It looks like a root, but it actually is an underground stem. It is a relative of the flow. ering iris family, When the ginger plant is about ten months old and the leaves died back, the “root” is har- vested. The name ginger comes from the ancient Sanskrit, it means “horn root.” The stem has a tan skin and the flesh ranges in colour from pale greenish yellow to ivory. Ginger is a welcome addi- tion to recipes around the world. The Chinese slice the stem and chop it into match- sticks, or crush it, and add it to meat, fish, and vegetable dishes. The Japanese grate it, shred it, pickle it, and use thin slices of it with sushi, called “gari.” In South East Asia it may be smashed, and put into sauces and pastes. Indian and Pakistani chefs and homemakers favour it in curries and rice dishes. In Europe, it often appears as a powder, in cookies and pas- tries. The current North America: cooking scene combines all of the above methods. We use ginger in a wide range of dishes. In 1999 B.C. imported $2,643,046 worth of fresh ginger, most of it coming from China, the U.S.A, and Thailand. There are three main gin- ger types to purchase. Very” young ginger has a thin pale skin, and requires no peeling. The more common mature ginger has a tough skin, chat must be peeled away. Finally, there’s ground dried ginger, indispensable in baking, and sauces. When purchasing ginger Jock for the hardest and heaviest stems. The ones that have been sitting around in the display cases look wrin- Kled and feel light. To store, wrap the ginger in a paper towel, put inside a plastic bag ind keep it in the veg- erable crisper, because it is available year-round do not keep for more than two wecks. This week, three recipes for this tasty, knobby stem. Apple Gingerbread aK] REPLAC ES : CONDITIONING i +o OU SUAe A Wednesday, July 12, 2000 - North Shore News - 19 o the root of great ginger uses Kc. butter, soft % c golden yellow brown sugar 1 large egg (room tempera- ture) % ce. medium molasses % e. all purpose flour % ec. whole wheat flour 1 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. cinnamon 1 tsp. ground ginger 4c. hot water For the top: 1 Tbsp. melted butter % ce. golden yellow brown sugar 2 Tbsp. preserved ginger, chopped 4 red delicious apples peeled and sliced thin. Method: Select 29” x 9” baking pan. Brush with the melted butter. Sprinkle in the %c. brown sugar and chopped ginger. Cover with apple slices. Preheat oven to 350 F, Select a stainless steel bowl, cream butter and the yellow sugar until creamy. Beat in egg and the molasses. Combine the flours, baking soda, cinnamon, and ground ginger. Add to the molasses mixture, alternately with the hot water, start and finish with the dry ingredients. Spoon the mass over the apple slices. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes until the centre springs back when touched. Cool on a rack for 15 min- utes and then invert on a serving plate. Yummy. Fresh Halibut Steak with Ginger-Orange Sauce 1% Ib. halibut steaks (%” thick) ’ 2 tsp. unsalted butter le onions sliced diago- Ke ‘eesh orange juice % c. fish or chicken stock 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce 1 tsp. grated fresh ginger % wp. freshly ground pep- er tsp. corn starch a RBECUES » Bs Whole House Split System a © Room Air Conditioners | @ © Portable Air Conditioners a scion tom 93990 - Gall the experts at Fera Ultraline for E the sclution that best suits you. Serving the Lower Mainland since 1945 salt to taste Method: Select a non- stick trypan. Meir half the butter and cook the halibut steaks until cooked (6-8 min- utes) Remove steaks to a platter and keep warm. Add the rest of the butter and sauté the green onions for 2- 3 minutes. Mix together the orange juice, stock, corn- starch, Worcestershire sauce, grated ginger, and pepper. Add cto the onions bring to a boil and simmer tor 2-3 min- utes. Cheek for flavour. It may need a fittle salt. Pour some of the sauce over the fish — serve the rest ina sauce boat. Present with steamed rice, gacnish with orange slices and parsley sprigs. We noticed that there are SAFEWA' FOOD & DRUG alot of pineapples tor sale at reasonable prices. They must have had a good crop in Hawaii. This is a tantalizing marmalade recipe. Pineapple-Ginger Marmalade 3% ¢. chopped pineapple 2c. granulated sugar Bring to a boil. Ladle into prepared, sterilized jars and seal. Great on toast of crum- pets. grated peel and juice of two larger limes 1 Tbsp. minced fresh gin- ger. — Sead your questions on any culinary tepics to: A Chef in Your Kitchen, PO Box 18627 Delta BC. VAK 4V7 or email to: