WHAT a Summer! And Fall/Winter are Already Booking Up!
Folks, the kitchen is absolutely BUZZING with all of the fabulous bounty of summer, and clients are knocking down my door. I haven't been in touch for a while because I'm too busy cooking! I value your readership and comments so thoroughly, so I wanted to find a way to stay in touch without absolutely RACKING my tired brain for food ideas...and I hit on a GREAT one. I'm going back to my tutelage days from the old blog and hopefully you'll learn something new! Today I present: GARLIC. The 1st time around I did it in 4 blogs - here it is in a nutshell:
Ahhh, Garlic. Very few spices are as necessary for most cuisines as garlic. 3 types: Softneck (the most common heads in grocery stores), Elephant (much milder - I don't use it - rather use a shallot, and it's in the leek family), and Hardneck, which you won't find but at farmer's markets in the summer. Hardneck doesn't store as well and is easily damaged. The finer you mince garlic the stronger it is. Allicin - the compound created when garlic cell walls are ruptured, is what gives garlic is flavor and strength. The more you rupture the walls, the stronger the garlic becomes.
Don't mess with fancy tools to skin or cut garlic. You need only a big knife (chef's - because of the wide blade). Lay the garlic flat side down on a cutting board and place the flat side of the blade on top of the clove. Holding the handle with one hand, smack the blade with the heel of your other hand right where the clove is laying. If you want to SLICE your garlic (milder flavor), then smack it lightly to "pop" the peel loose. If you want to mince your garlic (yea, garlic lovers!), SMASH with more force with the heel of your hand, and most of your mincing will have been done for you! In both cases, once you smack or smash, the skin will easily come off with a gentle pull at the narrow end.
Raw garlic is strongest. The more you cook garlic the milder it gets. Roasted garlic is sweet - above is a pic of "almost" raw garlic in our Garlic Rubbed Flatiron with Ciambotta Relish on Homemade Olive Oil and Sea Salt Crostini. Below is a pic of our Rosemary Sourdough with Roasted Garlic Butter.
Never brown or burn garlic - it's useless and must be thrown away. It will make your food taste nasty! Always add garlic to flavor bases (like sauteed onions) at the end, and stir through only for a minute or less before adding your liquid. At 150 degrees, garlic's enzymes are destroyed and no longer produce flavor. For this reason, sometimes it's best to use garlic POWDER in a rub rather than fresh garlic - it doesn't burn in the oven or on the grill. For any questions regarding garlic, one of my favorite things, contact me HERE. --Lula
Nose and Buds and Umami, OH MY!
Your tongue detects sweetness and sourness (and a relatively new discovery - umami), but your NOSE is primarily responsible for flavor! All kinds of drugs both over the counter and RX can impair your ability to taste and smell. oh, NO! Click here to visit our website!
About Chef Lori
Chef Lori Pierce, owner of Lula's, creates unique, boutique cuisine to impress your guests and clients in the Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky area. Our custom recipes and menus delight an intimate gathering of 10, a celebration for 100, and anything in between.
At Lula's, Love is ALWAYS our first ingredient!
