Name: Roasted Garlic Crostini with Assorted Toppings
Yield: Makes 4 servings
Ingredients: 4 heads garlic; 1/4 cup olive oil; 12 slices of baguette or country-style Italian bread, sliced at a 45-degree angle about 1/2 inch thick; 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil; Pureed garlic from 4 whole roasted heads of garlic (see above); Shaved Parmesan, dry jack or Gruyère cheese; Fresh, creamy goat cheese, at room temperature; Roasted red bell peppers, home-roasted or bottled, cut into thin strips; Prepared tapenade (black olive and anchovy paste); Oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, cut into thin strips; Capers, drained; Roma tomatoes, thinly sliced, or halved, seeded, and diced; Fresh basil leaves, cut into fine julienne strips or left whole; Crushed red pepper flakes; Balsamic vinegar; Thinly sliced prosciutto; Anchovy fillets packed in olive oil, drained; Fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced

Editor's note: This recipe is from chef Wolfgang Puck.

I grew up only about 280 miles west of Transylvania, as the bat flies. So maybe my mother cooked with so much garlic to keep the vampires away from my sisters, my brother, and me. Actually, Austrians, like many Europeans, love the powerful bulb, and as a child I ate more than my share of it in soups, stews, sautés, roasts, and other savory dishes. But only as a professional chef did I learn the secret of roasting garlic. Because its texture is buttery and rich, I like to spread it on crostini. Once you've spread the roasted garlic over your toasts you can choose from a number of toppings.

Wolfgang's Easy Tips:

•The roasted garlic will keep for up to 3 days, covered, in the refrigerator.
•In addition to using the garlic for the crostini below, try mixing it into stir-fried vegetables and spooning it onto pizzas; stir it into risottos or your mashed potatoes; add it to sauces for meat, poultry, seafood, or pasta; or purée it with butter to make the best garlic bread you can imagine.

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