Learning about garlic has taken me to many sources over many years, starting with the little Italian restaurant I stum- bled into when I was seventeen. Its chef never realized what an impact his garlic-laden spaghetti and meatballs had on me, but I feel it necessary to thank him, wherever he is. I hope he’s still happily cooking with garlic. I’m also grateful to other cooks of my youth who showed me how to use garlic in the kitchen, by example or just because they were daring enough—depending on their nationality—to use it.
After I started to grow garlic, thanks to the insistence of my friend Judith, the pace of my learning picked up. The speakers at the garlic fairs I attended provided me with bits of knowledge I scribbled in my notebook, and many books filled my brain with facts and fables about this unsung little vegetable, including its long history as a valuable medicine. On this note I especially want to thank Dr. Eric Block of the chemistry department at the University at Albany, State University of New York, author of the fascinating and informative Garlic and Other Alliums: The Lore and the Science, who gave me permission to refer to the material in his book, and I have done so liberally. Ted Jordan Meredith’s The Complete Book of Garlic: A Guide for Gardeners, Growers, and Serious Cooks, was also a helpful resource. Longtime garlic lover and author Chester Aaron inspired me with his spirit and sent me his books to read. Paul Pospisil, editor of the Garlic News, which is an endless source of information in itself, answered my questions over the phone even while he was standing out in his garlic field.
I will be eternally grateful to Pauline Danigo in Lautrec, France, who translated for me on the day of the festival. Without her I would have been lost. My thanks also to Adrien Mucciante of Lautrec’s tourist board, who made the village’s history come alive for me; to Chrystel Pardessus of the Syndicat de Défense du Label Rouge, who explained the rules surrounding the growing of pink garlic; and to Dominique and Philippe Ducoudray, our gracious hosts at the enchanting Terrasse de Lautrec, who served delicious French breakfasts in their centuries-old garden, reputedly designed by the late, great André Le Nôtre.
Peter Ciccarelli, who handles media relations for the Gilroy Garlic Festival, saw that we had easy access to almost everything at the festival, and Larry Mickartz, owner and creative cook at Fitzgerald House bed and breakfast, generously acted as chauffeur on several occasions. Thanks again to you both.
Nancy Flight, associate publisher of Greystone Books, was a wonderful support during the writing of this book, asking for a little bit more here and a little less there in the most tactful terms. Barbara Czarnecki was a sensitive and intuitive copy editor on all fronts, but especially in helping to untangle the metric/imperial measurements and suggesting several stylish ways to circumvent them altogether.
Thanks also to my friends and family, who listened politely for a couple of years as I droned on about garlic’s underestimated medicinal value, the politics of garlic (yes, they exist), and all the wonderful new cultivars available to us today. I apologize for becoming a garlic bore.