An essential ingredient in so many types of cuisine, a kitchen should never be without it. You can get garlic in jars, but it doesn't have the same flavor as fresh garlic. When buying fresh garlic, press the outer edges to make sure they are firm and solid, if not the garlic may be old and beginning to deteriorate. Roasted garlic, in fact, becomes quite mild and can be used straight as a topping for bread.
Elephant garlic has a much milder flavor than the regular garlic most commonly sold in markets.
Garlic burns easily when being cooked in oil. Cook at most until golden brown, for after that it develops a very bitter flavor. Drizzle a few drops of olive oil over the top of the garlic head and sprinkle with salt and pepper if desired. Cool completely, then squeeze out the garlic pulp. Roasted garlic is a great ingredient with lots of uses.