What’s the best way for inexperienced cook to finely cut cabbage

@Adam A is close -- it's not an issue of surface area on potency, it's an issue of damage to the garlic. The 'strong' taste of garlic comes from a reaction as chemicals are released so they can mix (alliin and alliinase)

When you cook the garlic whole (as you would for roasted garlic), you will never get this reaction, as you'll break down the chemicals. Also, the chemicals break down over long cooking, so even if you add a head of crushed garlic at the beginning of a batch of slow-cooked tomato sauce (4+ hrs), it's not going to have as strong a garlic flavor as adding a clove or two at the end.

One other way that the garlic prep can affect the taste is when you're sauteing, stir frying or other cooking over high heat -- larger bits can be cooked longer before they burn ... and burned garlic is bitter, acrid and will ruin any dish. (if you burn garlic, stop immediately, trash everything, clean the pan, and start again -- there is no way to save it that I know)

The style of cut is called julienne. True, a mandoline can make a julienne cut, as well as thin slices. However, you can also use a knife to achieve a julienne cut.

First, cut the carrot into manageable lengths--2 or 3 inches. Cut a piece into 1/8 inch slices lengthwise. Stack several slices on top of one another and cut lengthwise through all layers to make "matchsticks" or julienne-cut carrots. It works best to have a large slice on the bottom of your stack, not a small one or the round side of the carrot. A large slice on the bottom is more stable, so you're not as likely to julienne your fingers. Yes, cutting carrots this way is a lot of trouble, but this is the way to do it with a knife.

There are also other ways to get a similar result without a mandoline. If you have a food processor, try the large grating disk. You can also use a salad shooter or other slicer/shredder--there's even an attachment for the ubiquitous Kitchen Aid mixer. Even a plain old box grater can be used to grate carrots. Grated carrots may not be as neat and tidy as the ones done commercially, but they're still a good addition to a salad.

Oh, if all else fails, you can usually buy the shredded carrots in the produce section, near the bagged salads.