Ginger

Dinner rolls work well as buns for these mini burgers. Allow three burgers per person and top with tomato, red onion, and cucumber slices.

This fresh and sophisticated dish would be a delicious vegetarian entrée for two—just add rice. Look for curry paste and coconut milk in the Asian foods section of the supermarket.

Crystallized ginger makes these a little different. It's available, already chopped, in the spice section of many supermarkets.

Ginger beer is a staple in Jamaica, and the best is homemade (it's easy to do, as you'll see in this recipe). Resist the temptation to use commercial ginger beer for this drink — it's too sweet.

This dish makes delicious use of the warm spices prevalent throughout island cooking. The chicken needs time to marinate, so start the recipe ahead.

This is the easy way to make ginger beer, where the ginger is simply soaked — just slightly fermented — for 24 hours (another method requires up to a five-day fermentation). Ginger beer is one of Jamaica's most popular soft drinks and is sold practically everywhere, from the supermarket to roadside stands. This drink is wonderfully refreshing. If the ginger heat is too much, tame it with more crushed ice and some club soda.

Anne Marie Gaspard of Gros Islet, St. Lucia, writes: "I've always enjoyed cooking — for my family and for myself. My children are grown, so when they visit on Sundays, I spoil them with good home-cooked meals. During the week I like to make dishes that are different but still easy."

Florence Myers of Gainesville, Missouri, writes: "In the late 1950s and early 1960s I was a counselor at an all-girls summer camp in New Hampshire. When we went on long hikes in the mountains, the camp cook, Peggy Ward, would pack up plenty of her wonderful ginger cookies. I've passed that cookie recipe on to many people, including my granddaughter. She tells me that every time she makes the cookies people ask her for the recipe." Old-fashioned flavor in a super-easy cookie.

Be sure the lamb is trimmed; otherwise, ask the butcher to do it for you.

Get the freshest ground star anise by making your own. It's as easy as grinding a few star anise pods in a spice mill or a coffee grinder.

Improv: Replace the mushrooms with diced firm tofu and/or wilted spinach.

Serve with cucumber rounds, red bell pepper strips, and sticks of jicama.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from The Skinny: How to Fit into Your Little Black Dress Forever by Melissa Clark and Robin Aronson. Roasted marinated tofu is one of those addictive foods that's OK to keep eating, compared to, say, cheese fondue or doughnut holes. The combination of shiitake mushrooms and soy makes our version particularly hearty.

The spices in Indian chai tea flavor this creamy cheesecake.

East meets West in this dessert version of the spring roll.

Start preparing this one day before serving — it needs to chill overnight.

Here, rhubarb becomes a sweet-tart stuffing and sauce for roast chicken. Serve with steamed jasmine rice.