Oh garlic... Ohhhhhhhhhhh garlic... I could probably end this entry right now. Garlic is the most widely used spice on the planet. Every culture that has come into contact with it has adopted it and with good reason. Garlic (allium sativum) is amazingly delicious. It is spicy, sweet, deeply umami-ey and very, VERY intense. I could write a whole article on garlic alone, but I'm going to focus on garlic powder.
To get the nerdy part out of the way, garlic powder can be a variety of things. Actual garlic powder is extremely fine. Coarse powders are properly called granulated garlic. But who cares? Just find yourself some garlic and go hog wild! Too much is never enough!
the appropriate amount of garlic powder
Garlic's potency is so great that people genuinely fear it. Any dating advice will usually involve staying away from spinach and other leafy greens, overly spiced foods and garlic, out of a fear that you'll get "garlic breath". While it's true that garlic gets into your system and comes out in your sweat and breath, you can neutralize this with milk. Yes, just drink a little milk with your garlic. But honestly, people who don't appreciate garlic annoy me. As far as I'm concerned, if you don't like the smell, you can go ahead and hold your breath. Indefinitely.
When dried into powder (ground, granulated or powdered), garlic gets more mellowed out, making it ideal for people who find the fresh cloves too intense. The general approximation is 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder to substitute one clove. Obviously that 1/4 tsp recommendation is way too low, but go with what your tongue tells you is right.
Your garlic powder should have a nice, sandy yellow tint to it and smell strongly. It can lose its potency quickly so check periodically to ensure your goods are still good (we good on that?). In fact, garlic powder's lack of punch is probably why most recipe books call for fresh garlic instead. Well, that and foodie prejudice, but foodies are demonstrably terrible people so don't rule it out. It shines in high heat situations where fresh garlic would burn and can add sweet and subtle depth. It's a good addition to spice blends and also works well when sprinkled on comfort food. Speaking of comfort food, how about a recipe for some garlic bread?
Who doesn't love garlic bread?
While many chefs think of garlic powder as a poor substitute for "the real thing" it has its own merits that should not be overlooked. Ignore the haters and pile on that granulated goodness. Just try to avoid saying the letter H too much afterwards.
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