Let’s Talk Food: How can the royals not eat garlic?

My fascination with the British royal family began in 1937, when as a young girl, I listened enraptured to King Edward as he abdicated the throne. There was no televi­sion in those long-ago days but radio, newsreels, news­papers and magazines pro­viding endless details about the scandal that rocked the kingdom.

Over the years, the royals have pro­vided end­less hours of vicari­ous thrills, tears, con­troversy and amuse­ment to the masses of commoners eager for a bit of news regarding the Windsors, their rela­tives, friends, servants and anyone remotely connected to them.

And why not? The royals are much more interesting than any soap opera, motion picture or real life dramas.

For weeks, I have followed the machinations of the cur­rent lovebirds, and the press has provided every detail concerning the lives and activities of each member of this current drama. I have feasted on every tidbit, expo­sure, interview and featured segments of every conceiv­able contributor to the event. American journalists sent to London and environs have given 15 minutes of fame to gardeners, designers, tailors, former nursemaids, butlers and common folk regarding the big event. It was dur­ing an in-depth interview with the chef at Buckingham Palace that I was stunned to learn that the royals do not eat garlic.

Garlic mavens have started the rumor the royals have a genetic predisposition to al­liumphobia, a wretched pho­bia that results in an abhor­rence of this first cousin of the lily. Meanwhile, English alliophiles (garlic lovers) are organizing a demonstra­tion at Buckingham Palace, demanding that the queen add garlic to the royal herb gardens.

Life as a royal is tough enough without giving up one of the greatest of life’s culinary pleasures. Imag­ine, if you will, life with­out fragrant, toothsome pizza; masterpieces of Ital­ian pasta dishes are bland and tasteless without the aromatic herb, while beef Bourgoninnne (or its lowly cousin beef stew) are bare­ly edible without garlic. I shudder with indignation at the prospect of garlic-less Caesar salad, Mexican tacos, German weiner schnitzel, Italian risotto, Hungarian pa­prika, Chinese duck, Russian stroganoff, Jewish pastrami or any other ethnic food. True, the English are not known for garlicky culinary creations, but I have long suspected that Simpson’s on the Strand are guilty of embellishing their roasts and steaks with garlic.

And promise me you won’t tell the organizers of the Gilroy, Calif., Garlic Festival about this stink­ing news. The shock and dismay would cause many alliophiles to experience cardiac arrest, anxiety and numerous other ailments. However, there is still hope that the new generation of royals will discover the joy of garlic. Kate and William will be in Los Angeles in July and, hopefully, they will visit the Garlic Festival on July 29-31.

Garlic has been provid­ing zest and aromatic flavor for thousands of years. The Egyptians have unearthed papyrus with drawings of garlic. Over the centuries, the herb has been used to ease headaches, sore throats and various other illnesses. The ancient Greeks used cloves as a curative to ease ulcers, tumors, scorpion bites, snakebites, asthma and all sorts of gastrointestinal symptoms.

The aromatic garlic got its name from the Old English plant “gaerleac,” or spear leek. The plant is native to Central Asia, and in America the pre-Columbian Indians gathered and ate wild garlic (A. canadense). Until early in the 20th century most garlic came from Europe and was only used as a seasoning in those regions bordering the Gulf of Mexico, where the French, Spanish, African and Caribbean influences were present. After the great migration at the turn of the 20th century garlic’s usage was confined to ethnic neighborhoods in large cit­ies until the middle of the present century.

Waverly Root, the food writer and author of “Food,” wrote in 1980: “Garlic has been the vehicle in the United States of a self-re­versing snobbery. Before I left America to live in Europe in 1927, you were looked down upon if you ate garlic, a food fit only for ditchdiggers; when I returned in 1940, you were looked down upon if you didn’t eat it. It had become the hallmark of gastronomic sophistication, and I was overwhelmed by thought­ful friends, who catered to my supposedly acquired dashing Gallic tastes by in­cluding garlic in every dish except ice cream.”

As garlic became more popular, it follows that those wiseguys behind lunch counters would de­velop their own slang refer­ence to the perfumed clove. Whenever dishes with garlic were ordered you can count on hearing “Bronx vanilla,” “halitosis” and “Italian per­fume.”

At the Gilroy Garlic Fes­tival, the most enthusiastic and determined garlic ma­vens gathered for a cook-off that results in a plethora of tasty, aromatic and soul-sat­isfying recipe. Here are two winners and should satisfy the most fastidious garlic maven. These recipes are from “The Best Recipe from America’s Food Festivals” by James O. Fraioli.

Garlic seafood soup

Adapted from a recipe by Ginger Moreno

Ingredients

1½ pounds mussels 1½ pounds clams 1½ pounds snapper fillets, or other fish such as grouper or tilapia ½ cup extra virgin olive oil ½ cup grated fresh ginger 1 cup finely minced garlic (about 2 heads) 1 cup finely minced sweet onion 1 red bell pepper, finely diced 1 yellow bell pepper, finely diced 1 medium ripe tomato, finely diced ½ cup clam broth 4 limes (1 juiced for broth; 2-3 cut into wedges for serving) 3 tablespoons cilantro leaves, finely minced 1½ teaspoons saffron 2 cups light coconut milk 1 jalapeno pepper 1 ripe or overripe banana, thinly sliced Salt and black pepper, to taste Preparation

■ De-beard mussels if needed. Scrub clams and cut snapper into 2-inch pieces.

Set seafood aside. In a 12­inch nonstick skillet, heat ¼ cup olive oil over medium-­high heat. Add ginger, ½ cup of garlic and onion.

Add the bell pepper and tomato and cook for 5 minutes. Turn heat to warm and cover. In a 3­quart saucepan, heat the remaining olive oil over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, add the rest of the garlic, juice from 1 lime, clams, mussels and clam broth. Cover and cook for 7 minutes. Uncover shell fish and discard any unopened clams and mussels.

■ Add saffron, coconut milk, snapper pieces, ½ cilantro, jalapeno, banana and bell pepper mixture.

Stir to combine, cover and cook for 6 to 8 minutes. Do not overcook. Sprinkle soup with remaining cilantro, Remove the jalapeno pepper, ladle soup into bowls, serve with crusty bread, extra cut limes and a cold white wine such as Pinot Grigio. After consuming this meal, be sure to pass the breath mints. Serves 6 to 8.

Southwest bread

In 1994 Jim Kelley of Washington, D.C., won the Gilroy Garlic Cook-off with this recipe. I thought it was such an unusual recipe I made 12 loaves of this bread and gave them as Christmas gifts. It was a one-time shot but I still get requests for a repeat performance.

Ingredients:

1 package active dry yeast (2 teaspoons) 2 cups warm water ½ cup honey ¾ cup yogurt 1½ yellow cornmeal 1½ cups whole wheat flour ½ cup chopped garlic (use more or less, depending on your taste) 1 cup cooked black beans, chopped ½ cup corn kernels, frozen, fresh or canned ½ cup red onion, finely chopped ¼ cup fresh coriander (cilantro) ¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes (packed in olive oil and chopped) 3 tablespoons butter, melted 1 tablespoon chili powder 1 teaspoon cumin powder 1 teaspoon salt or to taste 1 teaspoon tarragon vinegar 1 mild green chili pepper, seeded and chopped finely 4 cups bread flour 1 egg Preparation

■ Mix yeast, water, honey, yogurt, cornmeal and whole-wheat flour and set aside mixture until bubbles form; about 1 hour. After an hour stir in garlic, beans, corn, onion, coriander, tomato, butter, chili powder, cumin, salt, vinegar, chili pepper and jalapeno pepper. Add bread flour mixture until a firm dough is achieved. Knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.

■ Turn dough in a bowl that has been coated with olive oil. Cover with a tea towel and allow to rise until double in volume, about 1 hour. Punch down the dough and divide equally into 4 pieces. Form each piece into a ball. Arrange 2 balls of dough seam-side down on each of 2 oiled baking sheets. Cover with a tea towel and allow to rise until nearly doubled in volume, about an hour.

■ Brush dough with egg; slash top of each surface 3 times with a sharp knife or razor blade. Bake in a preheated, 375 degree oven until golden brown and bread is hollow when tapped; about 25 to 35 minutes. Makes four loaves and freezes well.

Ask Doris

Q: When we moved to Naples I gave away most of my cookbooks. One of my favorite recipes was in one of the books and my grandchildren have requested that I make a cheese and apple dish I frequently cooked for them. I hope you have a recipe for this dish.

— Lorraine Montback, Naples

A: This comes from a very old English cookbook, “Cheeses of the World,” by Andre L. Simon.

Cheese and apple casserole

Ingredients

4 or 5 tart apples 1½ cups sharp cheese, grated 1 cup fresh breadcrumbs 1 egg, beaten 1 cup milk Salt and pepper to taste Preparation

■ Slice the peeled apples and alternate layers with the crumbs and cheese until all are used. Beat the egg with the cup of milk and salt and pepper. Pour over the apples and add more milk to almost cover. Bake in a moderate oven (350 degrees) until the apples are tender, about 25 or 30 minutes. Serves 4.

Doris Reynolds is the author of “When Peacocks Were Roasted and Mullet was Fried” and “Let’s Talk Food.” They are available for sale in the lobby of the Naples Daily News. Also for sale is a four-part DVD, “A Walk Down Memory Lane with Doris Reynolds. Contact Doris Reynolds at foodlvr25@aol.com.

© 2011 gonaples.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.