Roasted Garlic

Admittedly, I have a bit of an affinity for garlic (reference title block!). But even if you are not as into garlic as I am, it is worth it to consider roasting a head. Why? Because roasting the garlic carmelizes the sugars and mellows out the "bite", leaving you with a smooth, flavorful, sweet/savory morsel - perfect to use as a flavoring, or even as a spread. If you are trying to limit the saturated fat in your diet, roasted garlic is for you! It is great on bread instead of butter. But don't let that deter you - this isn't "diet food". You can also use it to make fancy appetizers, pasta dishes, mashed potatoes...the list goes on and on. I like to roast mine at a lower temp - around 350 degrees - due to the low smoke point of the olive oil. The technique is easy:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Cut a slice off the root end of the head of garlic to make a flat surface. Leave the paper on.

3. Cut the top off the garlic to expose the cloves.

4. Set the garlic on a baking sheet or in a small baking pan.

5. Pour about 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil over the cloves. Let soak in for a couple of minutes.

6. Pour another1/2 teaspoon of olive oil over the cloves.

7. Cover with tin foil.

8. Roast for about 45 minutes.

When it is done, the garlic cloves should be toasty brown and soft. Remove them from the paper with a small fork/spoon, or just extract them with your hands. Enjoy!