Thanksgiving, Christmas or Hanukkah, and the New Year. It's cold in the morning and there may be frost on the grass when you pick up the morning paper.

It is also the time when we turn to comfort foods. Gingerbread is all about the fall, warmth and comfort. The scent of a warm gingerbread in the oven is like no other to invoke the feelings of comfort and contentment.

Ginger, a main component of this food is a very interesting and unusual spice. It has a multitude of uses, both culinary and medicinal. Almost every culture in the world uses ginger.

Ginger is the underground stem, or rhizome, of the plant Zingiber officinale. It has been used as a medicine in Asian, Indian and Arabic herbal traditions since ancient times. In China, for example, ginger has been used to aid digestion and treat an upset stomach, diarrhea and nausea for more than 2,000 years.

Since ancient times, ginger has also been used to help treat arthritis, colic and heart conditions. In addition to these medicinal uses, ginger continues to be valued around the world as an important cooking spice. It seems to be too good to be true. The jury is still out on some of these claims. Our moms always knew that ginger ale is a good remedy for stomach aches and helps to soothe a sore throat.

Ginger is native to southeastern Asia, a region whose cuisines still feature this wonderful spice. After the ancient Romans imported ginger from China almost 2,000 years ago, its popularity in Europe remained centered in the Mediterranean region until the Middle Ages when its use spread throughout other countries. Although it was a very expensive spice because it had to be imported from Asia, it was still in great demand. In an attempt to make it more available, Spanish explorers introduced ginger to the West Indies, Mexico and South America, and in the 16th century, these areas began exporting the precious herb back to Europe.

Today, the top commercial producers of ginger include Jamaica, India, Fiji, Indonesia and Australia.

This funny looking spice is available in a variety of forms.

Whenever possible, choose fresh ginger over the dried form because it is superior in flavor and contains higher levels of nutrients. Fresh ginger root is sold in the produce section of markets. When purchasing fresh ginger root, make sure it is firm, smooth and free of mold. Ginger is generally available in two forms, either young or mature. Mature ginger, the more widely available type, has a tough skin that requires peeling while young ginger, usually only available in Asian markets, does not need to be peeled.

Ginger is also available in several other forms including dried, powdered, crystallized, candied and pickled.

Fresh ginger can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three weeks if it is left unpeeled. Stored unpeeled in the freezer, it will keep for up to six months.

Dried ginger powder should be kept in a tightly sealed glass container in a cool, dark and dry place. If you store it in the refrigerator it will enjoy an extended shelf life of about one year.

To remove the skin from fresh mature ginger, peel with a paring knife. The ginger can then be sliced, minced or julienned. The taste that ginger gives to a dish depends upon when it is added during the cooking process. Added at the beginning, it will lend a subtler flavor while added near the end, it will deliver a more pungent taste.

There are many things that you can do with ginger.

Add extra inspiration to your rice side dishes by sprinkling grated ginger and sesame seeds.

Combine ginger, tamari, olive oil and garlic to make a wonderful salad dressing.

Spice up your healthy sauteed vegetables by adding freshly minced ginger.

I have included two gingerbread recipes.

The first is a cake that is outrageously dark, dense and flavorful. Not the prettiest cake you'll ever make, but it might be one of the tastiest. The burnt-crust that forms on the top of the cake is outrageous. You can make mini-loafs with it also. Wrap them in wax paper, and then in natural colored kraft paper, with a ribbon for a nice party favor or hostess gift. I think this is the best gingerbread cake I've tasted.

The second is one that includes chocolate. Still very good and a bit easier to make. Enjoy.

This column has been a collaborative effort between Auburn natives chef Max Hitchcock and his mother, Susan Silverman. They can be reached at Birdscapes@adelphia.net

Autumn Chocolate Gingerbread

2 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon powdered ginger

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon cloves

Generous pinch of nutmeg

3 ounces (three squares of solid or 1/4 cup of chips) dark or unsweetened chocolate

1 cup butter (if using butter with salt, reduce 1 teaspoon salt to 3/4 teaspoon), at room

temperature

1 cup hot water

1 cup packed dark brown sugar

1 cup molasses (if using dark molasses, use light brown sugar to offset the heaviness,

otherwise use light molasses)

4 eggs

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Prepare a 9 X 13 inch baking pan by greasing with shortening and dusting with flour,

shaking out excess.

Mix dry ingredients together (flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and

nutmeg).

Melt chocolate over double boiler or very carefully in a low microwave.

In a separate bowl, mix the butter together with the molasses and brown sugar, then

carefully mix in the hot water. Mix well, although the texture may look a bit odd.

Add the eggs quickly so as not to “cook” them, and mix well.

Stir in all the melted chocolate, then gently mix in the flour, sugar, and spice mixture.

Do not over mix.

Pour mixture into prepared pan, bake 45-50 minutes or until gingerbread is springy when touched.

Cool 10-20 minutes, remove from pan (flip out onto a rack) to cool completely if you like.

Black Sticky Gingerbread

Makes 10 to 12 servings

1 cup unsalted butter

1/2 cup water

3/4 cup unsulphured blackstrap molasses

3/4 cup flavorful honey, such as a dark wildflower, berry or chestnut

1 cup tightly packed dark brown sugar

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons ground ginger

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon allspice

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

3 large eggs, room temperature

1/2 cup partly skimmed milk (2 percent)

1 packed tablespoon grated fresh ginger root

Lightly sweetened whipped cream, to serve

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease a

9 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan and line the bottom with a piece of parchment paper that has been cut to hang over two opposite edges by a couple of inches. This overhang will make removing the

cake from the pan clean and simple.

Combine the butter, water, molasses, honey and brown sugar in a medium non-reactive saucepan and place over low heat. Stir the mixture

frequently until the butter is melted and all of the ingredients are well blended. Remove from the heat, pour into a large bowl and set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, all-spice and cloves, and set aside.

When the molasses mixture feels just warm to the touch, add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the milk and stir to combine. Fold the dry ingredients into the batter in four additions, using big, long strokes. Don't be concerned if you can't get all the lumps out - settle for most of them. Stir in the grated ginger.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake in the center of the oven for 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours, or until the top of the cake springs back when touched and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.

Allow to cool for 15 minutes, then, using the overhang of parchment, lift the cake out of the pan and cool completely on a wire rack before cutting.

Well-wrapped in plastic, this gingerbread actually improves with age. If stored at room temperature, it will have a sponge-cakey texture and will keep for about four days. Refrigerated, it becomes stickier, denser and wonderfully chewy and will last at least a week. Allow the cake to return to room temperature before serving. This cake is fabulous warm, and the only adornment it needs is mounds of softly whipped cream.

- From Regan Daley's “In the Sweet Kitchen”