Shiitake Mushroom

When Chris Lilly is at the grill and says to you, "Come on back and have a bite when this is ready," he's not making polite idle talk. Take him seriously. Ask him when it will be ready and make a point of being there. Chris, with father-in-law Don McLemore and the Big Bob Gibson competition barbeque team, has brought home so many contest cooking and sauce awards to his hometown of Decatur, Alabama, that we've lost count. Chris has honed his culinary skills to reach far beyond the basic superb down-home flavors of Alabama barbequed pork and chicken. This grilled flank steak recipe is a perfect marriage of authentic Asian flavors and grilling techniques. If you've ever enjoyed grilled meat skewers at an Asian farmers' market—Guangzhou, for example—this dish will put some good memories and wow in your mouth. Chris's version is second to none!

The Japanese are renowned for their longevity. As of 2011, their average life expectancy was 82.3 years. (The United States came in fiftieth, at 78.4 years.) Researchers often credit their diet, and this soup is my way of cramming as much of their healthy cuisine into a bowl as possible. It's called Bento Box Soup because of the traditional Japanese take-out bento box lunch, which is full of compartments, each containing a tasty treat: fish or meat, rice, pickled or cooked veggies, and other goodies. The base is a miso broth; if you're not in the know about miso, it's a salty fermented soy product that aids digestion and improves immune function. In case white miso isn't available, use any mellow (light) miso. I kicked those healing properties up a notch by infusing green tea into the broth for an extra immune boost, then added shiitakes, spinach, kombu, scallions, and tamari.

Lo mein is a noodle dish that often is confused with chow mein, and many Chinese restaurants further the confusion by using the two names interchangeably. The dishes are similar, both featuring noodles mixed with stir-fried meat and vegetables and a savory sauce. But whereas chow mein refers to parboiled and stir-fried noodles, lo mein refers to noodles that are fully cooked separately and quickly tossed with sauce in the wok. The roast pork in this recipe is char siu, the same gorgeous reddish-brown pork often displayed and sold in Chinatown shop windows. Instead of buying the pork ready-made, you can also roast your own at home. For the egg noodles, you can use any that are thin and round; spaghetti will also work.

Buddha's Delight is traditionally served on the first day of Chinese New Year, a practice stemming from an old Buddhist custom of spiritual cleansing. In fact, the recipe's Cantonese name is simply jai, meaning "vegetarian food." Some ingredients, such as lily buds and bean thread noodles, may require a special trip to a Chinese market.

Saltimporten sources only the freshest wild mushrooms available and uses them raw in this dish. If using less-than-pristine mushrooms, sauté them quickly in a neutral-flavored oil, such as grapeseed or vegetable oil.

This dish is as good as the time and ingredients you put into it, so use quality ingredients and patience to get the flavors to harmonize. A teaspoon of white truffle oil can substitute for the black truffles.

Quiche is a culinary workhorse—a great dish to have in your repertoire. Enjoy it on its own for breakfast or brunch, or pair it with a simple green salad, and you’ve got yourself a satisfying supper. And since it can be baked in advance and served warm or at room temperature, quiche is ideal for gatherings. This vegetarian rendition is packed with earthy mushrooms. Not a fan of fontina? Gruyère, Emmental, Provolone, and Gouda make excellent substitutes. And if you prefer a lighter quiche, skip the half-and-half and use whole milk instead.

Filet mignon gets a Southwestern twist from Cucina Rustica restaurant in Sedona, Arizona, with smoky chipotle chiles amping up the creamy Gorgonzola and shiitake mushroom sauce. Any leftover steak and sauce makes a delicious sandwich on crusty bread with peppery arugula.

When the heat is on, there’s no better way to cool down than with a bowl of chilled noodles. To make this truly vegetarian and vegan friendly, seek out a ponzu sauce without dashi, an ingredient made with dried fish. Two brands worth considering are Marukan and Wan Ja Shan. For die-hard meat eaters, add some thin slices of cold beef.

Soy sauce, sriracha, hoisin, and Asian sesame oil assert an Eastern influence on the traditional burger. Since the burgers and sauce can both be made ahead of time, this is a versatile, no-fuss meal perfect for a dinner party or after-work bite. With the lettuce, bell pepper, carrot, and cilantro in separate bowls, guests can customize their burgers as they please.

Omega-3 fatty acids in salmon may alter certain gene expressions in your body to tell it to melt fat, not store it. Eat up and burn, baby, burn!

The bite of mustard and the char of the grill amp up the flavor of tender but mild-tasting filet mignon. Be sure to have all the sauce ingredients ready to go before starting the meat. For perfect timing, add the cream to the sauce while the steaks are resting; they'll be done at the same time.

This dish conveys the grandeur of formal Chinese dinners, but there's nothing intimidating about its preparation. The balance of flavors is sublime, and the presentation is striking — ruffled Napa cabbage is arranged around large pork meatballs to create the appearance of the lionlike Tibetan dog.

Save time by purchasing sliced stemmed shiitake mushrooms and wasabi paste in a tube. If the paste isn't available, mix 2 teaspoons wasabi powder with 1 tablespoon water.

Sablefish’s succulent texture and high oil content make it an exceptional choice for steaming. In this recipe, the fish is steamed in parchment-paper packets (en papillote), which seal in moisture and flavor.

In these vegetarian rolls, shredded cabbage adds cancer-fighting betacarotene; nori—sheets of dried seaweed—supplies calcium, magnesium, and iron; and shiitakes boost the immune system, thanks to the active compound lentinan. Look for soba noodles and nori in the Asian foods section of your grocery store.

Traditional Japanese soba noodles can be made of wheat or buckwheat, a fruit seed related to rhubarb that’s loaded with manganese and the antioxidants quercetin and kaempferol. Because the seed is also gluten free, buckwheat noodles are a good choice for those with gluten sensitivities.

A relative of spinach and beets, Swiss chard offers fantastic antioxidant protection in the form of carotenoids, which help maintain eye health, boost immunity, and may even fight cancer. Here, chard leaves are rolled around a protein-rich quinoa-mushroom filling for an elegant entrée.

Brown rice is the foundation of a simple, protein-filled vegetarian dish when it’s paired with tofu. Spinach is “steamed” in the same pan for the ultimate in ease—and nutritional value.