Do You Love Garlic?

There was a time when the only kind of garlic available to cooks was a head of fresh garlic.  Garlic presses flourished.

Eventually you could buy garlic salt, garlic powder and dried garlic flakes, which are much more convenient for busy cooks, although not quite as flavorful.  Bottles of chopped garlic followed, as did jars of whole garlic cloves, immersed in brine or vinegar.

I’m fed up with all these choices and have gravitated back to fresh garlic.  It really does make a considerable taste difference.  In fact, I’ve recently begun roasting whole cloves of garlic (see recipe below) to use as a topping for Homemade Pizza.  

Life is good.  When the sun is out, a breeze is blowing and I’m peeling my garlic, I can pretend I’m in Italy!

Roasted Garlic Cloves 

2 heads garlic, separated into cloves but left unpeeled
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt 

Begin heating the oven to 375 degrees.   

Combine the garlic cloves, olive oil and salt in a small bowl and shake so the cloves are covered with oil and salt. 

When the oven is hot, transfer the contents of the bowl to a cookie sheet or roasting pan and bake uncovered for about 25 minutes, or until a fork can easily pierce a garlic clove.  Be careful not to burn the them.  When they have cooled, remove the papery skins, which will come off easily. 

Use the roasted garlic cloves as a pizza topping or mash and put them in soups, casseroles, mashed potatoes or sauces.  

                         For more easy recipes, order "Help! My Apartment Has a Kitchen!"