Garlic & olive oil is all you need

To some people, garlic is a spice -- to others, it's a vegetable!

We like garlic around here, and I buy it in huge quantities (yes, at Costco) . When I cook with garlic, my guys say "It smells so GOOD, mom!" -- so I must be doing something right.

Here's my recipe for a very simple Aoli (garlic dressing or garlic-infused olive oil for dipping) -- spread it on bread, pizza, it's even good over plain rice.

Aoli
1 c extra-virgin olive oil
lots of garlic (roasted -- I bake big batches in the oven * see below)
sundried tomatoes (presoaked, or in oil) -optional
salt to taste

Use a blender or Cuisinard to blend it into a paste.
Optional: start with blending a raw egg, slowly adding (drizzling) olive oil to make it more of a dressing. The simpler (non-egg) version will separate into oil and veggies...

Roasted Garlic
Cover peeled garlic cloves with a light olive oil (one that can handle the heat) and roast in oven until garlic is soft -- store garlic in jar w/ some oil to keep covered -- this will keep for a long time in the frig. You can pour the rest of the oil into a separate bottle to keep by the stove for when you want a little garlic flavor without the bother of chopping any...

Garlic-infused Olive Oil
Same idea as above, but can do this in small batches on stove top if desired. Just cut or mince the garlic, cover with light olive oil. Heat until you can smell the garlic. Strain.