Wednesday, April 04, 2007

A SPOONFUL OF AGLIO


I have just discovered that, in Italy, your neighbours don't come round asking if you can lend them a "cup of sugar" as they do in Britain; they come asking if you can lend them a few cloves of garlic [and I was very happy to oblige, reader]!

8 comments:

Lee said...

My home would not be "home" if I had no garlic. I have it growing. I have cloves of garlic in olive oil in the fridge. I have a bag of fresh garlic hanging in the kitchen and I have crushed garlic in the fridge as well.

It is an essential in my kitchen. I love garlic!

jmb said...

I love garlic too, but it always seems to be sprouting lately, even when you just buy it. So I just buy one head at a time, or maybe two if I need more.
So if anyone comes to borrow it, I'll either be out or too embarrassed to give them what I have.
Regards
jmb

Ballpoint Wren said...

Me, too. Last Christmas we were watching "It's a Wonderful Life" with James Stewart and the evil Mr. Potter tells him he's "frittering his life away being nurse-maid to a lot of garlic eaters!"

And I remember reading that the Japanese used to have a similar expression for the Koreans. I guess in the old days people used to look down on garlic.

My husband's aunt still does. She says people in Minnesota don't like garlic, that only Californians and New Yorkers do. Heh!

Sally said...

Couldn't cook without garlic - though neighbours here know I grow chilli and have been known to 'borrow' that. Love that peperoncino, how could I concoct matriciana or Thar green curry with out it...?

Ellee Seymour said...

I even have plenty in my fridge, they can come and borrow some from me if they wish.

Welshcakes Limoncello said...

Hi, Lee. Me, too! Can't cook without it! Hi, jmb. Garlic keeps surprisingly well here, given the heat. Ciao, Bonnie. Poor old garlic hasn't always enjoyed a good press, has it? What ? - the WHOLE of Minnesota?! - Do those good folk know what they're missing?! Hi, Sally. Yes, I'm quite liberal with the peperoncino, too! Ok, Ellee, I'll send them over to you!

Anonymous said...

Garlic is a must ingredient for Italian food and I love it. I Drink a little milk to help the breath afterwards. It works for me.

Lee said...

jmb...plant those that shoot...just in a hole big enough to hold the clove with the shoot poking out of the ground. You could even grow them in pots. I just plonk any cloves that start shooting into my herb/vegie plot and up comes the garlic and then a few months down the track, I pull up the fresh knobs. I never give the plants any tender loving care...everything seems to take care of itself and each other.

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