...or does it? As a big fan of things that go "bump" in the night (and I'm not talking about jamming your toe into the bed frame while navigating your way, in the middle of night to the fridge). I'm talking about MONSTERS!
The Boogeyman;
the thing that lives under the bed;
Werewolves; good 'ol fashion ghosts; Zombies (are they classified as Monsters? or just un-dead?)
The Grandfather of it all of course is, my favorite... Dracula. Yep, full-on vampire.
Ummm...wait, I DID find Gerard Butler as a Vampire... thats not so bad... ahem... I digress.
Now, I don't mean these modern day, coiffed numbers, I'm talking about the classically dressed, polite gentleman portrayed by such noted celebrities as...
Bela Lugosi...
Christopher Lee...
...and Frank Langella.
Regardless of the era of YOUR favorite Vampire, there was always one common thread. Garlic freaks the beeegeeebers out of them! On that note, I give you a couple of my favorite "garlic as the main ingredient" recipes.
Roasted Garlic Spread
* Can be spread over warm/toasted French bread and a little bit of goat cheese; you can mix with sour cream for a topping for baked potatoes, or mixed in with Parmesan and pasta.
12 large garlic heads
Olive Oil to drizzle
Salt and Pepper to taste
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2 Peel away the outer layers of the garlic bulb skin, leaving the skins of the individual cloves intact. Using a knife, cut off 1/4 to a 1/2 inch of the top of cloves, exposing the individual cloves of garlic.
Place the garlic heads in a baking pan; muffin pans work well for this purpose. Drizzle a couple teaspoons of olive oil over each head, using your fingers to make sure the garlic head is well coated. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake at 400°F for 30-35 minutes, or until the cloves feel soft when pressed.
Allow the garlic to cool enough so you can touch it without burning yourself. Use a small small knife cut the skin slightly around each clove. Use a cocktail fork or your fingers to pull or squeeze the roasted garlic cloves out of their skins.
Garlic and Lobster Mashed Potatoes!
1 8-ounce frozen uncooked lobster tail, thawed
1/2 cup whipping cream
2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon
1 pound russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter
Cook lobster in large saucepan of boiling salted water until just opaque in center, about 7 minutes. Using tongs, transfer lobster to work surface and cool slightly (reserve water in pan). Remove lobster meat from shell. Cut meat into 1 1/2-inch pieces. Bring 1/2 cup whipping cream to simmer (don't let it boil) in medium saucepan. Add lobster meat and tarragon; cover and set aside.
Return reserved water in pan to boil. Add potatoes and boil until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Drain potatoes; return to pan and mash. Add butter and lobster mixture to mashed potatoes and stir until butter melts. Season potatoes to taste with salt and pepper.
* Note: This recipe will make enough for 2 servings. PERFECT first date food in my opinion. You can make this about 3 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Before serving, rewarm over low heat, stirring often and thinning with more milk, if desired. Or transfer to microwave-safe bowl, cover with plastic, and rewarm in microwave until heated through, about 2 minutes.
A word of caution... if someone at your table declines either of these, I would be a little MORE than concerned. After all, you've all ready invited them into your home!
Hope you enjoy! You know it'll be deeeeeeeeelish! xo The Sunflower.
Has anyone ever told you that one of Frank Langella's eyes flutters back and forth? And where is my man, George Hamilton? How can you forget a guy who has been undead for hundreds of years but still has a fabulous tan?
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