This is possibly one of the most versatile building blocks I’ve ever made. This syrup has found itself into hundreds of my recipes because of its balance of sweetness, heat, and acid. Over the years, I’ve tweaked the mix, changing the acid, adding aromatics. For now, the formula below is what I’m sticking with. Originally conceived as the base for homemade Ginger Lemon Soda (page 25), it quickly became my go-to syrup for spritzers.

Ingredients

　　1 cup peeled and chopped fresh ginger

　　1 cup sugar

　　1 cup fresh lemon juice

　　Combine the ginger, sugar, and lemon juice in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature. Strain through a sieve into a container, pressing on the ginger; discard the ginger. The syrup can be covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days.

　　Reprinted with permission from Home Cooking with Jean-Georges: My Favorite Simple Recipes by Jean-Georges Vongerichten with Genevieve Ko. Copyright © 2011 by Jean-Georges Vongerichten; photographs copyright © 2011 by John Kernick. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.Jean-Georges Vongerichten is one of the most influential chefs in the world, having single-handedly redefined haute French cuisine, lightening and refining it by adding select Asian accents. He is the chef-owner of dozens of restaurants in fourteen cities around the world. His flagship restaurant, Jean Georges, at New York's Columbus Circle, is one of six restaurants in the United States to have been awarded three coveted Michelin stars; it received four stars from the New York Times. The winner of multiple James Beard Foundation awards, he lives in New York City and Waccabuc, New York, with his family.Genevieve Ko is a cookbook author and the senior food editor at Good Housekeeping magazine. She has written for Martha Stewart Living, Gourmet, and Fine Cooking and lives in New York City with her family.