Food Quote Friday: Herman Melville

"Copying law papers being proverbially a dry, husky sort of business, my two scriveners were fain to moisten their mouths very often with Spitzenbergs to be had at the numerous stalls nigh the Customs House and Post Office. Also, they sent Ginger Nut very frequently for that peculiar cake — small, flat, round, and very spicy — after which he had been named by them. Of a cold morning when business was but dull, Turkey would gobble up scores of these cakes, as if the were mere wafers — indeed they sell them at the rate of six or eight for a penny — the scrape of his pen blending with the crunching of the crisp particles in his mouth."

— Herman Melville in Bartelby, the Scrivener: A Story of Wall-street

Day 21: Ginger Toddy

This post marks Day 21 of Miss Ginsu's 2007 Advent Calendar. To click into other days and other projects, use the calendar page to navigate.

The common cold. It really is the gift that keeps giving.

I've got one now (sneezing, coughing and reaching for tissues as I type... but don't worry: it's not a virus), and it brings to mind all the other colds I've had in all the other winters of my life.

When I was little, my grandmother used to make me a cough syrup with honey, brandy and simmered rose hips (chock-full of vitamin C).

When I was sick at one of my restaurant jobs, an older Indian lady simmered up something similar that her mother had always made with some jaggery (a flavorful raw sugar used in India), fresh lime juice and simmered fresh ginger.

One of my coworkers told me about a time when he was sick with a cold in France and a kind soul administered hot Calvados with lemon and honey until my coworker fell into a deep sleep. He awoke the next day much repaired. He claims it's a panacea.

Just recently, I realized that all these beverages are simply variations on a Hot Toddy.

I don't know if it's the warmth on the throat, the soothing sweetness or the direct application of affection that makes homemade cough remedies feel so good, but I guess I don't care. Whatever works, works. Make one for yourself or someone you love.

Obviously, I'm not suggesting anyone fall off the wagon or liquor up the kids (that was the practice of another era), but I have the requisite number of years behind me, and I think the brandy sounds like a good move.



Below, my amalgam of the remedy tonics administered throughout my life. Good for a cold, and good even when you don't have a cold.

Ginger Toddy
1" fresh ginger, sliced
2 cups hot water
2 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp lemon juice

Optional add-ins
1 cinnamon stick
2 cloves
brandy

1. Simmer water and sliced ginger (with the spices, if desired) in a small saucepan for 20-30 minutes.
2. Stir in honey and lemon juice and taste. Adjust with a little more honey and/or lemon, to taste.
3. Add in a shot of brandy (if using), and serve immediately.

Food Quote Friday: Ming Tsai

Ginger-Duck Soup at the Slanted Door in San Francisco. I would eat this constantly if I were given the opportunity.

"I don't belive in putting a nuance of ginger in a dish such that you can barely taste it. If you say there is ginger in the sauce, you should really be able to taste it."

- Chef Ming Tsai

Find another batch of spicy food quotes here.