Hot Reuben Dip

Sauerkraut at it's finest...

Need a quick appy for your St. Patty's Day party? Here's your answer! This recipe has been a hit with all the guys in our family for years now. Thanks to Louann for sharing it with me!

Ingredients
1/2 cup mayo
1/2 cup 1000 Island dressing
16 0z. can sauerkraut (preferably chopped vs. shredded)
2 (3 0z.) packages of dried beef (with the pre-packaged deli meats in Kroger)
2 cups Swiss cheese, shredded

Directions
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Combine mayo and dressing in a small bowl. Open can of sauerkraut and drain. Spread sauerkraut into a 9x13 dish (or into a 9 inch pie plate for a thicker dip). Chop your dried beef or corned beef into small pieces. Sprinkle across the layer of sauerkraut until covered. Add more if desired. Dollop the beef layer with mayo/dressing mixture and then spread out evenly with the back of a spoon. Finally, cover the mayo/dressing layer with shredded Swiss cheese.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until hot, bubbly and golden around the edges. I like to serve with Waverly crackers, but it's yummy on bread too.

*Notes:
- Substitute dried beef for leftover corned beef roast and it'll taste even better!
- This dip is wonderful on mini pumpernickel or rye party bread slices. Just toast them a bit in the oven until they're warm. Serve open-faced or as mini reubens with two slices of bread.

xoxo,

Alison J.

How to Decorate for a Bridal Shower

If the bride has a theme for her wedding try to have a bridal shower that compliments that theme. Once you have decided the theme of your bridal shower, it is fairly easy to decide what colors you want to use for your party. When in doubt, stick with more traditional wedding shower colors such as pink, white, and ivory. Since our theme was "Pretty in Pink," it was obvious that the main color for this bridal shower would be pink. Amy (my co-host) and I also decided to add brown and white to our color palette.

Think pink table cloths, pink and white flowers, pink lace, and pink and white balloons.

We used cylinder bud vases filled with water and then added white orchids submerged in water to add a touch of bridal elegance to the shower.

If you have a galvanized (stainless steel) drink bin you can easily dress it up by tying pink lace in a bow around each of the handles.

When deciding upon a cost effective favor try cute bridal napkins and mints.

We had a simple cylinder vase and used some of the leftover pink lace to wrap around the vase and made it that much more graceful.

Remember to arrange a table for the bridal shower gifts. We just covered the table with a pink shimmer table cloth, and added pink lace, pink bells, and a balloon bouquet.

Since this is the time for the bride to shine we decided to decorate a chair specifically for her. We positioned it so she would be near the present table making it easier for her when the time comes to open her gifts.

What Allison mentioned in her "7 Lucky Tips" post is so true. Be sure to layout the table prior to the party to ensure all of the food is placed exactly where you envisioned it to be. This will save you time and the stress when trying to plate the food as the guests are about to arrive.

You can be like us and leave the cake decorating and baking to the professionals. We used a local bakery to create a design that would fit with our bridal theme and colors. Isn't this perfect!?

When deciding on something memorable for the bride to take with her after the shower, we recommend 'Advice for the Bride...' cards. Let the guests know they may each write advice for the couple on these cards. At the end of the party you can tie them up nicely and present them to the guest of honor. Everyone will have a blast coming up with funny, thought filled, and amusing comments for the bride-to-be.

If you decide to play the toilet paper bride game and are not sure what to do with all of the toilet paper this is just an idea. We created a wedding cake out of toilet paper. It served as a center piece and was conveniently located for the start of the game. Do you need other ideas for games? For those of you less experienced with bridal shower traditions click here for a link to several how-to videos.

If you have one room assigned for all of the food you may want to include some appetizers in the kitchen as well. It will help spread out the crowd and add some color to other areas of the shower. For some reason, people always end up gathering in the kitchen!

Here is a picture of the final spread for the featured bridal shower.

I hope this helps as a guide when you are planning or hosting your next bridal shower.

XOXO,

Esra

Pretty in Pink Bridal Shower

Oh what a day. No one said cooking was easy, but at least it is fun. When hosting a party the most important thing is planning. This starts with creating a theme and menu for the event. You want to be sure to select foods that complement each other and are appropriate for the time of day. The time of day you hold the shower will help decide the menu and how to serve it. This bridal shower was at 2pm which meant that finger foods were more appropriate. Whatever you are serving for a bridal shower a cake is important when following the rules of etiquette. In this post I will showcase the spread we had at this shower and I will create another post with some tips on decorating for a bridal shower.

I broke a key rule when planning for a party and that is creating a menu that I have never tried out before. The reason I do not recommend doing this is that you might encounter challenges you had not planned on and drive yourself crazy because of it. I learned my lesson this morning. All of my recipes went just as planned except for the Polenta and Chicken Tartlets. I made the polenta a little thicker than anticipated and in turn my cookie cutter was not deep enough to cut all the way down. After 15 minutes of brainstorming I realized a champagne flute would do the job perfectly. We all know that every gal working in the kitchen has a champagne glass within arms reach. Everything else went as planned, but in the future I recommend sticking to what you know to be true and save the new recipes for those rainy days.

Good thing Amy and I did this bridal shower together. She is yet another amazing cook and I love getting new recipes from her. Plus she gave me my very first recipe box complete with some of her favorites.

XOXO,
Esra

Polenta and Chicken Tartlets

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients
For the tartlets:
1 pound instant polenta (about 2 1/2 cups)
1 cup cream
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the topping:
2 cups shredded store-bought roasted chicken (see below for a quick how-to shred guide)
1/2 cup store-bought pesto
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Directions
Special equipment: 2-inch diameter scalloped cookie cutter (I used a champagne flute since I did not have this).

For the tartlets:
Make the polenta according to package instructions. Just before the polenta is finished thickening, add the cream, salt, and pepper. Pour the polenta onto a greased, rimmed baking sheet. Set aside to cool and firm up, about 30 minutes.
For the topping: In a medium bowl, combine the chicken, pesto, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.
To assemble: Using a 2-inch diameter scalloped cookie cutter, cut the polenta into tartlet shapes, about 24, and place them on a serving platter. Top each polenta tartlet with a spoonful of chicken. Top the chicken with a few dried cranberries. Serve.

**When trying to shred rotisserie chicken quickly I always start off by cutting large pieces of meat off of the chicken. Once my pieces have been cut off of the bone I take two forks and use the back of them to shred the meat. Continue this motion until all of the chicken has been shredded.**

Tuscan Mushrooms
Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients
1/2 cup diced jarred roasted red bell peppers
1/2 cup diced pitted green olives
1/2 cup grated pecorino Romano
2 scallions, diced
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound white button mushrooms, cleaned and stemmed
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil leaves

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
In a medium bowl mix together the roasted red bell peppers, olives, cheese, scallions, olive oil, salt, and pepper.
On a parchment paper-lined baking sheet place the mushrooms, cavity side up. Spoon the filling into the cavity of the mushrooms. Bake until the mushrooms are tender, about 20 minutes.
Transfer the mushrooms to a serving platter, sprinkle with chopped basil, and serve.

Pizza Pockets
Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 ounces Italian turkey sausage
1 cup tightly-packed arugula (about 1 ounce)
4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/3 cup grated Parmesan, plus 1/4 cup
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (13.5-ounce) package of store-bought pizza crust (recommended: Pillsbury)
All-purpose flour, for rolling out pizza dough
1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)
1 1/2 cups marinara sauce, store-bought or homemade

Directions
Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a medium-sized, heavy skillet. Add the sausage and cook until crumbled and golden, about 5 minutes. Add the arugula and cook until wilted. Turn off the heat and let cool about 10 minutes. Add the cream cheese, 1/3 cup Parmesan, salt, and pepper and stir to combine. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Roll out the pizza dough on a lightly floured surface to a thin 20 by 12-inch rectangle. Cut the rectangle in half lengthwise. The cut each half into 8 equal rectangles.
Spoon topping onto 1 side of each of the rectangles. Using a pastry brush, brush the edges of the rectangle with egg wash. Close the rectangle of pizza dough over the topping. Use a fork to seal and crimp the edges. Place the pizza pockets onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Brush the top of each pizza pocket with egg wash. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan. Bake until golden, about 15 to 17 minutes.

Magic Cookie Bar

½ c butter or margarine
1 ½ c graham cracker crumbs
1 c diamond walnuts coarsely chopped
1 c (6oz) package semi-sweet chocolate chip morsels or butter scotch morsels
1 1/3 c (3 ½ oz) can angel flake coconut
1 1/3 c (15 oz) can Eagle brand sweetened condensed milk

While oven is heating put the stick of butter or margarine in a 13 x 9 x (1 1/2) baking pan & let the butter melt. When butter is melted take pan out of the oven. Over the melted butter or margarine sprinkle the graham cracker crumbs evenly, and then sprinkles the nuts evenly over the graham cracker crumbs. Scatter the chocolate chips or butterscotch morsels over the nuts and finally, sprinkle coconuts evenly over morsels.
Bake on 350 for about 25 minutes until lightly browned on top. Cool in pan for 5 minutes.

Proscuitto Melon Bites with Lime Drizzle
Compliments of Cooking Light Magazine

Ingredients
16 (1-inch) cubes cantaloupe
16 (1-inch) cubes honeydew melon
16 (1/4-ounce) very thin slices prosciutto, cut in half lengthwise
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh mint

1. Wrap each cantaloupe cube and each honeydew cube with 1/2 prosciutto slice. Thread 1 wrapped cantaloupe cube and 1 wrapped honeydew cube onto each of 16 (4-inch) skewers. Arrange skewers on a serving platter.
2. Combine juice, oil, and pepper, stirring with a whisk; drizzle evenly over skewers. Sprinkle evenly with mint.

Hit of the Party Sausage Dip
3 Gals and a Kitchen

Ingredients
1 tube of ground Jimmy Dean’s Hot Sausage
1 15oz can of Hunt's Diced Tomatoes w/ Green Chiles or w/ Jalapenos
1 cup tightly-packed arugula
8 oz cream cheese
1 cup whipping cream
1 cup grated Parmesan
Dash of salt and pepper
2 T chives

Cook Jimmy Dean’s Hot Sausage in a medium-sized, heavy skillet. The sausage will become crumbled and golden, about 8 minutes. Add the arugula and cook until wilted. Drain the can of diced tomatoes and add to the sausage/arugula mixture. Once the sausage and arugula has cooked add cream cheese, whipping cream, and parmesan cheese. Stir until the cheese has melted and it well blended. Mix in salt and pepper. Once you have dished the dip up sprinkle chives on top. Serve immediately with pita chips or Tostitos.

Amy's Pasta Salad...recipe will be posted shortly

Louann's Chicken Cheese Ball - recipe is listed under Alison's Engagement Party post

Sausage Balls- recipe is listed under Alison's Engagement Party post

7 Lucky Tips for Planning a Party

HCA - This one's for you!

Wes invited his coworkers out to our house for dinner this weekend, which gave me an incredible excuse to get some recipes and pictures for 3 Gals. Here's a tip I found useful when planning this party - pick some type of theme when hosting a party. It will help you get started when you're deciding what to buy for decorations - even if it's just a color theme. I went with St. Patty's Day since we're in the throes of March. And, I'm not ashamed to admit most of my green goodies came from stores like the Dollar Tree and Marshall's - being thrifty is important! I'd much rather spend my money on a new outfit for the party. I'm posting some more party planning tips below. Enjoy! -Allison Y.

This first picture is Alison's Eezee Peezee Baked Zeetee. See our February postings for the recipe.

*Party Planning Tip #1 - Look at the Dollar Tree for some festive garland. This is a quick, cheap, and easy way to jazz up your table a little bit.

Gorgonzola Yummies
Adapted from Southern Living - April 2008.

Ingredients: 8 ounces cream cheese, softened, 1 (5-oz.) container crumbled Gorgonzola cheese, 2 teaspoons finely chopped onion, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 1 cup cooked and crumbled bacon, apple slices

Directions: 1. Beat first 5 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until well combined. Cover tightly, and chill at least 1 hour or until firm (can chill up to 3 days). I chilled it overnight. 2. Roll cheese mixture into 3/4-inch-round balls. Roll each ball in bacon. Serve immediately, or cover and chill until ready to serve. If chilled, let stand 30 minutes before serving. Serve with apple slices

*Party Planning Tip #2 - To keep your fruit from turning brown, toss it with lemon juice. I did that with my apples, and I could tell the spots that weren't covered because they changed color pretty quickly.

*Party Planning Tip #3 - Keep presentation in mind. This is an important tip to consider. These gorgonzola yummies were not that impressive on the plate until I added the sliced apples around the edges. The prettier it looks - the more people are drawn to it!

Fruit Skewers

These fruits skewers always end up a hit at parties, and they are much friendlier to the waist line than cupcakes and cookies! It's fun to eat anything as a kabob, and the presentation is much prettier than just throwing out a party tray from the grocery store. I only used pineapple, strawberries, and grapes, but you could incorporate apples, cantaloupe, melon, etc. I served the skewers with a fruit dip. Yum, yum, yummy!

Ingredients: 1 large package of strawberries, 1 large bag of green grapes, 1 container of large pineapple chunks (found in the produce section - you can slice your own pineapple if you prefer), package of small to medium sized skewers, lemon juice

Directions: Cut strawberries and pineapple chunks into bite-sized pieces. Slide the strawberries, grapes, and pineapple chunks onto the skewers in alternating patterns. Use the grapes as a filler, only putting a few strawberries and pineapples on each skewer. Squeeze lemon juice over kabobs to keep the fruit looking pretty.

French Cream Fruit Dip
Recipe courtesy of Paula Deen.
Ingredients: 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 cup whipping cream, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 1 lemon, zested and juiced, pineapple juice

Directions: Soften cream cheese and then whip with powdered sugar. Whip cream and sugar together until it forms soft peaks. Combine beaten cream cheese, whipped cream, lemon juice and zest; continue to beat, adding just enough pineapple juice to achieve desired consistency. Serve with fresh fruit tray or fruit salad.

*Party Planning Tip #4 - Use labels. I wish I had last night. The fruit dip was not eaten, but I promise you it was delicious! People just did not know what it was. To prevent this from happening, fold a little piece of card stock in half and use your prettiest handwriting to write out a label. See Alison J.'s engagement party pictures for examples.

*Party Planning Tip #5 - Plan the layout of where each dish will go the night before your party. Alison J. taught me to do this years ago at my housewarming party. This tip has saved me a lot of time and stress since then when having people over. Use sticky notes to label each dish.

Buffalo Chicken Puffers

Recipe adapated from Beth Durnell's Buffalo Chicken Crescent Puffs - Pillsbury Bake-Off Contestant

Of all the recipes I made last night, I was most excited about this one. I did a cooking faux pas by trying a recipe for the first time for guests, but these looked so amazing I just had to do it. There is a video at Pillsbury's website if you're a visual learner, but I added some pictures of the preparation process because it could be a little confusing for a beginning cook. Make sure you spread the rounds far apart on the baking sheet. They are small at first, but they double in size. You don't want them to smoosh together!

Ingredients: 2 8 oz. packages cream cheese (softened), 3 Tablespoons hot sauce - I used Moore's Buffalo Wing Sauce, 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese, 1 cup finely chopped chicken cooked chicken breast, 2 8 oz. cans crescent dinner rolls, 1/3 cup salted or unsalted butter (melted), 2 cups panko-style bread crumbs


Directions:
1. Line cookie sheet with sides with waxed paper or cooking parchment paper. In medium bowl, mix cream cheese and pepper sauce. Stir in blue cheese. Stir in chicken until well blended. Shape mixture by tablespoonfuls into 32 (1 1/2-inch) balls; place on cookie sheet. Refrigerate 20 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, heat oven to 350°F. If using crescent rounds, remove from package, but do not separate rounds. If using crescent rolls, remove from package, but do not unroll. Using serrated knife, cut each roll evenly into 16 rounds; carefully separate rounds. Press each round to 3 inches in diameter. Place chilled chicken mixture ball on center of each dough round; shape dough around ball to cover completely.

3. In shallow dish, place melted butter. In another shallow dish, place bread crumbs. Dip dough balls into butter, then roll in bread crumbs. Place 2 inches apart on large ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 17 to 22 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 5 minutes. Serve warm.

*Party Planning Tip #6 - Plan when you're going to put things in the oven. This is important because foods cook at different temperatures and at different lengths of time. Lucky for me, I was able to put the sausage balls and chicken puffers in the oven at the same temperature and for the same amount of time.

French Baguettes with Miss Bonnie's Gourmet Cheddar Cheese Spread

This is the easiest thing to make and absolutely delicious. I served these with the baked ziti, but they make a great appetizer too. Miss Bonnie is sold locally at Ukrop's and Kroger for about 5 to 7 dollars a jar - definitely worth the splurge! Wes's boss, Alyson (yes... another one!), helped get this together while I was busy fixing other things. This is a no fail recipe - so you can get your boyfriend, husband, whomever to help you. Delegate responsibility in the kitchen when possible. Control of the kitchen can be hard to let go, but you'll be thankful in the long run!

Ingredients: 1 large french bread baguette (sliced), 1 jar of Miss Bonnie's Gourmet Cheese Spread

Directions: Spread a generous portion of the cheese spread on top of each baguette. Pop those babies in a 350 degree oven for about 5 minutes until warm and gooey. Done!

Party Planning Tip #7 - Don't slice french baguettes yourself! I was on the phone with Alison J. while at the grocery store, and she shared this amazing tidbit of information - the bakery will slice your baguettes using a fabulous little machine in under a minute. Seriously, I love this tip.

Sausage Balls
You'll find this recipe in our February posting for Alison's engagement party.

How to Please a Man in 5 Easy Steps

We have been making this for years and it is a great meal to serve for a family, a date, or if you are entertaining friends. The reason I precook the ribs is to add taste and it also cuts down on the grilling time by 80% if you decide to grill them. There is a lot of truth to the saying, "The way to a man's heart is through his stomach."

XOXO,
Esra

5 Easy Steps to Please a Man

1-2 Racks of Ribs

Salt & Pepper

1 Bottle of Kraft BBQ Sauce– Thick-n-Spicy

Preheat oven to 300

Step 1 – Line a baking sheet with foil (makes for easy clean up), barely cover the pan with a thin layer of water.

Step 2 – Rub salt & pepper all over both sides of the ribs then place on the baking sheet and cover with foil. Bake in the oven for 1 ½ hours.

Step 3 – Take the ribs out of the oven; pour the water out of the pan (without dropping your ribs into the sink). Cover both sides of the ribs with Kraft BBQ Sauce and cover the ribs with foil again.

Step 4 - Place ribs back into the oven for 15 minutes. Flip the ribs and finish cooking the ribs for another 15 minuteswhile still covered with foil.

Step 5 – Watch your man melt and realize how much he loves you when you serve him this tasty meal.

**It was a rainy day in Richmond today so I decided to cook this meal in the oven. Normally, I would slow cook the ribs in the oven on 200 for about an hour and then cook them outside on the grill for about ½ hour or more, depending on thickness. The thicker the meat, the longer it takes to cook. Cut into one and check the color or use a meat thermometer to check.**

Double-Cut Pork Chops with Butter Rum-Raisin Sauce

I thought I would make the man something fresh and different for dinner. Plus we always love adding new meat recipes to our blog that you can cook up for your man. I changed a few things in this recipe and any substitutions I made to the recipe I put in parenthesis. This was a huge hit with the gents and they even went back for seconds. Rather quick recipe to throw together, but it is a bit fast paced. I would recommend starting with the casserole since it takes the longest to cook.
XOXO,
Esra

Double-Cut Pork Chops with Butter Rum-Raisin Sauce
Compliments of Rachael Ray

Ingredients
• 4 double-cut pork chops
• 4 large cloves garlic, peeled and halved
• 2 tablespoons freshly chopped rosemary
• 2 teaspoons fennel seeds
• 1 tablespoons orange or lemon zest (I used lemon)
• Salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1/2 cup dry white wine (sauvignon blanc) very important side note: save the extra wine and have some while you finish cooking dinner and feel free to serve it with dinner as well.

• 4 tablespoons butter (I Can't Believe It's Not Butter)
• 2 shallots, finely chopped
• 1 cup loosely packed golden raisins
• 1/2 cup spiced rum
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1/3 cup pine nuts (I used almonds)
• 1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, packed

Preheat oven to 375°F.
Pat chops dry and cut 2 slits in each chop near the bone. Nestle the halved garlic pieces into each slit. Rub chops with a combination of the rosemary, fennel, citrus zest and lots of salt and pepper.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat with EVOO, 2 turns of the pan. Add chops and brown 2-3 minutes on each side. Transfer to oven and roast 12-15 minutes. Deglaze the pan with white wine and let meat rest a few minutes before carving.
Meanwhile, melt butter in a small saucepot over medium heat. Add shallots and soften, 3-4 minutes. Stir in raisins then take pot off heat. Add rum and return pot to heat. Reduce 2 minutes at a low simmer. Add stock and simmer 7-8 minutes more.
Toast the pine nuts while the raisins soften. When the nuts are golden brown, stir the nuts and parsley into the sauce and turn off heat. Sauce should be very thick, like a warm relish. Serve chops with pan drippings and lots of rum raisins.

Blue Cheese Green Bean Casserole
3 Gals and a Kitchen's spin on Green Bean Casserole

• Fresh or frozen green beans

• 1 can of cream of mushroom soup
• 3/4 milk (I used skim)
• salt and pepper
• 1 1/3 cup french fried onion
• 1/2 blue cheese (I used reduced fat)

Preheat oven to 350
Mix the cream of mushroom soup and the milk, then add salt and pepper, beans, and 2/3 cup of french friend onion. Pour into 1 1/2 quart casserole dish. Sprinkle blue cheese onto of the casserole, bake for 30 minutes or until hot, stir and top with remaining onions.
Serve immediately while still warm.

**And finally, yes, I cheated on the mashed potatoes. I used instant potatoes and topped fresh chives before serving.**

There's More to Garlic than Fighting off Vampires

Garlic has more to offer then bad breath. In this post you will learn how and when to use garlic, what a clove of garlic is, and how to select the perfect bulb.

As early as the 1800's, ancient Greeks, Romans, Turks, and various other groups have used garlic for culinary and medicinal purposes. Since this is a cooking blog we will focus on the culinary aspect of garlic and how you can incorporate it into your meals.

When to use garlic:
You probably have noticed from the recipes I have posted thus far that I am a huge fan of garlic. Let's first start by deciding if the recipe you are using would benefit from a clove of garlic. I enjoy using garlic with red meats, pasta, potatoes, and various soups. Be adventurous, even if a recipe doesn't call for an ingredient and you think it might add more flavor to it, go ahead and toss it in. You live, you learn. Cooking is an experience and you will soon enjoy the good with the bad.

Trick to Selecting Garlic
When selecting the perfect garlic to use in the kitchen these are the key features it should possess:
1. Paper-white skins are the best
2. Firm and plump
3. No visible brown or soft spots.
4. I typically select large garlic because I can get about 10-15 cloves from a piece of garlic

What is this clove you speak of...
I have been speaking about cloves in recipes as well as this post and it is time to explain what a clove truly is. A garlic clove is technically one of the small bulblets within the garlic. When a recipe calls for 2 cloves of garlic you would separate two small bulblet from the garlic and follow the directions of the recipe (mince, cook, chop, etc).

Cooking with garlic
When cooking with minced garlic there is one very important rule to keep in mind and that is DO NOT BURN THE GARLIC. Trust me, if you have ever done this you will know exactly what I am talking about. The easiest way to know if you have burned your garlic is by taste. Answer this one question and you will have your answer: Does it taste insanely bitter? If you answered yes, start chopping and start again because it means you burned the garlic. If you are working with minced garlic a good rule of thumb is less than a minute and be sure to stir often. If the recipe calls for other items to be cooked on a skillet I will add the garlic last to ensure it doesn't burn.

I hope this helps you better understand the inner workings of garlic.

XOXO,
Esra



Picture from: http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/how-to-plant-and-store-garlic-3.jpg