We LOVE garlic!   My son Mark used to take a four-bean salad to work for his lunch.  It had so much raw minced garlic or garlic paste, the other workers voted that he had to eat it outside.   Fortunately, in Hispanic barrios like ours, and in some other Mediterranean neighborhoods, almost everyone has garlic breath and after a while no one can smell it on others.  Hint:  if your loved one is partaking of garlic or other smelly food, have a bite or two yourself, and then you won't notice it on the other's breath during intimate moments!

Garlic has through the ages been considered as a healthful, curative and protective herb, whether eaten, worn around the neck or used externally.  Modern medicine has confirmed many of those beliefs.  Garlic "thins" the blood making stray blood clots less likely, much the way aspirin does.   It boosts the immune system.  It may make you less likely to catch the flu and colds, whether by repelling the germs or the sick people that spread them is anyone's guess!

When I see instructions to rub a cut garlic clove around on a wooden salad bowl, my thoughts are that it's a terrible waste of garlic.  I frequently add garlic paste to green salads for flavor and health.

Here's how to make a tasty addition to a salad; add a little reduced- or fat-free dressing, or a dab of olive or grapeseed oil and a little of your favorite vinegar, and you have a dish fit for a (garlic-loving) king.

Put a clove of garlic on a cutting board.  Whack it a good one with a large, wide knife, like a chef's knife.  Remove the papery peel and trim off the stem end.  Chop into small pieces.

Sprinkle with a little salt or lite salt, and a very few drops of olive oil.  Press with the side of the knife, drawing it toward you to mash the garlic.  Scoop it back into a pile, and repeat until the garlic, salt and olive oil is a creamy paste. 

Mix into your salad for a great healthy and robust taste!