Complete Bookshop/CompleteWorkshop.iso/how_to/qb_garli/garlic

Text File | 1991-12-02 | 22KB | 427 lines

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Title:Garlic info
Keywords:hints, tips, info,garlic


 I am including this txt file to tell all how to buy, store, and use
garlic.  I quote the author of Garlic who is Sue Kreitzman.  All recipes in
this file come from this cookbook.

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BUYING, STORING, AND USING GARLIC
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There are several varieties of garlic, but those found in most American
markets are the purplish-red and the white.  Choose fresh garlic carefully.
Try to avoid garlic packaged in boxes; you need to be able to lift the bulbs
in your hand and squeeze them.  Buy large, heavy bulbs that have not begun to
sprout and have no shriveled or bruised cloves.  (Remember a clove is one
section and a bulb or head is the whole thing).  If only small heads are
available, increase the amount of garlic used in each recipe.  Keep the garlic
heads in a basket in a cool, well-ventilated part of the kitchen.  Do not
refrigerate them.

        Don't buy too much garlic at a time.  As it loses its freshness, it
begins to shrivel and sprout.  Never use shriveled cloves or those that
develop bad spots.  If the cloves are frim but have begun to sprout, do not
use them whole in long-cooked, mild dishes.  They may still be crushed or
minced, however, and used as a seasoning.  Split each sprouting clove, remove
and discard the green sprout, and proceed.

        Fresh garlic kept in a dry, well-ventilated place will last about a
month.  If necessary to store garlic longer, peel the cloves, cover them with
olive oil, and store them in the refrigerator, where they will keep for three
months.

        To store garlic conveniently for any length of time without the use of
oil, Madelene Hill from Hilltop Herb Farm in Texas suggests using the freezer.
Her advice: "buy only the freshest head.  Separate the heads into cloves (no
need to peel) and place in plastic bags.  Tie the bags closed and freeze.  The
garlic will keep indefinitely in the freezer, and your freezer will NOT smell
like garlic.  To use, simply remove as many cloves as you need, peel while
still frozen and use as you would unfrozen garlic."

        Braids of garlic are very attractive and an ornament to any kitchen,
but in many parts of the country they may be far from fresh.  If the heads
contain some shriveled cloves, use the braids for decoration and buy your
cooking garlic loose.  If you live in a garlic growing area and can purchase
fresh braids, use the bulbs quickly.

UTENSILS:

        Serious garlic lovers should have on hand the following equipment:

        A SHARP KNIFE AND A WOODEN CHOPPING BOARD for mincing and chopping
garlic cloves.  Keep the wooden board well scrubbed to prevent bacteria and
odor.  Keep the knife sharpened.

        A RUBBER MALLET for crushing.  Using this utensil for whacking garlic
cloves gives the cook a marvelous sense of release.  It is almost as good a
tension reliever as whacking bread dough.

        A FINE MESHED SIEVE OR STRAINER AND A "PUSHER" ( a wooden pestle,
spatula or spoon).  You will use this time and time again for straining soups
and sauces containing long-cooked garlic cloves.  Pushing them through the
mesh reduces them to a puree.  If they were cooked unpeeled, the skin stays
behind as the pulp goes through.

        A PERFORATED POTTERY "GARLIC CROCK" or a loosely woven wire basket to
store the bulbs.

        A FEW "NONREACTIVE" POTS--pots that will not chemically react with
acid ingredients such as wine, citrus juices, or tomatoes, causing the color
or flavor of food to turn.  Stainless steel, glass, ceramics, and enamel are
nonreactive materials, while copper, cast iron, and aluminum are considered
reactive.

GARLIC HINTS:

        Don't forget that the old way of using garlic as a pungent seasoning
is still wonderful.  Some hints follow to help you season splendidly.

        In its raw form, garlic is powerful.  Those misguided souls who
persist in thinking of garlic as vulgar, and even inedible, are usually
thinking about it in its raw state.  Pungency can be tempered by marinating
raw garlic in an acid solution, using citrus juice, vinegar, or wine.  But
remember raw garlic has an excitement all its own. It may not do as an
everyday food, but it provides an occasional exhilarating jolt to jaded taste
buds.

        Avoid garlic presses.  They will reduce garlic to an evil-smelling
mush.  Instead mince the cloves with a sharp knife or -- for maximum garlickly
flavor -- crush they by whacking them with a rubber mallet (available in all
hardware stores).  Crushing raw garlic releases its oils and the flavor will
be at it strongest.  The mallet method has the added advantage of facilitating
the peeling.  Hit the unpeeled clove lightly with the mallet to loosen the
skin, remove the skin, and then hit the clove several times to crush it.  No
mallet?  Until you get one, use the flat side of a chef's knife or cleaver to
press down on the clove.  The remove the loosened skin and proceed.

        Raw garlic, if allowed to saute until brown, becomes bitter,
unpleasant, and inedigestible.  Instead, saute it very gently and at the very
most, allow it to turn a very pale golden color.  DO NOT let it brown, or the
dish will be spoiled.  However, whole garlic cloves that have been gentled by
simmering or boiling can be browned and even carmelized with delicious
results.

        Garlic powder, garlic salt, and granulated garlic impart an acrid,
rancid flavor to foods.  Avoid these products by using fresh cloves instead.

        A salad without garlic is like a hug without a kiss, a day without
sunshine; in fact, it's a damn shame.  One of the best ways to permeate a
salad with the flavor of garlic is to split a clove, then rub the salad bowl
thoroughly with the split clove.  Let the bowl dry for a few moments, then add
the salad ingredients, the dressing, and toss.  Add an additional scent of
garlic by rubbing the heel of a stale loaf of French bread thoroughly with a
split clove.  Toss this CHAPON with the salad.  Whoever gets to eat the
crunchy, flavorful morsel is very lucky indeed.

iIf you want to add garlic flavor to a sauce or saute, but want no actual
garlic pieces in the finished dish, put some cloves of garlic on toothpicks.
Saute them, simmer them, and then--before the dish is served--pluck them out
by their toothpicks.  They make perfectly delicious little treats for the
cook.

        If you want to add zest to your favorite fried chicken recipe, try
Andrea Smith's method.  Andrea, an Atlanta cooking teacher and food consultant,
recalls her mother's secret of delicious fried chicken:  "the use of garlic
and onions to flavor the frying oil."  Heat oil, add sliced onion and chopped
garlic and cook until golden.  Discard solids and proceed with your recipe.
This works well for frying fish and shellfish as well.

A FEW WORDS ON INGREDIENTS:

        BUTTER  Nothing compares with the taste of sweet, unsalted butter.  Do
not use salted butter, whipped butter, or margarine for the recipes in this
book.  To clarify butter heat it slowly in a heavy pan.  Skim off the foam and
let the sediment settle on the bottom of the pan.  Slowly pour the butter
through a strainer that is lined with several thicknesses of cheesecloth,
discarding the sediment.  The clarified butter will keep in the refrigerator
for months.

        CHEESES.  Buy the best available.  Do NOT substitute danish fontina
for the superior Italian kind, for instance, if you can possibly help it.
Never use those horrible gluey triangles of processed cheese, misguidedly
labeled Gruyere, in place of the real thing from Switzerland.  And avoid those
dreadful jars of domestic sawdust passed off as Parmesan.  More and more
supermarkets across the country are carrying quality cheeses these days and
many cities and towns have excellent cheese shops.  Use them well.  Your
cooking will suffer if you settle for inferior cheeses.

        STOCK.  Many of the recipes call for stock.  It is easy to make your
own and store it in the freezer, but should you  have none on hand, there are
various canned broths available.  For best results, buy a broth that does not
need diluting.  Avoid bouillon cubes.

        HERBS.  Fresh herbs are ideal, of course, but they are not always
obtainable.  If you must use dried herbs, buy them in small quantities, store
them in a cool, dark, dry place (NOT on a shelf above the stove), and throw
them away if they start to lose their fragrance and grow musty.  The rule of
thumb is to use three times as much fresh herb as dried, but be careful; too
much dried herb in a dish can be disastrous.  When using dried herbs, crumble
them between your fingers to release the flavor before dropping them into the
pot.  Dried herbs are best added toward the beginning of the cooking process,
fresh toward the end.

        SALT.  The desirable amount of salt is very much a matter of taste, so
please your own taste.  I believe less is better for both palatability and
health.  Too much salt will mask the delicate play of garlic and seasonings in
most dishes.  You will find, on the whole, that you need much less salt than
usual in these particular recipes; the garlic, whether mild or pungent,
provides a lot of flavor.

        PEPPER.  Keep a pepper mill by the stove, and use it.  Preground
pepper is just sharp, black dust; its flavor does not compare with the freshly
ground.

        BAY LEAVES.  Two kinds are available on your grocery shelves: Turkish
and California.  If the recipe calls for a bay leaf, use a whole Turkish leaf
or half of the much stronger California one.


        Think of garlic as more than seasoning.  It can be at its best and
most interesting when used by the handful.  Long, gentle cooking renders the
cloves sweet, mild, and utterly surprising.

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Title: Barbecued Garlic
Keywords: Garlic, Appetizers

  Servings:  8

      8 ea Heads Garlic                        4 T  Butter
      1 x  Springs of Fresh Rosemary *

  *  Fresh Oregano also may be used.
  --------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Place whole heads of garlic, prepared as for Roasted Garlic, on a sheet of
  heavy-duty foil.
  Top with butter (4 T per 8 Heads) and a few sprigs of fresh rosemary or
  oregano.  If fresh herbs are unavailable, substitute dried (2 t of dried
  herbs for 8 heads of garlic).  Fold the foil over the garlic and seal the
  package well.
  Cook over hot coals for about 45 minutes, turning the package occasionally
  with tongs.

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Title: Garlic Coeurs a la Creme
Keywords: Garlic, Appetizers

  Servings:  8

      1 lb Low-fat Cottage Cheese              1 lb Cheese *
      1 ea Purree **                           2 c  Plain Yogurt

  *    Use either fresh, white goat cheese (Motrachet or Boucheron (scrape
  off coating of wood ash or buy without.) preferably), or use Cream Cheese.
  **  Use the puree from 2 heads of Roasted Garlic.
  --------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Rub the cottage cheese through a sieve into a mixing bowl.
  With a wooden spoon, or electric mixer, beat the goat cheese and the
  garlic puree into the cottage cheese.  Beat in the yogurt.
  Line 8 coure a la creme molds with damp cheesecloth, allowing an overhang.
  Spoon mixture into molds, wrap an place on rack over a deep plate.
  Refrigerate overnight to drain.
  Unwrap and unmold onto 8 small plates.  Discard Cheesecloth.
  Serve with thin brown bread, toast, or bagels and slices of smoked salmon,
  if desired.
  SAVORY CREME:
  Lacking coeur a la creme molds, spoon mixture into a cheesecloth lined
  colander and refrigerate overnight to drain.  Unmold onto a serving
  platter and allow each diner to scoop off a portion.

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Title: Garlic-Stuffed Mushrooms
Keywords: Garlic, Appetizers

  Servings:  4

     12 ea Medium Mushrooms                    3 T  Unsalted Butter
      2 ea Scallions, Sliced               1 1/2 T  Coarsely Ground Pecans
  1 1/2 T  Fresh Parmesan Cheese *         1 1/2 T  Bread Crumbs
    1/4 c  Garlic Bechemel                     1 x  Salt (To Taste)
      1 x  Freshly Ground White Pepper         1 x  Cayenne Pepper

  *  Grate the Fresh Parmesan Cheese for this recipe.
  --------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
  Clean the mushrooms.  Remove the stems and reserve.
  Parboil the mushrooms in just enough water to cover, for 3 minutes, until
  barely cooked.  Drain well, blot with paper towels, and set aside until
  needed.
  If the tip of the stems seem woody, trim them away.  Chop stems coarsely.
  Melt 2 T of the butter in a skillet.  Toss the chopped mushrooms stems and
  scallions.  Saute until tender and most of the mushroom juices have
  evaporated.  Toss in the pecans, pecans, bred crumbs, parmesan cheese, and
  remaining tablespoon of butter.  Stir until the butter is melted and
  absorbed.  Stir in the garlic bechamel.  Add salt and freshly ground
  pepper to taste.
  Stuff each mushroom cap with the mixture, mounding it neatly over the top.
  Sprinkle each with some cayenne pepper.  Put stuffed mushrooms in a
  lightly oiled, shallow baking dish.  Bake for 10 minutes or until heated
  through.  Serve at once.
  GARLIC BECHAMEL:
  2 1/2 C     Scalded Milk (More or less, depending on the thickness of
  1     X     Salt and Freshly Ground White Pepper To Taste
  1     Ea    Large Egg At Room Temperature.
  1     X     Garlic Puree From 3 Large Heads Of Roasted Garlic
  Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan and whisk in the flour.  Let this roux
  cook over low heat, stirring constantly for 3 to 4 minutes.
  Whisk in the scalded milk.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat and cook
  gently, stirring frequently, for 10 to 15 minutes.  Add salt and pepper
  and whisk in the garlic puree.  Remove from the heat.
  Beat the egg in a bowl.  Beat some of the sauce into the egg.  Next beat
  the egg mixture back into the garlic sauce.  Taste and correct seasonings.
  Store in the refrigerator, with plastic wrap placed directly on the
  surface of the sauce, until needed.  Thin with milk before using if
  necessary.

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Title: Stefado of Beef And Garlic
Keywords: Garlic, Meats, Main dish

  Servings:  6

      3 lb Stew Meat Trimmed 1" cubes          6 oz (1 cn) Tomato Paste
    1/2 c  Fresh Parsley, Chopped              1 x  Salt & Pepper To Taste
      1 ea Bay Leaf                            1 t  Dried Oregano, Crumbled
      1 t  Cinnamon                            1 t  Ground Cumin
    1/2 t  Sugar                             1/2 c  Dry White Wine
    1/4 c  Dry Red Wine Vinegar                1 lb Pearl Onions *
     30 ea Cloves Garlic *                   1/2 lb Feta Cheese, Crumbled
      1 c  Walnuts, Coarsely Chopped         1/2 c  Fresh Parsley, Chopped.

  *     Pearl onions and garlic cloves should be parboiled and peeled.
  --------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  In a heavy pot that can be covered,
  combine all the ingredients except the feta, walnuts and 1/2 cup parsley.
  Cover tightly and bake for 1 1/2 hours or more, until the meat is very
  tender.  Lower the oven temperature during this time, so that the contents
  of the pot remain at a gentle simmer.  Skim off the fat.  Do not boil the
  sacue down; it should remain rather thin.  Ladle the stew into a deep
  platter.  Granish with feta, walnuts, and the remaining parsley.

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Title: Cowboy's Brisket
Keywords: Garlic, Main dish, Meats

  Servings:  4

      4 lb First Cut Brisket Of Beef           3 ea Cloves Garlic, Slivered
      1 Onion, sliced
      1 c  Apple Cider Vinegar             1 1/2 T  Bacon Fat
      1 c  Strong Black Coffee                 1 x  Salt & Pepper, To Taste
    1/2 c  Water

  With a long thin, sharp knife, make slits in the meat and insert the
  slivers of garlic.  Place the meat in a bowl, spread 1 sliced onion and
  the crushed garlic over the meat, and pour in the vinegar.  Marinate for 6
  hours at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator, turning
  several times.  When ready to cook, prehaeat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  Heat the bacon fat in a deep, heavy skillet large enough to hold the
  brisket.  Remove the brisket from the marinade and discard the onion nd
  vinegar.  Dry with paper towels.  Brown the meat well on all sides.
  Remove brisket to a platter.  In the fat remaining in the skillet, saute
  the remaining sliced onions until deeply browned.  Pour in 1/2 cup coffee.
   Bring to a boil, stirring and scraping the bottom of the skillet to
  loosen the browned bits.  Spread the onions and liquid from the skillet in
  a shallow baking dish.  Place the brisket on the onions.  Season with salt
  and freshly ground pepper to taste.  Pour in the remaining coffee and
  water.  Cover tightly with foil and place in oven for 1/2 hour.  Turn the
  oven down to 250 degrees F. and bake for an additional 2 hours or until
  meat is very tender.  Slice the brisket thinly against the grain.  Skim
  the fat from the pan liquid.  Return the meat slices to the pan.  Serve at
  once or refrigerate for later use.

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Title: Flank Steak With Garlic Wine Sauce
Keywords: Garlic, Meats, Main dish

  Servings:  4

  1 1/2 lb Flank Steak (1 piece)               1 x  Salt & Pepper, To Taste
      2 T  Unsalted Butter                     2 T  Unsalted Butter, Softened
      2 T  Thinly Slice Scallions              1 c  Dry Red Wine
      1 x  Garlic Puree(1 head Roasted)

  Sprinkle flank steak with salt and a generous amount of freshly ground
  black pepper.  Heat a wide heavy skillet.  Do not add fat.  When hot, cook
  seasoned steak until seared and well browned on each side (about 1 minute
  per side).  Reduce heat and add 2 T butter.  Cook 3 to 5 minutes on each
  side.  For best results, the meat should be quite rare.  Remove the meat
  from the pan and keep warm.  Pour off the fat in the skillet and add the
  scallions and red wine.  Bring to a boil and whisk in the garlic puree.
  Boil until the wine is reduced by half, thickened, and syrupy.  As it
  boils, scrape up the browned bits in the skillet with a wooden spoon.
  Stir in the meat juices that have accumulated unter the flank steak.  Boil
  for 1 or 2 seconds more.  Remove from the heat.  Gently swirl in the 2 T
  soften butter so that it incorporates into the wine.  Quickly slice the
  meat, against the grain, into thin strips.  Arrange the slices on a hot
  platter, pour sauce down the center of them and serve at once.

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Title: Gratin Of Potatoes And Cheese
Keywords: Garlic, Vegetables

  Servings:  8

      2 ea Lg. Cloves Garlic *                 4 ea Lg. Idaho Potatoes **
      1 x  Salt & Pepper To Taste              2 c  Grated Gruyere Cheese
      2 pt Whipping Cream

  *    Garlic cloves should be peeled and split.
  **   Potatoes should be peeled and sliced paper-thin.  (Slice at the last
  minute so that they do not darken; do not soak in cold water).
  --------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.  Rub the bottom and sides of a gratin
  dish with the cut sides of the garlic.  Leave the garlic in the dish.
  Cover with a layer of potatoes.  Sprinkle with some salt and freshly
  ground pepper and cheese.  Pour some cream over the whole thing.  Repeat
  until all the potatoes, cream, and cheese are used.  Place the pan,
  uncovered in the oven.  (Put a baking sheet underneath to catch spills.)
  Bake for 1 hour or more, until the top is browned and the cream has cooked
  down to a thick sauce.  During the first 1/2 hour of cooking, use a broad
  spatula to push the top layers of potatoes into the cream every once in a
  while.  Serve hot, at room temerature or cold.

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Title: Garlic-Wine Rice Pilaf
Keywords: Garlic, Vegetables

  Servings:  4

      1 x  Rind Of 1 Lemon                     8 ea Cloves Garlic, Peeled
    1/2 c  Parsley                             6 T  Unsalted Butter
      1 c  Regular Rice (Not Instant)      1 1/4 c  Chicken Stock
    3/4 c  Dry Vermouth                        1 x  Salt & Pepper To Taste

  Chop together the lemon rind, garlic and parsley.  Heat the butter  in
  heavy 2-qt pot.  Cook the garlic mixture very gently for 10 minutes.  Stir
  in the rice.  Stir over medium heat for 2 minutes.  Combine the stock and
  wine in a saucepan.  Heat until ti begins to bubble at teh sides.  Stir
  into rice; add salt and freshly ground pepper.  Cover tightly and simmer
  over very low heat for 20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and rice it
  tender.  Fluff with a fork.  Drape a towel over the pot and cover the
  towel until it is time to erve.  Serve hot or at room temeperature.

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