Special equipment: pot of boiling noodles
serves 4, active time 30 minutes , total time 30 minutes
To make the dipping sauce, heat the soy sauce and sugar in a pot over low heat until the mixture is hot and the sugar is dissolved. Add the dashi and bring to a boil over medium heat. Add the bonito flakes and turn off the heat. Strain the mixture through a sieve lined with cheesecloth. Let the sauce cool, then refrigerate it. The sauce can be kept in a container for 4 days in the refrigerator. .
Bring a pot of water to boil. Add the somen noodles and cook until the noodles are still firm in the center, about one minute. Pour the noodles into a colander and rinse under cold running water, then place the noodles into a bowl of ice water for up to an hour.
To serve, mound the noodles over a bowl of ice and dip in the dipping sauce before eating. Serve with your choice of sides and garnishes.
Special equipment: grill
serves 4, active time 20 minutes, total time 20 minutes
Wet your hands and scoop balls of rice, approximately 2/3 cups of rice per ball, between your cupped palms. Squeeze and compress the rice balls to form it into a triangular shape. Brush the onigiri with the soy sauce and set aside until you are ready to grill. Onigiri made be made in advance and kept covered at room temperature for a few hours.
Grill yaki onigiri over low heat on the edges of a grilll, taking care not to burn the rice. Place the balls carefully on the grate and let the bottom sides harden and brown, about 10 minutes, before flipping them. Flip carefully with a pair of tongs so as not to break the compacted onigiri. Brown for another 10 minutes or so on the other side. Serve immediately, with extra soy sauce for dipping.
Special equipment: blender
serves 2, active time 10 minutes, total time 10 minutes
Place everything into a blender and blend until smooth, adding more condensed milk to taste. Serve immediately.
Special equipment: closed container
serves 8 as an appetizer, active time 20 minutes, total time 20 minutes
Wash and dry the perilla leaves. To make the marinade, mix everything together in a small bowl, adding more stock as needed so that the paste has a smooth consistency.
In a container with a lid, lay a perilla leaf flat on the bottom and add a small spoonful of the marinade, about 1/4 teaspoon, spreading it evenly on the leaf. Layer another perilla leaf on top and repeat until the leaves and marinade are used up.
Store in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, or up to two weeks. Eat with rice and other side dishes.
Adapted from Revolutionary Chinese Cookbook by Fuchsia Dunlop.
Special equipment: wok
serves four as a side dish, active time 20 minutes, total time 20 minutes
Pick though the amaranth greens for the tough stalks. Wash and set aside.
Peel the preserved duck eggs and cut the eggs into 8 segments each.
Heat the wok over high heat. Add the oil and garlic and stir-fry until the garlic begins to brown. Add the amaranth greens and stir-fry until the leaves are wilted and the stalks are tender.
Add the stock or water and bring to a boil. Add the eggs and boil for a minute until just beated through, adding salt to taste. Serve in a bowl.
Special equipment: Wok
serves 4 as a side dish, active time 30 minutes, total time 30 minutes
Cut the zucchini into slices 1/4 inch thick. With a fork, mash the egg yolks.
Heat a wok over medium heat. Add a teaspoon of oil and stir-fry the zucchini until lightly browned, about 3 minutes; add the salt to taste. Remove and set aside.
Head the wok over medium heat. Add another teaspoon of oil and stir-fry the corn until the kernels are lightly charred, 3-4 minutes. Remove and set aside.
Keep the wok over medium heat. Add the remaining oil and the egg yolks and stir-fry for 20 or so seconds. The egg yolks will become frothy. Return the corn and zucchini to the wok and stir-fry until the corn and zucchini are covered with the egg yolk sauce. Serve hot or cold.
[Photographs: Chichi Wang]
Adapted from Kansa by Elizabeth Andoh.
Special equipment: wok
serves serves 4 as an appetizer, active time 20 minutes, total time 20 minutes
Mix the natto with the seaweed and scallions. Add the packets of soy sauce and mustard that come with the natto, or use the seasonings listed above.
Have ready a stack of defrosted spring roll wrappers.
Roll the natto mixture in the spring rolls, sealing your rolls closed with a dab of the cornstarch slurry.
In a wok, heat the oil to 350°F. Deep the spring rolls until the shells are golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Serve immediately.
Special equipment: Wok
serves 4, active time 30 minutes, total time 30 minutes
To cook the pork, heat the oil in a wok and add the red chili pepper flakes and garlic, cooking until garlic begins to brown. Add the pork and salt and stir-fry until pork is just cooked through, about 2 minutes. Turn the stove off and set aside.
In the meantime, bring a medium-sized pot of water to boil. Add the dried bundles of cellophane noodles cover the pot. Turn off the heat and let the noodles soften in the water, no longer than 10 minutes. Remove the noodles from the pot and drain in a colander.
Add the noodles and the ingredients for the dressing to the wok and toss everything together. Add the beansprouts if you are using.
Garnish with Thai basil and cilantro. Serve warm or tepid.
Special equipment: Wok
serves 4, active time 20 minutes, total time 20 minutes
Add the slices of Chinese sausage to the wok and slowly cook over medium-low heat in order to render as much of the fat as possible. Move the slices of sausage around in the wok, taking care that the sausage doesn't scorch.
Remove the sausage and all but 1 teaspoon of the rendered lard from the wok. The extra lard can be discarded or set aside for another use. Add the minced garlic and stir-around to brown over low heat.
Add the rice and the rest of the ingredients to the wok and stir around until the kernels are evenly mixed and heated. Add the sausage links back to the wok and stir to mix. Serve immediately, garnishing with green onion, cilantro, or another herb.
[Photograph: Chichi Wang:]
serves serves 4 to 6, active time 45 minutes, total time 45 minutes
To make the dressing: combine all the ingredients and set aside to let the sugar dissolve.
Peel the papaya with a vegetable peeler or sharp knife. Halve the papaya lengthwise. With a spoon, scoop out the seeds and discard. Use a Benriner slicer or a sharp knife to julienne the papaya. Alternatively, run chunks of the papaya through the largest setting on your food processor for shorter, fine slices.
Cut the carrots to the same width and length as the papaya and set aside.
Put the shredded papaya in a colander and add the sugar and salt. Use your hands to massage the salt and sugar into the papaya. After a minute, the papaya will become slightly slimy. The shreds should still be somewhat firm. Rinse the papaya under cold running water and set aside.
With a clean towel, wring out the papaya for excess moisture, working in batches. Transfer the papaya to a large bowl and fluff out the slices. The papaya can be prepared in this manner up to a day in advance.
Add the shreds of carrot to the bowl with the papaya. Add the dressing spoonful by spoonful and toss until you have a balance of flavor that you like, adjusting for the sourness or saltiness as needed. Serve immediately.
Special equipment: Steamer, cooking twine
serves Makes 6 to 8 packets, active time 30 minutes, total time 1 1/2 hours
Cook the glutinous rice in a rice cooker and let cool slightly. Mix in the soy sauce, sesame oil, and sugar until the seasonings are well-distributed.
Lay large rectangular sections of the banana leaves on a cutting board. Layer slightly smaller rectangular sections cross-wise. Add a few tablespoons of the rice mixture on the leaves. Place a few segments of the sausage in the center and top with a few more tablespoons of rice. Fold the inside layer of the banana leaves over the rice, followed by the outside layer. Tie with cooking twine. Repeat until you have 6 to 8 packages.
Arrange the packets in a steamer and steam over medium heat for 1 hour, replenishing with more water as needed. Serve hot. Unwrapped leftover packets may be frozen for longer storage. It is not necessary to thaw before reheating in a steamer.
Special equipment: Saucepan, soup pot
serves Makes about 30 rice balls, active time 45 minutes , total time 45 minutes
To make the filling: Grind the seeds or nuts in a mortar and pestle to a fine but not powdery consistency. In a small saucepan, melt the lard. In a small bowl, mix the lard with the sugar and ground nuts. Chill the mixture in the refrigerator or freezer for a few minutes before use.
To make the skins: Mix the two flours together and add the water to make a soft but non-sticky dough. Divide the dough in half. Working on a surface dusted with rice flour, roll each half into a cylinder about 1 1/2 inches thick and cut the dough into segments about 1 inch wide.
To make the dumplings: Take one piece of dough and make an indent with your thumb to flatten it. Place the stuffing into the indent and draw the sides of the dough up to enclose it. Roll it gently between your palms to make a smooth ball. Lay the dumplings on a tray dusted with rice flour until you are ready to cook them. They can also be refrigerated or frozen.
To cook the dumplings: Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Add the dumplings and gently stir to prevent sticking at the bottom of the pot. Simmer for 15 minutes, taking care not to let the water boil vigorously or else the dumpling skins will tear. The dumplings are done when the skins are almost translucent. Ladle the dumplings into soup bowls along with the cooking water.
[Photograph: Chichi Wang]
Special equipment: saucepan
serves serves 4 as a side dish, active time 10 minutes, total time 10 minutes
Wash the chrysanthemum greens. Bring 3-quart saucepan of water to boil. Add the greens and boil for 20 to 30 seconds, until green are barely cooked through. Remove the greens from the heat and set aside to cool in a plate.
In the meantime, make the dressing: Grind the sesame seeds in a mortar and pestle and add it to a small mixing bowl along with the rest of the ingredients. Mix well, adding additional spoonfuls of dashi or water as necessary so that the dressing slightly thicker than heavy cream and can be easily drizzled over the greens.
Drizzle the dressing over the cooled greens and served cold or at room temperature.
Special equipment: Steamer
serves 4, active time 30 minutes, total time 60 minutes
Place the pork in a bowl along with all the marinade ingredients. Let sit for at least 30 minutes, or keep overnight in the refrigerator.
Toast the rice in a dry wok or skillet over medium heat until the grains are brittle and golden brown. The rice will begin to smell toasty. Remove the grains from the skillet or wok and let co. Grind the rice in a food processor until has the coarse consistency of cous cous.
Add the rice meal to the pork. Drizzle in a few tablespoons of cold water to ensure that the rice has enough cooking liquid. Mix well. Put the mixture into a bowl and place the bowl in a steamer. Steam for 40 minutes, until pork is tender and rice is cooked through. Serve hot with garnishes drizzled on top.
Special equipment: baking pan or skillet
serves Makes about 30 pieces of lacquered bacon, active time 10 minutes, total time 6 hours
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Cut the meat crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick pieces.
Place the sugar in a wide dish and dredge both sides of each bacon piece in the sugar, pressing the sugar firmly onto the pieces with your fingers.
Arrange the slices on a pan or skillet and bake, turning once, until the bacon is cooked and browned, about 15 to 20 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.