Rice Noodle

Pho, the Vietnamese noodle soup, is traditionally made with long-cooked beef stock. Our quick version calls for deli sliced beef and canned beef broth instead.<

To form the noodle cakes, measure them out by taking a few strands of noodles and loosely squiggling them into a tablespoon. Once you get the hang of the amount needed, you can pretty much eyeball it.

In its traditional form, this classic Lao soup is made with noodles rolled out and cut to order for each bowl. It is still excellent made with dried rice noodles. You can substitute fish, chicken, or pork for the beef, but rice noodles are an essential ingredient. The Lao like a considerable amount of lime juice in their food—here a range is given so that you can flavor the soup to your taste.

When fresh wide rice noodles are stir-fried, they are called fun. Fresh rice noodles have to be pulled apart and fluffed before cooking.

Inspired by Vietnamese cuisine, this combination is also satisfying on its own as a meatless lunch.

The combination of herbs, the rice noodles, and the garlicky lime sauce mark this pasta salad as Vietnamese.

(Stir-Fried Rice Noodles)

Light, delicate, and crisp, rice-stick noodles come packaged in different sizes. However, 1 package, no matter how small, will be plenty for this recipe. If you'd like to make larger crisps for dramatic presentation, simply pull each noodle mound into a wider tangle, then fry crisps 1 at a time. This recipe is an accompaniment for pineapple ice cream. Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 1 1/4 hr

This Vietnamese classic is usually made with top or bottom round beef, which is sliced and then marinated and grilled. We've adapted the recipe to use skirt or flank steak and made it easier by grilling the meat before slicing it.

This recipe incorporates two popular foods from the Toi San region of southern China: One is the Chinese boneless barbecued pork strips known as cha siu, and the other is fresh rice noodles. The latter are sold in 1-pound packages, either as rumpled sheets that must be cut into strips or as precut 1/2-inch-wide strips.

It's important to use large lettuce leaves (about 6 inches) for this salad, so you may need to buy 2 heads of lettuce in order to get 6 good leaves. Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 45 min

Sweet, salty, and spicy, nuoc cham is the indispensable sauce of Vietnam's cuisine. It's a favorite dipping sauce for spring rolls and for fresh rice-paper rolls such as these.

The long noodles in this soup — representing longevity — are meant to be slurped up. In Chinese culture, cutting them would symbolize cutting one's life short. This recipe requires a whole chicken for its rich broth and makes double the quantity necessary. Reserve 1/2 cup stock for the Broccoli Spears in Garlic Sauce and freeze the remainder. After setting aside the breast meat for the soup, save the rest of the chicken for another dish. The reserved cilantro leaves can be used for the Steamed Striped Bass with Ginger and Scallions. Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 3 3/4 hr

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

Some cooks may prefer to substitute more readily available angel's-hair pasta for the rice noodles called for in this recipe.

(Stir-Fried Rice Noodles with Shrimp) Paad Thai, with its signature fettuccine-width rice noodles, is available in myriad variations throughout Thailand. In its country of origin the dish is often made with dried shrimp; for a milder flavor fresh shrimp is specified here.