East Asian

Japanese cucumbers are small, virtually seedless, and quite crunchy. Young English cucumbers make a good alternative. This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

(Chicken Wing Braised with Soy Sauce, Cinnamon, and Star Anise)

Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 30 min

When I was growing up, my mom periodically brewed a pot of this bitter, allegedly medicinal soup and forced me to drink a bowl (she says the ginseng promotes general well-being). Although I used to sit at the kitchen table for an hour, slowly spooning each dreadful bit into my mouth, I've since discovered that the only way to tolerate it is to gulp the liquid down as quickly as possible. Now nearly every time I go home, she prepares this special (and unfortunately simple-to-make) soup just for me — which probably explains why I don't go home very often.

There is no dessert course in a traditional Japanese meal. Instead, pickles that refresh the palate are often the last thing eaten.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

For this recipe you may use whatever mushrooms you happen to have on hand. Serve the dish as an accompaniment to grilled or roasted meats, seafood, or chicken or with soup as a light lunch or dinner.

Plump scallops, sprinkled with salt and pepper, are lightly grilled and served with a salsa rich in parsley and diced vegetables. The salsa should be made just before eating; otherwise the liquid content of the vegetables will turn the dish watery.

In this distinctive dish from Yè Shanghai, the chicken is cooked in simmering water, then brined in salt water and marinated briefly in sweetened rice wine.

This recipe calls for Chinese leeks or baby leeks, which are available at some Asian markets. Chinese leeks are thinner and longer than regular leeks, with tubular greens that are edible, like those of scallions. Active time: 40 min Start to finish: 2 hr

When we were children, shrimp dumplings were our favorite dim sum dish. The classic filling is shrimp and bamboo shoots. The dough is not difficult to make, but it is very important that the water be boiling hot. If it is not hot enough, the wheat starch will not cook and the dough will not work. Wheat starch _(dung fun)_is only available in Chinatown; regular white flour is not a substitute. The tortilla press used here is excellent for making the dough into thin, uniform rounds, but you can also make the dumplings by hand: Roll the dough into scant 1-inch balls. Place one ball between your lightly floured hands and press to form a circle. Press the dough evenly with your fingertips to make it as thin as possible, about 3 inches in diameter and a scant 1/8-inch thick.

Char Siew This succulent meat is traditionally cooked hanging on hooks inside a smoking barbecue oven. This easier and faster method cooks the pork on a charcoal grill. Char siew can be sliced and used as a garnish over rice or noodles, or stir-fried with vegetables.

Serve with: Sesame noodle salad with chopped fresh cilantro, and cucumber slices tossed in rice wine vinaigrette.

A mildly sweet and pungent dish. No soy sauce is used in the sauce, so it is lighter in color than other sweet and pungent dishes.

Tingly, salty, and irresistibly crunchy, this salt-and-pepper shrimp with cubes of crispy polenta (yes, from those tubes!) is a weeknight MVP.

This classic Japanese comfort food is a combination of chicken and egg (oyako means “parent and child”) simmered in sweet-savory broth and served over rice.

Freezer-friendly—and always a big hit with family and friends.

Spicy tinned salmon (or tuna!) is a fast track to flavor in these simple hand rolls—particularly when mashed with some oil from the can and a slick of mayo.