[JJNJustin]

You can get a stronger garlic taste by adding the garlic in later on in the cooking, yet using less of it.

One way is to to smash the garlic cloves, heat the olive oil to almost smoking and add the garlic cloves to the hot oil, when they start to turn brown, add the onions or tomatoes or whatever. This results in a burnt garlic/slightly bitter flavor. You can use more cloves of garlic in this technique.

Another way is to sautee the onion in olive oil for 5-7, lower the heat to medium then add 4-6 cloves of diced or minced garlic. Then add wine, tomatoes, etc. This results in a stronger garlic flavor, without the bitterness of browning the garlic.

Another way is to add minced garlic to the tomato sauce 5-10 minutes before its done, in addition to one of the first two ways. This will give an even stronger, more raw garlic flavor.

Some people take a whole bulb of garlic, cut off the top, toast it in the oven and smash the cloves into a paste. This is called "roasted garlic". The roasting in the oven mellows out the garlic so you can use a whole bulb in the sauce or whatever without it getting weird tasting.

Still another way is to take raw cloves of garlic and smash them in a mortar and pestle with cosher salt and make a sort of paste. This is very strong garlic paste and can be added to sauces.

One thing I do is when I buy a big jar of peeled garlic cloves is to put some (20-40) in a small pot with EVOO. I bring it to a bubble, then simmer it for 15-20 minutes. I strain it and put it in a glass jar. This "garlic oil" works great for sauces, pestos, etc.

When adding raw garlic to pestos, chutneys, etc. always consider using less than the recipe calls for. Raw (uncooked garlic) is much hotter and stronger than cooked garlic. If you double the garlic you will taste it.

When making a salsa or chutney that has raw garlic in it, always make sure there is some acidic base such as lemon juice, vinegar, or chopped tomatoes to prevent bacteria growth. Raw (uncooked) garlic contains some kind of sulfer that can promote bocholism growth. Raw garlic stored in olive oil without being cooked can grow bocholism. Cooking garlic gets rid of this sulfer, and storing the garlic in an acidic medium such as lemon juice or vinegar inhibits the bacteria growth.

Garlic contains natural antihistamine, and if eaten in large quantities, can make your mouth dry and make you drowsy.

-J