Curious Cook in the New York Times: The pungent chemistry of garlic and onions

In my June 9 Curious Cook column I present the culinary highlights from a new and surprisingly readable treatise on Garlic and Other Alliums written by Eric Block, the world's leading authority on the chemistry of the onion family and a professor at SUNY Albany. In addition to many fascinating cultural and botanical details, the book describes the several Allium flavor tribes, explains how to control their pungency, notes the source and treatment of garlic breath, and warns of the hazard posed by garlic and onions to household pets.