Will Garlic Keep You Healthy?

This is interesting. The "Really?" column is so current (so Seth & Amy, too) for the old NYT, and I love them for it. Their recent look on the effect of garlic on colds caught my interest since it looks to be a long monkey winter in Chicago. Only the study concerned itself with garlic supplements, with no mention of the garlic we cook or consume raw.

I like my garlic with a bite - that is, I don't so much enjoy that circa-1990 roasted elephant garlic novelty. Half the time garlic gets used in the Pinch kitchen it's pressed (using the Zyliss Susi) right into something - tapenade, salad dressing, my mouth. The other half of the time it's smashed to remove the skin and sauteed whole in olive oil with a sprinkling of chili flakes for good company. The only roasting exception is when I'm roasting potatoes with rosemary and garlic - garlic goes into that dish unpeeled. Don't ask me why, just try the potatoes sometime (a bunch of new potatoes, tossed olive oil, kosher salt, 6-8 unpeeled garlic cloves, and a 4-5 sprigs of rosemary - roast at 425 for like 40 minutes, shaking the pan midway thru the baking time.) I like them for weekend brunches, but they're also great for Sunday dinner-type menus.

Anyway, if your cold & flu season has started, you might consider adding a bit more garlic to your diet. I know I will.


Thanks, Wizard Recipes, for use of the photo.