Early Egyptians, Greeks and Romans used garlic as both medicine and food.
Garlic became sweet when it is cooked and bitter when it is burned. If garlic is peeled, chopped and then allowed to set for ten to fifteen minutes before cooking, the anticancer agents S-allyl cysteine and diallyl disulfide will for.
When roasted, garlic mellows and acquires a sweeter, richer character. Both healthful and aromatic, this ingredient is truly one of the secrets of fat-free Italian cooking.
Garlic can be roasted either in whole head or in individual cloves. Whole roasted garlic head make an outstanding appetizer – the soft, caramelized pulp can be squeezed onto warm, crusty bread instead of butter. It also can be added to recipes.
Good garlic is very hard, that looks like it’s about to burst out of its skin. The best garlic is often found at farmer’s markets and is often hard core variety; the bulbs arranged around a stiff central shaft.
Garlic as cooking ingredient
