic is the strongest in flavor. When sautéing garlic, be very careful not to burn it. The flavor turns intensely bitter, and you'll have to start over.

 

img src="/library/graphics/garlic11.gif" align=right height=75 width=75 alt="(Garlic & cloves graphic)"> There are a myriad of garlic presses available on the market, but I personally prefer the Zyliss/Susi. This is the queen of all garlic presses in my humble opinion, and although it An easy rule of thumb to remember regarding the potency of the flavor of garlic is: The smaller you cut it, the stronger the flavor. Chopping finely and/or pressing a clove exposes more surfaces to the air, causing a chemical reaction to produce that strong aroma.

 

Health Watch

Garlic has long been considered a medicinal food, being used to protect against plague by monks of the Middle Ages. Hippocrates used garlic vapors to treat cervical cancer, and garlic poultices were placed on wounds during World War II as an inexpensive, and apparently quite effective replacement for antibiotics, which were scarce during wartime.

 

Now science is beginning to prove the medicinal properties of garlic that our ancestors took for granted. Studies have shown garlic can suppress the growth of tumors, and is a potent antioxidant good for cardiovascular health. Other studies show garlic can reduce LDL or "bad" cholesterol and is a good blood-thinning agent to avoid blood clots that could lead to heart attack or stroke. All this at only 4 calories per clove! Further information is at your fingertips by calling the Garlic Information Hotline from Cornell University Medical College at 1-800-330-5922.

[MosJan]

The Ultimate Garlic Recipe

This recipe may sound formidable to many, but I promise it will make a believer of you! Squeeze the soft garlic from their skins onto warm bread for a sweet, nutty treat. There are many versions of Chicken With Forty Cloves of Garlic, but this one is especially nice and simple, too. It's especially wonderful when made in a clay cooker.

 

 

Forty-Clove Chicken Filice

Val and Elsie Filice, Gilroy, California

The Complete Garlic Lovers' Cookbook

From Gilroy, Garlic Capital of the World

(Ten Speed Press)

 

1 frying chicken, cut in pieces

40 cloves fresh garlic

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/4 cup dry vermouth

1/4 cup olive oil

4 stalks celery, cut in 1-inch pieces

1 teaspoon oregano

2 teaspoons dry basil

6 sprigs minced parsley

Pinch of crushed red

Pepper

1 lemon

Salt and pepper to taste

 

Place chicken pieces into shallow baking pan, skin side up. Sprinkle all ingredients evenly over top of chicken. Squeeze juice from lemon and pour over top. Cut remaining lemon rind into pieces and arrange throughout chicken. Cover with foil and bake at 375 degrees F. for 40 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 15 minutes.

 

Yield: 4 servings

[MosJan]

Cholesterol Reducer

There is little doubt that garlic reduces blood cholesterol. In studies of people with high cholesterol (over 200), one-half to one whole garlic clove daily typically lowered their levels by about 9 percent, according to a major review of the evidence by Stephen Warshafsky at New York Medical College in Valhalla. Benefits showed up in a month and also came from garlic supplements. Tufts University Diet and Nutrition Letter suggests two cloves of garlic a day might be as potent as some cholesterol-lowering drugs.

[MosJan]

Artery Protector

 

A newly discovered garlic plus: It prevents bad-type LDL cholesterol from oxidizing, a process that initiates plaque buildup on artery walls, which can lead to clogging, heart attack and stroke. The theory is that unoxidized cholesterol is not very harmful. In a study by University of Kansas researchers, taking 600 milligrams of powdered garlic every day for two weeks reduced LDL oxidation by a remarkable 34 percent. So garlic eaters might have less harmful cholesterol than non-garlic eaters with identical cholesterol counts.

[MosJan]

Blood Thinner

 

Studies suggest that garlic compounds help thin the blood, says Eric Block, professor of chemistry at the State University of New York at Albany. Block has isolated a garlic chemical, ajoene, (ajo is Spanish for garlic) with anti-coagulant activity equal or superior to that of aspirin. Raw garlic (three cloves a day) improved clot-dissolving activity by about 20 percent in a double-blind study of medical students in India. Cooking garlic might enhance its anti-clotting activity.

[MosJan]

Cancer Blocker

 

Much research shows that garlic contains many chemicals that in laboratory animals block cancers of every type, including breast, liver and colon. A specific garlic compound suppressed the growth of prostate cancer cells in test tubes by about 25 percent, reports John Pinto of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York. Dedicated garlic eaters may escape certain cancers. Example: In a recent study of 42,000 older women in Iowa, those who ate garlic more than once a week were half as likely to develop colon cancer as non-garlic eaters.

[MosJan]

Infection Fighter

 

Garlic kills viruses responsible for colds and the flu, according to tests by James North, a microbiologist at Brigham Young University. Eat garlic when you feel a sore throat coming on, he says, and you may not even get sick. (Eat garlic when you're stuffed up, too: It acts as a decongestant.) Other studies suggest that garlic revs up immune functioning by stimulating infection-fighting T-cells.

 

I recommend eating one or two cloves of raw garlic a day to people with chronic or recurrent infections, says Andrew Weil of the University of Arizona College of Medicine, author of Natural Health, Natural Medicine. His tip: Cut raw cloves into small pieces and swallow them like pills.

[MosJan]

Baby 'Appetizer'

 

Even babies like garlic. When nursing mothers eat garlic, infants stay longer at the breast and drink more, not less, milk, according to tests at Monnel Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia

[MosJan]

At the Market

 

Buy unpackaged garlic, so you can feel the bulb. It should be solid, not light, airy or dried out. Press the cloves with your fingertips to be sure they're firm. Look for large-cloved bulbs in which the outer skin is tight, unbroken and free of soft spots.

[MosJan]

In the Kitchen

 

Keep garlic in a cool, dry place. Store it in any container that allows good air circulation, such as special ceramic garlic jars with vent holes or any glass jar, small box, basket or similar container, loosely covered. Most experts do not advise refrigerating garlic. Peeled garlic cloves, tightly wrapped, can become moldy rather quickly in the refrigerator. Freezing, too, ruins uncooked garlic. Cloves that have sprouted are all right to use but may be milder in taste.

 

Caution: If you make dressings, oils, butters or marinades containing garlic, be sure to keep them refrigerated, and don't store them longer than two weeks. Otherwise, they pose a threat of potentially deadly botulism

[MosJan]

Raw or cooked?

 

-- For anti-bacterial or anti-viral effect, only raw garlic will do. Both raw and cooked garlic seem to have cardiovascular, decongestive and anti-cancer benefits.

 

-- Eating more than three raw cloves a day can cause gas, bloating, diarrhea and fever in some people. Cooked garlic is gentler on the stomach.

 

-- All garlic (crushed, chopped in jars, paste, even garlic powder off the spice shelf) can have health benefits.

[MosJan]

Garlic Breath

 

Eating parsley or mints or sloshing mouthwash only temporarily dims garlic breath. Garlic infuses your blood and lungs, typically giving off an odor for 4-18 hours. The strength and duration of the odor depend on your body's individual reaction.

[MosJan]

Company Garlic Chicken

 

21/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in serving-size pieces

 

1 Tb. canola oil

 

3 bulbs garlic, cloves separated

 

3/4 Tb. each fresh thyme and rosemary (or 1/2 tsp. each if using dried herbs)

 

11/2 cups dry white wine, or enough to cover chicken in casserole

 

Salt and pepper to taste

 

1/4 cup minced parsley

 

In a large skillet, fry chicken in oil over medium-high heat until golden brown. Salt and pepper chicken. Layer chicken in 4-quart casserole. Remove papery outer covering of garlic (do not peel). Put garlic on top of and among the chicken pieces. Sprinkle with thyme and rosemary. Add wine to cover. Bake, covered, at 350 degrees for 1 hour, or until liquid is reduced and garlic is very soft. Before serving, sprinkle with parsley. Serve with toasted Italian or French bread (squeeze soft garlic onto bread). Serves 6.

 

 

Per serving: 143 calories, 22.3g protein, 2.2g carbohydrates, 0.2g fiber, 2.4g fat (0.4g saturated), 153mg sodium

 

Garlic Bean Soup

 

2 cups vegetable or chicken broth

 

8 very large garlic cloves, peeled

 

1 medium onion, coarsely chopped

 

4 cups cooked white beans, or 2 19-ounce cans white kidney or cannellini beans, drained

 

Put the broth, garlic and onion in a large bowl; cover. Microwave for 20 minutes on high, or until vegetables are soft. Transfer to a blender or food processor, add half the beans and pure. Return soup to bowl, add remaining beans and microwave 5 minutes, or until beans are heated through. Serves 6.

 

 

Per serving: 195 calories, 13.9g protein, 33.9g carbohydrates, 8g fiber, 0.9g fat (0.25g saturated), 267mg sodium

 

Quick Guacamole

 

1 medium ripe avocado, mashed

 

1 tsp. lemon or lime juice

 

1 large garlic clove, crushed

 

4 drops hot sauce, such as Tabasco

 

1/4 tsp. each salt and pepper

 

Mix all the ingredients. Serve with tortilla chips. Serves 2.

 

Per serving: 166 calories, 2.1g protein, 8.4g carbohydrates, 4.2g fiber, 15.4g fat (2.5g saturated), 277mg sodium

[MosJan]

Garlic through history

 

Louis Pasteur noted in 1858 that bacteria died when they were doused with garlic. At the turn of the century, garlic was the drug of choice for tuberculosis. Albert Schweitzer used garlic to treat cholera and typhus. And during World War II, British physicians treated battle wounds with garlic. In Russia, it's called Russian penicillin.

[MosJan]

http://www.learn2.com/tutorial_images/08/0857/08571bg.gif

Learn2 Prepare Garlic

 

 

 

For the sweet smell of garlicky success...

 

There's nothing as delicious as a home-cooked Italian meal complete with pasta, fresh tomato sauce and garlic bread. Except maybe a pungent Thai stirfry with snow peas, red chilies, holy basil and garlic. Or perhaps a fiery Indian curry with cumin, coriander, cayenne, and garlic. You get the idea--garlic is good. And it's been hailed as a health tonic by traditional healers for centuries, now with the backing of modern medical research.

 

Unfortunately, peeling the cloves of garlic required to give those dishes their zing is the sort of culinary chore that can be tiresome for even an experienced cook. And the same is true for crushing and mincing garlic.

 

But it doesn't have to be that way: here are some simple instructions which should help any amateur chef overcome their fear of garlic--unless, of course, they're a vampire.

 

 

 

You should remove all of your garlic cloves from the head before starting. Crushing garlic is recommended if you want a stronger garlic flavor--this releases more of the pungent flavor and natural juices of garlic. Marinades and foods such as Caesar salad and shrimp scampi demand crushed garlic.

 

Garlic chopped into slices or larger pieces will usually add a light flavor to your dish. It's less likely to dissolve or soften, so you won't get as strong a garlic flavor as you will with crushed garlic.

 

A happy medium could be mincing garlic which is less pungent than crushed garlic, but still adds great flavor for recipes that require stir-frying or sauteeing.

 

Since minced garlic is very finely chopped into small cubical pieces, it will dissolve more easily when cooking. In stir-fry dishes especially, minced garlic adds a great deal of flavor to the cooking oil used in the frying pan.

Learn2 Prepare Garlic

 

Part 1: Peel garlic

 

Begin at the end

 

Looking at the garlic clove, you'll see a tough piece at the end. This is the part that was attached to the bottom of the garlic head before the clove was removed.

 

Place the garlic clove on the chopping block, and using the tip of your knife, slice off that end.

 

Break the skin

 

Keeping the garlic on the chopping block, use your thumb and index finger to hold the sides of the clove.

 

Hold the knife with the other hand. Again using the tip of the knife, carefully make a vertical slit from top to bottom in the skin of the garlic.

 

Tap into it

 

Keeping the garlic on the chopping block, tap the clove once or twice with the back of the blade of the knife.

 

Peel it off

 

The skin should be nicely loosened at this point and can easily be pulled off in one piece.

 

If the skin is still not loose enough, repeat Step 3.

 

 

Carefully making a slit down the side of the skin may help matters.

 

 

The garlic is now ready to be crushed, chopped, minced, or used whole. Yes, you've read it correctly: whole garlic! Try it in stews or with grilled vegetables

 

[ October 02, 2001: Message edited by: MosJan ]

[MosJan]

Learn2 Prepare Garlic (Continued)

 

Part 2: Crush garlic

 

 

 

Have a whack at it

 

Place the unpeeled garlic clove on chopping block.

 

Grasping the butcher's knife by the handle (with the blade upside down), give the garlic a hard whack with the back of the blade.

 

 

If it's not pretty well collapsed, give it another whack.

Start chopping

 

Once the garlic is well crushed, you can chop it further. Hold the knife handle with one hand and hold the top of the blade at the front with the fingertips of your other hand. You can then chop the garlic to your preference.

 

 

Again, the more you chop the garlic, the more pungency it will add to your dish. Smaller garlic pieces will release more of their juices and dissolve better

[MosJan]

Learn2 Prepare Garlic (Continued)

 

Part 2: Chop garlic

 

 

 

Place the peeled clove of garlic on the chopping block. Hold the knife with one hand and the front of the blade with the other.

 

Starting at one end of the clove move the knife up and down until you've made pieces of the desired size.

 

 

The partially chopped garlic may start to spread out away from your knife. Angle the dull edge of the knife towards the garlic, scoop it back into a pile and continue chopping.

 

 

Again, the thinner the slice, the more it will dissolve--thus adding more flavor than if you slice it thicker.

[MosJan]

Learn2 Prepare Garlic (Continued)

 

Part 4: Mince garlic

 

When you set out to mince garlic, you can end with a pile of neatly minced garlic or a cutting board with garlic chunks of various sizes spread all over the place. The key to ending with a neat pile lies in two techniques: the finger position of the hand that holds the garlic, and the slicing motion of the knife. The result will be tiny cubes of garlic, perfect for salad dressings, marinades, and dishes requiring a lighter touch of garlic.

 

Make the vertical slices

 

Place a whole, peeled garlic clove on the chopping block. Hold the clove steady on the sides of the clove.

 

Using the tip of your knife, make three or four vertical slices in the garlic clove, making sure to cut all the way through.

 

 

Making these cuts of equal thickness will give you the best results.

Make a crisscross or grid pattern

 

Turn the garlic clove 90 degrees. Again, with the tip of your knife, make three or four more vertical cuts so that you have a criss-cross or grid pattern.

 

Hold the clove

 

Two crucial points will help you at this juncture: the finger position and the slicing motion.With the tip of the knife, mince garlic by cutting horizontally from top.

 

Take a look at the thumb, index, middle, and ring fingers of your non-dominant hand (that's the hand you'll hold the garlic with, not the hand that holds the knife. These will be the mechanism that controls the thickness of the tiny garlic cubes you about to make.

 

 

The index and middle fingers are the front runners--they rest on the front edge of the garlic where you'll start slicing. Equally important is the angle of these fingers: the second knucles are vertical, with the first knuckles (the ones nearest to the garlic) curled in slightly away from the edge of the clove. (This will prevent you from mincing your fingertips.) There should only be a small portion of the clove visible as you look down your fingers from above.

 

 

The thumb has an important function which will be revealed to you a little later. For now let it rest on the cutting board directly behind the clove and the fingers in front.

Slice with rhythm

 

Rest the flat side of the knife against your fingers. Using this placement as a guide, the knife stays in the same plane--it doesn't move laterally, either toward your fingers or away from them.

 

 

Lift the knife off the cutting board, but still in contact with your fingers. Lift it a little away from you and the garlic, and towards the other side of the cutting board.

 

 

Slice downwards on the criss-crossed using the heel of the knife (its back edge). As you slice downwards, also draw the knife towards you. This downward and sideways movement slices through garlic more easily, leaving you with a neat pile instead of a big sloppy mess.

 

 

Lift the knife again, up and away from you, and again slice downwards and towards you. Practice this movement without even slicing any garlic. Soon you'll realize, as the movement gets smoother, that it's circular. Keep at and you'll feel the rhythm of this ancient motion.

Before you slice any further, read on...

 

 

 

Thrust with the thumb

 

Now that you've got the circular motion and you're slicing with rhythm, you're ready to incorporate the thumb into this symphony of movement.

 

 

The thumb is the driver of the mincing operation. As you lift the knife up and away from you, push the garlic towards the knife. You'll have it out just in time for the knife to descend and slice through it. Again, as the knife ascends, you push the garlic out just enough to make a small cube from the criss-cross pattern you've already made. The thumb forces the garlic out into the slicing line, and aslo prevents it from making an rear-exit escape. Its destiny to become minced is certain.

 

 

Work slowly and carefully at first. Eventually you'll be able to mince with great speed with this technique, but don't rush it , or your fingers will be sorry that you did.

 

 

As you get towards the end of the clove, you may find it necessary to angle the blade slighty in towards the fingers. But keep the flat of the blade resting on the second knuckles! Look closely where you're slicing and you'll never get a cut. As you get o the very tip of the clove, just take your fingers away and chop up the remains into small cubes. Bon appetit!

 

-end-

[Azat]

Doctor Movses,

Will garlic help my mental condition too?

 

Es inches lsel MosJan?

 

I too love garlic. Now if someone can combine garlic and beer I would be in heaven...

[MosJan]

Azat jan anshusht karor e ognel na manavand yerb Sxtor@ matutsor@ 7' boyov blandinka e ir lorazgestov, ( Lorazgest@ partadir che bujman hamar )

 

Sxtor yev garejur ??: inchu che Rost yerats yev arrov hamemmvats sxtor ches prtsel ??

MI lav ParskaHay barekam unem vor Sxtori pahatso er berel indz hamar.

qatsaxov yev giniov patrastvats er, yev kartsem mi 7-its-8 tary pahvats er.

bavakanin hajor er

 

der k@xosenq brb

[Harut]

Mos jan, ich es skhtori masin grum es, computers el chi sarnum.

menak te piti kits brnats nstem dem@.

[MosJan]

Garlic was worshipped by the ancient Egyptians, chewed by Greek Olympian atheletes and thought to be essential for keeping vampires at bay!

But it is also good for zapping bacteria, keeping your heart healthy, warding off coughs and colds - and don't worry it needn't give you bad breath!

http://www.mistral.co.uk/garlic/garl.gif

Garlic, scientifically known as Allium sativa, is a complex mixture of chemicals displaying anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-cancer, anti-blood clotting, decongestive, cholesterol-reducing and immunity-boosting properties.

 

[ October 02, 2001: Message edited by: MosJan ]

[MosJan]

There are now over 12 well designed studies published around the world that confirm that garlic in several forms can reduce cholesterol. Most recently researchers in Oxford and America have published some summaries of all the good data on garlic.

 

Garlic as lipid lowering agent - a meta analysis

 

Silagy CS, Neil HAW, 1994, The Journal of the Royal College of Physicians, Vol 28 No 1:39-45

The authors state that garlic supplements have an important part to play in the treatment of high cholesterol and that this paper reviews all the published and unpublished data from around the world. Overall a 12% reduction in total cholesterol was shown over a placebo and that this reduction was normally evident after only 4 weeks treatment and that this was likely to persist for as long as the study was in progress.

 

 

http://www.mistral.co.uk/garlic/bc1.gif

http://www.mistral.co.uk/garlic/bc2.gif

 

The largest study so far was conducted in Germany where 261 patients from 30 general practices were given either garlic powder tablets or a placebo. After a 12 week treatment period mean serum cholesterol levels dropped by 12% in the garlic treated group and triglycerides dropped by 17% compared to the placebo group.