Flashback a few months.  Jake and I are watching food TV (which we probably do too much of)  The barefoot contessa is making ginger cookies.  I say "those look really good and are John-friendly"  I download the recipe.  One ingredient they need is crystalized ginger.  I make a note to grab some next time I'm at the store.

A few weeks go by.  I'm at my local grocery store and remember my plan for cookies.  I look around for the ginger.  Can't find it, so I ask the helpful staff.  They point me to the spices.  I notice how much they are charging for a tiny little jar.  It's got a price per pound I expect to find in DEA reports on the latest street drugs.  I pass for now.  (They did point out that larger stores do carry ginger in bulk bins, but I'm lazy and don't want to drive all over town looking)

Time passes.  My mother is in town helping to make a decadent chocolate party for Heather's birthday.  I was thinking about having chocolate dipped ginger as part of the spread.  My mom points out how crazy expensive that would be.  I look into options.  Find a few recipes online.  Looks easy, but we have a full kitchen schedule so it gets shelved.

Yesterday, shopping.  Ginger root: $2.49/lb.  The time is now.  Skin it (use a spoon) slice it thin.  Boil for about half an hour, changing the water once or twice.  Boil in simple syrup to 225 degrees.  Drain and roll in sugar.  Done.

As I write this I am looking over at a tray of crystalized ginger drying on a rack and drinking a dark and stormy made with fresh ginger syrup and seltzer.  All I had was light rum, so it's more of a lightly overcast, still damn good.

Felt the need to share, thought your readers would enjoy.

--Matt