I used to dread any recipe that called for more than two cloves of garlic. Peeling each one took forever, my fingers smelled for days, and I always lost half the clove under the knife. Then a friend showed me the two bowl trick, and I have not touched a peeler since.

Why the Two Bowl Method Works

The secret is friction. When whole cloves bang around inside two metal bowls, the papery skins split and slide right off. No knife, no nail picking, no swearing at the cutting board.

How to Do It

1. Separate the head into individual cloves, but keep the skins on.
2. Drop them all into a large metal bowl.
3. Cover with a second bowl of the same size, rim to rim.
4. Shake hard for about ten seconds. Really go at it.

What I Learned the First Time

My first attempt was way too gentle. I gave it a few polite shakes and ended up with the same stubborn cloves I started with. You have to shake like you mean it, ten hard seconds minimum. A glass bowl works too, but metal holds up better when you get enthusiastic.

The cloves come out with the skins hanging loose, ready to pull off in one piece. A whole head takes under a minute, and you do not smell like garlic for the rest of the day. That alone was worth it for me.