dude... you're so right lydia. garlic rocks. the best way to eat garlic.... ROASTED. it's like butter. i grossed my friend charlotte out when i ate four cloves of roasted garlic by itself off her bread from gypsy's. i'm telling you, it's the best stuff ever. AND i hear it helps lower cholesterol, thereby preventing heart disease =)

here's how you do roast garlic:
cut the top off a whole head of garlic. then drizzle some good olive/vegetable oil on it, sprinkle a bit of salt/pepper as well. wrap the head of garlic in foil, making a little pouch. pop the pouch right into the oven at about 350 degrees for a good hour to hour and a half. roast until the garlic looks carmelized/ light brown/ and almost as soft as room-temperature butter. you'll be able to pop the cloves right out of their skin once it's ready. i'm telling you, you'll fall in love. it's GREAT in mashed potatoes or just spread on bread.

melissa's berkeley food insight: La Note on Shattuck. a quaint and charming french restaurant. as recommended my dear friend ramona, try the brioche (french toast) for breakfast along with the best hot chocolate in berkeley (total about $10). it gets quite busy during the breakfast hours on the weekends, but it's definitely worth the wait. check it out soon!