Bittman's Roasted Garlic Soup with Cherry Black Pepper Focaccia

As a future medical practitioner. I feel that it is my sworn duty to inform you of any and all real and present dangers to your health. Some might even say I took some kind of oath or something.

Consequently.

It has been brought to my attention that a craze has swept the nation. Regarding a certain. "Fictional". Book series.
Normally. I don't get involved in such things.

But this one was an especial cause for concern. Namely because behind every piece of. "Fiction". There is a smidgen of truth.

Sometimes that smidgen is inconsequential. And sometimes it means the difference between life and death. Not to be a rabble-rouser or anything. But this is one of the those times.
The series of which I speak is one that you may be familiar with. (Or not. If, for instance. You live in a black hole. In which case this probably doesn't apply to you. Or. Better yet. In which case. Have a bowl of this soup. And when I say "garlic" soup. I really mean no garlic at all whatsover. So have two bowls. For lunch. While sitting outside. On a really really sunny day. I dare you.)

The Twilight Saga. By Stephanie Meyers.

It's about a girl who stumbles upon this coven of vampires and then proceeds to fall in love with one of them. Or so I hear. (I actually haven't read it. I don't do fads. Nor am I a prepubescent girl. Nor do I have enough free time to do anything besides cook and think of ridiculous things to say to keep you entertained. So there you go.)
Like I said. "Fiction". (That's what they want us to believe.) Maybe.

But maybe not.

As such. The FDA and NIH have worked together to come up with a set of guidelines and protocols. That enumerates the ways in which you can protect yourself from the potentially imminent vampire invasion.

The first of which is to make this roasted garlic soup. And serve it to just about anyone who enters your home.

Your husband. Your children. Your best friend. Definitely your hermit of a next door neighbor who lives alone with her ten cats. And who you're pretty sure you've never seen in broad daylight.

No one is above suspicion.

And while you're at it. Buy a copy of Healthy Bread in Five Minutes A Day. And make this cherry black pepper focaccia. To throw them off the scent. And also just because it tastes. Really. Good. Besides. With all of this roasted garlic soup you'll be eating. You'll need something to clear away the garlic breath.
Roasted Garlic Soup
Serves 4, adapted from How To Cook Everything

8 cloves garlic, peeled
4 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp cumin
4 cups broth, chicken or vegetable
salt and pepper to taste
chives

1. Heat the olive oil in a medium-sized pot. Fry the whole garlic cloves until they are a golden shade of brown. Add the cumin and saute for 1 minute. Remove the garlic cloves.

2. Add the broth to the pot. Simmer for five minutes. Chop the garlic and add it back to the pot. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and garnish with chives.

This is my submission to this week's IHCC, the theme of which is Garlic Breath! I am also submitting the soup to Deb of Kahakai Kitchen for her Souper Sundays. The focaccia has been yeastspotted (unfortunately, I can't share the recipe due to copyright issues. But you should definitely pick up a copy of the cookbook!). And will be featured in the next HBinFive round-up over at Big Black Dog on June 1st!

Now for a few administrative details. Regional Recipes: Vietnam. Your entries are due by June 1st! Please email them to me at jhbruno87@gmail.com.

And check out my guest post over at Happiness in Health! It is one of my absolute favorite blogs! (Love you Jessie...hope you're having fun in China!)