An inexpensive, ridiculously simple gadget - a small rubber tube shaped like a cannoli mold - has quietly entered the pantheon of kitchen tools. The E-Z-Rol garlic peeler works and works fast, unlike the multitude of other garlic gadgets on the market, and it actually makes garlic peeling fun.
To operate the E-Z-Rol, place one or more unpeeled garlic cloves into the open-ended hollow tube, roll the tube on a counter while pressing down, and presto! - perfectly peeled whole cloves ready to braise, roast, saute or slice. The peeler, for which a patent is pending, is made of a combination of silicone and thermal plastic, and therein lies the secret: The rubbery material attracts and grips the papery garlic skin. The E-Z-Rol is dishwasher-safe and odor-resistant.The E-Z-Rol, which went into national distribution a year ago, has never been advertised, its inventor, Ben Omessi, said by phone from his home in Northridge, Calif.
There is one caveat when using it: Cooks who like garlic may find it difficult to stop peeling and thus may find themselves with vats of garlic soup, lifetime supplies of chicken with 40 cloves of garlic and jars and jars of pickled garlic.
Not to worry. Omessi freezes any leftover peeled cloves in sealed plastic bags. "Unlike unpeeled cloves, they do not discolor and plump up again as soon as they are heated," he said. (In a one-week test at home, this proved to be accurate.)
The E-Z-Rol usually retails for about $8. In Manhattan, it sells for $5.95 (plus postage) at Broadway Panhandler, 477 Broome St. (Wooster Street), New York 10003, (212) 966-3434.
Omessi also sells the E-Z-Rol by mail for $10.22, including postage (each additional peeler is $7.95): Omessi Group Ltd., 11710 Doral Avenue, Northridge, CA 91326; (818) 831-0748. He accepts only checks or money orders.
- Suzanne Hamlin