Asian

If you like curries, you'll love this recipe. The sauce is rich with coconut flavor and redolent with spice. Don't be alarmed by the number of red chiles — these are mild.

Kerabu Bok Kwa This fresh, zesty salad cuts through the richness of the heavier main courses. Sambal belacan is a classic Nonya dressing. We've reduced the amount from what would traditionally be used because belacan (shrimp paste) can be rather strong for those who aren't used to it. The paste has a salty fish taste and pungent smell (the odor dissipates once it's added to the dish), but it lends a dimension of flavor very characteristic of Nonya cuisine — were you to eliminate it, you wouldn't really be eating Nonya food. For a more authentic version, use 2 tablespoons belacan and 4 tablespoons lime juice.

Kangkong Masak Lemak This dish is all about the greens; water spinach has a delightfully light and crunchy texture, unlike regular spinach, which tends to be stringy. A bit of coconut milk lends body and richness.

Enlivened with Southeast Asian flavors, this quick, versatile side dish complements nearly any kind of meal. We've cooked the snap peas until crisp-tender here, but if you'd prefer them to have a meaty quality, cook them a minute longer.

Ideal for a picnic, these sesame-speckled chicken wings are so good, you'll be happy to lick your fingers clean.

Pa-O Long Beans Finding long beans is worth the effort — the high heat of the wok is just too much for green beans, which aren't as hearty.

Dipped in peanut sauce, these beef satés are flavor bombs on a stick. Don't be put off by the long list of ingredients — we promise you won't be disappointed if you make the sauce from scratch. (It's so much fresher and more complex than any bottled product you may have used in the past.) The meat can be marinated and the sauce prepared ahead, so you just need to grill the satés before serving.

Babi Chin
This tender braised pork is wonderfully easy to make. The aromatic spices — cinnamon, clove, and coriander (which is toasted before grinding to deepen its taste) — add so much flavor that there's no need to brown the meat before braising it.

If you don't have a rice cooker, this is the way to prepare absolutely perfect rice. The liquid cooks down before you cover the pot, so you have more control over how much liquid evaporates; this makes all the difference between mushy and fluffy rice.

Although this dessert is not traditional (Nonya sweets typically call for unusual ingredients that are not readily available in the U.S.), you'd likely find a version of it at a contemporary Malaysian restaurant. It's extremely important to use very ripe mangoes — it's their fresh flavor that makes these puddings so delicious.

Bottled red-curry paste heats up this flavorful, vegetable-rich Thai-style curry.

Editor's note: This recipe is excerpted from Harumi's Japanese Cooking , by Harumi Kurihara. Hotate no Sauté Miso Sauce These scallops make a good starter or they can be served as part of larger Japanese-style meal. I think that the combination of Japanese flavors, such as miso, and the western flavor of Parmesan cheese makes for a delicious and exciting dish.

Editor's note: This recipe is excerpted from Harumi's Japanese Cooking , by Harumi Kurihara. To read more about Harumi, click here. Mushi Dori no Gomadare Salad Sesame sauce using the juices from cooked chicken is so easy to prepare. This style of dressing with sesame, gomadare, is very common in Japanese cooking and is used for both meat and vegetables. This particular chicken dish makes a lovely appetizer, but it also goes very well with cold noodles.

Editor's note: This recipe is excerpted from Harumi's Japanese Cooking , by Harumi Kurihara. To read more about Harumi, click here. Mentaiko Spaghettini This is one of the most popular types of pasta in Japan and is a great example of how a foreign ingredient has been adapted to Japanese taste. I think you will find it quite an eye opener.

This soup features the flavors of India: aromatic nigella seeds, curry powder, curry leaves, and cumin seeds.

For subtle spice in this Asian-inspired soup, use half a red chile; add a whole chile for a good punch of heat.

George Hendrix of Carbondale, Colorado, writes: "My family is usually in a hurry, so dinner has to be on the table fast. The stir-fry doesn't require much preparation and the oyster sauce gives it rich flavor, which means I don't have any trouble getting my teenage boys to eat the vegetables."

Note that the chops need to marinate for at least three days, so begin preparing this dish well in advance. What to drink: A white wine with snappy acidity and lemon-lime notes, like dry Riesling or Grüner Veltliner.