Ginger

"During my early career as a touring musician, I needed to find more remedial ways to stay healthy. Echinacea tea, honey, and ginger root all became musts in my arsenal of Gypsy medicine." —Giuseppe Capolupo, Bar Marco, Pittsburgh

Compound butter is a great way to get flavor into a roast chicken. Here's a Thai-inspired version

Get your pan nice and hot. If you have a cast-iron skillet, now’s the time to use it.

Ginger and turmeric have anti-inflammatory powers, the juices deliver vitamin C, and staying hydrated is always a good idea. As for the Quantum Cold & Flu Liquid Extract? It’s touted as a “highly effective” herbal elixir. We’ll take their word for it.

For this ginger-spiked Prosecco number, you can make the ginger syrup a week ahead; then all you have to do is add the bubbly.

How to buy, store, and cook with ginger, in season in September.

The flavors of this dish combine cooling spices (fennel, coriander) with the heat of a jalapeño. Remove the seeds from the pepper if you like things a little less fiery.

Chef Rene Ortiz of Sway in Austin, cooks a lot of tofu for his young vegetarian son. “He loves it,” says Ortiz, “and in order for all of us to eat it, it has to taste like something.” Ortiz’s solution: Let the porous tofu soak up the flavors of malty Chinese black vinegar and soy sauce.

If you don't have a bunch bowl, use a big glass vase--it's nice and tall and doesn't take up too much space on your table.

Rhubarb's natural tartness is balanced by the sweetness of the brown sugar and raisins, creating the perfect foil to cut through rich meats.

A warming drink with echinacea, plus a kick of ginger and cayenne to clear the sinuses? We're in.

We like to brush this sweet sauce on steaks, grilled or roasted chicken legs, and slices of roasted eggplant. Try it on salmon, too.

You'll be blown away by how delicious this vending machine staple is when it's homemade.

Adding cream of tartar to the caramel prevents the sugar from crystallizing. Drizzle the sauce over the cake; save the rest for passing alongside.

Bake this festive spice cake in your favorite Bundt pan or pudding bowl, or feel free to use an 8" springform pan. You can top the cake with Luscious Chocolate Icing (see recipe) or simply dust it with powdered sugar.

Drizzle this gingery-sweet beauty over crisp lettuces, avocado, grain salads, or grilled tofu.