Garlic is as Good as Ten Mothers
January 11, 2017 1:13 PM Subscribe
An article about food documentaries wherein lies the treasure of the full length Les Blank classic.
Inside the documentaries are further treasures, Alice Waters as a young chef among them. But no further spoilers, since the surprises are part of the fun.
Les Blank previously - some mefites were close to this legendary filmmaker
Inside the documentaries are further treasures, Alice Waters as a young chef among them. But no further spoilers, since the surprises are part of the fun.
Les Blank previously - some mefites were close to this legendary filmmaker
I am always happy to ponder garlic. And consume it, of course.
I recently discovered black garlic, and damn if I couldn't just eat that stuff like candy! It's not sharp or acrid at all; it reminds me most of molasses plus a fruity touch of balsamic vinegar reduction, but with just a hint of savoriness in it.
posted by Greg_Ace at 2:30 PM on January 11, 2017 [3 favorites]
I recently discovered black garlic, and damn if I couldn't just eat that stuff like candy! It's not sharp or acrid at all; it reminds me most of molasses plus a fruity touch of balsamic vinegar reduction, but with just a hint of savoriness in it.
posted by Greg_Ace at 2:30 PM on January 11, 2017 [3 favorites]
I hadn't caught this the first time around, and it's 100% up my alley. Thanks!
/me ponders how much garlic he can work into dinner
posted by potch at 2:47 PM on January 11, 2017
/me ponders how much garlic he can work into dinner
posted by potch at 2:47 PM on January 11, 2017
/me ponders how much garlic he can work into dinner
The only right answer is all. All the garlic.
posted by Celsius1414 at 2:53 PM on January 11, 2017 [6 favorites]
The only right answer is all. All the garlic.
posted by Celsius1414 at 2:53 PM on January 11, 2017 [6 favorites]
For some reason recipes usually understate the garlic by half. Occasionally I'll see a recipe call for a reasonable amount (say five cloves) and I genuinely don't know if they're bucking the trend or if they really mean ten cloves.
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 3:38 PM on January 11, 2017 [10 favorites]
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 3:38 PM on January 11, 2017 [10 favorites]
New bucket list item: roast a suckling pig.
posted by bring a tuba to a knife fight at 3:48 PM on January 11, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by bring a tuba to a knife fight at 3:48 PM on January 11, 2017 [1 favorite]
Be still my heart. I love this film, I love Les Blank, I love garlic. Hell, I own a "Garlic is as Good as Ten Mothers" tshirt. When a recipe calls for a few garlic cloves, I usually interpret it as "a few garlic heads".
My favorite part of the documentary is the man from Spain!
posted by nightrecordings at 5:14 PM on January 11, 2017
My favorite part of the documentary is the man from Spain!
posted by nightrecordings at 5:14 PM on January 11, 2017
New bucket list item: roast a suckling pig.
New bucket list item: Your house. Dinner. I'll bring black garlic.
posted by Splunge at 5:23 PM on January 11, 2017 [1 favorite]
New bucket list item: Your house. Dinner. I'll bring black garlic.
posted by Splunge at 5:23 PM on January 11, 2017 [1 favorite]
The only right answer is all. All the garlic.
All isn't enough, the correct amount is "more."
posted by rhizome at 6:00 PM on January 11, 2017 [1 favorite]
All isn't enough, the correct amount is "more."
posted by rhizome at 6:00 PM on January 11, 2017 [1 favorite]
How much do I love the font of the credits? A whole hell of a lot.
posted by mightygodking at 6:10 PM on January 11, 2017
posted by mightygodking at 6:10 PM on January 11, 2017
40 Clove Garlic Chicken (also works in slow cooker)
posted by Mchelly at 3:55 AM on January 12, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by Mchelly at 3:55 AM on January 12, 2017 [1 favorite]
I saw "Garlic is as Good as Ten Mothers" during its original run at the old Orson Welles Cinema in Central Square, Cambridge, Mass. Les Blank himself was present and was in charge of presenting the film in "Aroma-round": he cooked up a batch of garlic butter on a portable inside the theater for each showing. They also passed out chocolate covered garlic cloves.
posted by zaelic at 5:04 AM on January 12, 2017 [3 favorites]
posted by zaelic at 5:04 AM on January 12, 2017 [3 favorites]
The article claims the film being "really the first American food documentary". But wouldn't that be "Werner Herzog Eats His Shoe", also by Les Blank?
posted by ojemine at 5:20 AM on January 12, 2017
posted by ojemine at 5:20 AM on January 12, 2017
The only right answer is all. All the garlic.
All isn't enough, the correct amount is "more."
posted by rhizome
Comin' straight from the undergroundysterical!
posted by Celsius1414 at 8:24 AM on January 12, 2017 [2 favorites]
All isn't enough, the correct amount is "more."
posted by rhizome
Comin' straight from the undergroundysterical!
posted by Celsius1414 at 8:24 AM on January 12, 2017 [2 favorites]
I'll see a recipe call for a reasonable amount (say five cloves) and I genuinely don't know if they're bucking the trend or if they really mean ten cloves.
Furthermore, are they talking about softneck or hardneck?
I only grow hardneck, partly because why do so much peeling, but 1 hardneck clove equals about 2-3 softneck cloves
Anyway, my standard amount is one bulb per meal, so I don't have to count the cloves.
posted by MtDewd at 12:05 PM on January 12, 2017
Furthermore, are they talking about softneck or hardneck?
I only grow hardneck, partly because why do so much peeling, but 1 hardneck clove equals about 2-3 softneck cloves
Anyway, my standard amount is one bulb per meal, so I don't have to count the cloves.
posted by MtDewd at 12:05 PM on January 12, 2017
Softneck vs. hardneck garlic
I don't think I've ever seen the hardneck variety, in a grocery store or elsewhere, didn't realize such a thing existed. Anecdata... Still, I'd guess that recipes are referring to the more common softneck variety.
posted by Greg_Ace at 12:25 PM on January 12, 2017
I don't think I've ever seen the hardneck variety, in a grocery store or elsewhere, didn't realize such a thing existed. Anecdata... Still, I'd guess that recipes are referring to the more common softneck variety.
posted by Greg_Ace at 12:25 PM on January 12, 2017
For one wonderful summer in Kingston Ontario in roughly 2000, there was a stall in the farmer's market that sold Garlic Fudge.
posted by hearthpig at 4:48 AM on January 13, 2017
posted by hearthpig at 4:48 AM on January 13, 2017
I'm still hoarding the last two packs of black garlic I bought at Trader Joe's until I find my recipe for Chinese greens with three kinds of garlic. The garlic is one of those items that comes and goes, but it's worth looking for.
posted by Room 641-A at 6:07 AM on January 13, 2017
posted by Room 641-A at 6:07 AM on January 13, 2017
When I was about twelve, I was alone at home in the morning. I ended up watching a documentary about two men, garlic lovers, doing a garlic tour of France.
They traveled through France eating only garlic based food! It was astonishing. 40 clove chicken mentioned above was the main highlight, but it was chased by an icy, delicious garlic sorbet.
30 odd years later and I'm still filled with amazement, remembering that documentary.
posted by Omnomnom at 1:32 PM on January 13, 2017
They traveled through France eating only garlic based food! It was astonishing. 40 clove chicken mentioned above was the main highlight, but it was chased by an icy, delicious garlic sorbet.
30 odd years later and I'm still filled with amazement, remembering that documentary.
posted by Omnomnom at 1:32 PM on January 13, 2017
recipe for Chinese greens with three kinds of garlic
What's the third type of garlic?
posted by Greg_Ace at 1:50 PM on January 13, 2017
What's the third type of garlic?
posted by Greg_Ace at 1:50 PM on January 13, 2017
Heh, I found the recipe and I guess it's scallions. It's called Braised Greens with Three Garlics but for the life of me I can't find it online.
posted by Room 641-A at 2:45 PM on January 13, 2017
posted by Room 641-A at 2:45 PM on January 13, 2017
I'd say it's a bit of a stretch to call young onions "garlic", but it probably tastes good anyway.
posted by Greg_Ace at 2:56 PM on January 13, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by Greg_Ace at 2:56 PM on January 13, 2017 [1 favorite]
It's all allium baby. I'll allow it. Circle gets the square.
posted by Splunge at 4:57 PM on January 13, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by Splunge at 4:57 PM on January 13, 2017 [2 favorites]
I don't think I've ever seen the hardneck variety, in a grocery store or elsewhere, didn't realize such a thing existed.
Wow. From the UK, I have never seen softneck garlic, and didn't realise that it existed. I've only ever seen/grown/bought hardneck. If standard US garlic is 2-3 times less potent, and you only put one clove in a recipe... what's the point of it at all?
(If you are in the UK, this is where you get the really good stuff. I have tub of their garlic butter in the freezer for any lack-of-garlic emergencies.)
What's the third type of garlic?
I suspect that the third type there would be garlic scapes, but wild garlic would also go very nicely in with greens.
posted by Vortisaur at 2:35 AM on January 14, 2017 [1 favorite]
Wow. From the UK, I have never seen softneck garlic, and didn't realise that it existed. I've only ever seen/grown/bought hardneck. If standard US garlic is 2-3 times less potent, and you only put one clove in a recipe... what's the point of it at all?
(If you are in the UK, this is where you get the really good stuff. I have tub of their garlic butter in the freezer for any lack-of-garlic emergencies.)
What's the third type of garlic?
I suspect that the third type there would be garlic scapes, but wild garlic would also go very nicely in with greens.
posted by Vortisaur at 2:35 AM on January 14, 2017 [1 favorite]
Might be Elephant Garlic. (which is not a 'true' garlic')
I don't think I've ever seen the hardneck variety...
I wonder if that's a NE US thing, or maybe a colder climate thing.
I first saw it at the Saugerties festival, right before I started growing garlic.
Around here (VT), it's usually what you find in the Co-op's and Farmers' Markets, while it's almost always softneck in the chain groceries. (Mostly from California)
posted by MtDewd at 4:47 AM on January 14, 2017
I don't think I've ever seen the hardneck variety...
I wonder if that's a NE US thing, or maybe a colder climate thing.
I first saw it at the Saugerties festival, right before I started growing garlic.
Around here (VT), it's usually what you find in the Co-op's and Farmers' Markets, while it's almost always softneck in the chain groceries. (Mostly from California)
posted by MtDewd at 4:47 AM on January 14, 2017
I just realized that I have a jar of freeze-dried garlic shoots from Penzy's so we can add that to the list. I will be on the hunt for garlics at the farmers market today.
Here you go, add as many garlics as your heart desires:
Braised Greens With Three Garlics
2 T oil
1/2 lb julienned pork shoulder*
1 large pinch baking soda
1 bunch mustard greens, chopped
1/4 c water
5 cloves garlic, minced
3 cloves fermented black garlic, minced
2 T oyster sauce
1 T honey
1 t fish sauce
1/4 t finely ground white pepper
2 scallions, shredded
In a bowl, toss pork and baking soda. Cover and refrigerate 10 minutes.
In a small bowl, mix oyster sauce, honey, fish sauce, and pepper. Set aside.
Heat wok or skillet, add 1 T oil, and cook pork until just cooked through. Remove and set aside.
Bring pan back up to heat. Add oil and mustard greens, toss. Add water and sauce, cover, and braise for 10 minutes. Add the cooked pork, cover, and continue cooking another 10 minutes or until greens are tender. Add scallions and serve.
*definitely optional
posted by Room 641-A at 5:24 AM on January 14, 2017 [2 favorites]
Here you go, add as many garlics as your heart desires:
Braised Greens With Three Garlics
2 T oil
1/2 lb julienned pork shoulder*
1 large pinch baking soda
1 bunch mustard greens, chopped
1/4 c water
5 cloves garlic, minced
3 cloves fermented black garlic, minced
2 T oyster sauce
1 T honey
1 t fish sauce
1/4 t finely ground white pepper
2 scallions, shredded
In a bowl, toss pork and baking soda. Cover and refrigerate 10 minutes.
In a small bowl, mix oyster sauce, honey, fish sauce, and pepper. Set aside.
Heat wok or skillet, add 1 T oil, and cook pork until just cooked through. Remove and set aside.
Bring pan back up to heat. Add oil and mustard greens, toss. Add water and sauce, cover, and braise for 10 minutes. Add the cooked pork, cover, and continue cooking another 10 minutes or until greens are tender. Add scallions and serve.
*definitely optional
posted by Room 641-A at 5:24 AM on January 14, 2017 [2 favorites]
« Older you say tomato, I say 52-million year old... | Where people are really, really willing to kill... Newer »
This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
Apologies if the surrounding article isn't enough new information.
posted by mumimor at 1:16 PM on January 11, 2017