Monday 1 February 2010

The tale of garlic and olives - oh and marmite


I love garlic. Roasted, sauteed, fried. I love the bulbous smelly stuff. Fry a few cloves in oil, add cooked pasta, squeeze fresh lemon juice and sprinkle with parmesan cheese (and yes, you can get a veggie version) and voila, instant meal in a few minutes.

Or just pop a whole bulb of the stuff in the oven, roast until browned and I guarantee you a blissful heavenly snack as the cloves turn mushy and almost sweet. No need for any oil, salt or seasoning. The garlic is a flavoured meal in itself.

The only drawback of course is that the next day, I am a social pariah.

Suddenly I am sat on an empty group of seats on the train as people choose to stand rather than share the same oxygen as me. The brave ones sit on the edge of the seats, sour-faced and horrified.

People at work are far too polite. They just look at me and say "You been eating garlic again, pee-eough."

The Cat on the otherhand has an olive addiction. She will claw, scratch, bite her way through leg, lap and arm to get at my plate if she so much as gets a whiff of the stuff.

Lymphoma hasn't stopped her from desisting. On the contrary, she is a snarling, growling olive eating machine and will draw (my) blood to get at the little wrinkly salty jewels.

The only drawback of course is that I give in and then fret that I've given her unnatrual food for a carnivore.

I don't really know the point of this piece. I just wondered how certain foods attract some, repel others.

I work with someone who refuses to eat tomatoes. No reason, except "they're mushy".

Weird.

But as always, makes the world a far more interesting place. And besides, who doesn't love marmite?

:-)

16 comments:

Theresa Milstein said...

I visited England a decade ago, and marmite had me flummoxed.

My kids loved olives, even when they were tiny. They liked the real bitter ones too. I felt like a mama bird, biting the pieces off the pit, and giving them the bits.
Happily, I'm past that stage now - they can eat their own olives, pits and all.

Ann said...

I am with Cat, I love olives. Nothing like a bowl of olives when you just don't what you want. Cherries are another must eat every single in one sitting. How does Cat feel about cherries?

fairyhedgehog said...

I love roast garlic, too, although we don't usually have it. We got some violet garlic once from a Country Fair and it was wonderful stuff for roasting. My Beloved and I have to agree on whether to eat it or not; it isn't something that just one member of the family can eat on their own!

(Word verification was caticati!)

Kea said...

I love garlic, but really try not to eat it in any great quantity during the week. For the reasons you've already noted!

But an olive-eating cat? That's a first for me. :-)

BTW, mmm, I love tomatoes! LOL.

Old Kitty said...

Hi Theresa Milstein

I never liked olives until my mum bit the pit off and gave them to me!

Then I was hooked!

:-)

Marmite is a conundrum, isn't it really?

Take care

x

Old Kitty said...

Hi Ann

I love olives too, love them!
:-)

The Cat on the otherhand does not like cherries. Or grapes. I tried but she's not fooled so easily, the silly creature!

Take care

x

Old Kitty said...

Hi

caticati - excellent!! LOL!

erm. Yes. Of course a roasted bulb of garlic must always be shared...of course... (maybe that's why no-one speaks to me the day after...??)

:-)

Take care
x

Old Kitty said...

Hi Kim

Oh so glad you like tomatoes! I love em! Especially cherry tomatoes. Yum, yum.

And the Cat really freaks me out when she goes mental for olives. Really mental. Weird creature!

Take care

x

Fionnuala said...

I love olives and garlic, HATE marmite and am allergic to cats! I am also on a post xmas diet and al thinking of food constantly, like now when I'm imagining a wonderful Pad Thai with King prawns. Off to salivate elsewhere..! Fx

Karen Jones Gowen said...

I have no idea what marmite is, but garlic is a staple in my kitchen. I used to live in Gilroy, CA, which is the garlic capital of the world. They grow fields of it, and you can smell it as you approach town. That's where I learned to cook with fresh garlic, with loads of it, using the whole bulbs not just a few cloves.

And I gave you an award today, come by my blog to get it!

Anonymous said...

Wow - my cats wouldn't ever go anywhere near olives. (Maybe it's the salt?) And I adore olives, so the cats had more than enough opportunities to find out...

Anything else on an antipasto plate, though? Cat says nom.

Old Kitty said...

Hi Fionnuala Kearney

Thanks for popping in!

And making me laugh! Here I am with the Cat and marmite.. oh dear.

I hope you found a lovely place to salivate, anyway!

:-)

Take care
x

Old Kitty said...

Hi KarenG

What paradise to be surrounded by garlic! YUM!

Ooooh an award!!??

I'm coming over now, how sweet!!

Big AW!!

Take care
x

Old Kitty said...

Hi hamphireflyer

Thanks for coming by.

I think it's the salt too you know. I'd love to know why though?

:-)

And The Cat definitely says nom, nom to those olives!

Take care
x

Pat @ Mille Fiori Favoriti said...

I had a cat once that loved raw potatoes! My present cat will go wild for the herb Rosemary as if it were cat nip.

I love garlic! I've heard eating a sprig of fresh parsley will cure garlic breath ...I'm not not sure it will work if it oozes from one's skin pores.

Marmite? Never had it! If I ever visit the UK I'll try it!

Old Kitty said...

Hi Pat@Milli Fiori Favoriti

Oh you must try marmite! I hope you like it.

And yes, of course the parsley thing - why didn't I think of that?

Thanks!

Take care

x