Whole cloves are ideal for long, slow braises or high-heat roasts; they hold up during long cooking applications. Another great way to use whole garlic is by cooking it slowly in olive oil, confit ...

Using a garlic press gives you the most pungent results, along with garlic’s heat. Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.

If you have several cloves to peel, working one at a time can be time-consuming. This is when the shaking comes in handy.

Just adjust the cooking time appropriately. For the recipe pictured, I used ground spices, but if you want a lighter color for the sauce, use one small cinnamon stick and two whole cloves.

Separate the cloves of garlic and drop them into a pot of boiling water for 2 minutes (1 or 2 minutes longer if the cloves are large). Drain the garlic, let cool for a few minutes and peel.