Garlic

Posted on November 22, 2013 in Ingredients

Garlic

Good to know

The most famous use of garlic in Greek Cuisine is in tzatziki sauce (yogurt dip) and in Skordalia (Garlic sauce). To crush a garlic clove you can either mash it in a mortar or crush it with a fork. In this case you are advised to place the cloves on a wooden salted surface and then crush the clove with a fork. Salt prevents the sliding of the garlic clove and therefore if it is stable it can be crushed easier.

Oils can be flavored with garlic cloves.
Garlic powder has a different taste from fresh garlic. If used as a substitute for fresh garlic, 1/8 teaspoon of garlic powder is equivalent to one clove of garlic.
The skin is much like the skin of an onion. Typically it is removed before using in raw or cooked form.
According to researches garlic reduces blood pressure (when consumed daily in high portions), lowers the LDL which increases bad cholesterol, boosts the immune system and encourages recovering heart attack victims.
Animal studies, and some early research studies in humans, have suggested possible cardiovascular benefits of garlic.
Another study had similar results, with garlic supplementation significantly reducing aortic plaque deposits of cholesterol-fed rabbits.
More about garlic, its properties and use in medicine can be found in Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garlic

Recipes using garlic can be found here