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Need Minced Garlic Fast? Here's How You Do It

Katie Sweeney — Sat, 02 Jul 2011 03:11:56 PDT

At John Besh's demo in Aspen, the chef had to chop a lot of garlic for the nouveau New Orleans cuisine he was making. However, he had a technique for getting it minced quickly: smash it. I'm not talking about to remove the skin; I'm talking about after the skin has been peeled off. Place the garlic clove on a cutting board. Turn a large chef's knife on its side so it's perpendicular with the board. Slam the knife with the palm of your hand on top of the garlic clove. If you hit it hard enough, it turns into a pulverized paste. Run the knife through it once and you've got minced garlic in seconds.

What's your method for chopping garlic?

How to Maximize Garlic's Healing Potential

Heather Dale — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 01:17:26 PDT

In my opinion, the only downside to consuming lots of garlic is having stinky breath. This mighty food adds an abundance of flavor to dishes and can help a variety of ailments putting it at the top of my superfood list.

Just some of garlic's healing properties include warding off colds, reducing inflammation, and boosting immunity. What's not to love? Here are a few garlic tips and tricks:

How to eat garlic: When you consume garlic, make sure it's crushed to conserve its healthy anti-clotting compounds. You can press it with a garlic press and be sure to only cook it for 3 - 6 minutes. To make chopping a bit easier, find a garlic gadget that will cut and peel cloves into perfectly diced pieces so you can quickly add your garlic to dishes or sprinkle it on food.

Keep reading for more garlic goodness.

Must Make: Roast Chicken With Oranges and Onions

Katie Sweeney — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 05:06:56 PST

The January issue of Martha Stewart Living has an amazing article on roast chicken. Since roast chicken is one of the most comforting meals, I've been experimenting with the enticing recipes. There's five fabulous variations, but my favorite is the one seen here for garlic-butter rubbed chicken with roasted oranges and red onions.

The technique and ingredients are simple, but the resulting chicken is juicy, succulent, and intensely delicious. Now is the perfect time to make this chicken because oranges are in season, and they're the major flavoring agent. The zest seeps into the chicken and permeates it with orange essence. I served it with white beans, but it would pair nicely with potatoes or rice. Get the recipe, after the break.

5 Foods to Help Keep You Out of the Doctor’s Office This Winter

Rebecca M Gruber — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 01:00:00 PST

Don't spend this Winter in the doctor's waiting room! You may take your lil one for her flu shot and wash your hands incessantly, but there's still more you can do to help prevent the flu from entering your home this year. Boosting tots' immune systems from the inside out – packing them with nutrient-rich foods – may be the ticket to health. Check out the five foods your kids should be eating to help ward off illness in the midst of cough and cold season.

Mushroom Garlic Bisque

Yum Community — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 05:50:57 PDT

GirlA loves to share her vegan recipes. Recently, she posted a soothing and seasonal mushroom and garlic bisque in The Dairy Free Diva Recipe Exchange cooking group.

I had a feeling I was going to like this mauve-colored soup because it not only has mushrooms but wine as well. Yep, I love it. This comes from a cookbook that I’ve recently rediscovered - I’ve had it for years. Beyond the Moon Cookbook is all vegetarian, so I had to veganize the soup, which was no problem. Served with some rustic bread, this soup was ideal for a chilly Fall evening.

Check out her recipe, after the break.

The Basics: Garlic Bread

Katie Sweeney — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 13:00:05 PDT

One of the things I love the most about cooking is how you can take a couple of very simple ingredients, say butter, garlic, and bread, and turn them into something absolutely extraordinary.

You may not think that the word extraordinary should be used to describe garlic bread, but when you realize that everyone has their own variation and everyone enjoys eating it, extraordinary is a perfectly fitting word.

There are two essentials to a deliciously crisp and buttery garlic bread. The first is good-quality bread and the second is room-temperature butter. I like to make a paste with butter and garlic before generously slathering it on the bread. For even toasting, I bake it, then broil it. Get my exact recipe - and please share your method in the comments - after the break.

Have You Tried Black Garlic?

YumSugar — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 08:30:33 PDT

Garlic is one of my favorite ingredients, and I'm of the mindset that if it ain't broke, don't fix it. But the faithful staple has turned to the dark side, with rave reviews. Since being introduced in the US a few years ago, black garlic has been gaining momentum in the culinary world. This fermented version of the stinking rose is sweet and tangy with a jelly-like consistency, and apparently it won't give you bad garlic breath or heartburn. Sounds great, but have you tried it? What did you think?

Source: Flickr User avlxyz

My Most Memorable Meal of 2010, So Far

partysugar — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 14:30:15 PDT

Being a professional in the food industry, I'm often asked the same questions over and over again. What's your favorite restaurant? What was the most memorable meal you've eaten all year? When people ask me that one, I tell this story.

I'm crazy about lamb, and one of my best friends happens to live on a farm. They not only have chickens, but her boyfriend and his brother, The Fry Bros., are up-and-coming sheep ranchers. So when I invited them to spend a weekend at my parents' vacation house in the mountains, they promised to bring an organic, sustainably raised leg of lamb.

I don't know if it's because I knew the farmers, or the fact that I was dining in the company of all my favorite people with a beautiful backdrop, or it could have been the wonderful marinade recipe (which I found in Bon Appétit), but it was the most memorable meal I've eaten all year. I can't re-create the experience for you, but I can share the recipe. Seek out a locally raised piece of lamb and host your own special dinner! You'll need the recipe: here it is.

The Basics: Tomato and Basil Bruschetta

partysugar — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 13:00:45 PDT

When I was new to the kitchen, one of my favorite dishes to make (and eat) was classic tomato bruschetta. Now that I come to think of it, tomato bruschetta is where my love affair with all things crostini started! Since it's nice to get back to our roots every now and then, for a recent party, I whipped up a sensational batch of bruschetta.

Although the recipe calls for roma tomatoes, the heirloom varieties were too pretty for me to pass up. That's what I love about this recipe, it's more of a suggestion than something set in stone.

Select the tomatoes and herbs you want to use. If you feel like adding in a layer of fresh mozzarella cheese between the toasts and tomatoes, do it. Want to stir crumbled feta in with the tomatoes? Why not? Just be sure to enjoy while the tomatoes are at their peak season, now! Here's the recipe.

Sick of Barbecue Sauce? Then Use Buttermilk!

partysugar — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 14:30:31 PDT

As much as I love sticky, sweet barbecued chicken, there're only so many times you can eat it during the Summer. That's why I recently looked for an alternative to barbecue sauce and decided to give this buttermilk-marinated grilled chicken a chance.

The buttermilk, which is seasoned with lots of garlic cloves and fresh rosemary sprigs, tenderizes the chicken. The key to making this chicken succulent and moist is to take care and not overcook it.

Although the recipe calls for a whole chicken, I had skinless breasts in the freezer, so I used those instead. However, when I make this savory and scrumptious chicken again, I'll be using skin-on pieces because I think it will enhance the overall flavor of the dish. It's a great seasonal entree, so learn how to make it now.