GARLIC TIPS
Burned garlic has an acrid flavor that permeates an entire dish of food. Whole pieces of garlic which have been mashed to release the flavor or thickly sliced garlic may be used in sauteing and will brown or burn less quickly than minced garlic.
GARLIC CAN BE EASILY PEELED
by pressing a clove with the broad side of a large knife until the skin splits and then it can be pulled off. Garlic may also be blanched for 30 seconds which loosens the skin but there is some loss of flavor.
ROASTED GARLIC
is delicious – very nutty and smooth tasting. To roast, simply slice off the top of an unpeeled head of garlic, place cut side up on a square of aluminum foil, sprinkle with olive oil and rosemary (or herb of choice), wrap up the head and roast at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Elephant Garlic is delicious prepared this way.
STORING GARLIC
Garlic should be stored in a cool place with good ventilation. It does not keep well in the refrigerator.
FROZEN GARLIC
Garlic and be peeled, pureed and frozen for longer storage.
HOW TO MAKE GARLIC OIL
peel and crush 8 cloves of garlic. Put in a glass container. Heat olive oil and pour over the garlic cloves. Cover and when it is cooled, store in the refrigerator. There have been confirmed cases of Botulism poisoning from garlic stored in oil. Make your garlic oil fresh and keep it no longer than two weeks in the refrigerator.
FOR SUBTLE GARLIC FLAVOR IN SALADS
rub the salad bowl with a cut clove of garlic before putting in the salad greens.
HOW TO MAKE GARLIC MARINADE OR SAUCE FOR STEAK OR HAMBURGERS
Sauce can be made by putting the following in a blender or food processor: 1/3 cup Soy Sauce, 1 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar, 1 Tbsp , 1 tsp ground ginger, 1 tsp coarse grind black pepper, 4 cloves of peeled garlic, and 1/2 cup of vegetable oil. Blend until pureed. Pour over steak and marinate for 4 to 6 hours. Save the marinade and bring to simmer. Add chopped fresh parsley and serve hot over the steak or hamburgers. Also wonderful over grilled vegetables.
HOW TO MAKE GARLIC VINEGAR
pour 1 quart of boiling white wine vinegar over 10 cloves of freshly peeled and sliced garlic in a glass container with a top. After the vinegar has cooled, store in refrigerator for 3 weeks. Remove garlic and add 3 Tbsp of Black Telicherry Peppercorns. Bring to a simmer and pour into hot sterilized bottles. Cap and label.
GARLIC BREATH
Either eat more garlic and knock ’em dead or eat a handful of fresh parsley. It is said that the chlorophyll in parsley removes garlic from the breath.
GARLIC ODOR ON YOUR HANDS
Rub a cut lemon on your hands. The lemon oil in the skin and juice of the lemon help to remove the odor of garlic.
Ode to garlic . . .
A Tribute to Garlic . . .
All powerful; marvelous seasoning
you are the essence, the incense
which revives and exhilarates,
you are the spur that excites,
stimulates, Garlic
you impel, you cheer;
you are the only condiment. You
are the glorious one, the sovereign
extract of the earth.
G. Coquiot
Richard Frisbie 
Richard,
I have a handy little silicon tube that you stick garlic cloves in and roll them. The skins come right off without smashing the clove, A stainless steel soap bar removes onion and garlic from your hands as well, though I guess any stainless steel would do.
Would the Garlic Festival be worth the trip from Hartford, CT?
That silicon tube sounds neat! Thanks for the heads up, Eric. The Hudson Valley Garlic Festival is HUGE! Last year saw nearly 50,000 attendees. The food is great, lectures and demos informative, entertainment fun and the 100s of vendors have all the garlic-related stuff you could possibly need. It is the largest such event on the East Coast and very well run. It is also the Northeast Garlic Growers Association annual meeting, with growers from all over NE showing up. Hartford is close, comparatively – come!