You can use it as an aphrodisiac, as a disinfectant, to strengthen your immune system, lower your high blood-pressure, cure earaches, increase endurance or even…keep vampires and unwanted suitors at bay!!
You may hate its taste and smell or be in love with it, but whatever your feelings, you cannot ignore it!
What is this incredible healer that Mother Nature has given us in abundance? Garlic, of course!
The ancient Greeks called it the ‘stinking rose’. Ancient Egyptians worshipped it, Olympic athletes ate it for strength and in medieval times it was used to ward off illnesses. It helps keep the skin looking young and has strong antibiotic and antifungal properties, to name but a few of its many, many properties!
But what is its best quality? You can use it in almost all of your cooking! Its tangy, strong taste always adds to any recipe and you can never have too much of it. Just add it to your vinaigrettes, or dip chunks of bread in garlic-soaked olive oil. Wonderful!
Now that winter is fast approaching, eating garlic raw is one of the best ways to keep colds and other pesky diseases at bay. Just peel a garlic clove, chop it into little bits, then place it in a tablespoon of yoghurt, swallow and…Voilà! Instant prevention! Simply! Magically! Effortlessly!
So, in honour of this miraculous gift of nature, here’s a quick recipe for Garlic Bread that can accompany all your Italian meals and I’m sure, everyone will enjoy!
TWO MINUTES ANNIA GARLIC BREAD*
1) Take 250g softened butter and mash it up with a fork.
2) Crush about 5-6 cloves of garlic and add to the butter. (You can add more or less garlic, depending on how ‘garlic-y’ you want it to taste)
3) Add some dried herbs (like oregano, rosemary, basil etc….), a squirt of lemon juice, pepper and salt into the garlic mixture and blend well.
4) Take a loaf of already baked bread and slice it all the way down, making sure you don’t slice it right to the bottom. In the end, your bread should still be attached together at the bottom, like a harmonica.
5) Place a large dollop of butter between each slice, and spread.
6) Once the loaf of bread has been buttered between all slices, wrap it in silver foil, so that it’s all covered.
7) Place in a preheated oven (150C degrees) for about 20 minutes.
8) Enjoy with any Italian meal!
*Written, generously submitted and wonderfully cooked by my multi- talented girlfriend and fellow yogini Annia , who raises a great family , won her short story competition just a couple of months ago and still has time to cook a garlic bread. Life takes only twominutes to be great!
For more info on Annia’s story , or The Ifanca Helene James Short Story Competition , go to ifancahelenejames.wordpress.com
