Not too long ago, few Americans ate garlic.
It had too strong a taste; it was too sharp. It made your breath smell bad. There is a reason that it was associated with keeping away vampires – the flavor and aroma were too intense, even for them.
If consumed at all, garlic would only be eaten in Italian food and only in small amounts.
That was how we thought at least through the 1960s. But now, we love the stuff. On average, Americans now eat more than 2 pounds of garlic each year, according to the Garlic Seed Foundation.
So I thought I would make several dishes that make the most out of garlic. I wanted the garlic flavor to be at the front and center of each dish, but I did not want it to be too strong, too pungent. I wanted the garlickiness to be redolent, but relatively mild.