Green Beans with Sizzled Garlic

Green beans can be tricky devils. Undercooked, they remain unyielding and wooden, but caught in the maelstrom of boiling water, they can quickly turn drab and waterlogged. The way to make them behave is a two-step process: a fairly quick steam bath blanches them bright green and begins the tenderizing process, followed by a gentle rest in garlic-infused olive oil to wear down their resistance. The low heat in this recipe crisps the garlic, while coaxing out its sweeter side, and the cumin s