It nestles on one's tongue so pleasantly, but lingers on one's breath so villainously. A first date "no-no", garlic is a common ingredient in many recipes, which can take on either a subtle, sweet, or strong flavor.
Napoleon's Grilled Garlic Cloves play several roles in cooking. Nearly as versatile as salt and pepper, it can flavor soups, stews, and oils, be added to sauce and salads, used on meats and poultry and in endless other dishes.
Garlic is in the lily family; it's a cousin to leeks, chives, onions, and shallots.
The finer that garlic is chopped, the stronger the taste; crushed garlic provides the strongest taste. Garlic cooked whole has a milder, rather sweet taste. If it's added toward the end of cooking, it will produce a stronger flavor.
Not only does garlic add a one-two-punch of flavor, but it also has a health benefit. Garlic is known to boost immunity and fight infection. It was used during both World Wars to help prevent gangrene.
Raw garlic, however, has the greatest health benefits, because heat and water inactivate sulfur enzymes and take away the antibiotic effects of garlic.
Finally, ancient writings indicate that garlic was used as an aphrodisiac in India and as currency in Egypt.
