If ever an ingredient deserved a cult following, it is garlic.  What other food promises to lower blood pressure, reduce "bad" cholesterol, cure athlete's foot, leprosy, cancer, and gout, AND clear your sinuses while it boosts the flavor of just about every food it brushes up against?

Add to that the fact that it is inexpensive, grown domestically, always available, easy to pronounce, and a known vampire retardant and you have a sure winner in teh single-ingredient culinary sweepstakes.

Luckily, thanks to those early garlic pioneers such as Alice Waters, Lloyd J. Harris, and the good people of Gilroy, California, garlic is no longer an oddity in the standard American kitchen.

Garlic is used in pastas, breadsticks, breads, sinus-clearing broths, fragrant rice pilafs, eggplant, asparagus, spinach, potatoes, salad greens and even desserts.

The recipes I have listed below are guaranteed to fill your kitchen, palate, and memory bank with the happy smell of garlic, garlic, and more garlic.  Cook, eat and be happy!

ROASTED GARLIC- roasted garlic is soft, mellow, nutty and buttery--pure heaven for the helplessly garlic addicted.

6 garlic heads, 6 tablespoons olive oil.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using a sharp knife, cut about 1/2 inch off the top of each garlic head.  Arrange in a shallow baking dish and drizzle oil evenly over tops. Bake 45 to 60 minutes or until soft, brushing often with oil.

GARLIC BUTTER - A wonderful spread for bread or try tucking a pat or two between chicken breast and skin or over hot grilled fish or steak.

4 garlic cloves, peeled; 1 stick butter, softened; salt

Blanch garlic in a small pot of boiling water 2 minutes.  remove with slotted spoon.  Slice butter into tablespoon-sized pieces.  Mince garlic in food processor, blender, or spice grinder.  Add butter and process until combined.  Salt to taste and combine again.  Transfer softened butter to serving crock, cover and refrigerate.  Makes 4 ounces.

GARLIC HONEY COUGH SYRUP - It would take a mighty tough cough not to surrender on contact to the curative powers of garlic, honey, and lemon juice.  The brandy, of course, helps it all slide down.

12 garlic cloves, peeled and lightly crushed; 3/4 cup honey; 3 tablespoons brandy; 1 tablespoon lemon juice

In a small saucepan, combine garlic and honey.  Cook over low heat 15 minutes.  Stir in brandy and lemon juice.  Let stand until cool and strain into jar.  Makes 1 cup.

EGGPLANT GARLIC DIP

2 eggplants, ends trimmed; Olive oil, salt, black pepper, and cumin; 4 garlic cloves, minced; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 2 tablespoons lemon juice; chopped fresh parsley for garnish.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Cut eggplants in half lengthwise and score flat sides with a few deep gashes.  Rub all over with olive oil and season tops with salt, pepper, and cumin.  Bake on tray until soft and partly charred, about 1 hour.  Set aside to cool.

Scrape out eggplant pulp and roughly chop.  Place in a bowl.  Add garlic, olive oil, and lemon juice.  Mix and mash with a fork to a chunky consistency.  Adjust seasonings and sprinkle with parsley, if desired.  Makes 2 cups.

GOOD OLD-FASHIONED AMERICAN GARLIC BREAD

1 (1-pound) loaf crusty French or Italian bread; 1/4 cup butter; 8 garlic cloves, minced; 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley; 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat Broiler.  Cut bread into 1-1/2 inch thick slices. In skillet, melt butter over medium heat.  Add garlic and saute, stirring for 30 seconds.  Brush one cut side of each bread slice generously with garlic butter.  Sprinkle evenly with parsley and Parmesan.  Place under hot broiler until crisp and golden.  Serve hot.  Makes about 12 slices.

ROASTED GARLIC POTATOES

3 large baking potatoes, quartered; 1 tablespoon minced garlic; 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary; 2 tablespoons olive oil; coarse salt and freshly ground pepper.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cut each potato quarter into 4 wedges and arrange in greased shallow baking dish.  Combine garlic, rosemary and olive oil and brush over potatoes.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Bake 45 minutes to 1 hour, turning several times.  Serves 4 to 6.

LEMON-GARLIC SORBET

1 cup sugar; 1 head roasted garlic, peeled; skin of 1 small lemon; dash salt; 3 cups water; 2/3 cup lemon juice

In food processor, combine sugar, roasted garlic, lemon skin, and salt.  Process until skin is finely chopped.  Transfer to saucepan and add water.  Heat just until sugar dissolves.  Cool, then add lemon juice.  Cover and chill. Process in ice cream maker according to manufacturer's directions.  Store, tightly covered, in freezer.  Makes about 1 quart.

VAMPIRES - to keep vampires in their graves, where they belong, stuff their mouths liberally with garlic before burying and scatter a few extra cloves around the coffin for good luck.

If a vampire does start to wander your neighborhood, a simple garlic necklace or garlic heads casually strewn at windows and doors ought to keep the fiend at bay.

WE HOPE YOU HAVE ENJOYED THIS "GARLICY" REVIEW.  PLEASE VISIT US AT OUR STORE.