Wok

Active time: 25 min Start to finish: 30 min Peas, noodles, beef—everything you need for dinner in one dish.

Turmeric add color and chilies add heat to this superb side dish. Mound it in the middle of the Vegetable Stir-fry.

You can add some diced red bell pepper to give this full-flavored dish a splash of color.

This variation on the Chinese classic incorporates jícama, which retains the crisp texture of water chestnuts even when cooked.

The provenance of this southern dish is shared by the Hakka and the Cantonese. The historic popularity of salt-baked chicken over the years led to various foods being called "salt-baked" even though they were not. The process of water-blanching, coating, and oil-blanching approximates baking to the Hakka taste. To the Cantonese the dish is simply jiu yim, or "pepper salt" to demote its primary flavors.

Chinese long beans cut into smaller lengths also work well in this recipe.

Ever wonder how soybeans turn into smooth, creamy tofu? First, the beans are pressed to extract soy milk, which is then curdled. The curds are drained, pressed, and cut into blocks of tofu.

Sources for posto are Penzeys (800-741-7787; penzeys.com) and Kalustyan's (800-352-3451; kalustyans.com). Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 20 min