Asian

Serve with white rice to soak up the juices. A bottle of Gewürztraminer would pair nicely with the spiciness of the shrimp.

This Asian-style stew features egg linguine, an easy substitute for Chinese egg noodles. Look for Chinese five-spice powder and hoisin sauce in the spice aisle or the Asian foods section of the supermarket.

Thakkali Rasam We liked this soup on its own, but in India it is frequently served over rice and topped with a spoonful of warm ghee.

Sheenga Chat Here is a wonderful recipe of the chettinad (the business community) of Madras whose food often reflects a fusion of northern and southern flavors. In this shrimp preparation, for example, both Curry Powder and Garam Masala are used to achieve intriguingly complex results.

Bangkok-style noodles with shrimp, chicken and Thai chilies from Arun's in Chicago.

This innovative dish from Susanna Foo, the Philadelphia restaurant that takes its chef-owner's name, combines Asian and southwestern influences. Serve it with rice.

Preparation time: 25 minutes Cooking time: 5 minutes Sichuan cooking is popular throughout China, and in recent years, adventurous Chinese restaurant diners have discovered how delicious it can be. This is one of the best known dishes from that area.

To make things even easier, use a cabbage slaw mix. Serve with: Deli rice salad.

Matt McMillan, Big Bowl's executive chef, threw together these items for his lunch one day. We ran it as a special the next week. It's simple and delicious.

The secret to this Chinese favorite is not to let the noodles sit in the sauce very long — toss them together a few seconds before serving.

Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 15 min

This recipe combines the oriental technique of velveting with the Indian flavors of a fresh herb chutney.