Welcome back to Cooking with Plushies!

We are again your chefs, KoonKoon and ChipChip, and we are so happy to see you!

We are trying something new and making recipes from ancient cultures with strong mythological roots. Mommy decided to go back to school to teach little humans, and we are helping her with her mythology final exam today. We are making garlicky cheese from ancient Greece. As you can see, Mommy sewed us some new costumes! I am Zeus, the father of the Greek gods, and KoonKoon is an Irish Fairy Prince, from our next recipe, Irish Soda Bread.

Some Brief Mythological History:

Greek myths depict garlic as a paranormal plant that can ward off evil. This garlic cheese was invented by Virgil, who wrote the Aeneid in 70-19 BCE. This recipe really is ancient! Virgil’s epic poem is credited with the foundation of Rome and its mythology. The hero Aeneas, a character from the Iliad, is a Trojan prince, and the son of Aphrodite. He flees the Trojan war and the epic follows his journey to Italy, one that mirrors Odysseus’s journey home in Homer’s The Odyssey. Now that the learning is out of the way, let’s get cooking!

Ingredients:

(The formatted recipe for printing is located at the bottom of this post)

• 20 garlic cloves (roughly 2 heads)
• 8 oz Romano Cheese
• 1 handful of coriander leaves (fresh basil leaves may be substituted)
• 2 tsp fresh celery leaf, chopped
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Garlic Disclaimer:

When we say this recipe has a LOT of garlic we mean it! As you can see above it is plenty. If anyone has garlic sensitivities, this may be overwhelming. We don’t think a vampire could come within 15 miles of our house right now, we think the Greeks were onto something, there!

KoonKoon, what do you call an all-you-can-eat garlic restaurant?

Oh, here we go again, what?

Buffet the Vampire Slayer!

… 😵

KoonKoon, do you hate bad puns? My Apollo-gies

Ok, those were pretty great, I admit it 🤣🙌🤣!

Step One:

We recommend asking a human to chop the garlic for you. They may want to use gloves, because the odor may remain on the skin for days. Be warned, it will not come out of furry paws.

• Separate your garlic cloves and peel them (cutting each clove in half makes the peeling easier).
• Roughly chop the garlic

Step Two:

• Grate the cheese finely, it should be powdery, like parmesan cheese topping.

Step Three:

• Chop the herbs roughly.

Step Four:

• Grind the garlic and salt into a pulp. You may do this with a mortar and pestle, or with a food processor.

Step Five:

• Add the Romano cheese and herbs, and process until the mixture is smooth.

Step Six:

• Add the olive oil and white wine vinegar, and mix until combined.
• Chill the garlicky cheese.
• Serve with your favorite bread.

You’re Done! Relax and enjoy your meal!

Thank you for sticking with us, especially through our bad jokes! Feel free to comment or ask any questions below. We’ll see you in the next recipe, Irish Soda Bread. As always, we’re going to myth you!