One wouldn't guess it, but food is very much a matter of fashion. And especially here, in America, where there is no strong and ancestral cooking tradition. When I helped with the editing of the Cumberland County Historical Society cookbook, "Past Receipts, Present Recipes", we had fun digging for antique recipes, with their vague ingredients and succinct directions. When it came to select contemporary recipes, we had to eliminate many examples of Eisenhower era cuisine, with canned mushroom soup and modified cake mixes. We came up with a fine book (Tabasco Award winner!), representative of small town American cooking at the end of the 20th. Century. Yet it won't be too long before our book is obsolete. I just looked again at "The Dinah Shore Cookbook", which was a favorite of mine 20 years ago, at the dawn of the fusion era. Now it is a quaint relic, creditably aware of all that can be gleaned from various ethnic cooking, but also awfully time consuming and unhealthy, with gobs of butter and buckets of cream everywhere. 

No matter what, eating will always be popular, and so will cooking and eating out. One ingredient that will be in style forever is garlic, the ancient yet young bulb. Garlic is one of the great pleasures of life on earth, and unaccountably, it is also good for you. I picked but one web site where you can inventory its health benefits. 

Chicken has overtaken beef long ago as America's number one center-of-the-plate item. Restaurant customers demand boneless chicken breasts, but at home, I prefer whole chicken, cut up. The bones may be a minor bother, but they keep the meat from contracting and toughening, and they provide flavor as well. This month I give you three very easy recipes for chicken on the bone, with much garlic as well.

At the store, select bulbs of garlic that are very firm. When using the garlic, separate the cloves and bang them once or twice with the side of your knife. That will make them easy to peel. I never use a garlic press. Most of the time, I just chop the peeled cloves of garlic coarsely. When I need something finer, I grate the peeled cloves using an old grater which is way too dull to hurt my fingers.

RECIPES

1 small chicken, cut into 8 pieces, skin on (no back - no wings)
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 garlic cloves, whole
1 onion, cut into fine rings
2 red peppers cut in long ribbons
1/2 cup white wine
1 can diced tomatoes (14.5oz)

Use a non stick frying pan with a lid.
Heat the oil on a medium high flame.
Fry the whole peeled garlic cloves until lightly golden.
Add the chicken pieces, skin down first. Salt and pepper generously.
Turn chicken over when nicely colored.
When both sides well browned, add onion and peppers. Keep cooking a few minutes.
When onion is translucent and pepper soft, add wine and canned tomatoes.
Reduce to a good simmer and cover.
Cook for 20 - 30 minutes, flipping chicken once.
Uncover and cook until sauce is just right. Correct salt.
Serve with buttered pasta.

LE POULET AUX QUARANTE GOUSSES D'AIL  (4 servings)

1 small chicken, cut into 8 pieces, skin on (no back - no wings)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
40 cloves garlic (yes, forty, don't worry), separated, but skin on
1 cup white wine
2 tablespoons brandy
2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Use a non stick frying pan with a lid.
Heat the oil on a medium high flame.
Add the chicken pieces, skin down first. Salt and pepper generously.
Turn chicken over when nicely colored, and add the garlic cloves.
When chicken and garlic is nicely golden, add the wine and the brandy.
Reduce to a good simmer and cover.
Cook for 20 - 30 minutes, flipping chicken once.
Uncover and cook until sauce is just right. Correct salt.
Serve with baked or pan fried potatoes. 
The garlic should be eaten, almost like shrimp: you press it out of the skin with your knife and your fork. Even if you're not up to it, much flavor was imparted to the sauce already.

DHANIWALI MURGH KORMA  (4 servings)

1 small chicken, cut into 8 pieces, skin off (no back - no wings)
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 cloves
1 cinnamon stick
8 green cardamoms
2 onions, chopped
4 jalapeño peppers, diced
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon dry ginger powder
5 cloves garlic, grated
1 teaspoon salt
1 plain yogurt, well whisked
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
12 strings saffron, soaked in a little warm water

Use a non stick frying pan with a lid.
Heat the oil on a medium high flame.
Throw in the WHOLE spices. A few seconds later, add the onion and jalapeño. Fry patiently until golden and dry.
Add turmeric, dry ginger powder, garlic and salt, and blend well.
Add the chicken pieces and roll them well in the seasonings.
Add the yogurt, stir and cover, still on the medium high flame.
Five minutes later, flip chicken pieces and cover again.
Five minutes later, uncover and cook until dry again.
Add one cup water, reduce to a simmer, cover and cook 20 minutes, or until done.
Just before the end, add the cilantro and the saffron. Correct salt and add a dash of cayenne if desired. Serve with rice.