HOW (NOT) TO MAKE FRIENDS…

I remember the first time I smelt garlic. It was in Paris. Young and impressionable, I had gone with a friend by car to stay in a grubby but inexpensive hotel near the Sorbonne University. We decided to go to Montmartre that evening by Metro. As we walked down the stairs at the station on Boulevard St Michel, a powerful aroma – or rather a double aroma – hit my nose. I had made my acquaintance with the two “G”s – Garlic and Gauloise cigarettes. At dinner in a small restaurant I loved the garlic chicken and its powerful sauce. On re-entering the Metro afterwards, I could no longer smell the garlic. I have been devoted to it ever since (perhaps this is why I don’t have many friends in England?) and use it most days for lunch or dinner.

How things have changed in Britain! In those far off days, you couldn’t find garlic outside of continental groceries in London’s Soho or a few shops in other big cities. Today, garlic is an ingredient of thousands of recipes published every year and it is often UK-grown garlic you find in vegetable shops.

On the Isle of Wight, the Garlic Farm, pictured here, is not only a tourist attraction, but it supplies retailers all over Britain.

GARLIC

QUOTES:

1. Cut the cheese into cubes and put them into soufflé dish in a single layer.

2. Sprinkle over the crushed garlic and herbs, and pour over the oil to cover the cheese cubes.

3. Cover the dish with a plate and leave in a cool place for at least 12 hours so that the flavours of the garlic and herbs permeate the cheese.

4. To cook the halloumi, drain off the garlic oil and fry the cheese in a few tablespoonfuls of it until golden all over — about 6 minutes.

5. Serve immediately sticks.

Note: Strained, the leftover oil is excellent for salad dressings, marinades and frying. 2.2cm/1in a shallow

with

cocktail