Put rice in a 3- to 4-quart heavy saucepan and, using your fingers as a rake, rinse under cold running water. Drain rice in a colander. In pan bring water (4 cups for white rice and 5 cups for brown) to a boil with rice. Simmer rice, covered, over moderately low to low heat until steam holes appear on surface and water is absorbed, about 16 minutes for white rice and 35 to 40 minutes for brown...

Cover rice with cold water by 1 inch in a large bowl and soak at least 2 hours. Drain in a sieve and rinse well under cold running water. Soak mushrooms in warm water 30 minutes, then drain, squeezing excess liquid back into bowl, and discard liquid. Rinse mushrooms to remove any grit, then discard stems and coarsely chop caps. 3Quarter sausages lengthwise and cut into 1/2-inch pieces. Heat a wok over high heat until just smoking...

Stir together flour and 1/2 cup lukewarm water in a bowl until a dough forms. Knead on a lightly floured surface until just smooth, 1 to 2 minutes, then wrap tightly in plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature at least 10 minutes. While dough stands, halve ginger, then finely chop 1 half and cut remaining half into very thin matchsticks (less than 1/8 inch thick). Combine 5 tablespoons soy sauce with ginger matchsticks in a small bowl...

Soak shiitakes in boiling-hot water in a bowl until softened, about 30 minutes. Cut out and discard stems, then squeeze excess liquid from caps and discard soaking liquid. Hack each chicken thigh crosswise through bone into thirds with cleaver. Stir together soy sauce, rice wine, cornstarch, sesame oil, and salt in a large bowl until smooth, then add chicken, mushroom caps, scallions, and ginger and toss well to coat...

Heat oil in wok over high heat until hot but not smoking, then stir-fry garlic until pale golden, 10 to 15 seconds. Add broccoli and stock and stir-fry 2 minutes. Add bean sauce, oyster sauce, and sugar and stir-fry until broccoli is crisp-tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Cooks' note:Broccoli can be trimmed and cut 6 hours ahead and chilled in a sealed plastic bag...

Make chile sauce: Stir together sauce ingredients in a bowl until just combined. Chill, covered. Make spring rolls: Stir together shrimp, cilantro, and salt. Put 1 spring roll wrapper on a work surface with a corner nearest you, keeping remaining wrappers covered with plastic wrap. Spread 1/2 cup shrimp mixture across wrapper, 3 inches from bottom corner, to form a 4-inch log, leaving a 1 1/4-inch border at each end...

Rinse chicken inside and out and pat dry. Combine remaining ingredients in a 4- to 6-quart heavy pot and bring to a boil. Add chicken, breast side down, and reduce heat to a simmer. (Chicken may not be completely covered with liquid.) Cook, covered, 15 minutes. Turn off heat and let chicken stand, covered, 30 minutes. Turn chicken over, then cover and let stand 15 minutes more. (Chicken will be cooked through...

Rinse beans and soak in warm water to cover, changing water once halfway through soaking, 30 minutes total. Drain beans and finely chop, then stir together with garlic, ginger, and onion in a small bowl. Pour boiling water over tea bags and brew 5 minutes (discard bags)...

Make sauce: Cover dried shrimp with boiling-hot water in a small bowl and soak 1 hour. Bring 1 cup water to a boil in a 1-quart heavy saucepan and add dried scallops (scallops should be completely submerged). Remove from heat and soak 15 minutes. Return pan to heat and simmer over low heat until scallops are soft and pale, about 15 minutes, then remove from heat and cool in cooking liquid...

Cut pork along the grain into long strips 1 1/2 to 2 inches wide. Remove and discard any sinew but do not trim fat. Transfer pork to a large sealable plastic bag. Stir together remaining ingredients in a small bowl until well combined. Add to pork and turn pork to coat, then squeeze bag to eliminate as much air as possible and seal. Marinate pork, refrigerated, for at least 4 hours. Put a rack in lower third of oven and preheat oven to 375F...

Make broth: Simmer pork ribs, chicken, scallions, ginger, and water in a 6- to 8-quart tall narrow stockpot, uncovered, until meat is very tender and falling apart, 4 1/2 to 5 hours. Pour broth through a sieve into a large bowl and discard solids. Cool broth, uncovered, then chill, covered, at least 1 1/2 hours...

Stir together sugar, soy sauce, ketchup, Sherry, and salt in a bowl until sugar is dissolved. Pour marinade into a roasting pan, then add garlic, ginger, and ribs, turning ribs to coat with marinade. Marinate, covered and chilled, turning occasionally, at least 3 hours. Preheat oven to 325F. Line bottom of a broiler pan with foil, then arrange ribs, rounded sides up, on broiler rack, reserving marinade for basting (discard garlic and ginger)...

Place mushrooms in large bowl. Pour 3 cups boiling water over; let soak until mushrooms soften, at least 25 minutes and up to 4 hours. Drain. Cut off stems and discard; finely chop caps. Dissolve cornstarch in 2 tablespoons vegetable broth in 2-cup measuring cup. Stir in remaining broth, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, and salt. Heat oil in heavy large wok or nonstick skillet over high heat until very hot...

Cook broccoli: Cut broccoli stems diagonally into 1-inch pieces and coarsely chop leaves. Cook stems in a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, about4 minutes. Stir in leaves and cook 1 minute. Drain in a colander, then rinse under cold water to stop cooking. Do not squeeze out excess water. Cook polenta: Bring water with salt to a boil in a 3-quart heavy saucepan, then add polenta in a thin stream, whisking constantly...

Make soup: Wash leek well in a bowl of cold water, then lift out and drain well. Peel and chop potato. Cook shallot in butter and oil in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add leek and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add celery and potato and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Add wine and boil 1 minute. Add broth and simmer, covered, until celery is very tender, about 1 hour...

Stir together water, soy sauce, wine, rock sugar, white parts of scallions, ginger, garlic, cilantro stems, zest strips, and star anise in a deep 6- to 8-quart heavy pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes. Add pork, then cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer gently, turning pork over every 30 minutes, until very tender, 4 to 4 1/2 hours...

Cook rice with its flavoring packet according to package directions. Heat sesame oil in heavy large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add vegetables, shrimp, ginger, and garlic. Stir-fry until vegetables are crisp-tender and shrimp are just opaque in center, about 4 minutes. Add cooked rice and hoisin sauce to skillet. Stir to blend. Season to taste with salt and pepper...

Place mushrooms in medium bowl; add enough boiling water to cover. Let stand until mushrooms soften, about 45 minutes. Drain mushrooms. Cut off stems and discard; thinly slice caps. Heat peanut oil in heavy large wok or nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add cabbage, ginger, garlic, and mushrooms. Stir-fry until cabbage wilts, about 2 minutes. Add 2-inch green onion pieces; toss until green tops begin to wilt, about 30 seconds...

1. In a medium saucepan bring the 6 cups chicken broth to boiling. Meanwhile, trim fat from pork. Cut pork into 1/2-inch cubes. 2. In a large saucepan cook pork, onion, garlic, and ginger in hot oil until pork is brown. 3. Add hot chicken broth. Bring to boiling. Stir in tomato and carrot. Return to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. 4...

1. Cut chicken into 3/4-inch pieces. Coarsely chop the pea pods. For sauce, in a small bowl stir together the soy sauce, rice vinegar or white vinegar, chili oil, and crushed red pepper. Set aside. 2. In a large saucepan cook noodles in boiling lightly salted water for 4 to 6 minutes or until tender. Drain. Set aside. 3. Pour cooking oil into a wok or large skillet. (Add more oil as necessary during cooking...

1. Thaw shrimp, if frozen. Cut shrimp in half lengthwise. Set aside. 2. For sauce, in a small bowl stir together water, soy sauce, and cornstarch. Set aside. 3. Pour cooking oil into a wok or 12-inch skillet. (Add more oil as necessary during cooking.) Preheat over medium-high heat. Stir-fry celery and chopped onion in hot oil for 2 minutes...

1. In a small bowl cover mushrooms with warm water. Let soak for 30 minutes. Rinse well and squeeze to drain thoroughly. Thinly slice mushroom caps. Discard stems. Set sliced caps aside. 2. Meanwhile cut chicken into thin bite-size strips. In a medium bowl stir together green onions, lemon grass or lemon peel, salt, and pepper. Stir in chicken. Let stand for 15 minutes. 3...

1. For dressing, in blender container or food processor bowl combine water, vinegar, tahini, soy sauce, sugar, beni shoga or ginger, garlic, and pepper. Cover and blend or process until smooth. Set aside. 2. In a large salad bowl toss together cabbage or lettuce, chicken or turkey, carrots, pea pods, cucumber, sweet pepper, and onions. Remove seasoning mix from ramen noodle package; save for another use...

1. Cook fettuccine according to package directions; drain. Rinse with cold water; drain again. Transfer fettuccine to a very large bowl. Stir in chicken, celery, green onions, and cilantro. Pour dressing over all; toss to coat well. Cover and chill for 4 to 24 hours. Just before serving, sprinkle with sesame seeds...