Better Home Cooking Basics: #33 The Smaller Garlic is Cut the More Flavor it will Offer.

I'm talking about garlic again today - surprise, surprise. Truth is if you love garlic as much as I do I want to help you make the most of what you've got. The strength of the taste of garlic is directly correlated to how finely it is chopped, cut or grated. Think of the wise guys cutting the garlic in Goodfellas with a razor blade. It's no coincidence that they cut it paper thin. If you're still working on your knife skills here are a few ways to fake it till you make it:

1. Grate it. Use a microplane grater & grate a clove of garlic until you can't hold it with your fingers any more.
2. Process it. Toss a clove or two of garlic into your food processor. Let it do it's thing for about 30 seconds & you'll have super finely chopped garlic.
3. Cut it & mash it. Do your best to cut garlic with a knife. Sprinkle it with salt & then mash it with a mortar & pestle. This will give you tons of flavor like it did for me here.

Get more of my better home cooking basics here.