Southeast Asian

The best way to enjoy this Vietnamese delicacy is first to savor the sauce, shallots, and garlic tucked in and around the shells of the shrimp, then eat the succulent meat with steamed rice. Serve with ice-cold beer or a crisp Viognier or Pinot Gris.

Commonly served for breakfast in parts of Southeast Asia, this dish also makes a great dessert. Chinese black rice, sometimes called forbidden rice, works well, but if you live near a Southeast Asian market you can use this same method with the more traditional Thai black sticky rice. If you can't find any kind of black rice, substitute brown rice (not quick-cooking) — it will result in a thicker, light-colored pudding but will still be delicious.

Called banh mi in Vietnam, these delicious sandwiches are ubiquitous throughout the country and are usually eaten for breakfast. This version uses chicken instead of the traditional pork and pâté.

This quick dish has all the deep, exciting flavors of Southeast Asia. The curry paste already has lemongrass in it, so don't worry if you can't find fresh: It will still be delicious without it.

Great for a summer party, this recipe doubles easily, and most of the elements can be done ahead. "This dish exemplifies the lively and engaging nature of the Vietnamese table," says Mai Pham, "the ritual of wrapping meats in crisp lettuce with fresh herbs, then dipping them into a zesty sauce." Provide each person with a little bowl of sauce, as well as the usual plate to make assembly easier.

Known in Asia as Shaking Beef Salad, or bo luc lac, this Vietnamese classic is made by shaking — essentially searing — steak in a very hot pan. Jasmine rice or brown rice would be ideal alongside.

Nasi Kerabu
Make sure to buy the larger dried shrimp and select those that are bright pink or pink-orange (they brown and harden with age). Lesser grades of dried shrimp tend to be unpleasantly pungent. It's also important to use a fine-quality rice — what you can buy at most supermarkets will yield mediocre results.

The chicken and pickled vegetables are meant to be wrapped up in lettuce leaves and eaten with your hands.

The delicious sauce has the complex, aromatic flavors of a Thai curry, but is very easy to prepare, thanks to purchased curry paste (now sold in many supermarkets). Look for fresh or frozen kaffir lime leaves—whose beautiful fragrance is the signature of many Thai dishes—at Asian markets. If unavailable, don't use dried ones; substitute grated lime peel instead. Goes great with: Long-grain rice cooked with a few cardamom pods and grated lemon peel and sautéed spinach. What to drink: Spätlese Riesling or Oregon Pinot Noir.

This mackerel, which pairs well with the fennel endive salad , was inspired by our trips to Southeast Asia, where dishes are commonly served with whole sprigs of fresh herbs for diners to pull off the leaves and eat as desired. Incidentally, this means less chopping for the cook. Also, to save time, we minced the ginger and garlic in a mini food processor.

When my grandmother, Noi, came to America in 1975, banh trang—Vietnamese rice flour wrappers—weren't available, so the use of wheat wrappers from Singapore and China became widespread throughout the immigrant community. While it's easier to get banh trang these days, Noi still uses the wheat wrappers for this recipe.