morning word: garlic

(I'm trying a new thing where I write something based on a single word. Here is the first word and here is the second. Now, onto the third..)

Morning Word: Garlic

What's not to love about this bulbous plant? Garlic bread, garlic butter, garlic sauce. But what about raw garlic?

When my boyfriend Alfredo and I started dating, he told me he would eat raw garlic on the nights he knew he wouldn't be seeing me for 2-3 days. (Garlic breath takes on a whole new level when its raw.) I literally pictured him peeling garlic and taking big bites, one clove at a time, grimacing as his mouth began to sting, burn, swell, and water. I even remember trying to do something similar back in college with my friend; we took two cloves and, like little mice, nibbled away, desperately trying to make our way through the whole piece, but failing in the end. 

Whats the point of eating garlic raw? There are a lot of "Dr. Oz-like" articles on the Internet that talk about the nutrients lost once you start cooking garlic, but I don't entirely trust them. 

However, I will say this: One benefit cited quite regularly is its ability to boost immunity. And last week, I was beginning to feel sick, so Alfredo suggested I try his speciality: garlic salad.

Turns out it's not chomping away at cloves until your mouth can't take it anymore. Instead, he minces a bunch of cloves in a food processor, and then adds olive oil and a little salt and pepper. Then, choose your vehicle—tortilla chip, bread, veggie—and dip away.

I gotta say: It is damn good. It's still spicy, but the olive oil cuts some of the fire and the spice actually starts to become addictive. We devoured the whole "garlic salad" (an entire bulb) and I woke up no longer feeling like a cold was coming on.

Call it placebo, or call it luck. Or maybe..just maybe...call it raw garlic doing its thing. 

Happy eating and happy Listerine-ing.