Have you ever seen a recipe (a good recipe, for that matter) that doesn’t have garlic in it? Even if it doesn’t ostensibly have garlic in its natural clove form, it’s probably got some sort of garlic in another form, whether in powder, or blended into a paste like pesto or gochujang.

It isn’t usually the main flavor. It’s usually hidden in the background, bringing out the best and strongest flavor within the other center-stage ingredients. But without it, the dish falls apart. Something just doesn’t taste right, and the result turns out bland and unsatisfactory.

Garlic isn’t just a flavor-enhancer. It’s freaking good for you. So good, in fact, that it’s been used a medicinal herbs since ancient times. At that time, people probably didn’t know the exact properties of garlic that made it so nutritious—they just knew it was potently effective in treating and healing people. Now, it’s been scientifically proved that garlic can lower cholesterol, prevent dangerous blood clots, reduce blood pressure, prevent cancer, and protect against bacterial and fungal infections. Oh, and did I mention it makes food taste good?

But it’s safe to say that many people take this amazing miracle herb for granted. And I think it’s extremely interesting that when God created this particular plant, He made it obscure and plain. It’s not even visible; it has to be dug out from underground. The color is dull. It’s not even a pure, brilliant white, but some kind of boring grayish color. It kind of smells funny, like a mild fart. It’s sort of annoying to peel, too. Most people just pound the hack out of it to get to its pulp.

So isn’t it amazing that this mistreated, ugly, overlooked thing can be so integral and beneficial to us? I love looking at nature in a different way like this, because I get to see God’s heart and intention behind every living organism. Some people complain about how God hides Hiimself and has made Himself inaccessible to humans…but I totally disagree. God’s personality, wisdom, love and desire are so evident through all creation. You just have to open your eyes enough to see and feel it.

First, wrap the garlic head with foil with a few drops of water:
Next, spray a baking pan with olive oil, and dump the onion quarters and the foil-wrapped garlic on it. Sprinkle some olive oil on top. Roast at 450 degrees for about 30 minutes, or until the onions are nice and soft:
Unwrap the garlic:
Now that it’s roasted, it should be easy enough to extract the pulp from the bulb:
  Toss the onions and garlic into a big pot:
Turn up the heat, and add in the miso paste, apple, dried herbs and pour in the broth until properly covered.
Bring to a boil, then simmer. Pour in the apple cider vinegar, taste and test. Add more if you want.

Keep on cooking the mixture until everything is nice and soft, adding more broth as you go, about 20 minutes. Then ladle out half the mixture into a blender (try to get the bigger onion pieces if you can):
Blend until sort of smooth. Pour back into the pot, and pour in a bit of cream or half-and-half:
And you’re done! When you’re ready to serve, ladle the soup into an oven-proof bowl, top with the cornbread, layer on both cheeses, and then broil it in the oven for about 10 minutes.

This is the “cornbread” that I used:
Sometimes, you need a shortcut here and there!
Now look at that toasted cheese and tell me that doesn’t look amazing!

I served it with a side salad:
 Spinach, sliced green apple, cottage cheese, dried pork floss, and sunflower seeds, dressed in a homemade honey-mustard dressing.

And pop chips!
 Mimi asked for the cheddar flavored one:
I went with the salt & pepper:
Altogether now:
Remember when I raved about the French Onion Soup at Doughboys Cafe? Well, that soup ain’t got nothing on this one!
It was super, super, super amazing. Definitely not the authentic French onion soup, but…dare I say it? Better. There, I said it. I hope I don’t have any Francophiles sending me hate mail now, but I truly do think this tastes super super super fantastic!
The apple in there made it slightly sweet, and apple cider vinegar gave it a tangy kick, and the miso made it so much…ummmmmami-rich. Intense, very very intense.
And don’t forget the whole head of garlic in there! Sweet, pungent, and incomparably flavorful garlic and onions!
The stilton under there was a stroke of genius. I pinched Mimi’s stock from Trader Joes. It has bits of dried apricots in there to keep things interesting. It does melt and become gooey like Gouda or cheddar, but it kind of sinks into the soup, intensifying the flavor. Oh, oh heeeaven~
The pop chips were provided by the generous fellows at pop chips company:
I was charmed by the way they packaged it.
Now that is some seriously smart marketing.
They sent me six different flavors:

• Cheddar
• Sea Salt & Vinegar
• Sour Cream & Onion
• Salt & Pepper
• Original
• Barbeque

You know how you get that greasy, grimy coating on your lips after eating regular potato chips? Don’t you hate that? It’s one of the reasons why I hate potato chips, because they give my mouth a rash. My skin is sensitive to salt and grease, and the combination of both of that makes me look like I fooled around with my mom’s lipstick.
But you don’t get that with pop chips. Because they’re not fried, they’re popped. Duh, if you haven’t figured that out already. Anyway, I love pop chips. It’s light, crispy, and really flavorful. So I can actually finish the whole bag without skin troubles!
Love them dipped in the soup too!
My favorite so far is the Sea Salt & Vinegar:
And the Barbeque!

Thank you, pop chips, for giving me the perfect snack…and the perfect complement to a wonderful meal!

Okay, I’ve really got to head back to my books…I’ve got a mid-term tomorrow, and I haven’t done a single minute of studying. Urgh…Talk to you all soon!

Question of the day: Name one thing in nature that you really appreciate. Also…favorite way to eat garlic? (Hopefully not before a date!)