Gourmet Garlic Bread Spread!

Garlic is a fundamental component in many dishes from around the world and also provides many health benefits such as reducing high blood pressure, atherosclerosis, cancer risk, fungal infections, and even tick bites.  The word garlic comes from Old English "garleac", meaning "spear leek." Dating back over 6,000 years, it is native to Central Asia, and has long been a staple in the Mediterranean region, as well as a frequent seasoning in Asia, Africa, and Europe.  Garlic alone can be a bit strong, but as an ingredient in recipes it is nearly unmatched.  One of my favorite uses for garlic is on garlic bread.

History of Garlic Bread Recipe

Garlic bread may have originated in the south of Europe where garlic plants have grown for thousands of years. Another explanation is that it shares it's origins with pizza which may have originated with the Greeks who covered their bread with oils, herbs and cheese. Present day recipes are an probably an off-shoot of the Italian "Bruschetta", a grilled bread rubbed with garlic and topped with tomatoes, olive oil, salt and pepper.

I love a good garlic bread.  The best ones are crispy, hot from the oven, and taste simultaneously powerfully pungent and marvelously mellow.  The flavor is a magical combination that is savory, buttery, salty, and intensely garlicky!  Just the smell of this bread as it broils in my oven makes me anxious for dinner.

Over the years I've tried various ways of preparing garlic bread, but I recently SIGNIFICANTLY improved the recipe and I thought I'd share.  Here is how to make a gourmet garlic bread spread that turns a simple loaf of French bread into an irresistible delight:

Gourmet Garlic Spread Ingredients:

• 1/4 C Coconut Oil or Butter-softened
• 1/4 C Mayonnaise
• 1/4 C Parmesan Cheese-grated (I like the long-grated fresh kind)
• 2 cloves Garlic-crushed and minced finely (to maximize the flavor of garlic you need to break as many of its plant cells as possible--another great alternative is a garlic press)
• 1/4 t Basil-dried 
• 1/4 t Fine Herbs of choice 
• Ground Black Pepper to taste
• 1/4 t Parsley-dried 
• 5 drops Annatto Oil* (optional-for color)

Mix the ingredients together with a rubber spatula until they are the consistency of a thick spread. 

* Just a word about Annatto Oil.  Annatto is the seed from the tropical Achiote tree. It is red in color and can be purchased cheaply in the spice rack at your local Mexican market (you can also buy it online).  It is commonly used in both Latin American and Caribbean cuisine as both a yellow colorant and as a flavoring (it's sometimes called "the poor man's saffron").   It makes a great natural oil-based colorant that I use when I make soap as well as when I make vegan butter.

To make Annatto Oil you'll need:

• 1 cup Olive Oil
• 2.5 Tbsp Annatto (Achiote) Seeds

Heat the oil and the seeds in a small pan until the seeds begin bubbling steadily.  Remove from the heat (don't overheat).  Let the seeds and oil cool.  Strain out the seeds and store the oil in a container.  You can use this in your cooking (makes a nice yellow rice) so keep it around.

Now take a loaf of French bread (I found mine on sale for $1 at WalMart), slice it in half longways, spread half the Gourmet Garlic Spread on each side.  Lay these face up on a cookie sheet.  Next set your oven to the low Broil setting and place the sheet on a shelf so that the top of the bread it 3 or 4 inches from the heating element in your oven.  Broil the bread until it is lightly toasted (around five or six minutes but check it so it won't burn).

Serve this with pasta, salads, soups, or just as a great snack by itself.  It also makes amazing sandwiches.  Enjoy!