Appreciating your Garlicke.

Garlic is a marvellous subject. There is nothing neutral about it. No-one feels neutral about it. It has, when raw, a harsh flavour and a uniquely powerful smell, but it is sweetly mellow and fragrant if roasted. It sprang, so legend says, from the footprint of Satan himself, but for many it represents gastronomic Heaven.  

I haven’t written nearly enough about garlic in this blog so far. One post on Garlicke Goodness, and a brief focus on Garlic Butter in many of its incarnations, that’s about the sum of it.

Garlic has been known and used since ancient times, both as a medicine and a food. In medieval times it was virtually obligatory with roast goose, and I do believe I might have given you a recipe for this before. I do not want to stint today, so I have chosen Garlic Soup. The recipe is from Mazdaznan Encyclopedia Of Dietetics And Home Cook Book (Chicago, 1909), a book based on the principle that “If eat we must, may we select only what is most conducive to growth, development, unfoldment and maturity.” I am not entirely certain what “unfoldment” involves, but trust that as it comes between development and maturity, it must be something important.

Garlic Soup.

Grate one clove of garlic into one pint of sweet milk, add two tablespoonfuls of blanched raw peanuts, finely ground. Let it all stand for one-half hour or more. Strain it thru a sieve and pour upon flaked corn. Season with a pinch of salt and a dash of cayenne pepper or curry.

Instead of corn any of the flaked cereals or pulses may be used. For good results it is best to put a small quantity of the flakes in a colander and pour the milk soup over it two or three times. Then put flakes into plate and lastly the soup over it. This will make the flakes fluffy.

Quotation for the Day.

Do not eat garlic or onions; for their smell will reveal that you are a peasant.

Cervantes, Don Quixote