Homemade Ginger Ale

Do you know the difference between salsify and scorzonera? Actually, I wasn’t even familiar with scorzonera until I read Roots: The Definitive Compendium with more than 225 Recipes by Diane Morgan, but I love learning new things about food. I learned scorzonera, also called black salsify, is very closely botanically related to salsify, and both have long, slender roots with similar flavors while scorzonera is milder. Twenty-eight types of roots are covered in the book with information about where they were originally grown, how they’re eaten, and their nutritional profile. And, following this information for each root, there are recipes. As I started reading the book, I was immediately fascinated by the Red Velvet Cupcakes with Orange Buttercream which are made with pureed beets and no food coloring. I made them in a rush and barely got just a quick photo to post on Instagram before taking them to a party where they disappeared in record time. Then while reading about galangal, I learned that “kha” in Tom Kha Gai is galangal in Thai. I never knew that, and I can’t wait to make this version of the soup. There are pretty dishes to make with cross-sectional cuts of lotus root, and a Three-Layer Parsnip Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting which would be a lot like a carrot cake. There’s also a Composed Jicama, Avocado, and Grapefruit Salad with Cilantro Drizzle that would be perfect for in-season avocados and grapefruit right now. And, of course, there are several dishes for that most popular of all roots, the potato. I can tell this book and I will be spending a lot of time together. In the Ginger chapter, you can learn to make your own Sushi-Style Pickled Ginger, a Brown Sugar-Ginger Ice Cream, and Candied Young Ginger. But first, I had to try the Homemade Ginger Ale. 

To start, you need to peel and grate enough ginger fill one-half cup. The grated ginger is then combined with brown sugar and water in a saucepan, and the mixture is brought to a boil and then simmered to dissolve the sugar. It’s then removed from the heat and allowed to steep and cool for about half an hour. Once cool, the syrup is strained through a sieve and chilled in the refrigerator. To complete the ginger ale, the syrup is mixed with club soda, lime juice, and lemon juice. 

Homemade soda is the best since you can control the level of sweetness. This ginger ale has good, spicy flavor with nice brightness from the lemon and lime. Naturally, I added rum to mine, but you knew I’d say that, didn’t you? Now, I want to go try a few things from the Sweet Potato chapter and then start asking around to find out if anyone is growing burdock root locally.

Homemade Ginger Ale 
Recipe reprinted with publisher's permission from Roots: The Definitive Compendium with more than 225 Recipes

Who knew it could be so simple to make ginger ale at home? Here’s an all-natural version, blissfully free of high-fructose corn syrup and preservatives. When I compared this homemade ginger ale to a national brand, it proved unrivaled in spicy, aromatic ginger flavor. Although the ginger syrup recipe makes enough for just four servings, it is easily doubled. Store the remainder in the refrigerator to use whenever you crave a tall, sparkling glass of refreshing ginger ale. 

Makes 1 Cup/240 ML Ginger syrup; Enough for 4 Drinks 

Ginger Syrup
1/2 cup/55 g grated fresh ginger 
1 cup/200 g firmly packed light brown sugar 
1 cup/240 ml water 

Ice cubes 
4 cups/960 ml club soda 
1/4 cup/60 ml fresh lime juice 
1 tbsp plus 1 tsp fresh lemon juice 
4 lime wedges 

1. To make the ginger syrup, in a small saucepan, combine the ginger, brown sugar, and water and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly until the sugar dissolves. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes to completely dissolve the sugar and infuse the syrup. Remove from the heat and let the ginger steep in the syrup until cool, about 30 minutes. Strain the syrup through a fine-mesh sieve placed over a container with a tight-fitting lid and then cover and refrigerate until well chilled. (The syrup will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.) 

2. Fill four 16-oz/480-ml glasses two-thirds full of ice. Pour ¼ cup/60 ml of the syrup, 1 cup/240 ml of the club soda, 1 tbsp of the lime juice, and 1 tsp of the lemon juice into each glass and stir to combine. Garnish each glass with a lime wedge and serve immediately.

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Tequila Cocktails

I received the book Viva Margarita as a gift a couple of years ago, and Kurt and I flipped through it again last week to pick a couple of interesting cocktails. We’ve done wine tastings and beer tastings, so why not a cocktail tasting? There are several great drink ideas in the book, all involving tequila, like the Noches Mexicanas with half and half and Frangelico, the Avocado Colada, and the Mango Pellegringo, and choosing two was difficult. Our bottle of tequila had just enough left in it for two options, so we mixed and judged.

The first cocktail we selected was the Feisty Jamaican Splash. This is a little like a tequila mojito. Mint leaves were muddled in each chilled glass with some sugar and lemon juice. Tequila was added, then ice, and it was topped with Jamaican ginger ale. I initially thought that I would taste this and wish it had been made with rum. I was wrong. The tequila, surprisingly, worked quite well with the lemon and the mint. The ginger ale sweetened it up and added some fizz, and the drink was well-rounded and delicious. I gave this one four and a half stars out of five, and Kurt gave it four.

The second contestant in battle cocktail was Cuatro Amigos Liquados, or a blended cocktail involving raspberries and lime, lemon, and orange juices. Those ingredients were placed in a blender along with honey, half and half, ice, and tequila. I thought for sure this one would be the clear winner. It sounded like a great combination. Unfortunately, it was a little thick in texture and crunchy from the raspberry seeds. This did make an excellent alcoholic smoothie, but Kurt and I both scored it at three stars.

Perhaps the Feisty Jamaican won it because it caught us off-guard. A good ginger ale with a strong ginger flavor played very well with the lemon, mint, and tequila. It wasn’t too strong or too sweet or too anything, and it’s a simple enough cocktail to enjoy with hors d’oeuvres. The Cuatro Amigos was nice in its own way, but seemed more filling and somehow less interesting. Timing and atmosphere could affect the success of these drinks. For instance, if I were sitting outside on a July afternoon, this blended one would probably win it hands down.

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