The Garlic Companion

I don’t review cookbooks very often as I’m not much of a cook but every once and awhile one comes along that just grabs my attention. This was one of those times. As someone who LOVES garlic I am always looking for creative ways to prepare it or work in into dishes. This book gives amazing descriptions of so many different types of garlic as well as tips on how to grow and store or preserve it. There are recipes for cooking garlic on its own, garlic-forward recipes (including things I never would have thought to try- like shortbread cookies?!), and different crafts to display garlic in and around your home. All showcased with gorgeous photography. This is absolutely a must have for anyone to add to their collection.

I could honestly never be a vampire. It would be miserable because I genuinely need garlic to live, no questions about it.
That being said, of course I will love this helpful garlic handbook! There are so many helpful tips, tricks, and recipes within the 224 pages. You’ll learn how to distinguish one type of garlic from another and how to grow your own garlic, all while presenting this information in an incredibly pleasing format.
I’ll absolutely be buying this guide!

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I grew up about 30 minutes away from Gilroy, CA (also known as the garlic capital), and I love garlic! I was excited to find this book. There is so much info about garlic, which I know very little about. The recipes are written in a way that makes them very easy to follow. If you’re a garlic lover or know a garlic lover I highly recommend this book.


Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the arc.

5 ⭐️
What a gem! This book has the most beautiful imagery, and the passion of these 5th generation farmers truly shines through every page.

“The cultivation of heirloom varieties connected me to the knowledge that I am part of something so much bigger than myself”

I was drawn to this book not only for my love of garlic, but because of the healing qualities that have been helping me in my health journey, which enticed me to learn more about varieties, growing and preparation. But this book is way more - it’s an experience. Fascinating trivia, creative recipes, and crafts that make you want to embrace your inner Garlic Goddess!

I can’t wait to try some of the recipes, they seriously have me drooling. Many of the recipes I never would have thought of, especially the black garlic recipes, like cookies and cornbread.

I never knew I wanted to host a garlic themed harvest party, until now! The visual photos with amazing harvest decor had me wanting to step right through the book and pull up a seat to take it all in. The ideas, down to the tablescape, floral arrangements and butter board (move over, charcuterie!) have me feeling like I’ve undervalued garlic for so long 😭

This book is a MUST for anyone that is obsessed with garlic and wants to embrace their inner garlic goddess. Me, being a Hippie Soul at heart, love gardening, flowers, and anything nature. I also love crafts and DIY, and this book offers some great tutorials on making garlic braids, garlic crowns, and even harvest wreaths.

What this book does best, is go into detail on when, where, how to plant, nourish, harvest, cure, prepare, preserve and store garlic. And I one is a better teacher than 5th generation garlic farmers.

What this book does not do, is go deep into all the healing properties this ancient food has. It touches on the nutrients and a few things it’s known for, but not in depth. So if that’s what you are looking for, I suggest additional reference material.

Overall, I didn’t realize I was in for such a treat with this book! This truly is a companion book, one that I will refer to often as I experiment with growing garlic for myself, as well as for the mouth-watering recipes. And I wish all of my recipe books came with gardening tips and crafts! Or that all my gardening books came with recipes and crafts…

Loved this book, if you love garlic, I highly recommend, not only does it have fun facts and history of garlic, but the recipes!!! I was super excited to see it included recipes using Garlic Scapes! I'm all about the recipes. But for others there is a good layout on how to grow your own garlic and how to harvest it, along with garlic crafts/decor!

What a beautiful book! Even if you aren't a garlic lover there is much to appreciate about this text. The photos are beautifully arranged and the information is complete and well researched.

There are quite a few diverse recipes and the beef with broccoli is in my dinner menu for the evening. I learned to much about garlic that I had no idea there was so much to know! Well done.

I received this DRC from NetGalley.

A lot of information about garlic. Not only recipes, but also stuff about history, different types, how to grow and harvest, and how to decorate for a garlic function you might want to have. The photography is high quality and the food looks delicious. The recipes are really unique and things I wouldn't have thought of before. I'm definitely going to try some.

I love garlic! I will throw it in anything and everything. I love how well thought out this book is and it is stunning with the pictures. I’ve already tried one of the recipes and let me tell you, delicious! Can’t wait to have this book in my arsenal to take ,y garlic to the next level and experiment with different kinds of garlic.

I love garlic and feel any recipe is immediately made better with garlic, looking forward to trying so many of these recipes.

This is a love letter to garlic! If you love garlic, want to learn more about garlic, and are looking for great new recipes, this is the cookbook for you. A lot of passion is poured into this book and it's a gem for your kitchen!
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for access to this ARC.

The Garlic Companion was a beautifully laid out book in homage of garlic. The photographs make me want this as a coffee table book. I’ve always been a fan of garlic everything and was skeptical this book would teach me anything new, but I was wrong! The garlic scapes section alone had my mouth watering! We’ve enjoyed two recipes from this book so far and look forward to experimenting this spring with garlic scapes. A must for any garlic lover.

I could never embrace vampirism, as another reviewer aptly pointed out. My affection for this cookbook solidifies that sentiment.

This delightful book, driven by the enthusiasm of multiple generations of farmers, elegantly explores the importance of heirloom varieties.

Captivating visuals enrich the book, accompanied by outstanding advice on planting, harvesting, and preparing garlic. However, a deeper dive into its healing properties would be nice.

To sum up, this unforeseen treasure stands as a reliable companion for those venturing into garlic cultivation and culinary experiments. It effortlessly combines gardening insights with crafting tips.

Thank you Kristin and her publishing team for sharing an advanced copy for this book! Thank you NetGalley for providing the platform for this to occur.

As someone who grew up not knowing what Garlic was... you can say discoving it has been a taste bud changer.

I loved this book and will be purchasing it once it is published. The pictures were engaging and made each dish look mouth watering. I love Kristen's personal touches and recommendations throughout the book.

Not only did I learn a lot about garlic but the journey through this book made me want to hop along side those shown and start harvesting with them!

I think the knowledge and expertise is exemplary. The attention to details in each and every step, whether it be a recipe or determining depth and space in planting garlic; I was hooked.

Garlic has become my favorite part of cooking (who can resist the aroma).

Thank you again Kristin and I look forward to having a hard copy in my hands soon and have your recipes filling my kitchen!

—Thank you so much to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the chance to review an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.


Garlic is my favorite vegetable. So this is a dream come true source for me.
I’m so excited to make all of these recipes. All of them look so yummy!

I am a big fan of garlic and I love to cook with it in many ways.
This book made me discover many things. Firstly, that garlic is grown in Alberta, Canada in the beautiful farm of the book's author. She shares the experience of generations in her family and the passion she and her family have for the crop is beautifully illustrated in this book.
We also learn a lot about history, varieties and properties of garlic. Of course, there is a good chapter on the culinary delights of garlic, with the interesting suggestions of seasonal recipes. For those who have access to fresh garlic, the recipes made with garlic scapes are an interesting part of this chapter. I liked the garlic powders and the black garlic recipes too.
And, for the green fingers, a good part of the book is devoted to growing, picking and preserving garlic.
There is even a chapter on crafts for garlic gatherings for those garlic aficionados that organise garlic celebrations.
I don't think there is anything garlic that has not been included in this book and the pictures are beautiful.
Thank you to Kristin Graves for sharing her passion for garlic. This book is lovely.

Will I use this in my curriculum and recommend it to students? Yes!!! A resounding yes! The Garlic Companion by Kristin Graves is a treasure, a keepsake, and a garlic bible.

This book has it all and more including a photo of Kristin's 20 feet by 100 feet garlic wall! :) As a garlic collector and farmer such as I am happy to tell you that this book talks about varieties one might not have heard of and especially digs deeper than any book on garlic that I have read.

I am enamored with this book because it goes into folklore, benefits, crafts recipes, preservation techniques, varieties, how to grow garlic, pickling, preserving, and even touching on The Gilroy Garlic Festival which is on the central coast of California which I grew up with garlic, smelling the fields and going to the Gilroy Garlic Festival every year. Gilroy is often called the garlic capital of the world and it does produce a tremendous amount of garlic but where this book grabs my heart is Kristin's immense love of garlic and how it enriches our life is transforms into every beautiful page. The photographs are rich, and luscious and evoke the pure organic nature of cultivating heirlooms and giving the proper honor with beautiful photos.

I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher Storey Publishing for the opportunity to read the most spectacular book The Garlic Companion by Kristin Graves.

I thought I was a garlic devotee before this book, but I have nothing on Kristin Graves and I'm so glad she shared her knowledge in this cookbook! Who knew there were so many varieties? And all the history and folklore? Amazing. The photos are all stunning and though I probably won't get my end products to look like that, I want to make every recipe in here. And I actually think I could - each recipe has minimal ingredients and steps, which really allow the garlic to shine. From appetizers to desserts and even a garlic themed dinner party for a crowd (complete with garlic crowns and decor), this book has everything. I'm even confident I could take the gardening info and plant my own garlic, though I never grow anything. Can't wait to make even more of the recipes. The question is, am I brave enough to try black garlic chocolate chip cookies?

This is a well-written book about everything that you might need to grow garlic and cook with it. I enjoyed reviewing this book and would recommend and or buy it in the future for someone, who might be interested in growing and utilizing own garlic.

I am a HUGE fan of garlic, so I was very excited to get my hands on this book, and it did not disappoint! I enjoyed that it went from the history of garlic to growing it, and some amazing recipes in between. I have bookmarked SO MANY of these recipes to try and I can honestly say that there maybe three or four recipes that I looked at and thought I would never eat these. They are clear, easy to follow recipes, and the illustrations in the book are beautiful. If you love garlic, I would highly recommend checking this out!

I'm garlic obsessed so had to nab this once I saw it. It didn't let me down and is bursting with gorgeous photos, clever recipes and cute styling and crafting options for everything garlic! A wonderful insight into the wonderful of one of my favorite ingredients!

This book about garlic is a real treat in every way. I read it on a tablet and the colour photographic plates are outstanding. I imagine it will be a great book in hard copy. I love garlic and I’m always interested in reading about it and discovering new recipes. This is the story of a 5th generation garlic farming family in Alberta, Canada. As a UK reader, I found the story of how the family farm the garlic fascinating. It’s an intensive business and the colour plates really bring it to life.

There are some recipes which are new to me and I was also unaware of the different varieties of garlic. There’s a lot of trivia about folklore as with the plant and it touches upon possible health benefits associated with it. All in all, this is a delightful book, a joy to browse and a welcome addition to any bookshelf.

Thank you NetGalley and Storey Publishing for this arc!

5/5 garlicky stars!

Wow, I never knew that this book would be so informative about garlic! I was just expecting a few write ups as well as some recipes, but this goes above and beyond anything I was expecting! The history, growing tips, and the extensive recipes were fantastic! I can't wait to see this in print

The Garlic Companion offers an enlightening journey into the world of garlic. Before coming across this book, I was unaware of its different varieties.

The book explores the differences between hardneck and softneck garlic variants, providing insights into their flavor profiles for seamless food pairings. The section on cooking garlic through the seasons, along with its recommended recipes, stands out for me.The inclusion of captivating photography, including cross-sections of different garlic varieties, adds a visual delight to the reading experience. In addition, the emphasis on utilizing all parts of the garlic plant, from scapes to flowers, showcases a commitment to minimizing waste.
I found the tip on peeling garlic cloves particularly intriguing and look forward to experimenting with it in my own kitchen. Also, the variety of recipes, like roasted garlic and honey sorbet, and black garlic recipes are very intriguing.

For those who enjoy entertaining in rustic settings, the section on garlic for entertaining offers creative inspiration and practical tips. However, I suggest that the section on planting and growing garlic should be positioned alongside the introduction to different garlic types, to provide a comprehensive foundation for readers.

One minor nitpick: I wish the recipes, especially the pastries, also included metric measurements. Overall, this is a great resource for garlic lovers like myself.

Thank you to Net Galley and Storey Publishing for this ARC.

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. I an excellent cookbook for all the garlic lovers out there. I'm especially excited to try the Immune Booster Soup!

The Garlic Companion is an excellent read! Who knew there was so much to learn about garlic. Truly fascinating insight into a well known And well used spice. But garlic has so many other applications and both the history and recipes are fascinating. I am so glad I took the time to read this book and I will definitely be buying it for friends. This bulb is far more versatile than I’ve given it credit and I think I might even try to grow some.

If your wanting to be more self reliant or even learn more about the medicinal properties of garlic this is the book for you!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of The Garlic Companion by Kristin Graves.

I literally love garlic with every dish so this book was perfect. Beautiful book, great photos and information! I learned a lot.

I enjoyed this book. I learned about the types of garlic as well as the history of it. I liked that there were recipes and crafts. The authoralso includes sections about how to grow it. I loved the pictures included.

I don't typically review cooking books, but I loved garlic so much I had to !
This is more than a cooking book, it took me on a whole garlicy journey. It includes a short history of garlics, an overview of garlic varieties, tips on how to use it best for health benefits, crafts, tips on growing, harvesting and storing garlic.

And of course delicious recipes ! I was pleasantly surprised to discover the many ways garlic can be eaten : salty or sweet, scales and flowers, black and white. I found the garlic scape recipes the most appetising, and Im very curious to try the black garlic banana bread.

The pictures that accompany the text are beautiful, quite a lot of them made me very hungry.

I cannot wait for the summer, so I can try the barbecued roasted garlic recipe. I'll be sure to post pictures of what I cook on instagram !

If you're a garlic lover like me, this book s for you. It has everything, and I mean everything related to garlic. You can learn about the different varieties of garlic, how to grow them, various recipes with garlic being the main flavour, even the reason as to why they ward off vampires (or thought to be), everything about garlic is in this book. I loved the way it was presented. I learned so much from this book. I didn't even know black garlic existed, or that you could use the scape of garlic for cooking, or that garlic could be used for flower arragements. I also loved images and the verall appearance of the book. I will be trying a few of the recipes, especially the desserts! This was truly an eye opener and righfully named as the garlic companion.

The Garlic Companion focuses on the different ways you can cook, grow, and store garlic. The cookbook starts with a little history and knowledge about garlic. The pictures in this book are beautiful and the food looks so good!

The sections are
KNOW AND LOVE the wonderful world of garlic
COOK AND EAT recipes celebrating garlicky goodness
MAKE AND CELEBRATE crafts for garlic gathering
PLANT AND GROW cultivate your own garlic crop
HARVEST AND STORE picking and preserving garlic

Each recipe has a picture, information on the recipe, serving size, ingredients, and directions. The recipes are straightforward and has a really nice flow.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The photography in this book is stunning. Every page is like a mini garlic celebration, making you appreciate this humble ingredient on a whole new level. The recipes are where this book really shines. There are some classic garlic dishes, but then it throws in black garlic recipes which I'm looking forward to trying. There are sections on garlic crafts (yes, garlic crafts!), plus solid advice on growing your own garlic, storing it properly, and preserving it. Definitely one for the cookbook bookshelf!

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for giving me this eArc to review.

This is a great book all about garlic that shows the difference between softneck and hardneck and other species. There are a lot of recipes to choose from that are easily laid out which means that they are very easy to follow. I would recommend this for any garlic lover.

Are you a vampire?
-Yes? -> Then this book is NOT for you.
-No? -> Do you love garlic?
---------Yes! -> This book is for you!
---------No! -> This book is not for you!
Me? I LOVE garlic. When a recipe calls for garlic or garlic powder, I put in extra. Sometimes double, but really I don't know because I do the "stop when your ancestors tell you its enough" thing.
This book is set up into 5 different sections and I'm going to give you a brief overview because this is not just a cookbook, it's so much more!
♥ Section 1: History of garlic in medicine, cuisine, media. Understanding the different species/types of garlic, ex: hard neck & soft neck. These species have a different flavor profile (?) I'm not a professional chef so I don't know if that's the right phrasing but they each bring a different taste to a dish. (Side note I would LOVE to go to the garlic festival!)
♥ Section 2: Recipes! There's seasonal recipes and peeling tips. I love the garlic bread recipe (a classic) and I'm excited to try the black garlic chocolate and the garlic scape salsa!
♥ Section 3: Crafts: use garlic to decorate the dinner table, place settings, your home (keep vampires out), or use it to make a bouquet or a flower/garlic crown.
♥ Section 4: Grow your own. Simply stated, learn how to grown your own garlic!
♥ Section 5: Storing and preserving. Pretty self explanatory here!
I absolutely love how in depth this book goes on garlic. Which it absolutely should with the title "The Garlic Companion" and honestly it did not disappoint. This truly is a garlic lover's best friend!

Thank you to NetGalley and Storey Publishing for the ARC! ♥

Most of us love garlic. I grew up without it - until my mother had an emergency and a neighbor fed us kids aglio olio for lunch. I was crazy about it. So I became a garlic lover. I planted garlic in my flower beds last fall in an attempt to keep rabbits out. Maybe it will work, maybe it won't, but I'll have lots of garlic soon.

First I want to note that the book is filled with beautiful and helpful photographs.

This book is interesting, as well as beautiful and useful. It starts with a section on growing garlic, historical garlic, and types of garlic. The author also covers where to find fresh garlic, and garlic festivals. And then what I was most interested in - garlic recipes! There are recipes for fresh garlic, roasted garlic, garlic scapes, black garlic, and garlic powder. There are even suggestions on how to decorate with garlic, instructions for garlic braiding, and other ideas.

Lastly, there are instructions on how to plant and harvest garlic. I've never done it before so I learned some interesting tips. I learned how to harvest, dry and store. This was a very useful book for me. I expect that it will be helpful and interesting to many people - even if you don't plan to grow your own.

As someone who has always considered their selves a "garlic girl" - this book was a no brainer to request.
I, not only, learned so much, but I'm even more excited to implement some of these theories, tips, and tricks into growing my own garlic this upcoming fall season.

The book starts out with different topics like garlic in health & garlic in folklore which immediately captured my attention. Learning the deeper discovery, origins, and folklore of certain herbs and vegetables have rapidly become one of my true passions in life. From there, we are taught about traditionally medicine properties behind the magic of garlic, which has come in handy during our quest to become homesteaders.

Learning the differences between soft and hard neck was something I didn't know. Boy am I glad I learned all of this before our journey to grow our own crops.

Overall, this book was a five star for me. I don't normally rank "non fiction" books because you're learning and obtaining someone's knowledge - how can you put a rank on someone else's experiences and way of teaching? I will be purchasing this as a coffee table book in hopes that our house guests can also get something out of reading this book. Lastly, very excited and grateful to try out some of the recipes.

Garlic is a tasty ingredient we all love, and this book showcases its divine qualities with its stunning visuals. It provides comprehensive information on garlic, including its different types, how to plant, grow, and harvest it, and how it can be used as a medicine to improve heart health. The Garlic Companion is filled with interesting facts about this incredible root vegetable that you will find fascinating.

As the daughter to a garlic lover, I love everything garlic. The Garlic Companion by Kristin Graves Is well written with So much Information on different garlic types and the recipes are spectacular. I'll have to buy this when it gets published because my father will love this!

I can't wait for my upcoming garlic harvest this summer. This will be my second year growing garlic in grow bags in my backyard garden, and this book was very informative and got me even more excited. The book was interesting, easy to follow, and had some great pictures. It began by sharing some history of garlic and the different types of garlic and then went on to offer some recipes and craft ideas. It also explained how to grow and preserve garlic. This book would be an excellent gift for anyone who likes garlic and enjoys cooking or gardening.

Whether you're an expert gardener or a novice cook, there's something for everyone to learn in this beautiful, well-paced guide to garlic!

I freaking loved this book! I learned so much about garlic and the recipes were fabulous. I will definitely gift this book to other garlic lovers as soon as it is published and available in Germany!

This book is a wonderful combination of great photography and all you could ever want to know about garlic. A must for any garlic fan, and a great gift for someone who enjoys their garlic. This has everything from how to grow it, through descriptions of the many varieties to what to cook with it and a ton of other ways to use it and all its parts. The floral decorations were a particular eye opener to me as well as the number of varieties of garlic that you can buy and grow. Fascinating and highly recommended.