I love most of Anthony Bourdain's works.
Kitchen Confidential remains an evergreen favourite. While Bourdain also preaches about what cooking is and how things should be done in the book, readers are reminded that everything is based on what he feels should be, his experiences in kitchens he worked at and what it took to survive in them, so do not treat his words as gospel.
So what does this have to do with the garlic press I now own and use a bit too frequently?
In "Kitchen Confidential", Bourdain scoffs at the results of garlic presses, which produces a garlic paste when, well, pressed. "I don't know what that junk is that squeezes out the end of those things, but it ain't garlic." He asks that garlic be treated with respect, and has harsh words for those who use pre-peeled cloves. "Too lazy to peel fresh? You don't deserve to eat garlic."
Bear in mind that his tone may stem from the assumption that his book won't be widely read or quoted from to browbeat wayward cooks. The swagger and machismo in
Kitchen Confidential come from a tiny corner of the big wide world of global cuisine, one that can only be appreciated by cooks of his ilk.
Hence, he may have never taken into account that some, especially the disabled, miiight take shortcuts whenever they're hankering for garlic or anything made with stock. "Make stock [from scratch] already! It's easy!" Not for certain groups.
Anyone going to preach to the Japanese who use wasabi powder instead of grating the fresh root on a sharkskin grater that "it's not how it's done"? Wasabi, ginger and garlic in Japan can come out of a tube. Would one decry the Indian home cook's use of jarred ginger-garlic paste?
If the product is fine or won't make you sick, what's the problem? Does it affect the taste of the food?
A strong argument against pre-made ingredients would be the presence of additives, some of which aren't good for us if consumed in large amounts or over long periods. I think consumers these days have enough – perhaps too much – resources to make informed choices, so it's up to manufacturers to make their products safer.
Also, Tony B can be remarkably sensitive and empathetic, and his travels since have changed him, for better or worse. Who's to say he didn't revise some of his opinions since he wrote that book? He went back against his "don't eat fish on Monday" rule, for one.
Myself, I've been chopping extra garlic to add to my takeaways – an arduous task on some days when I can't be bothered to wash the cutting board and knife. So when I saw a Daiso selling garlic presses, I thought, what's the fuss?
That I'm using the press more now speaks of the convenience I'm enjoying. Mincing garlic can be meditative but not after peeling those annoying tiny cloves in the middle of each garlic bulb. And I seem to get more of the flavour. One issue is that with the press, I sometimes end up using too much garlic. The burn from raw garlic can be worse than spicy chillies. And there's still some fried garlic in a jar somewhere in the kitchen.
But by all means, press your garlic. Take all the culinary shortcuts you need – but not those that mess up your dishes – because time is precious and limited. Cooking and food should be accessible and enjoyable even for non-chefs.
Among the many things Bourdain wanted was for more people to cook. In the wake of COVID and other outbreaks many will lose some degree of physical mobility and cognitive ability and those who want to cook will be grateful for anything that will ease their time in the kitchen.
Do what works for you.
This is a version of a post published on Instagram on 23 December 2024
