Stir-Fry

Because of its solid, chewy texture, tempeh (which is made from soybeans and grains) is a good meat substitute.

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.

Serve with: Jasmine rice and a cucumber, red bell pepper, and sweet onion salad with rice wine dressing.

By cooking the rice and toasting the walnuts ahead, you can take this dish from skillet to table in a very short time.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Begin with cups of chicken broth simmered briefly with slivers of lemongrass and accented with a dash of chili oil. Complement the stir-fry with rice pilaf. End with sliced mango and pineapple topped with green tea ice cream and toasted coconut.

Beefy shiitake mushrooms stand in for the standard ground pork in this version of ma po tofu. What to drink: The bit of heat here calls for a spicy white wine with ripe fruit and crisp acidity, such as a Riesling from Alsace or Germany's Rheingau.

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

This dish takes just minutes to prepare, so steam some rice ahead of time. A salad of sliced radishes and sweet onions drizzled with a light vinaigrette rounds things out. For dessert, try vanilla frozen yogurt topped with sugared strawberries.

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.

There's no alternative to Chinese sausage—it's slightly sweet and very flavorful.

Serve with: Spinach salad topped with toasted almonds, and sesame breadsticks.