Ginger

Dry mustard and five spices transform regular old ketchup.

This vegetarian entrée would also be delicious served with lamb or shrimp.

Like the Tripoley and cribbage we used to play so often together, yakitori is something of a tradition in my family. Dad's navy career had us living in Japan for a few years (I was born there), and just outside the gates of the base was a small yakitori restaurant my parents often patronized. This recipe is based on one my mom came home with from Japan. These flavorful skewers can be made with chicken in place of beef, if you wish. I recommend using boneless, skinless chicken thighs; they remain more tender and juicy on the grill than does chicken breast meat.

Most freshwater and ocean fish can be marinated for only 30 minutes at most—or they turn opaque and are essentially "cooked" before you even go out to the grill. The exception, though, is strong-flavored, oily fish like amberjack, bluefish, salmon, mackerel, marlin, mullet, or even our old standby, farm-raised catfish, which can stand up to longer marinating. In fact, marinating these oily fish for a longer time makes them taste even better. Our Japanese-style marinade is not too acidic—it's the acid from citrus juices or vinegar that can "pickle" fish in minutes. Soy sauce and sake add a spirited flavor. Sugar and mirin, a sweet Japanese wine, give a glazed appearance to the finished dish. And fresh ginger makes it all come together.

Agua fresca (Spanish for "fresh water") is a Mexican drink infused with fruits, seeds, or flowers. This one combines the sweetness of pineapple with the spice of fresh ginger. Want to kick the party up a notch? Add a little vodka or tequila. Garnish with pineapple spears.

Bulgogi (grilled marinated beef) is a traditional Korean dish. Here, lamb stands in for the steak. The meat is served with lettuce leaves and other veggies, hot pepper paste, and a slightly sweet dipping sauce. Guests use all of the ingredients to assemble their own lettuce wraps, which is a common practice in Korean restaurants. Timing note: The lamb needs to marinate for at least four hours.

Piri-piri chicken is a spicy dish with roots in both Africa and Portugal. The dish was created in Angola and Mozambique when Portuguese settlers arrived with chile peppers (known as piri-piri in Swahili). Timing note: The chicken needs to marinate for at least four hours before being grilled.

Try with chicken or beef satay, shrimp, or tofu.

Asian sesame oil, which is made from toasted sesame seeds, has a deep amber color and rich flavor. You'll find it in the Asian foods section of the supermarket and at Asian markets.

Guam has a hyperactive barbecue scene, with an annual festival that gives away tens of thousands of dollars in prize money. No family or social event is complete without the firing up of a grill (often half of a 55-gallon drum). Given Guam's proximity to the Philippines and Japan, it comes as no surprise that soy sauce, ginger, and wasabi should figure prominently in the local grilling. Here's the Pacific Island version of a grilled blackened tuna from my Guamanian barbecue buddy, Steven Cruz. The tuna is crusted with Old Bay seasoning. (OK, it's a long way from Baltimore to Guam, but apparently this Maryland seafood seasoning enjoys great popularity on the island.) Ginger, wasabi, and chiles give the dipping sauce a triple blast of heat.

Craig promises that if you follow this recipe, you can make dizzyingly delicious Chinatown char siu ribs at home in the oven or on the grill. That makes them a great choice for the winter, when you've got a hankering for ribs and the smoker is snowed in. Many Chinese restaurants use spareribs that are chopped into 3- to 4-inch riblets. If you want, your butcher can make you riblets with a band saw. Craig likes baby backs for this recipe because they are a bit meatier. You can also substitute 4 pounds of pork loin for the ribs if you wish. The booze is important for the marinade because it helps penetrate the meat, and even if you're a teetotaler, don't worry—there isn't any measurable alcohol in the ribs. If you must skip it, use apple juice or water. You can buy char siu sauce at Chinese specialty stores, and it makes a fine glaze, but it doesn't make ribs that taste like Chinese restaurant ribs. That's because you need to marinate the meat in a thin sauce first.

Adapted from Pichet Ong's P*ONG restaurant in New York. Aleppo pepper is a Syrian red pepper with a bit of smokiness and just a faint touch of heat.

Bread pudding was originally created as a way to use up stale bread. Today, the dessert is a favorite in the U.K. and the U.S. Here, rich brioche is combined with a vanilla custard and pieces of tangy ginger-infused rhubarb.

I have never been a huge fan of bread pudding, but for some reason this bread pudding takes the cake, no pun intended. It combines just the right elements of sweet, tart, creamy, and crispy. Everyone who tries it becomes a fan.

The beloved ginger root, that ubiquitous Asian ingredient, is paired with Italian Arborio rice in this super-simple risotto. The most important thing to remember when making a risotto is to never let it rest while on the burner: stir, stir, stir! In Italy a risotto is usually served as a primo piatto, after the starter and before the main dish. I've included this recipe with the main courses because I think that risotto can hold its own as an entrée, rather than a starter. And it is a great main course option for vegetarians if you substitute vegetable broth for the chicken stock.

This soup is good and velvety on its own, but the chile butter adds a luxurious crowning touch.

Sugar snap peas and pea tendrils (the young leaves and shoots of the snow pea plant) give this dish a double hit of spring flavor.