East Asian

This authentic Cantonese version of chow mein features fresh egg noodles, which are fried into a cake that softens slightly when topped with a meat and vegetable sauce. Be careful not to mistake wonton noodles for Chinese egg noodles — although they look similar, wonton noodles don't have the same rich texture.

Chances are, your home stove isn't as powerful as the ones at your local Chinese restaurant, in which case a flat-bottomed wok will work best, as it has more contact with the heat than does a rounded one.

You can't fling a chopstick in this übertrendy Japanese eatery without hitting at least one celebrity: Jessica Simpson, Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Lopez, Madonna, Leonardo DiCaprio, Liv Tyler, George Clooney — the list goes on. The best of the beau monde enjoy a variety of fresh fish (raw and cooked) in a soothing Zen setting. This recipe may have a higher percentage of calories from fat than other fish dishes, but it's mostly the healthy kind.

The skewers grill above the flames, suspended between two bricks to keep them from touching the grates of the barbecue. No bricks handy? Substitute disposable foil mini loaf pans (found on the baking aisle at the supermarket).

If you're craving an aromatic Chinatown-style noodle soup, this recipe is a quick fix — especially if you use a roast chicken from the supermarket deli. (For another variation, try using roast duck from a Chinese deli instead.) The chrysanthemum leaves are a beautiful match with the delicate broth redolent of star anise, but watercress can be substituted if you like.

Food Editor: Lillian Chou
Father: Kuo Hung Chou, Pine Brook, NJ
Jook, a rice porridge, is eaten at breakfast or as a light lunch in many parts of Asia. Although my father came from Shanghai, he preferred the more flavorful Cantonese version my mother made. Breakfast with "Baba"("Daddy" in Mandarin) on Sundays meant a table adorned with many small dishes of condiments. One of his favorites was "thousand-year-old eggs" (pei dan), which are actually chicken or duck eggs preserved in a mixture of clay, lime, and salt. Thousand-year-old eggs are available at Chinese markets, where they're sold individually or in packs of six. (Don't confuse them with "salted eggs," which are brined duck eggs.) Since their quality varies widely, it pays to buy a more expensive variety, if available.

Garlic chives smell more pungent than they taste and are wonderful when cooked. (Keep them wrapped well in your refrigerator.)

Yakitori In Tokyo, these savory skewers are made with Japanese leeks, called negi, which are thinner and more tender than Western leeks. We've substituted scallions, since they have a similar sweetness and are more readily available here.

This rich soup is hearty enough to serve as a main course. Dried tangerine peel and star anise impart an exotic note, and pickled mustard greens provide contrast to the beefy broth.

The trick to stuffed soup buns is to fill them with a solid form of soup. The tender wrappers are filled with an aspic made from pork and chicken bones, which melts into a savory broth during steaming.

This authentic soup is essentially an ancient doctor's curative that combines the healing magic of chicken broth, the circulation-enhancing qualities of tree fungus and lily buds, and the antiseptic properties of vinegar. The heat isn't from chiles — it's actually from freshly ground white pepper. Bruce Cost prefers the flavor of Pearl River Bridge Golden Superior brand soy sauce for this dish and for the Sticky Rice with Chinese Sausage and Dried Scallops .

This dish is a wonderful alternative to more traditional dressing. It's normal for a crust to develop on the bottom of the pot — after scooping out most of the rice, you can cook the crust a bit longer, then chip off the tasty morsels.

There are many kinds of Korean pancakes, but bindaedok, made with yellow mung beans and whipped eggs, have a light, airy texture. They are very versatile, and work well as an hors d'oeuvre, side dish, or vegetarian main course.

This simple Chinese preparation enhances the briny flavor of cockles. If cockles are hard to find in your area, you can substitute other small hard-shelled clams (though steaming time will vary with the type and size).

This recipe sponsored by Black Swan Vineyards

(Spicy Pork with Bean-Thread Noodles) In this classic Chinese preparation, delicate, clear bean-thread noodles are dressed with a spicy sauce and flecked with bits of pork — the "ants" of the dish's curious name. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Japanese connoisseurs of the noodle hold soba, made primarily of buckwheat flour, in particularly high regard. Here the nutty taste of the soba noodles is set off by a restorative broth in which miso is a savory option. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.