ginger, simple syrup and cocktails (with florence)

so last time i mentioned how i had gotten this great idea from watching Simply Ming on tv. Ming Tsai is this really cool chef and you can check him out on the video below giving a "ginger 101" lesson. on this one show he makes the ginger simple syrup and uses that for cocktails. he makes a ginger ale with it, which i've tried and it's really good, but my favorite thing to make with it is a ginger martini. you can also use it for mojitos, which i've also done, and it's a nice twist to add the ginger symple syrup instead of plain when you make them. ginger is a great spice; it has alot of anti-oxidants but because it's very fragrant alot of people don't really care for it. it can also be a bit spicy, like hot spicy; but depending on the cooking process it can mellow out alot. the crystallized ginger is really great for cooking, cocktails and for desserts. my friend Florence ( love you Florence! ) is a really good cook and she's very middle and far eastern inspired in her recipes. she does alot with ginger and i've borrowed alot of techniques and recipes from her, including her ginger cookies. i'll never forget the first time i met her. i was invited to her place for dinner and by the time my partner John and i got there Florence was smashed from drinking boxed wine. halfway through the dinner Florence is having a hard time keeping her eyes open and she's doing this blinking thing and next thing you know she's praying to the porcelain god and we're keeping her from winding up head first in the toilet. anyway, she's a really cool person and i hope i get invited to dinner again soon. she lives on the lower east side of manhattan with a great view of the river and brooklyn from her 21st floor apartment. she's also a great collector of beads, and she has some beautiful african trade beads, and venetian beads.




ps
you can click on the link under Ming Tsai and it leads to another short video of his where you can watch him do more with ginger.
enjoy. or just copy and paste the url from below.

http://simplyming.dreamhosters.com/rss/media/simplyming_3-05.mp4




to make the simple syrup all you have to do is put equal parts water and sugar into a pan and bring to a boil, lower the heat to simmer until the sugar is dissolved and let cool. to make the ginger simple syrup you simply add a whole stem of peeled and thinly sliced ginger to the pan with the sugar and water. you can then make the crystallized ginger by taking the slices of ginger from the simple syrup and coating them with regular sugar and laying them out on a baking sheet. put the slices in a 250 degree for about an hour or until they have dried out. store them in an airtight container and they will keep for months.