To peel the ginger root, cut off the amount you think you'll need, and peel it with a vegetable peeler to remove the brown skin. You can also use a teaspoon to scrape a section of fresh ginger root instead of a knife; it's much, much safer and faster. If the recipe calls for it to be grated use a grater with tiny holes. Mince by hand if it calls for minced – ginger doesn't respond well to machine processing. Try minced ginger in soups, marinades, with vegetables or fish. Add it grated to sugar cookie batter or quick breads.