Garlic Substitute?

[cammiec]

Does anyone know of a garlic substitute?  It is in pretty much everything!  I try to make my own seasoning mixes, but its always lacking without garlic.  I use onion powder quite a bit to flavor things.  Ranch powder is the one I really miss.  That and lemon pepper.  Why does lemon pepper need garlic!? Lol

[SilverLining]

I found this.

http://foodallergies.about.com/od/cooking/p/cookingwoonions.htm

Read the entire article, but I did find this interesting.

Peppercorns: white, pink, or Szechuan pepper can add different flavors to your cooking.
Cumin's distinctive taste that may work well in some recipes, especially where garlic is used raw.
Horseradish, freshly grated, can add some of the pungent notes you might otherwise lack.
Ginger and galangal have distinctive flavors but may be useful in stir-fries as aromatics.

[hedgehog]

I cannot eat onions.  More of an intolerance,for lack of a better word, certainly not an allergy.  My nephew has suffered anaphylaxis from not only onions, but cross-contamination from onions.  But he can have onion powder.  Apparently, whatever individual part of onion he reacts to breaks down with the processing that onion powder goes through.  I do not take a chance--if I am feeding him, there is no onion powder, either. 

I have no trouble cooking without onions.  Often I can skip them or sub fennel or other flavors.  But for me cooking without garlic would be harder.  Of course, garlic is one if the subs I use for onions.

The bigger problem is that so many foods contain garlic or onions, and judging from my nephew's experiences, not all restaurants realize that onions can be as serious an allergen as peanuts.  Even just going to book club, I hate to ask everyone whether what they brought has onions.  And it often does.  So I just stick to desserts, what I bring, and things that obviously have no onions  (mostly chips, popcorn, etc).

[becca]

Wow, garlic would be hard to sub, but I know plenty of people just don't use it, due to not liking it.  So, I think you can make good food without it, but the whole restaurant thing and dining at others homes issue is hard. 

I think the easier way is to look for alternative flavors for the foods you want ot make, item by item, like chicken, or a dressing, etc...  as opposed to a universal sub that fits all. 

[PurpleCat]

My nephew has suffered anaphylaxis from not only onions, but cross-contamination from onions.  But he can have onion powder.  Apparently, whatever individual part of onion he reacts to breaks down with the processing that onion powder goes through. 

This is my DD with garlic.  Garlic powder is so processed there's no protein left.  She has garlic powder often and a few pizza places around here use it in their sauce so they are our safe go to pizza joints.  Dehydrated and paste or oil are not safe.

I will say I don't like garlic powder's flavor.  To me it tastes like old garlic.

I will use garlic powder if I need that specific flavor profile.  I've never succeeded in "replacing garlic" in something like a ranch dip.  I use different spices, peppers and herbs to give my food kick depending on what flavor I am trying to achieve and some recipes don't really need the garlic with all the other flavors already there. 

[cammiec]

My doctor had warned me about vegetables that cross pollinate, and said that if they are cooked it should be safe to eat.  But apparently cross pollination was not my problem.  Maybe the onions are something similar to that?

I didn't even realize Lemon Pepper had garlic, until I realized that the seasoning was burning my tongue. =(  I guess I'm not necessarily looking for a garlic sub, just something for flavoring.  I've never been much of a cook until my allergies became severe.