A Clove of Garlic Recipes and Traditions

This book is a celebration of garlic lore and recipes. The first part of the book is devoted to a varied description of garlic in all its facets. It begins with a history of the plant and its cultivation, from an herb found wild in Central Asia to its arrival in the Americas and modern commercial cultivation throughout the world. This is followed by a description of types of garlic and how to grow the plant in a home garden. Attention is then turned to medicinal properties of garlic, both those claimed in the past, and those generally accepted by modern medical practitioners. The introductory section closes with the legendary properties of garlic, especially the ability to repel vampires The remainder of the book, which begins with tips for garlic preparation, is comprised of recipes using garlic. The recipes are organized into chapters according to type of dish, including appetizers and snacks, vegetables and salads, meat and poultry, fish, and dressings and sauces. (While garlic ice cream is shown in a picture, there are, alas, no recipes for garlic ice cream or other garlic desserts in the book.) The book is richly illustrated throughout with color photographs and reproductions of historical paintings. The illustrations, tips, and trivia scattered throughout the text make this book pleasurable to read and admire. However, the recipes aren't quite as numerous as one might expect given the size of the volume. Also, some of the recipes don't feature garlic, but merely make use of it. From the title of the book and the mouth-watering introduction, I had expected a larger collection of recipes that would go over-the-top with garlic. Nonetheless, the recipes that are included seem tasty and varied, including recipes from France, Spain, Italy, Thailand, and India (but none from Africa or South America). For the most part, the recipes call for fresh or unprocessed ingredients rather than canned or convenience foods.