Book is done

After more than a year my book on garlic is done. Ontario Garlic: The Story From Farm to Festival is a cultural history of the stinking bulb. The story starts with the earliest use of garlic in ancient Central Asia and traces its path all the way to Ontario. It's cultivation and the role of immigrants in popularizing the plant is told through stories and anecdotes, including The Man Who Loved Garlic and Hated It, and Mike Myers and the Garlic French Toast. To be published summer 2015 by History Press. Exact pub date to be announced.

What a day!

Jamie Kennedy Fries

The day started ominously, with such a downpour of rain that the tin roof sounded like it was being beaten by a thousand drummers. But people were lining up at 9 am despite the rain and before long the festival was in full swing, with the smell of garlickly good food being grilled, sauteed, fried, stewed, rolled and boiled.

The choice of sweet and savoury garlic inspired foods was unparalled, including Garlic Honey Ribs, Garlic Lobster Bisque, To Cure What Ails Garlic Soup (with 4,000 cloves), Roasted Corn with Garlic and Basil Butter, Ontario Perch with Garlic Scape Tartar Sauce, Lamb Shank Haleem with Garlic and Hot Sauce, Sweet Potatoe Gnocchi with Garlic Lemon Aioli, and that's just one row of chef tables. 

Just A Cup Coffee

There were more than 20 farmers on hand featuring dozens of varieties of Ontario hardneck garlic, and the cooking demos by Chefs Anne Sorrenti, Brad Long and Kobayashi lived up the their billing.

The talks, including Food Labels 101, Growing Garlic in the City, Living a No Impact Life: The Film vs. Real Life, and Garlic is as Good and Gold: Currency Flu Fighter, Taste Maker, attracted huge crowds.


Sweet items included Bourbon Black Garlic Lollipops, Black Garlic Macarons, two types of buttertart: One with Black Garlic, and one with Roasted Garlic, plus Roast Garlic Almond Brittle, Garlic and Dark Chocolate Truffle, and more.

Black Garlic Buttertarts (Smoked & Cracked)

Happy festival visitors!

Roast Garlic Almond Brittle

Reicza of Reicza's Rocamboles

The Official Garlic Breath Contest

Thanks from the bottom of my heart to all the farmers, chefs and specialty vendors who help to make this a very special day. And my utmost and heartfelt thanks to the volunteers and staff who helped to make it all seem effortless.

My favorite overheard comment the whole day: "This is the best smelling festival I've ever been to."

Garlic Harvest is Done!

All finished today, but not before we had a spagetti lunch with ten bulbs of fresh harvested garlic chopped on-the-spot, sauteed and added to the sauce. When the garlic is so fresh it's quite mild, and thanks to it's high water content at harvest, it cooks like onions.