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Garlic is one of the building blocks of cooking, prevalent in almost every cuisine and the ingredient that, oh, about 99 percent of the dishes we cook begin with. But for as cheap and ubiquitous as this onion relative is, it can be a little fussy. Wondering if you're cooking it wrong? Take a look at a dish that you've cooked that includes garlic, and then answer these questions:

  • Are the edges of the sliced or chopped garlic singed and dark brown, and is the overall texture now crunchy?
  • Does the garlic smell acrid and harsh?
  • Does the cooked garlic taste bitter instead of subtle and warm?

If you answered "yes" to any of these, we've got three easy fixes...