Hec, garlic salt is the devil's own sweat.

I prefer fresh garlic too, but in a red sauce (and mine is typically a meat sauce), the other flavors are such that you truly cannot tell the difference -- the secret is to use enough of the powder.

I do use fresh garlic in meatballs, too. I'd forgotten that. And in bracciole. And always in alio e olio (garlic and oil sauces).

I don't use a press, because I hate HateHATE cleaning them. I smash the garlic - then peel. then resmash and then I slice- and if I need to go fine - i just put the tip of the blade on the board and mill through. If i need it really fine - I add a little kosher salt on top - to aid with the milling process.

Strangely , we own two garlic presses. Matt asked which one I wanted to keep. He was surprised to learn that he had bought them both and that I never use them.

I use the mini-chop attachment on my stick blender to chop garlic

That's the one I just got! What will I make this weekend that needs garlic?

Garlic salt != garlic powder.

In sauces and other long-cooking applications where you don't necessarily want to see chunks of garlic, garlic powder is perfectly acceptable -- it's no different from using any other dried herb.

A pair of Calphalon forged (our previous knives were stamped) Santoku knives. One 7 inch and one 5 inch.

We have this brand and style, but 8 inches I think. It has a nice heft to it. I got it for Tom one birthday so it's his. Our other is a similarly sized Wustof Santoku knife that's a lot lighter so I get the girly knife. (still a rockin' knife though) It was on our registry 'cause we were always fighting over using the one good knife.

Sadly, I have snapped the tip off the Wustof (only a little bit!) stupid girly knife. Though, I guess it's technically the floor's fault.

Often we use one of our cast iron sauce pans for garlic smashy smashy.

There is nothing wrong with garlic powder - as long as it gets enough time in liquid to soak- the same , no, but it works.

to use fresh garlic - always, always always, put in the sautee last. If you are doing onions for your red sauce - sautee them and then add the garlic.

If it is only garlic - lower than medium, don't stop stirring, and the least amount of time before you add anything else to the pan

Does anyone else here watch Michael Chiarello? I'm always surprised to see him using a counter-top chopper dealie that looks like it cost 9.99 for two on TV.

I forgot to eat lunch! Thank goodness for Trader Joe's and the freezer, since I am now eating a lime popsicle to tide me over until my taquitos are done.

Does anyone else here watch Michael Chiarello?

He's on TV? That's my cousin. Wacky.

So I slice my garlic thin and chop it it up, then smash it with the flat of my blade and scoop it all into the pan or pot.

This is more or less my technique. I don't always do the final mash. S likes to do the mash before the rest, to get the skin off easy, but with the old knives, it ruined my slice-thin technique, so I've asked her not to do that just to get skin off, only when we actually need mashed garlic.

Garlic salt != garlic powder.

Exactly. To be clear, Hec, the above is what I was trying to say with the 'garlic salt is the devil's own sweat,' comment. I hate when they're lumped together. There's a world of difference, and imo, garlic salt shouldn't even be made, sold, bought, or used.