Garlic

Jake's Sandwich Board (122 S. 12th) is seeking a few hungry garlic lovers. These brave souls will attempt the shop's 5 Pound Philly Challenge from noon to 2 p.m. Friday while the Travel Channel's "Food Paradise" documents the experience. The challenge features a supersized 2-foot-long, 3-pound version of Jake's Garlic Bomb — a cheesesteak with roasted garlic spread, sautéed garlic and deep-fried garlic cloves — accompanied by 24 Peanut Chews, 12 Tastykakes, four soft pretzels and one Champ cherry soda.

Use your microwave oven to quick-peel garlic, whether the garlic is intended for a microwave or conventional cooking recipe. Because the garlic will partially cook and become soft and less pungent, use this quick-peel technique for recipes that call for a mild garlic flavor. 1. Put a whole head of garlic on a plate or paper napkin. Microwave on high (100 percent power) for 20 seconds, turn head upside down and microwave on high 25 more seconds. The garlic is done when it "whistles.

YO, CHEFS! I am a garlic lover and particularly love the taste of roasted garlic. However, my roasted garlic never tastes as good as that I've sampled at Baci Bistro on Broad Street. What is their secret to making their roasted garlic so tasty? Eve Thomas Oaklyn, N.J. Baci's chef, James Felton, starts by slicing about 1 inch off the top of a whole head of garlic. He then seasons the cut garlic with salt, pepper, a pinch of cayenne and a generous sprinkling of paprika.

Dear Polly: We grow our own garlic and were wondering if you have a recipe for making garlic powder. - Edward Dear Edward: Homemade granulated or powdered garlic can be made as a convenient way to store a bumper crop of garlic. Simply slice peeled garlic cloves thinly, then dry them in an oven set at the lowest possible temperature or in a microwave oven until the garlic is very dry and brittle. Then grind the garlic to the desired fineness in a coffee grinder, blender or food processor.

Earthy and pungent, garlic was once considered an improper ingredient for food that would grace the tables of the well-bred, lest tender tastebuds be overwhelmed with flavor or - heaven forfend - gentle noses detect any lingering scent. Smelly food was the province of immigrants. In just a few generations, ethnic food - the more flavorful the better - has captured our culinary hearts. One reason is that hearty peasant fare has proven to be much more healthy than "refined" food.

"Do you suppose we smell of garlic?" Tempted by the sweet, buttery and mild flavor, my review partner and I had devoured most of the big head of roasted garlic that came to the table with thick slices of super bread at Baci, a new Center City restaurant on the site of the old Apropos. My partner's question was answered mere seconds after the elevator at the office deposited me on my floor. "Garlic!" came the warning cry from the receptionist whose desk I was first to pass. Expect to hear that cry often.

Tiger Woods' digestive problems last weekend, it turns out, were the result of eating pasta cooked by his girlfriend, who was apparently unaware that he is allergic to garlic. "Yeah, garlic," Woods said yesterday after his round, confirming reports that had been circulating all week. "Everybody on my father's side is [allergic]. " Although he feels fine now, Woods isn't playing next week's BellSouth Classic near Atlanta. Instead, he is heading home to Orlando, Fla., to hit the weight room to put back on the six pounds he lost while he was sick and fine-tune his game as he heads to Augusta, Ga., in two weeks for the Masters.

You say tomato , they say pomodoro . And when they say it, they mean it. That's because the Italians are champions of simple, classically delicious ways of using fresh tomatoes. And they should be; they've been cultivating them for hundreds of years. One of the many basic ways they use garden-fresh tomatoes is in a pomodoro sauce, made with basil and garlic and tossed with pasta. This dish, just noodles and tomatoes, embodies the core philosophy of Italian food - letting a few perfectly ripe ingredients shine.

Dear Polly: Can you give me a good oil and vinegar dressing recipe? I can't get the right proportions to make it taste good. I think maybe garlic and sugar should be added to it. - E.L.S. Dear E.L.S.: Seasonings are important to a good vinegar and oil dressing, but I think the most important factors are the proportion of oil to vinegar and the quality of the ingredients. A good wine vinegar or fresh lemon juice and excellent olive oil will make the best tasting dressing. The following garlic vinaigrette dressing tastes good on a variety of lettuces.

I've never been to the Catskills, but the convivial communal dining hall atmosphere of Hesch's on a Saturday night is just how I envisioned Grossinger's. Owner Harry Katz (Hesch is Yiddish for Harry), having developed a dubious reputation as a kind of Harold Stassen of Philadelphia entrepreneurship, now seems to have a winner on the site of the old Frankie Bradley's. Katz clearly revels in his new found success, dapper as always, schmoozing with the clientele like a Jewish version of Casablanca Rick while offering samples of food as if the prodigious portions at Hesch's weren't already enough to send your body into hibernation.

Jake's Sandwich Board (122 S. 12th) is seeking a few hungry garlic lovers. These brave souls will attempt the shop's 5 Pound Philly Challenge from noon to 2 p.m. Friday while the Travel Channel's "Food Paradise" documents the experience. The challenge features a supersized 2-foot-long, 3-pound version of Jake's Garlic Bomb — a cheesesteak with roasted garlic spread, sautéed garlic and deep-fried garlic cloves — accompanied by 24 Peanut Chews, 12 Tastykakes, four soft pretzels and one Champ cherry soda.

32 ounces mushroom stock or chicken broth 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 clove fresh garlic, minced 6 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, chopped 4 ounces fresh oyster mushrooms, chopped 4 ounces fresh portobello mushrooms, chopped 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, chopped 4 tablespoons unsalted butter 12 ounces arborio rice 6 ounces white wine (preferably dry, such as a Chablis) 2 scallions, chopped 1 sprig Italian parsley, chopped 2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated Salt and pepper to taste   1. In a saucepan, heat broth or stock to simmer and hold.

For garlic bread crumbs (makes more than needed for recipe): 12-ounce loaf of (sourdough or baguette) day-old bread, sliced. ½ cup garlic oil For mushrooms: 3 cups fresh mixed mushrooms (oysters, maitakes, shiitakes, beech, king oysters) 3 tablespoons olive oil, for roasting mushrooms For macaroni: 5 cups milk ½ large yellow onion, chopped, about 1 cup 2 garlic cloves, smashed with the flat side of a knife, skin left on 4 parsley sprigs 4 fresh oregano or marjoram sprigs 3 fresh thyme sprigs 3 bay leaves 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard Salt and pepper 2 tablespoons softened butter (for buttering dish)

This is the season of shoots, sprouts, and all manner of greens and lettuces. Small clumps of asparagus are just poking up through the soil. Rhubarb leaves and tender stalks have also emerged. Many gardens and nearby farms have an abundance of hearty greens to herald spring. My true harbinger of spring? Peas. Since I've just planted peas outside, I won't be eating them from the garden until May. But what I am eating (and have been for weeks now) are pea shoots. These delicate-looking tendrils of young pea plants shout spring.

4-6 tablespoons melted butter 7 sheets of phyllo 3 green garlic shoots,? (substitute 4 scallions or small? bunch of chives and 2 cloves of? garlic) 8 ounces creamy fresh goat? cheese, at room temperature 1 egg 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil 1 large bunch greens (approx.? 1 pound) such as Swiss chard, ? kale, or spinach, washed and? trimmed Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste 1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Melt the butter in a small saucepan.

French bistro cooking is making a big splash with its use of fresh ingredients to make simple, peasant dishes. This bistro dinner comes from Languedoc-Roussillon. Fresh fish from the Mediterranean and lots of garlic are two important ingredients.   La Bourride Makes 2 servings 3/4 pound red potatoes 1 cup sliced carrots 1 cup sliced celery 2 large leaves Swiss chard, leaves and stalk, sliced (1 cup)

You say tomato , they say pomodoro . And when they say it, they mean it. That's because the Italians are champions of simple, classically delicious ways of using fresh tomatoes. And they should be; they've been cultivating them for hundreds of years. One of the many basic ways they use garden-fresh tomatoes is in a pomodoro sauce, made with basil and garlic and tossed with pasta. This dish, just noodles and tomatoes, embodies the core philosophy of Italian food - letting a few perfectly ripe ingredients shine.

Outlet: ALLEY GRILL We were there: Pregame, 6:20 p.m. Wait for service: About 5 minutes. Order: Double cheeseburger, garlic fries. Cost: $13.75. Phindings: Tucked away in the left-field corner of Ashburn Alley behind Harry The K's, the Alley Grill deals mostly in burger variations. My double cheeseburger - two American-cheese-covered patties, a dab of ketchup, a schmear of mustard and two tissue-thin pickle chips on a standard toasted potato bun - was filling and tasty enough, but hardly memorable.

When you spot pork tenderloins on sale, pick one up. Or two. You get almost zero waste and solid protein. Steer clear of the marinated versions; they don't offer the cook as many options. A pork tenderloin can be thinly sliced, then pounded into cutlets and breaded. Or cube the meat for kebabs. For a quick weekday meal - or a terrific entrée for dinner guests - a pork tenderloin delivers. Our version pairs the meat with dried fruit and a touch of garlic. Apricot Pork Tenderloin Makes 4 servings 1 pound pork tenderloin 1/2 teaspoon each: salt, cracked pepper 1/4 cup apricot preserves 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar or lemon juice 1 small clove garlic, pressed 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 2 tablespoons olive oil 1/4 cup each: water, chopped dried apricots, chopped prunes 1. Pat tenderloin dry; rub with salt and pepper.

Makes about 2 cups or 32 servings 13/4 pounds red jalapeño peppers, stems removed and halved lengthwise 3 cloves garlic 2 tablespoons garlic powder, plus more as needed 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, plus more as needed 1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more as needed 1 tablespoon light-brown sugar 1/2 cup distilled white vinegar, plus more as needed Water, as needed ...