Behind the Knife - tools, food, and the secret lives of chefs

The Tool Bar: Garlic Garlic Garlic

Welcome to National Garlic Month! We’ll attempt to devote every post this month to the stinking rose, including some Tools of the Week where you’ll have the chance to win a gadget to help solve the more pressing garlic issues in your very own kitchen.

To start off, here are some tips:

*Pablo Solomon of Austin, Texas, points out that there will always be a debate as to whether you should chop or crush the garlic cloves. Most Mexican and Italian cooks will tell you to crush the cloves in the pan. You may want to follow suit according to the cuisine you’re working with.

*Jill Nussinow, a/k/a The Veggie Queen, says it’s helpful to point out to the non-cooks in your household the physical difference between garlic and other green vegetables that may be sharing the same kitchen space. “One time when I went out of town, my husband made a salad for himself using an entire bunch of green garlic. When he picked me up at the airport the next day he reeked of garlic. I asked him what he had for dinner, and he proudly said that he made a salad and used the whole bunch of green onions I had in there. I was laughing through the stench. I tell that story often because some people have a hard time distinguishing one allium from another.”

*Amanda Cook of Vintage Savoir Faire has some advice about how to make garlic vinegar and olive oil. I always head to the olive oil store here in Charleston to grab a bottle of garlic-infused olive oil, but she has an easy way to make it at home.

Garlic Vinegar: Put several peeled cloves of garlic into a bottle filled with apple cider or wine vinegar. Let it sit for 2 weeks, then use in cooking, salads, or if you’re brave, take a spoonful in water daily. There is no need to remove the cloves, they just become ‘pickled’ over time.

Garlic-infused Oil: Same method as above, but put the peeled cloves in some olive oil and let sit for 2 weeks. This is delicious, and I use it all the time for cooking! Can also be used on salads, as a drizzle for bread, etc.