I consider garlic a staple and I use it all the time. Don’t buy the elephant variety and don’t buy garlic that’s chopped or peeled; it’s not as fresh and it’s more expensive. Never substitute garlic powder or garlic salt for the real thing. Store garlic at room temperature. The easiest way to peel it is to place a clove on the cutting board and gently bang it with the flat side of your knife. The skin will separate easily from the clove.
Never leave garlic cooking in oil unattended, and never turn your back on it even for a moment because it burns quickly. If your garlic does burn, throw it away with all the oil, wash your pot, and start again. Burnt garlic is bitter, and if you continue with the recipe, I promise you the unpalatable bitter flavor will permeate the entire dish and ruin it. The taste of bitter, burnt garlic can’t be masked. It’s much better to throw out a few pennies worth of garlic and a few tablespoons of oil then ruin your entire dish.
Once the garlic has cooked a few minutes, you will add other ingredients such as onion, vegetables, or a liquid. These additional ingredients will immediately low the temperature in the pan and you no longer have to worry about the garlic burning.
According to the American Institute for Cancer Research eNews, July 2010, if you cut garlic into very small pieces and let it sit uncovered at room temperature for 10–15 minutes before cooking, it will activate its cancer-fighting phytochemicals. This is cool because I always instruct my readers to cut the garlic first. Because of this, it usually is sitting on the cutting board for 10-15 minutes while the rest of the ingredients are prepped. Garlic adds great taste to food, it’s good for you, and it wards off vampires. It doesn’t get any better than that.
Cooking is easier than you think and you and your family are worth the time and effort it takes.
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