Apropos of nothing, I've been mulling over this question for a few days now and on this morning's unaccompanied five mile walk I decided on my answer. What do you think: would you rather live in a world without garlic, or a world without limes?
In earlier years I would have relinquished nearly anything to keep garlic, but now I'm very attached to limes. Take the garlic; leave me my limes.
Are you nuts? Live as we know it would not exist if there was no garlic (or, at least life in my kitchen). At the risk of sounding ignorant, I never met a lime that a lemon couldn't replace.
Posted by: verplanck colvin | March 26, 2004 at 08:17 AM
As much as I disagree with parts of the previous statement (a lemon simply does not go in a gin or vodka tonic), I agree with the ultimate conclusion. In a world without limes, you would be able to make do with other citrus fruits. But a world without garlic would just be sad.
Posted by: Dave | March 26, 2004 at 10:28 AM
Limes over garlic? I think that's just the gimlets talking.
Mmmmm, gimlets. . .
Posted by: George Wallace | March 26, 2004 at 10:58 AM
Mmm. Garlic. I like limes too, but garlic is the magic ingredient in every fabulous lasagna, stir fry, and half of the other delicious foods in the universe. Plus you haven't lived until you've eaten pickled garlic with vodka at a bar in Moscow. Garlic is good!
Posted by: gretchen | March 26, 2004 at 11:37 AM
I must concur with the previous posts...limes, while charming, do have close facsimiles but nothing can replace garlic. Admittedly, I keep at least a pound or so of roasted garlic, several ounces of marinated garlic and several heads of fresh garlic in the fridge at all times...I may be slightly biased...
Tangentially, roasting 3lbs of garlic (from Sam's or kin) in a quart of olive oil gives you both a remarkable amount of roasted garlic to be added to anything *and* nearly a quart of garlic infused olive oil to boot. It will also fill your house (and/or neighborhood) with a lovely, if strong, smell.
Posted by: ijk | March 26, 2004 at 11:43 AM
Gretchen, keep an eye out for green olives stuffed with pickled garlic (a good italian deli should have them). They are the breakfast of champions (and right tasty in a 'tini).
Posted by: ijk | March 26, 2004 at 11:45 AM
So we could still have shallots and lemons, then?
Hmm. . . . I'd keep garlic. But then again, I drink martinis, not gin and tonics.
Posted by: Anthony | March 26, 2004 at 12:49 PM