Kris wrote:

>> I realize that all "real chefs" hate garlic presses, but for me they do have
>> their time and place and my latest musing isn't about this, which has likely
>> been dissected here ad nauseam.
>
> I don't know about "real chefs," but this lazy one can do the same
> with a knife as I can with a press, and the knife is a whole lot
> easier to clean. :-D

Agreed. It's not a lot of work to squash a clove or three of garlic with
the side of a blade to pop the skin off and chop it up. Then there is
the hassle of cleaning out a garlic press, which usually takes at least
as long as mincing it by had.

>
>> I'm wondering if a garlic press can be used effectively with ginger.
>>
>> What plopped this notion into my head was watching an old America's Test
>> Kitchen episode on teriyaki, where they use a microplane on the ginger and
>> then continue to use it on some garlic. My beef is that ATK has been a
>> leading proponent of garlic presses for a decade now, and in this episode
>> they seem to abandon the concept to the peril of their fingernails.
>>
>> Shocking, I know. A television cooking show flip-flopping on their gospel
>> like a United States Senator, what are the chances?
>
> I don't watch that show regularly, but seems to me rather than a
> flip-flop it was a "this is here anyway, and it's already dirty, so
> why not just use it?"
>
>> Anyway, I've watched enough cooking segments to know bullshit when I see it
>> and I'm planning on trying ginger in my Zyliss garlic press for lunch on
>> Monday.
>>
>> If anyone here has tried this, please let me know. I'll get back to you soon
>> with my results.
>
> I'm just guessing it won't work, but that's just guessing. Will be
> interesting to see how it works out!

I am guessing that it won't work well either. Garlic is pretty fibrous
stuff. If I want it really fine I use the microplane.