Scratchy Throat Soother

Name: Homemade Cough Syrup
Yield: makes about ½ cup
Ingredients: 1 small bunch I’itoi onions, white parts only, or 2 large or 3 medium shallots, coarsely chopped; 1 2" piece ginger, peeled, sliced ¼" thick; ¾ cup runny honey

By Felicia Cocotzin Ruiz

January 12, 2021

Photograph by Laura Murray

The medicinal properties of onions have been employed around the world for countless generations—they’re warming, rich in phytonutrients, and help get phlegm moving. Felicia Cocotzin Ruiz, a folk healer who educates on using food as medicine through her brand Kitchen Curandera, pairs alliums with ginger and honey for a soothing, savory-sweet syrup. “This has the same soothing feeling as chicken soup," she says, though she adds that “people dealing with a bad cough should go see a healthcare provider.” Cocotzin Ruiz makes this cough syrup with small, sweet I’itoi onions, which grow in the Sonoran Desert where she lives, but shallots can be substituted without compromise.

Recipe notes

Scallion-Speckled Rice

Scallion-infused oil, or pa gireum in Korean, is a fragrant way to upgrade a pot of rice.

Baan Mae’s Thom Khem Thaohu

Slowly caramelized sugar, sweet lychees, warming spices, and fiery ginger create the perfect base for tofu to simmer in.

Quick Butter-Braised Tomatoes and Dumplings

Store-bought dumplings, fresh tomatoes, butter, and soy sauce simmer away for dinner in a flash.

Greenest Mint and Ginger Pesto

An electrifying pesto that stays bright green for days on end. With the addition of ginger, and jalapeño, it’s a versatile condiment to have on hand.

Chickpeas With 40 Garlic Cloves

Braising canned chickpeas in chicken stock and olive oil makes them unbelievably tender and buttery. This is worth the effort of peeling 40 cloves of garlic.

Sweet-and-Spicy Squash With Scallion Oil

Roasted squash loses its bland reputation and turns glossy and fragrant thanks to a gingery miso-glaze and a quick scallion oil.

Spicy Eggplant Frittata

Silky Japanese eggplant and fiery serrano chile unite in this no-fuss frittata that’s brunch-ready, dinner-worthy, and wildly good.

Sheet-Pan Pierogies and Beets

A flavorful one-pan meal featuring baked pierogies, roasted beets, and a poppy seed dressing. Frozen pierogies and pre-cooked beets make this extra easy.