GarLic it! - Private Reserve Caramelized Garlic Finish

2011 Gold Award Winner: Outstanding New Product

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Llance Kezner credits the invention of his company and the creation of this year’s outstanding new product to his wife’s unwillingness to waste food. In 2008 Kezner’s wife, Lori, tried a piece of garlic from the bottom of a vinaigrette dressing he’d made. She liked it so much she asked Llance to make more. Several months later, when he was laid off from a startup software company, he began playing with the recipe.

“I’m a home cook, not a trained chef,” Kezner says. “It took a while to re-create something we could use for cooking and finishing.” Once he finalized the recipe (a blend of olive oil, sliced garlic, spices and salt), the result impressed his wife and friends, which meant it was time to take it to store shelves.

Kezner traveled around the country sampling his first two product flavors, Chipotle and Basil, at grocery stores like Whole Foods Market. It was at one of these demos that he stumbled upon what would become Caramelized Sliced Garlic Finish, when he left garlic in the pan a little too long. The garlic burnt, but Lori gave it a try and rightly encouraged him to make more of the rich, nutty flavor, which became this year’s sofi Gold Winner for Outstanding New Product.—Deborah Moss

How to Enjoy It: Kezner recommends using the Caramelized Sliced Garlic Finish as a special garnish or condiment for any appetizer or cooked or baked dish.

MSRP: $6.95/5.5 oz. jar

website: garlicit.com

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