Certain food varieties truly don't should be made from scratch at home. Ketchup I'm fine with the one in the iconic bottle, thanks croissants? The spot down the road from me makes a rendition I can't hope to surpass in my lifetime.

In any case, ginger garlic paste is an entirely different story. The acrid, bitter stuff in jars (also labeled as "minced garlic") is miles from the sharp but still fresh-tasting paste you can make at home. And that paste is easy to blend into salad dressings, mayonnaise, marinades, rubs practically anyplace you need a subtle whiff of garlic without the annoying, raw-tasting garlicky bits.

First, Mince your Garlic

Here's the means by which to make mincemeat out of your garlic cloves in a flash: Just smash unpeeled garlic clove with the flat of your chef's knife, pull away the slackened skin, and begin slicing thinly. You'll quickly chopped garlic. Now just run the knife across the chopped garlic a couple of times, chopping until you've gone from chopped to mince.

Next, Shower with Salt

A sprinkle of coarse salt here isn't for preparing the rough grains act as an abrasive, helping to break down the minced garlic as you press against it (see beneath). Also, the salt draws moisture out of the garlic, further mellowing it.

Finally, Scrape into a Paste

Gather the minced garlic into a flat, neat pile. Hold the blunt side of your knife with both hands and drag the sharp side of the blade across the garlic, holding the blade at a slight angle so it presses and flattens the garlic. Continue to drag the knife across the garlic and two or three minutes, you'll have a thick, rich, blend-able paste all set.