Garlic

       Please consider this post both a story, and an amateur report.

            Now I am one of those who can both tolerate garlic, and really enjoy it, too... like now for decades. Some can't tolerate it, or even enjoy it, and that's fine, too. I think most can.

            As to the uses, the vast old stories give it both medicinal and culinary qualities. You can do your own homework to make up your own mind, too, to include your own favorite ways to use it, if you so choose. Others have done the same.

            As for me, I am even ordering my own bulbs to grow my own, mostly because I really enjoy it, and if things turn sour, I still prefer to get it, like even grow my own. And it is easy to grow, and it is from the onion family, if that helps you in your analysis. And I can even plant it in October, inside most often, and depending on where you live.

            Now for a favorite story from my Marine Corps' time. It was at Ft. Sill and I went to a school with a lot a Middle Eastern fellow military types from all over the Middle East (circa the late 1970's). One of their habits, really cultural traits, was to get right in my face when communicating, and very often I could smell the distinct aroma of garlic as we were that close. Well, I did not like it, but am sure they too had to tolerate some of our American culture ideas, like "happy hour" at the Club, or other dirty habits, I am confident of, or at least suspect. I always thought the common bond was the pursuit of American women, but I will never really know. But I do know about the common enjoyment of garlic we two cultures enjoyed.