Oh dear, I see I am way late to the party and missed the fun and festivities. Nevertheless, I have helped myself to some leftover garlic cake . . . in a word . . . Magnifique! Love garlic. Ever try elephant garlic? Milder, but (in my humble epicurean opinion) very flavorful. My absolute favorite! I have several recipes using elephant garlic, many of my own invention (see below).
Another reason Ammo should consider Santa Cruz as the place for his higher education; it's very close to Gilroy, the Garlic Capitol of the World. The annual Garlic Festival is beyond description for us garlicophiles. (Is that a word? I doubt it. Well, it should be.)
Stealthy sleuth that I am, I fortuitously found and raided the wine cellar and helped myself to a fabulous Chardonnay, dry and fruity but not too sweet--the perfect libation to accompany garlic-suffused delicacies. The champagne too is wonderful. Gracious hostess that you are, I knew you wouldn't mind. Besides, I have come bearing gifts and good will.
I bring a tureen of summer squash, red peppers, Italian mushrooms, and elephant garlic, roasted in a yogurt marinade for succulence and a crispy crust, sprinkled with freshly grated Parmesan. No kidding, it's the yogurt that imparts that crispy crust.
I bring a crystal decanter of my world-famous bloody marys, an ancient family recipe. (Actually, I culled from the SF Chronicle in 1987, but the other sounded better. And so nutritious!)
I bring lush, green houseplants, a grape velde, a cactus of sorts with ivy leaves at its joints, and something with lots of green leaves and strawberry-colored, caterpillar-like blooms (I forget its name and the leaf tag is missing). Both will love the Texas sun. The grape velde doesn't like much water; the other does.
Here's a funny poem I found on a birthday card some years ago (Disclaimer: Were it not for your youthful appearance and even more youthful demeanor and your keen sense of humor, I would not even dream of posting this! Another disclaimer: This was a birthday card given to moi.):
Oh, the weather outside is frightful
But we shall weather the storm
We have your cake to keep us warm
And I leave you with this apropos poem. Paraphrasing Ogden Nash (I think):
Alone I sit in the moonlight
Forsaken by women and men
Murmuring over and over
I'll never eat garlic again
Many happy returns. And many, many more.
Holly |
