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The Americanization
of Garlic
BY DANA JACOBI
FOR THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE FOR CANCER RESEARCH |
Before World
War II, health experts encouraged Italian- and Greek-Americans
to give up their traditional diet, then considered unhealthy
because it was based on spaghetti, country-style bread and vegetables
sautéed with garlic and bathed in olive oil. We wanted
them to eat steak, potatoes and soft white bread with butter,
a bland diet we believed built big, strong bodies. Eating aromatic
garlic was strongly discouraged.
American GIs
returning from Europe after the war, who had enjoyed garlic as
part of the local cooking, helped change our view of this full-flavored
bulb. Having discovered how garlic, properly handled, enhances
the flavor in soups, stews and sauces, they shared the Italians
enthusiasm for its flavor and aroma. Then, in 1954, James Beard,
who had served in the Navy, published his recipe for chicken
roasted with 40 cloves of garlic. Although mind-boggling in concept
for some cooks, the recipe became an instant success with those
who were now comfortable using garlic. Soon, this Mediterranean
classic became unavoidable at dinner parties. I suspect this
dish, which was considered adventurous, won more fans than the
overly-pungent garlic bread also popular at the time. People
discovered that roasting garlic tames its harsh flavor and caramelizes
its sugar, making the creamy cloves taste almost sweet.
Once we got
used to rubbing our salad bowl with a cut garlic clove to gently
perfume the greens, and making pasta sauce from scratch, garlic
was ready to become a star. At Chez Panisse, the trend-setting
restaurant in Berkeley, California, chef-owner Alice Waters served
a whole head of roasted garlic in 1971. She taught diners to
press out its soft cloves and spread them across slices of bread.
So many other chefs followed her lead that roasted garlic has
become as familiar as olive oil, used to lend its softer flavor
to dressings, soups, even mashed potatoes.
Roasting garlic is easy if it is done slowly, in a preheated
325-degree oven. Expose the cloves by cutting off the top of
the head and bake covered in foil about one hour, or until soft
and tender. (Spraying with oil first keeps the cloves moist as
they roast, or you can use a few drops of olive oil.) A roasted
head of garlic keeps for a week or more, so you can gradually
use the cloves to season vegetables, dressings, soups and other
dishes, or as a spread for bread.
If you dont
have a head of garlic already roasted, you can gently sauté
the cloves needed for one dish in a pan with a little oil, until
soft and golden, as in this treatment of spinach.
Spinach
with Roasted Garlic - Makes 4 servings.
- 2 tsp. extra-virgin
olive oil, divided
- 3-5 garlic
cloves (or according to taste), peeled and finely chopped
- 1/4 cup fat-free,
reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 1 large bunch
fresh spinach or baby spinach leaves, well washed and free of
excess water (or 1 bag baby spinach leaves, suitable for microwaving
in the bag)
- Salt and freshly
ground black pepper
In non-stick
skillet, heat 1 teaspoon oil over medium heat until hot. Add
garlic and gently sauté until golden and soft. Remove
garlic with slotted spoon and place in blender or food processor.
Add a small amount of the broth and purée garlic; gradually
add remaining broth.
Add remaining
oil to pan and heat over high heat until hot. Add spinach and
toss with fork until spinach has wilted. Add garlic/broth mixture
and continue cooking, stirring constantly, until spinach is tender,
1 to 2 minutes. Serve immediately.
Per serving:
42 calories, 3 g. total fat (less than 1 g. saturated fat), 4
g. carbohydrate, 3 g. protein, 2 g. dietary fiber, 105 mg. sodium.
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