East Asian

You can make this superfresh-tasting version of the Chinese takeout classic yourself.

Ellen Chao from Manhattan Beach, CA, writes: "I make this salad when I entertain guests. It looks impressive and tastes delicious. My kids love it, too — especially with the fried wonton skins." When chicken Caesar loses appeal, this salad, with its soy dressing and fried wontons, is a substitute worth the betrayal.

_(Tamago Toji Udon) Editor's note: This recipe was adapted by Japanese cooking expert Elizabeth Andoh. Andoh also shared some helpful tips exclusively with Epicurious, which we've added at the bottom of the page.

_Editor's note: This recipe was adapted by Japanese cooking expert Elizabeth Andoh. This recipe originally accompanied Thick White Noodles in Soup, Topped with Eggs and Scallions and Cold Noodle Salad with Ponzu Sauce._ If instructions are provided on the package you purchase, follow the guidelines printed there. If no guidelines are available, refer to the basic procedures described here.

_(Iriko Dashi) Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are adapted from Elizabeth Andoh's book_ Washoku: Recipes from the Japanese Home Kitchen. _Andoh also shared some helpful tips exclusively with Epicurious, which we've added at the bottom of the page. This recipe originally accompanied Thick White Noodles in Soup, Topped with Eggs and Scallions and Cold Noodle Salad with Ponzu Sauce._ In the Sanuki region of Shikoku Island, noodle soup stock is typically made from dried sardines called iriko, in combination with dried kelp (kombu), and dried black mushrooms (hoshi shiitake). Some Sanuki stocks are enriched with bonito flakes (katsuobushi) and if you prefer a smoky flavor to your broth, I suggest you add these flakes, too. All the dried foodstuffs used to make stocks are rich in naturally occurring glutamates and provide intense flavor to the soup.

_(Hiyashi Udon) Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are adapted from Elizabeth Andoh's book_ An American Taste of Japan. Andoh also shared some helpful tips exclusively with Epicurious, which we've added at the bottom of the page.

_(Te Uchi Udon) Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are adapted from Elizabeth Andoh's book_ At Home with Japanese Cooking. _Andoh also shared some helpful tips exclusively with Epicurious, which we've added at the bottom of the page. This recipe originally accompanied Thick White Noodles in Soup, Topped with Eggs and Scallions and Cold Noodle Salad with Ponzu Sauce._

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are excerpted from Eating Korean by Cecilia Hae-Jin Lee and are part of our story on Lunar New Year.

Baechu Kimchi _ Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are excerpted from Eating Korean by Cecilia Hae-Jin Lee and are part of our story on Lunar New Year. This is the mother of all kimchi. When Koreans say "kimchi," this is the kind that comes to everyone's minds. Good either fresh or fermented, it goes with everything from meats to noodles. You will need a one-gallon glass jar or four 1-quart jars. _

Tori Soboro This gingery soy-simmered chicken is a popular topping for rice and stuffing for omusubi. Less soupy than a Sloppy Joe, the texture is similar to a dry curry or stiff chili con carne. It freezes well, so do not hesitate to double the recipe.

Dduk Gook Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are excerpted from Eating Korean by Cecilia Hae-Jin Lee and are part of our story on Lunar New Year. Eaten especially during Korean New Year (Soll), Dduk Gook can also be made with dumplings.

China The most challenging part of this recipe is cutting the pork into thin shreds; freeze the meat for 30 or even 60 minutes first, which will make it easier.... (If you want to serve rice with this, which you should, cook it beforehand and keep it warm.) Don't mince the garlic; you want its flavor to be strong in this dish. Serve this with white rice.

One of the most beautiful and inspired cookbooks of the year was The Breath of a Wok. Grace Young's stories and recipes make us want to set off in pursuit of wok hay, the special taste of wok-cooked food. But if the wok itself is too much to tackle, Young gives us permission to stir-fry in a skillet, as her parents did when they emigrated from China to San Francisco.... Young tells us that the Cantonese word for lettuce sounds like the words for "growing fortune," which makes this an auspicious dish to serve for the lunar New Year.

The egg in this fried rice is cooked by a super easy method. Rather than being made like the classic egg "crêpe," the egg is cooked right in the well of the rice, which creates a much more delicate texture.

Editor's note:
This recipe is adapted from chef Joseph Poon. He also shared some helpful cooking tips exclusively with Epicurious, which we've added at the bottom of the page. To read more about Poon and Cantonese cuisine, click here. Chop suey is an Americanized Cantonese dish that dates back to the late 1800s, when it was served in Western mining camps and in San Francisco's Chinatown. The usual components are bean sprouts, sliced celery, onions, meat, and water chestnuts, all stir-fried with soy sauce. Chef Poon updates and lightens the dish by using a sophisticated array of vegetables and tofu instead of meat, and blanching the ingredients instead of frying.

This tried and true recipe, a Hong Kong tradition of chicken roasted in the Chinese manner, has a long history in my family. It is the dish I have made when, because of circumstances, our family has not eaten together: my older son off to swimming practice, my daughter to ballet, and my younger son to lacrosse. Or I am off to a cooking class and I must leave dinner in the oven.

Editor's note:
The recipe and introductory text below are excerpted from Grace Young's book The Breath of a Wok. Young also shared some helpful cooking tips exclusively with Epicurious, which we've added at the bottom of the page. For Young's article on Cantonese cooking, click here. Chef Yip Wing Wah, of the Spring Moon Restaurant in Hong Kong, garnishes these exquisite dumplings with a dollop of crab roe, which can be substituted for the carrots.

Editor's note:
The recipe and introductory text below are excerpted from Grace Young's book The Breath of a Wok. Young also shared some helpful cooking tips exclusively with Epicurious, which we've added at the bottom of the page. For Young's article on Cantonese cooking, click here. Chef Lee Wan Ching of Yee Hen restaurant on Lantau Island, Hong Kong, taught me this recipe. Traditionally ginger is always cooked with broccoli — its warmth balances the coolness of yin vegetables such as broccoli. Just a small amount of ginger juice intensifies the flavor of the vegetables. To make ginger juice, grate a small amount of ginger and then squeeze it with your fingers to extract the juice.

Toss the takeout! This slimmed-down dish is delish. Traditional Chinese cuisine is among the healthiest, but the American version of sweet-and-sour pork is sugary and fatty. Ying Chang Compestine, author of Secrets From a Healthy Asian Kitchen (Penguin Putnam), gave the recipe a healthy revamp — hers uses the leanest part of the pig and gets its sweetness from fruit. So break out the chopsticks and savor these Far East flavors straight from your stove top.

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.