Cut the pork belly into 1-inch (2.5 cm) thick pieces. In a medium bowl, marinate the pork belly with 1 tablespoon of fish sauce, 1 tablespoon of sugar, and half of the minced garlic for at least 15 minutes, or ideally 30 minutes.
Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the marinated pork belly pieces in a single layer. Sear the pork on all sides until nicely browned and some of the fat has rendered, about 5-7 minutes. Remove excess rendered fat if desired, leaving a little for flavor.
Reduce the heat to medium. Add the remaining minced garlic and sliced red chilies (if using) to the pot and sauté for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Be careful not to burn the garlic. Pour in the remaining fish sauce and sugar. Stir well until the sugar dissolves and slightly caramelizes around the pork, creating a beautiful golden hue.
Add 1 cup of water or coconut water to the pot, ensuring the pork is mostly submerged. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and simmer for 45-60 minutes, or until the pork is tender and the sauce has thickened and reduced to a luscious, glossy glaze. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking and ensure even cooking.
Taste the sauce and adjust with more fish sauce or sugar if needed. The sauce should be savory, sweet, and slightly spicy. Serve the caramelized garlic pork belly hot with steamed jasmine rice and a side of fresh or lightly blanched vegetables like cucumber or blanched greens. Garnish with a sprinkle of freshly ground black pepper.
Toast saffron threads lightly in a dry pan for 20 seconds, cover with 2 tbsp warm water and let bloom for 5 minutes, then mash or blend with the grated garlic, melted samneh, and a pinch of salt until a smooth, fragrant paste forms.
Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, add the halved dates cut-side down and sprinkle with cardamom and lemon zest; cook 2–3 minutes until glossy and slightly softened, turning once.
Spoon the garlic-saffron paste into the pan with the dates and gently toss to coat for 1 minute—the oil will carry the aroma without overwhelming the dates; remove from heat before the paste browns.
In a small dry skillet toast the pistachios over medium heat for 2–3 minutes until aromatic and slightly darkened, then chop roughly.
Arrange the warm, glazed dates on a serving platter, drizzle with a little fresh lemon juice and honey if using, scatter the toasted pistachios and parsley leaves over the top.
Offer warm or at room temperature as a starter or meze; provide small forks or toothpicks and crusty flatbread to scoop up the garlicky, saffron-scented bite.
If using fresh huitlacoche, remove any husk bits and chop it roughly; if canned, drain and chop
Warm the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, add the sliced garlic and chopped ancho chile and cook until the garlic is fragrant and just turning golden
Stir in the chopped huitlacoche and roasted pistachios, season with salt and pepper, and cook 6–8 minutes until the mixture is fragrant and slightly reduced; finish with chopped cilantro
Heat a griddle or large skillet over medium-high heat, warm tortillas briefly, sprinkle shredded cheese on half of each tortilla, spoon a generous layer of the huitlacoche-pistachio filling over the cheese and fold the tortillas
Lightly brush the skillet with lard or oil and cook the folded quesadillas 2–3 minutes per side until golden brown and the cheese is melted, pressing down gently
Transfer cooked quesadillas to a board, let rest 1–2 minutes, then cut into wedges
Plate warm quesadilla wedges, squeeze lime over them, sprinkle extra crumbled pistachios and optional epazote or cilantro, and enjoy the garlicky, earthy street-food bite that showcases garlic shop flavor.
Preheat a grill or heavy skillet to high heat and brush the eggplant and king oyster mushrooms with vegetable oil and a light sprinkle of salt, place the vegetables cut-side down on the hot grill or skillet and char until deeply blistered and smoky, 6–8 minutes per side for eggplant and 3–4 minutes per side for mushrooms, transfer to a cutting board and roughly chop once cool enough to handle.
While the vegetables grill, pulse the peeled garlic, galangal, tamarind paste, palm sugar, fish sauce, bird's eye chilies, and lime juice in a small food processor or pound with a mortar and pestle until a coarse, aromatic paste forms, taste and balance sweet, sour and salty notes to your liking.
In a large bowl combine the chopped charred eggplant and mushrooms with the garlic-galangal-tamarind paste, add the thinly sliced shallots, lemongrass (if using), and gently toss so the paste coats the vegetables evenly, let sit 5–10 minutes to absorb flavors.
Fold in the toasted rice powder, thai basil, cilantro and most of the chopped roasted peanuts, adjust seasoning with extra lime or fish sauce as needed, the toasted rice adds crunch and the herbs bring freshness.
Transfer to a serving platter and scatter the remaining peanuts and extra basil leaves on top, serve warm or at room temperature with lime wedges and steamed jasmine rice or crisp lettuce leaves for wrapping.
In a bowl whisk together the minced garlic, tamarind paste, fish sauce, palm sugar, soy sauce, chopped chili, and white pepper until smooth and the sugar dissolves, set aside a small spoonful for the glaze.
Cut the pork into 1/4 to 1/2-inch strips, thread evenly onto soaked skewers, brush lightly with oil, then toss the skewers with the marinade and refrigerate 20–30 minutes to absorb flavor.
Heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, add the sliced garlic and cook gently until golden and fragrant, stir in the reserved marinade and water, simmer 2–3 minutes until slightly thickened and syrupy, taste and adjust sweetness or salt.
Preheat a hot grill or a cast-iron pan until smoking hot, place skewers on the grates or pan and cook 2–3 minutes per side, basting frequently with the glaze until edges are charred and pork reaches 160°F (71°C).
Transfer skewers to a plate and rest 2–3 minutes, sprinkle with toasted peanuts and chopped thai basil, serve over jasmine rice with lime wedges and extra glaze for drizzling.
Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Slice the top off each head of garlic to expose the cloves, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, wrap each head loosely in foil and roast for 30–35 minutes until the cloves are very soft and caramelized.
While the garlic roasts, arrange the sliced ciabatta on a baking sheet, brush both sides lightly with olive oil, sprinkle the chopped rosemary and a little black pepper, then toast in the oven for 8–10 minutes until golden and crisp.
When the garlic is cool enough to handle, squeeze the softened cloves from their skins and spread a small spoonful onto each crostino; top with thin slices of taleggio and a drizzle of honey if using, then return to the oven for 4–6 minutes just until the cheese melts and becomes gooey.
Remove from the oven, scatter chopped parsley over the crostini, add a final turn of black pepper, let cool slightly and serve warm as a rustic starter — ideal for sharing at any garlic shop gathering.
Place the peeled garlic cloves and olive oil in a small saucepan and warm over the lowest heat until the garlic becomes very tender and pale golden, about 25–30 minutes; season with a pinch of salt and let cool in the oil.
In a wide saucepan combine the white wine, water, lemon zest and juice, and honey (if using); bring to a gentle simmer, add a few crushed cloves of the garlic confit and the pears, then poach until the pears are just tender, 8–12 minutes depending on size.
While pears poach, toast the almonds in a dry skillet over medium heat until aromatic and lightly browned; shave or thinly slice the pecorino and chop the parsley.
Slice and toast the bread slices. Spread a little garlic confit (one softened clove per slice, mashed) onto each toasted slice to perfume the base.
Halve or slice each poached pear and arrange on the garlic-rubbed crostini; finish with shaved pecorino, chopped toasted almonds, a scatter of parsley, and a crack of black pepper.
Arrange the crostini on a platter and serve warm or at room temperature so the garlic aroma and the sweet-salty contrast shine — perfect as an elegant Italian starter for four.
