Cook Q&A

I watch a lot of TV cooking shows. I do not recall ever seeing a TV chef use a garlic press. They always mince it. Is there a reason for this?

When your question showed up in my email, I was sitting with a cooking school teacher and another newspaper food editor. So I threw the question out to the group. I should have known: We each had a different answer. So I'll let you choose:

The cooking teacher said she never uses a garlic press because it releases oils that she thinks can impart a bitter taste.

While I have never noticed that bitterness, I said that a garlic press is fine, but it can be time-consuming to clean. And TV cooking shows move very quickly, so mincing quickly is the way to go.

The other food editor was more cynical: She thinks TV chefs prefer to use a knife because it's flashier. All that rapping and chopping makes for better television.

Bottom line? Unless you're on TV, it's up to you.