Garlic. When you hear the word, you probably think of two things - stinky AND delicious.
So let's say it - it's a controversial comestible. During my research, I found a few interesting nuggets about garlic that I'd never heard before. First and foremost, I did not know that there are records of garlic being used for cooking or medicinal purposes up to 10,000 years ago. It likely originated in Asia but no one knows for sure. The fragrant and flavorsome bulb was used for anything from preparing men for battle to improving health to cooking. Even though there is evidence to support garlic improving health (such as here), it is extremely polarizing.
For example, in King Alfonso of Castile's court, if you smelled of garlic you could be banned from court for a whole week after being unceremoniously kicked out. In Greece, you couldn't enter a temple you had to pass a breath test. Pass = no garlic, fail = garlic. (Side note - what did THAT job description look like!?). Meanwhile, in ancient Egypt, the pyramid workers were given garlic to sustain their strength, and one of only two revolts was due to a low garlic harvest. Can you imagine that happening at an Amazon warehouse? Dude. There are slurs (literally - 'you garlic eater!') and songs making fun of people who eat garlic (typically targeting foreigners), and through the 1900s that stigma prevented countries like England and the US from embracing it for its deliciousness.
Another thing I learned is WHY it makes us smell like it when we eat it. It's actually because our bodies kick the stinkystink into our bloodstream, which is how it gets to our skin pores and breath. The only thing that I found to reduce the impact is parsley and milk. But I am not sure if that brings the effect down from a level 100 stink to 98 or a level 100 to 34.
So what's the deal with garlic in cooking? Have you tasted it before, or were you a little nervous to be a garlic eater? In my personal experience, raw garlic is the real kicker. But even then, there's nothing quite as comforting, delicious, and delightful as cooking with garlic. Inevitably you hear someone say 'oh, that smells amazeballs' even if all you've done is get some garlic slices into a pan with some olive oil. My mom told me that indeed my dearest Oma said she didn't like garlic. But my mom (ye olde badasse), went ahead and cooked a meal with garlic unbeknownst to my Oma. Can you guess what Oma said about the food? "Man that's good." But in German.
So, let's get into some recipes that can help you dip your toe in the garlic pool or expand your swim lanes in under 15 minutes. The good news is I love to cook for other people but hate cooking for longer than I need to. So my experiments typically are efficient. I got these two recipes from Lydia (pasta with garlic and oil) and Flu Lum (garlic noodles -east meets west) because I had never made these myself and wanted to explore (links below!). I felt a little intimidated, not gonna lie.
Growing up in the Bay Area, diverse food wasn't diverse food, it was just FOOD. But cooking food can be intimidating when you didn't grow up with the skills. That's another reason I picked easy recipes. As we explore our identities, it's so fun to discover them through food. However, if you're discouraged early on it can be difficult to try new things. FEAR NOT! I am accident-prone and made it through these easily. I even invited my friend over to taste it. (She survived!)
The results? Both were mighty tasty! The Italian-style dish was super mild and calm. Try it for something mellow. The east meets west noodles were my favorite - silky, smooth, layers of flavor. I feel so happy that I tried these and inspired to try more!
Here's a tiktok video of the experience! What do you think - will you try a new garlic recipe? Do you have one I can try? Tell me, I'd love to know! Enjoy your garlic explorations and come back for more topics on food and our identities! Muah!
Recipe highlights below:
From LYDIA -
Fill a pot with water and a large pinch of salt, bring to a boil, and put in your spaghetti
Chop up some garlic and throw it into a low to medium heat pan with olive oil
Let the garlic cook until fragrant, maybe 2-3 minutes
Add pasta water (maybe 2/3 of a cup) from your boiling pasta noodles
Add in chopped parsley and mix in your cooked noodles
Add salt to taste and some parmesan cheese
Serve!
From FLU LUM:
Fill a pot with water and a large pinch of salt, bring to a boil, and put in your spaghetti (or whatever thin noodles you want)
Chop up some garlic and throw it into a low heat pan with a few pats of butter
Make sauce with 2 tsp sugar, 1 tbsp oyster sauce, 1 tbsp fish sauce, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tsp sesame oil
Once garlic is about 6-7 minutes into the low heat life, add in your cooked pasta and sauce. Mix to coat, then add optional parmesan.
Serve!
And if you REALLY love garlic - keep an eye out for garlic-themed shirts in my Spreadshirt shop.
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