For mincing garlic, I have something similar to a product called the Garlic Twist. You pop some peeled garlic in, close the lid and twist it back and forth a few times and it'll be perfectly minced. A trick for peeling garlic is to drop the cloves into a metal martini shaker and shake it for 20-30 seconds and it will peel it all.

Here's a video on basic knife skills: http://youtu.be/12issg3EdA8
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"Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars." - Martin Luther King, Jr.