Cooking Garlic

Garlic is not exactly the most pleasant thing to eat raw, both for the consumer as well as anyone within a 10 foot radius, but cooking the garlic can tone down the taste (and smell) as well as produce some very tasty dishes. The longer you cook garlic, the milder its taste becomes, and it can be used quite effectively as a seasoner or flavor adder for all kinds of dishes. However, cooking garlic at a too high temperature is not a good idea and will not ameliorate the unpleasant taste. Unfortunately garlic burns easily, and at high temperatures, its taste becomes bitter. Garlic can be used to flavor pasta, meats, soups, salad dressings or even bread. Almost every culture has dishes which contain garlic, from Italian and Greek food, to Jamaican and Cuban food.


If you want to increase the amount of garlic in your diet without decreasing your number of friends, check out some of the recipes listed on these sites:
http://www.garlic-central.com/garlic-recipes.html
http://www.thegarlicstore.com/index.cgi/monthlyrecipe.html

Here is a recipe for Baked Broccoli with Garlic straight from The Garlic Store:

1 large bunch broccoli
1 small onion, chopped
8 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup olive oil
1 cup bread crumbs
3/4 cup Parmesan, grated
1 egg, lightly beaten
Salt and pepper to taste

Boil or steam broccoli until tender. Drain and mash. Saute onion and garlic in oil over medium heat. When they soften, add broccoli and stir to mix. Add bread crumbs and cheese and blend. Remove from heat and stir in egg. Season with salt and pepper. Pour into baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15-20 minutes. Serves 6.