After passing my mid-40s, staying up all night or drinking too much definitely makes my body unresponsive.

In the past, I would recover completely after a good night's sleep, but now I feel heavy all day and my eyes are dry the next day. It's even worse when living alone. There's no one to take care of me, and just lying down because I'm sick makes me feel miserable.

So, at some point, I started to find meaning in each ingredient. Among them, my favorite ingredient is undoubtedly garlic.

I thought about 'ways to enjoy it deliciously' and I bring garlic to the table in three ways.

The first is air-fried garlic.

If you put whole garlic cloves in with the skin on and cook them for about 10 minutes at medium heat, the inside becomes soft, and the outside turns slightly brown with a subtle sweetness. The sharpness unique to garlic disappears, leaving only the nuttiness. Nowadays, I sometimes have a few roasted garlic cloves as a side dish for dinner. Just dipping them in a little salt or tossing them in olive oil makes for a wonderful treat. It's quite satisfying to be able to enjoy something so delicious so simply while living alone.

The second is using minced garlic generously in cooking. Whether it's kimchi fried rice, soybean paste stew, or even fried eggs, I add a spoonful of minced garlic. You might think, 'Really, that much?' but surprisingly, it works well in unexpected combinations. For example, when grilling mackerel, if you sauté minced garlic in oil first and then add the mackerel, the fishy smell disappears and the flavor is greatly enhanced. Adding minced garlic to soybean paste soup is almost my fixed recipe, and if you add a little at the end to ramen, it changes the taste of the broth.

The third is garlic soy sauce pickles. This requires a bit of effort, but once made, it lasts for two months easily. After cleaning whole garlic cloves, mix soy sauce, vinegar, and sugar in a 2:1:1 ratio, boil, and cool it, then pour it over the garlic. After letting it mature in the refrigerator for about a week, you'll have crunchy, sweet, and salty garlic pickles. Taking out a clove or two while eating rice means you don't need any other side dishes. When I have no appetite, I can finish a bowl of rice with just this pickle. Especially the day after a company dinner, this garlic pickle is like a hangover soup.

Eating garlic this way has gradually changed my health. First of all, I don't catch colds easily. I used to get sick at least once every winter, but nowadays, I'm fine even when others around me are coughing. And my digestion has improved. I feel less bloated even after eating greasy food, and my body feels lighter. Of course, I can't say it's solely because of this, but thanks to garlic naturally being a part of my life, each day feels a bit more secure.

Moreover, garlic is great to eat alone, but when paired with compatible foods, both the effects and flavors are enhanced. For example, blue fish like mackerel, when eaten with garlic, not only eliminates the fishy smell but is also good for vascular health. Pork is a perfect match with garlic, as it helps break down fat, making it much easier on the stomach when eating greasy meat, and it's said to help detoxify heavy metals from the body. Surprisingly, it also pairs well with spinach. Garlic aids in the absorption of iron from spinach, making it a great combination for someone like me who has signs of anemia.

Living alone, I feel that the small daily patterns accumulate to support me. Even without grand health foods, I'm managing my health, taste, and a certain 'quality of life' with just garlic.