Chinese

Steve Katz of Potomac, Maryland, writes: "I would like to share a recipe for the most finger-licking baby back ribs you'll ever cook on your stovetop. The secret ingredient is Lapsang souchong tea, used in the braising liquid to give the ribs a smoky flavor. Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 2 1/4 hr

The combination of salty, sweet, crunchy, and smooth gives these confections a special place in my heart. That, added to the fact that they made an appearance at every bridge and mahjongg game my mother ever hosted, elevates their status to serious nostalgia food. You can find cans of Chinese chow-mein noodles in the Asian food section of the supermarket. The ones you want are cooked and ready to eat like crackers.

This three-in-one dish (chicken, rice, and soup) originated in Hainan, a tropical island off China's southern coast, and has become a culinary staple in Malaysian culture.

You might want to begin by baking one cookie to get the hang of folding before trying two at a time. Active time: 1 hr Start to finish: 1 hr

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

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

The two-pronged cooking method used for these wings —incorporating both braising and deep-frying — is a takeoff on the Chinese technique of steaming, then frying. We think it keeps the meat unbelievably tender while getting the skin supercrispy. Be sure to allow 2 hours for the wings to marinate.

Chinese chestnuts are quite common in the cuisine of northern China; they also appear in the food of Shanghai. These sweet meats, which are smaller than their European cousins, are used in many braised dishes and casseroles. Active time: 35 min Start to finish: 1 hr

In classic Chinese cooking, noodles destined for soup are cooked separately and added at the last minute so that the starch from the pasta doesn't cloud the broth. Because we were aiming for a rib-sticking dish, we broke with tradition and cooked the noodles right in the stock, allowing the starch to thicken the soup slightly.

Canned red bean paste is an acceptable product, but the homemade kind is obviously much tastier. In Chinese markets, you'll find small, plump dried red beans called _hoong dul,_not to be confused with adzuki beans, _zeck siu dul,_also small red beans that are oblong in shape. This recipe makes about 1 1/2 cups of red bean paste, just enough filling for Sesame Balls. Use regular brown sugar for this recipe.

This is the delicious savory cake served in dim sum houses throughout the year and, most auspiciously, on New Year's Day as a symbol of prosperity and rising fortunes. Turnip cake is made with Chinese turnip, law bock, which is a type of daikon radish. There is also a daikon radish called Japanese daikon radish, which is similar to the Chinese turnip in appearance. To make matters more confusing, law bock, translated into English, means turnip. Some produce vendors do not realize there is a distinction, but the Chinese turnip is more blemished looking than the Japanese daikon, which has a creamier white color. Although Chinese turnip is best for this recipe, whichever one you use, choose a firm heavy vegetable. The turnip should ideally be 8 to 12 inches long and about 4 inches wide. Some people remove only the rind of the Chinese bacon and finely chop the whole piece, using all the fat. But I find this too rich, so I discard the layer of fat under the rind. In recipes that call for Chinese bacon to be sliced, all that is required is a sturdy cook's knife or cleaver. However, when the bacon needs to be finely chopped, as in this recipe, the bacon should be steamed first to make it easier. Make sure to use rice flour and not glutinous rice flour. I've never met anyone who served the entire cake at once. During the first ten days of the New Year's celebration a few slices of all the different New Year's cakes are fried every morning for breakfast or when friends or family stop by. The cake will keep nicely in the refrigerator for ten days if wrapped in plastic wrap.

A vegetarian takeoff on the classic Chinese minced squab dish. Chopped raw vegetables, not fried noodles, add crunch.

A little pork goes a long way in this Chinese dinner. Chicken breast can be used as a substitute for the pork. Chinese crepes are available frozen in most Asian markets, but easy-to-find tortillas work, too.

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.

The intense flavors come from the marinade, which caramelizes on the chicken as it is deep-fried in foil packets. Jee bow gai, the name of the dish in China, is a house specialty at Yank Sing in San Francisco. Have your butcher split the thighs in half for you.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.