Roasting Garlic: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut 3 heads of garlic in half and place cut side up in a roasting pan. Pour 1 teaspoon of olive oil over each half. Sprinkle the pan with 2 to 3 tablespoons of water, cover tightly with foil, and bake in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes.

Uncover the pan and continue baking for 5 to 7 minutes longer, until the garlic is golden brown. Remove from the pan and let cool. Squeeze the softened garlic into a blender and discard the skin. Add just enough oil to make pureeing possible. This yields about 1/3 cup.

Or peel cloves, in a pan, pour 2 tablespoons of olive oil over, and toss to coat. Sprinkle with water, cover and rost at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Uncover and roast for 5 to 7 minutes longer, until brown.

Pureed Dried Chiles: Wash and dry chiles. Cut off stem, remove seeds. In a preheated 450 degrees put the chiles in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast for 1 minute. Or dry-roast over high heat in a skillet until they puff up, about 30 seconds to 2 minutes.

Remove from heat and in a bowl, cover with warm water for 30 mminutes to rehydrate.

Strain the chiles, reserving the liquid. Puree in a blender or food processor, adding just enough of the soaking liquid to make pureeing possible; it should be a thick paste. Pass through a medium or fine strainer.