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Garlic
Whether roasted, baked, sautéed, or raw, garlic always excels
There are many ways to prepare this redolent bulb, each method resulting in a somewhat different flavor. True garlic aficionados can be divided into two camps: those who believe in using garlic presses, and those who claim pressing makes the oil bitter. But however you choose to prepare it, know this: The more you cook garlic, the less pungent it becomes. It's only when eaten raw that garlic gives you that burning sensation.
How healthy is garlic? Researchers still can't seem to agree on just how much garlic is a good thing. Or which form is best. Here's where the debate stands.
Heart disease: About the equivalent of a clove of garlic per day may be all that's needed to lower blood-cholesterol levels an average of 9 percent, according to a New York Medical College report. Most of the credit goes to allicin, which is released when garlic is crushed or chewed. Several other chemicals believed to help keep blood vessels more flexible and block artery-clogging plaque are also found in garlic, as is ajoene, a potent anticlotting agent. Caveat to all garlic-supplement-takers: A recent study concludes this form of garlic ingestion is not an effective cholesterol-buster.
Cancer: No clinical trials have tested garlic's cancer-fighting potential. But reports suggest a correlation between high quantities of garlic in the local diets of several countries to low occurrences of certain kinds of cancer.
Choose well: Always select large heads of garlic; peeling those tiny cloves isn't worth the effort. Professionals call these small cloves "seed garlic," and indeed, they can be sprouted and planted if you like purple spheres of flowerlets.
A good head of garlic should be very hard; soft ones can be rotten or contain moldy spots, which spread very quickly through the cloves. The "paper" on a garlic head can be white or shot through with blue veins. This doesn't affect the taste, although in some places, blue garlic is cheaper.
Peeling garlic: A "head" of garlic is typically made up of 10 to 12 individual cloves. To peel a garlic clove, place a heavy-duty or chef's knife on top of the clove. Hit the flat side of the knife with the palm of your hand; this will slightly smash the clove, separating the peel from the garlic. Then the peel should easily slip away from the clove.
Roasting garlic: Roasting garlic in the oven mellows it into a slightly sweet, nutty spread that has the consistency of butter. Spread it on French bread for an appetizer or add it to dips, spreads, mashed potatoes, sauces, and soups. To roast garlic, remove the white papery skin from the garlic head (do not peel or separate cloves). Wrap each head separately in aluminum foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour; let cool 10 minutes. Then separate the cloves, and squeeze to extract pulp.
Browning garlic: This brings out its earthy nuttiness and is a way to jazz up plain vegetables. When preparing garlic, however, be careful because it burns quickly. To brown garlic, heat 1-1/2 teaspoons oil in a nonstick skillet. Add 4 large chopped garlic cloves; saute 3 minutes or until browned and toss with most any vegetable. Browned garlic is particularly good with potatoes, asparagus, artichokes, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts.
Stopping the sprouts: Garlic starts to go bad when it sprouts, turning the taste bitter. Once it's in your house, it'll start sprouting if it hasn't already. To delay this process, store garlic in a dark, cool, dry place if you've bought more than you'll use in a week. Those big braids of garlic heads you sometimes find make lovely decorations, but it's rare to make your way to the end of one before it goes bad.
Whether roasted, baked, sautéed, or raw, garlic always excels
There are many ways to prepare this redolent bulb, each method resulting in a somewhat different flavor. True garlic aficionados can be divided into two camps: those who believe in using garlic presses, and those who claim pressing makes the oil bitter. But however you choose to prepare it, know this: The more you cook garlic, the less pungent it becomes. It's only when eaten raw that garlic gives you that burning sensation.
How healthy is garlic? Researchers still can't seem to agree on just how much garlic is a good thing. Or which form is best. Here's where the debate stands.
Heart disease: About the equivalent of a clove of garlic per day may be all that's needed to lower blood-cholesterol levels an average of 9 percent, according to a New York Medical College report. Most of the credit goes to allicin, which is released when garlic is crushed or chewed. Several other chemicals believed to help keep blood vessels more flexible and block artery-clogging plaque are also found in garlic, as is ajoene, a potent anticlotting agent. Caveat to all garlic-supplement-takers: A recent study concludes this form of garlic ingestion is not an effective cholesterol-buster.
Cancer: No clinical trials have tested garlic's cancer-fighting potential. But reports suggest a correlation between high quantities of garlic in the local diets of several countries to low occurrences of certain kinds of cancer.
Choose well: Always select large heads of garlic; peeling those tiny cloves isn't worth the effort. Professionals call these small cloves "seed garlic," and indeed, they can be sprouted and planted if you like purple spheres of flowerlets.
A good head of garlic should be very hard; soft ones can be rotten or contain moldy spots, which spread very quickly through the cloves. The "paper" on a garlic head can be white or shot through with blue veins. This doesn't affect the taste, although in some places, blue garlic is cheaper.
Peeling garlic: A "head" of garlic is typically made up of 10 to 12 individual cloves. To peel a garlic clove, place a heavy-duty or chef's knife on top of the clove. Hit the flat side of the knife with the palm of your hand; this will slightly smash the clove, separating the peel from the garlic. Then the peel should easily slip away from the clove.
Roasting garlic: Roasting garlic in the oven mellows it into a slightly sweet, nutty spread that has the consistency of butter. Spread it on French bread for an appetizer or add it to dips, spreads, mashed potatoes, sauces, and soups. To roast garlic, remove the white papery skin from the garlic head (do not peel or separate cloves). Wrap each head separately in aluminum foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour; let cool 10 minutes. Then separate the cloves, and squeeze to extract pulp.
Browning garlic: This brings out its earthy nuttiness and is a way to jazz up plain vegetables. When preparing garlic, however, be careful because it burns quickly. To brown garlic, heat 1-1/2 teaspoons oil in a nonstick skillet. Add 4 large chopped garlic cloves; saute 3 minutes or until browned and toss with most any vegetable. Browned garlic is particularly good with potatoes, asparagus, artichokes, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts.
Stopping the sprouts: Garlic starts to go bad when it sprouts, turning the taste bitter. Once it's in your house, it'll start sprouting if it hasn't already. To delay this process, store garlic in a dark, cool, dry place if you've bought more than you'll use in a week. Those big braids of garlic heads you sometimes find make lovely decorations, but it's rare to make your way to the end of one before it goes bad.