Asian

This dish was inspired by one of cookbook author Madhur Jaffrey’s lamb curries.

Five-spice powder is a pungent seasoning mix used widely in Chinese cooking. It is made of equal parts ground cloves, cinnamon, fennel seed, star anise, and Szechuan peppercorns. For a recipe, see page 650.

Both the ribs and the greens need to marinate overnight, so plan accordingly.

This recipe is a good way to use any leftover rice you might have; it can easily be doubled.

Similar greens—such as yow choy, also known as choy sum (which looks almost identical to bok choy but bears small yellow flowers), broccolini, or even regular broccoli—will work well in this dish if you can’t find Chinese broccoli. You can buy wide rice noodles at Asian grocery stores, or use the narrow rice noodles (often labeled “pad thai noodles”) that many supermarkets carry.

Thai chiles are small, fresh red or green chiles, and are very hot. For a milder flavor, remove the seeds. You can substitute 1 fresh serrano chile. The flavors of Southeast Asia were the inspiration for these lean burgers, which are wrapped, Vietnamese-style, in lettuce.

To julienne the vegetables, cut them into thin matchstick-size pieces using a sharp knife or a mandoline. Refrigerate them in an airtight container until ready to use, up to 3 hours.

This marinade may be made in advance and kept in the refrigerator for 2 days.

The broth left over from poaching chicken breasts makes a delicious soup base. Refrigerate it in an airtight container up to 3 days or freeze up to 2 weeks; bring to a boil before using.

This recipe makes more than you will need for the salad; serve extra sauce on the side so guests can help themselves. Unused sauce can be stored, covered, in the refrigerator up to 4 days.

Ground, toasted rice adds crunch and a slight nuttiness to this salad. Thai basil, available at gourmet and farmers’ markets, has a licorice flavor, but you can use regular basil instead.

In this nutritious salad, papaya, red bell pepper, and cabbage provide vitamins A and C, while carrots contribute large amounts of beta carotene. Cilantro and mint supply flavonoids, and peanuts add vitamin E and selenium, all potent antioxidants.