Lynne Rossetto Kasper Host of The Splendid Table
produced by Minnesota Public Radio and Tom Voegeli Productions,
distributed by Public Radio International
Mincing Garlic
Q: I don't like to mince garlic because I smell like garlic for days. I don't like to use a garlic press
because I understand that presses don't bring out the flavor. So I put it in my food processor and mince it
up that way. Does this way bring out the flavor of garlic?
LRK: Yes. Actually, using a garlic press is a matter of taste. Some people swear by them. I personally
don't like to use them. I like all of the garlic pulp in my food for the flavor. If you don't like to handle
your garlic, drop it in your food processor. Or, if you don't have a food processor and you want to avoid
that lingering garlic odor on your hand, try this: Remove the garlic from the whole head. Chop off the
ends. Pull away the skin. Put the clove on your cutting board and, with the wide end of a large knife,
press down on the clove and crush it. Add it to the dish. If you want to be able to remove it later, stick a
toothpick in it for easy retrieval.