Topic: Garlic

One ingredient that Scott and I absolutely love and could put in every dish is garlic.  Not until recently did we start using fresh garlic and it has made all the difference.

Garlic is said to help with the immune system and decrease heart disease along with many other health benefits.  When you are picking out a piece of fresh garlic, you want to make sure that all of the cloves are very tight and you need to store it at room temperature, preferably in darkened area.  When you are ready to use the garlic, peel the cloves from the head- as many as you need.  There can be anywhere from 10-12 cloves in a good head of garlic.  I had purchased a garlic peeler (see photo) awhile back and it makes peeling the garlic clove that much easier.  You just place the clove inside and roll back and forth. Out will come a clean clove! If you don't have one of these, you can just smash the garlic clove with a knife and peel that way.

I can't believe it took us so long to use it and if you watch the Food Network, they use it in almost every single dish.  It makes everything taste better and it just gives it that much more flavor.  You might as well improve your health a little bit while eating it too!  Makes your breath smell awesome too.