Don't be in such a rush to microwave garlic

Coming from an Italian family (on my mother's side), there are certain foods that I simply cannot get enough of. Unfortunately, in some cases I have to pass on many of them; pasta dishes, especially those doused in creamy Alfredo sauce, are sadly limited, for example. However, the familiar aroma of a garlic-filled kitchen is something I can thankfully still enjoy, as a diet rich in this "stinking rose" (a nod to those of you in San Francisco) comes with numerous health benefits.

In particular, garlic contains high amounts of the proven cancer-fighting compound allyl sulphur. However, a recent study from Penn State University revealed that heating garlic for as little as one minute in a microwave deactivates the enzyme and blocks its disease prevention properties.

The good news is that if you crush or chop garlic and allow it to stand for about ten minutes before cooking, it gives the allyl sulphur time to stabilize and will not interfere with the herb's anti-cancer effects.