while i may now look like a culinary goddess. oh wait, that is only in my own mind? ok, well while i may not be a culinary goddess, at this state in the game i know a thing or two.

when i started cooking and writing six years ago, there wasn't really a game plan. i just did it. no real reason other than, why not? i didn't expect that it would result in falling in love with food and feeding people, or that i would inadvertanley teach myself how to cook. and i had no clue it would ultimately result in a career change.

but what i do know, is that i wish i didn't have to learn SO MUCH by trial and fire. sure, blogs were giving me recipes and the various mainstream food outlets offered hundreds of takes on the same damn thing. but no one was giving me telling me that if i smashed the garlic the skin would come right off. of that if i'm making something that's being blended there is no reason to waste a bunch of time mincing garlic. i wish someone had given me all the tips and trick that made me look and feel like a pro in the kitchen. you know, that gourmet at home shit.

o i'm brining you garlic 101. the things i WISH i had known when i was embarking on my cooking journey. maybe you know them, maybe you don't. it is always good to brush up on your skills. after all, we are always learning. 

garlic 101:
on the left is a head of garlic. on the right are five cloves of garlic. a head of garlic is made up of a bunch of cloves of garlic. not going to lie, if i'm going to be using a lot of garlic, i buy pealed garlic. i keep both on hand in my kitchen at all times. sometimes you need to roast a whole head of garlic, or stuff some up the backend of the bird, but keeping the pealed stuff on hand can really cut down on your time. 

one of the first mind blowing tip i learned in the kitchen was how to quickly peal garlic. i use a TON of garlic. sometimes, you can't get your hands on pealed garlic. and when you are pealing 20 cloves a time, it can be tedious.
to smash your garlic, you will want to use the thickest part of either a chef's knife (top) or santoku knife (bottom). 

place the thick part of the blade on a garlic clove. using the heal of your palm, press the knife into the garlic until you feel it smash beneath you. if you are feeling a little frustrated, you could also whack it with your fist (but be a bit more careful here). 

remove the knife and gently remove the crushed skin. 

if a recipe calls for roughly chopped, just chop up your crushed garlic. 

if you need to slice a clove, keep the clove as whole as possible when smashing.

to mince, just keep going on your roughly chopped. 

there you go. a bunch of things you needed to know about. now i bet you are wondering what to do with all your garlic. 

i love to keep garlic oil on hand. it lasts for a few days and is the base for many great dressings, marinades or croutons.

combine 5 cloves of garlic with .25 cup olive oil. 

store for up three to four days. 

xo, a

after finishing all my thanksgiving shopping, i'm sitting in a blanket of delicious aromas sipping on my first of many vodka sodas this weekend, i'm sure. 

and lucky for you, i'm feeling extra giving. with everything going on in our lives, i've decided it is time to up my blog game. newfoodtuesdayz is quickly approaching it's sixth birthday and it's time for me to get my shit together and step it up.

so from this moment on, you can look forward to tips & tricks thursdays and friyay happy hours in additional to your regularly scheduled newfoodtuesdayz programming. so here is a sneak peak at both. 

tips & tricks: easy cocktail styling

the holidays are stressful enough as it is. there is so much cooking to do that the last thing that you need to stress about is also making fancy cocktails. however, social lubrication at this time of year is a must. so instead of going out of your way to buy a ton of mixers and alcohol for cocktails people will probably never order, come up with one or two easy but pretty cocktails to have on hand for your guests to choose from. i like to go very simple and use a bubbly mixer and one alcohol. there are a bunch of great combinations. you can go classic like vodka + soda or gin + tonic. or go wild. try a sparkling wine + campari. like whiskey? how about a whiskey + ginger ale. you are really only limited by your imagination. 

now to take it to the next level, add a couple of organic elements. i try to pick herbs, fruits or vegetables that go with the colors of my party. you can layer one or two organic elements to really make the cocktail pop. lavender, blood orange or pomegranate ice can always be made in advance and kept in the freezer till party time. small fruits are always beautiful on a sugared or salted rim and herbs always look stunning gently settled into a cocktail. 

for the perfect thanksgiving combo, try this kumquat (in season starting in november) and rosemary vodka soda. you can't go wrong. 

kumquat + rosemary vodka soda
serves: 1 cocktail
prep time: 1 minute
total time: 2 minutes ingredients: 2 oz vodka. .25 c club soda. 1 kumquat. 2 rosemary sprigs. 1 tbs sugar for the rim. 1 cup ice or large ice cube. 

gently ice the edge of your glass. dip the rim of the glass into sugar until the entire rim is covered. 

in your glass, combine the vodka, ice and club soda. 

make a little slice in the bottom of the kumquat. 

garnish with kumquat and rosemary and enjoy. 

xo, a

kumquat + rosemary vodka soda
serves: 1 cocktail
prep time: 1 minute
total time: 2 minutes ingredients: 2 oz vodka. .25 c club soda. 1 kumquat. 2 rosemary sprigs. 1 tbs sugar for the rim. 1 cup ice or large ice cube.
gently ice the edge of your glass. dip the rim of the glass into sugar until the entire rim is covered.
make a little slice in the bottom of the kumquat.
in your glass, combine the vodka, ice and club soda.
garnish with kumquat and rosemary and enjoy.