Conference turris::cooks

    
	Start off by peeling the ginger root.
    
       	I find the best way to finely dice ginger root is to put it
    into the food processor with the metal blade.

    	If you don't have a food processor just chop it up like you
    would garlic. They also sell ginger root graters, I guess any fine
    grater would work.
    

    Just be careful if you decide to try to force the peeled ginger
    through a garlic press - I tried this once, since I also needed
    chopped garlic at the same time (most Chinese recipes I make start
    out with chopping garlic and ginger together...).  Ginger is much
    harder than garlic is - I broke the garlic press!  On the other
    hand, I replaced it with a much heavier-duty press, which I actually
    can use to process ginger.  It is much, MUCH eaiser to chop both
    substances in the food processor if you are going to be using the
    processor anyhow, though!

    I vote for the knife and cutting board. For the small quanitities
    usually involved, a food processor is overkill. Much more time and
    effort when cleanup is included. Would you chop 2 cloves of garlic
    in a Cuisinart DLC-10?
    
    - Mike 

I used to use most of the above methods, and then I found the ginger grater 
that the Frugal Gourmet raves about.  I bought it.  It is the gratest (sorry).
You don't have to peel the ginger, and it grates it very fine, and leaves the 
tough fibers behind.  Every now and then I slice off a hunk of the dried 
fibers before grating more ginger.  After grating, just leave the fibers 
attached, and let the air dry the end.  I never refrigerate the ginger, and it 
has never molded on me.

The grater itself looks like a little ceramic washboard.  It has tiny points 
of ceramic raised up to do the work.  The points are not sharp enough to do 
damage to your fingers.  In the past year and a half, since I bought mine for 
$3.99, the same store has increased the price to $5.99.  I bought it in 
Lunenburg at the Cook's Nook.  They also carry all the other tools that Smith 
raves about on his show.

						     
							- JP

BTW: In the wintertime, take your ginger trimmings and dump them into the 
water kettle on the woodstove.  

    While we're talking about ginger, can anybody give advice on the
    best way to store it?  I've tried storing it in the frig - it molds,
    I try leaving it out in the bin with my onions and it dries up.
    How do you REALLY store ginger?
    
    Jeannie

    I peel it and put it in a small jar of sherry in the fridge.  I
    use both the sherry and the ginger in chinese food, adding more
    sherry when it doesn't cover the ginger any more.  Keeps for months
    in the fridge this way, and it's already peeled.

    --Louise

    I have had a piece of ginger in the freezer for about a month now
    and it has kept wonderfully. I wrapped it in plastic wrap. Whenever
    I need it, I just grate what I need, rewrap it, and pop it back
    into the freezer. It hasn't failed me yet and still tastes very fresh.

I keep mine in my wire baskets with the garlic, onions, shallots, etc.  It 
keeps for months without molding or drying (even thru a dry winter with a 
woodstove).  The only time I had some dry up on me was some stuff that looked 
marginal (somewhat wrinkled skin).  

						     
							- JP

    I keep mine in a wicker basket with the garlic (shallots, which
    I grow and therefore have LOTS of at some seasons, are in a different
    basket).  We use quite a bit of ginger, but it will eventually dry
    up if it sits around TOO long in the winter, or sprout if it sits
    too long in the summer (you can always plant the sprout - makes
    a nice houseplant).

    
    I keep the ginger in a small plastic bag (freezer bag) tied  in
    the refrigerator and it stays fine without drying or wrinkled.
    
    As far as the dicing the ginger - Has anyone tried using ginger
    powder which is as good as fresh ginger? 
    

    I have a question about Ginger that someone maybe able to answer
    I've been eating Japanese food lately and I notice the Ginger they
    use is orange/pink in color and taste different much milder less
    bite than the Hawaian Ginger that at the markets
    
    
    
    
                          ED

    This reply is to the first question (it seems to be rather late...).
    The way I like to chop ginger is to peel it with a potato peeler,
    then bang at it on a board with the flat of a cleaver or the back
    end of a knife to crush it; then chop it up.  Crushing it makes
    it much easier to chop.  You can do this with garlic, too, and that
    makes it easier to peel the clove.
    Beryl

    You can use powdered ginger if you really can't get the fresh root,
    but the taste is very different - I'd save it for baking ginger
    snaps or something, if I were you.  I've had oriental food prepared
    with powdered ginger in places where fresh ginger root is not available
    (like Israel), and it is pretty strange indeed!
    
    Japanese pickled ginger is the color it is because of food coloring,
    I think.  If you make it yourself (it is basically vinegar, sugar,
    salt (not if I'm making it, though), and ginger slices), it doesn't
    come out pink, but it tastes the same.

    First, you slice the ginger root very thin.
    Then you stack severlalslice together, then you cut the ginger into
    small strips.
    Last, you cut the ginger strip into tiny pieces.
    You chop, and chop...........
    

    IM ANOTHER ONE WHO STORES GINGER IN A JAR OF SHERRY....BUT I NEVER
    PEELED IT.....IT LASTS FOR MONTHS AND THE SHERRY TAKES ON AN ADDED
    FLAVOR WHEN YOU NEED SOME FOR COOKING.
    
    RICK

    	Used to follow this method for the past 10 years or so, till
    I came to this country and saw Jeff Smith's show.
    	His cute little trick of grating the ginger works better; the
    ginger is in uneven pieces, less work (if you do not mind cleaning
    the grating board!) and the ginger seems to blend much better this
    way.
    	Moreover, I prefer having my knuckles scraped to having them
    chopped......
    
    Ginger lover
    -parthi

If you use Jeff Smith's favorite ginger grater, the cleaning amounts to 
holding it under running water for 5 seconds.  AND, the grater does not add 
any knuckles to the recipe!

						     
							- JP