Chow Fun - lemongrass sausage, pea vines, mint

Created by James Beard Best Chef-nominee Rachel Yang, who with her husband, Seif Chirchi, owns three restaurants in Seattle (Joule, Trove, and Revel) and one in Portland (Revelry). My Rice Bowl - Korean cooking outside the lines is a cookbook with recipes taken from her Korean upbringing, but then influenced by various cultures and cuisines that she's been exposed to from around the world. She has taken the food memories from her childhood in Korea and added the global flavors she loves, as well as the culinary influence from her previous restaurant work (Per Se, Alain Ducasse). This has resulted in a unique and authentic fusion of food. In My Rice Bowl, she thoughtfully combines different flavors together and results in making Korean flavors more accessible to everyone: “It’s all about how I kind of take my traditional Korean palate and knowledge and then how I make it my own here in America…We like to think of it as unexpected and delicious first, and Korean second (or maybe even further down the line).” In the cookbook you’ll find favorites like the restaurants’ kimchi recipe but, also dishes such as seaweed noodles with crab and crème fraîche, tahini-garlic grilled pork belly, fried cauliflower with miso bagna cauda, chipotle-spiked pad thai, Korean-taco pickles, and the ultimate Korean fried chicken (served with peanut brittle shards for extra crunch). This book exemplifies cross-cultural cooking at its most gratifying, such as this take on Chow Fun. From the lemongrass sausage to the pea vines to the fresh mint. It's sure to satisfy your stomach and dazzle your taste buds.From the author: "With their light texture, rice-based chow fun noodles (sometimes spelled shao fen) are a natural match for the springy, green flavor of home made lemongrass sausage. Tossed with a loose mint and cilantro pesto, baby peas, and pea vines, this Trove favorite is the antithesis of a heavy noodle dish. We top it with our version of togarashi, the traditionally Japanese spice mixture that we blend with dried orange zest, to add just a hint of heat.Look for the wide, flat chow fun noodles in the produce section or the refrigerated section of a large Asian grocery store. Although they're sometimes sold already cut into half-inch strips, look for the kind that are packaged uncut, so you can cut them yourself into slightly wider strips, if possible. (They're impossible to tear apart when cold. If you purchase them refrigerated, reheat them in the microwave for about ten seconds at a time, until the noodles are soft and pliable.)If you'd like to break up the work for this recipe, make the sausage, pesto, and togarashi up to a day before serving, and refrigerate the first two, covered, until ready to use. We always assemble each serving individually at the restaurant, but at home, it's easier to do in two big batches in a large wok, using half the serving ingredients for each batch."

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Bulgogi Beef Stir Fry

This Bulgogi Beef Stir Fry draws inspiration from the classic Korean dish. Bulgogi, meaning "fire meat," is a grilled dish that mellows heat with sweet to please just about any palate. Traditionally served alongside a range of pickled condiments for Korean BBQ, it translates well to the wok and is delicious on a bed of rice and stir fried vegetables.

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Curried Beef and Tendon with Turnip

We love the use of spice and combining of textures in this curry dish from fascinating Macau cookbook, The Adventures of Fat Rice by Abraham Conlon, Adrienne Lo, and Hugh Amano.From the Author: "In Macau “turnip” usually means daikon, or another large radish, so technically, there’s no turnip in the original version of this dish. At Fat Rice, we mostly follow tradition, but run with the turnip thing and garnish with crunchy raw turnips, radishes, and their greens. Don’t be scared to work with the tendons—they do require long cooking, but add great texture. Try grilling the rubbed beef; it adds a great smoky dimension."

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Bebinca de Rabano (XO Daikon Cake)

Cuisine from Macau is a delicious combination of influences from Chinese, Indian, Portuguese and Malaysian food. This recipe from The Adventures of Fat Rice may take a little work and ingredient hunting, but the spicy and crunchy result is well worth it. If you're a fan of turnip cake found on any dim sum cart, then you'll love this. From the Author: "Throughout the Portuguese-speaking world, bebinca basically describes something that has been steamed or baked to set. Also known as Bebinca de Nabo, turnip cake, white carrot cake, and chai tow kway, this dish isn’t really a cake per se, but more of a steamed loaf. Confusing as hell but absolutely delicious."

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“Portuguese” Barbecued Clams

We love this recipe from The Adventures of Fat Rice, a fabulous cookbook that delves into the vibrant food of Macau, which is a melting pot of Chinese, Portuguese, Malaysian and Indian food. With a sauce that can be prepared weeks ahead of time and stored until needed, this clam dish requires little more time than that necessary to obtain and clean the clams. Perfect for easy summer time dinners! From the Author: "This is our version of a plate of beautiful clams we found at the night market on Jonker Street in Malacca. They’re simply steamed with a fiery, garlicky, smoky, slightly sour sambal that finds its way inside to coat each briny, plump clam. Crisp, fresh cucumbers provide a refreshing contrast to the heat. Served steaming on banana leaves, the dish has a beautiful fragrance that transports us right back to Malacca. Serve alongside Coconut Rice (page 75) or Papo Seco (page 264), with beer or a nice clean white Portuguese wine."

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Grilled Chicken and Pineapple with Ayam Peanut Sauce

Ayam peanut chicken has been on my summer menu for years, and this updated version is the best one yet. Our Indonesian Ayam spice lends the peanut sauce a special flavor to peanut sauce that puts it over the top. The spicing is notable but not overpowering and paired with peanut and citrus makes a versatile sauce that complements grilled chicken and pineapple perfectly.Looking for more grill season recipes? Check out our recipes for Chimichurri Flank Steak or Tar Heel Sliders.

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Havanese Pork Loin (with White Rice)

Cuba is a vibrant, bold and colorful country that is full of life. Fascinated by its people and their endlessly delicious home-cooked cuisine, friends Dan Goldberg and Andrea Kuhn have been visiting this hypnotic country for the past five years. Dan, an award-winning photographer and Andrea, an acclaimed prop stylist and art director, along with renowned food writer Jody Eddy, bring the best of Cuban food to home kitchens. Trying any of these delicious dishes will make any meal a memorable one, especially if you make this Havanese Pork Loin.From the Author: "This recipe sounds complicated and luxurious but it's actually a breeze to prepare. It's one to keep in mind when you want to impress your guests without having to fret over a complicated recipe. Consider it the grown-up version of pork and beans, Cuban style, with a little Chinese influence thrown in for good measure. The secret is to keep spooning the marinade over the pork as it cooks, allowing it to absorb until it finally transforms into a sticky glaze--a "can't get enough of it" kind of finish."

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Szechuan Crisp Fried Wild Mushrooms

Coming out of such a vast country, authentic Chinese home cooking means different things to different people. This gorgeous Szechuan Crisp Fried Wild Mushrooms recipe from Phoenix Claws and Jade Trees by Kian Lam Kho, is just the thing to expand your understanding of Chinese Cooking. Included with this dish is a recipe for an addictive Szechuan Spiced Salt, which lends itself to endless creative possibilities.From the Author: "The batter used in this recipe is based on Japanese tempura batter. It is light and crisp while having the effect of bringing out the mushroom flavor. But the spicy and numbing flavor of the Szechuan spiced salt, made with dried red chile and Sichuan peppercorns, is all Chinese. This is a great vegetarian finger food for a party."

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Kung Pao Chicken

Many Americans would be surprised to learn that their favorite Chinese dishes are either not Chinese at all, or greatly altered from the original. One of our favorite Chinese cookbooks, Phoenix Claws and Jade Trees by Kian Lam Kho, helps cut through the confusion with dozens of authentic recipes of Chinese classics such as this traditional version of Kung Pao Chicken. It may not be the Kung Pao Chicken you are used to, but it will quickly become a new favorite.From the Author: "Kung Pao Chicken is one of those takeout dishes that is usually covered by a landslide of sickeningly sweet brown sauce. It would not be recognized by anyone arriving in the United States from China. Kung Pao Chicken is in fact a dry stir-fry dish. The spicy sauce should only lightly coat the chicken pieces, giving them enough flavor to delight the palate and provide subtle contrast to the crunchy peanuts."

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