Ginger the great

I once had a cat called Ginger. We inherited the name when we adopted him from the RSPCA, and I like to think it’s because a little Ginger went a long way, and he had more than a little bite to him, especially as he got older. Even though ginger root is closer to blonde, gold or even brown in colour, it’s the crimson–orange flowers that bloom atop the ginger plant that have given rise to its eponymous etymology. I like to think that it’s also because redheads, like this rhizome, and my cat of the same name, tend to be a little on the fiery side (I still have an upper-lip scar to prove it!). So, if you’ve ever taken a whiff of a cinnamon quill and thought, gee, I wish there was something chewier I could sink my teeth into with this level of warmth and aroma, then get more ginger into your cooking. The root, not the cat, obviously. Even though it’s technically a vigorous rhizome rather than a “vegetable”, I’m slipping ginger into the book to encourage you to use it more, because it’s one of those sidekick aromatics that makes so many vegies taste infinitely better.