Slow to Arrive

I ran onto a kitchen gadget that offers a novel way to mince garlic. So I ordered it. That was, at least, two months ago, maybe more. Needless to say, I’d given up all hope of ever getting the device, thinking I was the victim of some Internet scam.

Then this week a small, shabby looking little box arrived at my door from Hangzhou. Whoop-ti-do! It was my long-forgotten garlic mincer, that had apparently been languishing on a slow boat from China. Perhaps to assuage my impatience, they had included two garlic mincers, though I had ordered only one. Apparently, Chinese manufacturer are into consumer satisfaction after all.

Im-PRESS-ive!

The Press Test

That night I was making a lovely Indian Korma, that included 9 vegetables and a good amount of garlic and raw ginger along with turmeric and garam masala. I put my new press to the test.  It took a good grip and some hand pressure, but it performed splendidly, mincing the garlic cloves and ginger slices easily and creating just the right size pieces for my vegetable dish. 

Even so, I’m not sure it was any faster or superior to my usual method of whacking the garlic with the side of a knife blade and chopping vigorously. But, then, having a new culinary toy in the kitchen has a way of adding to the cook’s amusement. 

Now if I can figure out how to use one garlic press in each hand, there’s no telling how much fresh garlic I can turn out with just a few swipes. I’m practicing. . . .