Best Stuff from Worst Kase: The six-inch rubber tube that will change your life

There are certain people who are natural and inventive cooks, working without recipes and throwing in a little of this, a little of that. “It’s just mashed potatoes/pasta/salad/whatever with the flavors you like!” they declare.

For me, that “little of this” is not a little, it’s a lot, and “this” is inevitably garlic. Lots and lots of garlic.

I can crush a Blue Apron or follow a recipe just fine, but if I made you a meal without a recipe, you can be sure that it would be a. Probably off in texture in some surprising but not hateful way and b. Taste strongly of garlic, with recurring cameos by basil and cheese (big ups to cheese).

Sorry, vampires.

Which is why one of my kitchen VIPs is a little rubber tube that you can get for about $2 on Amazon (if you’re not picky about waiting for shipping) and $6ish if you have to live that Prime life. It’s a little tiny thin rubber tube, so thin you could squish it up and keep it in your pocket for all your on-the-go garlic peeling needs. (I have many of those.)

Some people say that single-purpose kitchen tools are a waste of space, and I say “SHUT UP GET OFF ME, DEMON! BACK, BEAST” because you’ll pry my garlic peeler from my cold, dead, garlic-smelling hands. Anyone who’s tried to pick the skin off a clove of garlic feels me: your fingernails get too involved and there are always still little shreds of hell nothing stuck on the clove, marring your pursuit of questionable breath and guaranteed deliciousness. Yes, even if you do that medium impressive thing where you smash it with a knife. Like, everyone calm down.

If I had to Kondo my kitchen, I’d hold this little tube in my hands, smile serenely and acknowledge that, yes, it brings me joy.

With your new garlic roller pal, you throw that sucker into the tube, roll roll roll on the counter, squishing the tube around it, and, ta-da! No more garlic skin. It’s straight up wizardry and dinner prep is that much easier, especially if you make someone else do the dishes like I do.

An unedited gchat snippet re: this game-changer, to give a hint of how beloved it is in my house (yes, my nice husband and I gchat about kitchen tools):

Chris: that thing is amazing
Me: IT IS

Or you could just order some cheesy, basilly, garlicky pasta on Seamless. That works too.

Quick recs:

Listen to: “Pierre,” Ryn Weaver — my Spotify discover list has just really been GETTING ME lately.

Watch: “Westworld” (then spend the next two weeks trying to imitate Evan Rachel Wood’s inflection-free “no”)

Eat: This double peanut butter chip McConnell’s ice cream I got last week, ohhh my god. Sorry for betraying you, Halo Top/my muffin top, I just…you have to understand.