From the food editor: A toast to turmeric

As part of my resolution to more deeply explore Indian cuisine in 2015, I've discovered turmeric.

I've used this earthy, slightly peppery spice in a slow-cooker stew and butternut squash soup and even sprinkled a bit into hummus.

What I didn't realize is that you can get this stuff fresh, generally at Whole Foods Markets and natural foods stores. It looks much like ginger, its cousin, only it has thinner “fingers” and under the rough skin the flesh is sweet-potato orange.

I came across this recipe for turmeric-infused cider from the American Institute for Cancer Research that sounded too good not to share, and it's an easy way to introduce your family to this wonder root.

For Ginger Turmeric Hot Cider, put 1 cup fresh sweet apple cider into a small sauce pan and turn the heat on low. Use the edge of a spoon to scrape off an inch or so of the thin, beige skin to expose the turmeric's bright orange flesh (wash hands right away or it will leave your fingers with a yellowish hue). Peel the ginger the same way then grate 1 teaspoon of each into the pan along with a 1½-inch by ½-inch strip lemon peel (white part included). Turn heat to medium-high and cook until a ring of bubbles appears around edge of pan, 3 minutes. Remove from heat, cover and allow to steep for 5 minutes. Pour hot-spiced cider through fine tea strainer into mug and enjoy.

If you can't find fresh turmeric, buy ground that looks more orange than gold and use ¼ teaspoon of the ground turmeric in place of fresh.

Pantry prescriptions: Turns out that drinking turmeric-spiked cider has a benefit beyond warming you up after an evening of shoveling or sledding. The spice has long been used as a homeopathic remedy for a variety of conditions, including jaundice, menstrual difficulties, toothaches and chest pains.

That got me thinking about other pantry helpers for better health. Ginger, yogurt, honey, garlic, oregano and beef, to name a few, can be used to ward off sickness. And given the flu and colds that have been making the rounds at my office and the kids' schools, I'm willing to give these a shot.

If you feel a cold coming on, skip the zinc lozenges and grab a beef steak or mushrooms. Shiitake mushrooms, especially, have been shown to have immune-enhancing properties and beef (and lamb) is high in zinc, a mineral, which contributes to immune system health.

Vitamin A, from foods such as carrot, spinach, kale and winter squashes, help strengthen your body's defense system while foods rich in vitamin C, like oranges and broccoli, help the immune system attack infections.

When the bug hits and your nose is stuffed and your chest tight, try this syrup from “Healing with the Seasons” author Judith Benn Hurley that I pulled from our archives.

Finely chop 1 onion or a bulb of garlic and put it in a bowl. Pour 1¼ cups honey over the onion or garlic, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit at room temperature for 8 hours or overnight. Strain the syrup into a bottle. Swirl 1 tablespoon of the syrup into tea or hot water three times a day and this potent potion helps break up congestion in the lungs.

If that sounds a bit too much, add plenty of garlic, radishes and ginger to soups and stews.

• Contact Food Editor Deborah Pankey at dpankey@dailyherald.com or (847) 427-4524. Be her friend at Facebook.com/DebPankey.DailyHerald or follow her on Pinterest, Instagram or Twitter @PankeysPlate.