This Recipe should get you through until cold season blows over.

Cold-Fighting Ginger Broth
Serves five

Ginger is a powerful antihistamine and decongestant; lemongrass eases headaches and stifles coughs.

Ingredients
3 pieces ½ in.-thick fresh ginger
½ lb. shallots
5 qt. water
½ lb. carrots
1 lemongrass stalk (white part only)

1 bunch green onion (white part for broth, green part for garnish if desired)
1½ tbsp. pink salt
2 tbsp. fish sauce

1. Preheat the oven to 400°.

2. Crush ginger.

3. Put the shallots and ginger on a baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes or until softened and lightly browned.

4. Fill a large stockpot with the water and bring to a boil.

5. Add the roasted shallots, ginger, carrots, lemongrass, green onion; bring to a boil.

6. Lower the heat to moderate and simmer, about 30-minutes. Add salt, and fish sauce. Drain broth into a separate pot.

For extra-potent cold relief, pour a serving-size portion (about 32 oz.) of the broth into a smaller pot and add a 1½ in.-thick slice of ginger and 1 lemongrass stalk (just the white part). Bring to a boil and drink hot.