Roasted Garlic

Garlic, garlic, garlic!
Love it!!!
Some of my recipes will call for "roasted garlic". My friend Nina taught me this trick years ago and I keep a supply on hand at all times! Athough technically it isn't roasted, here's what you do. Get a big jug or bag of fresh, peeled garlic cloves (Costco, Sam's, Smart N' Final) and a big jug of extra virgin olive oil (ALWAYS extra virgin for any recipe!). Try for the "jug" packaging on the garlic because you'll store the end result in that. Place the garlic in a large, heavy bottomed sauce pan. Add extra virgin olive oil  until it just covers the top of the garlic cloves. Simmer on lowest possible heat for 2 to 4 hours, depending on the heat of your burner. Stir occasionally as the cloves will stick to the bottom and cook unevenly. Garlic is done when you can push cloves against the side of the pan with a spoon and smash easily. Cool completely, transfer to garlic jug and store in the frig. Voila!!
Now...of course, if you aren't a garlic freak like me, you can do this on a much smaller scale. But I think that once you do it, you'll be right there with me...in bulk!

You can use this garlic for any that a recipe calls for it and the olive oil is great for when you want a flavored oil. Just add more oil to replenish if you find yourself using more oil than garlic.