I’ve seen recipes calling for chopped, sliced, minced and smashed garlic. In the meantime, my garlic press pines away in a kitchen drawer. Can pressed garlic be substituted for any of these?

A: Keep in mind that the more you break down garlic, the stronger it will be. Smashed will get you the mildest flavor, followed by sliced. Then things start to run together a bit once you get to minced, grated and chopped (although it matters somewhat if it’s coarsely chopped or finely). Any time a recipe calls for minced or grated garlic, pressed should also be fine. But garlic is garlic is garlic, so in most instances, it’s not hugely consequential, as long as you’re aware of how the piece size affects the flavor, and it’s not going to be a ton at that. The only other thing to keep in mind would be that the smaller the pieces, the quicker they’ll burn, so adjust accordingly.