Ginger

Creamy fresh cheese meets spinach in this Indian classic.

Assemble these four hours ahead, and rewarm them 20 minutes before serving.

Complement the entrée—and the Chinese theme—with rice, stir-fried snow peas, then pineapple sherbet topped with coconut.

Fresh pumpkin or squash puree is always delicious but not nearly as handy as canned pumpkin.

Offer either brown or white rice and Asian beer, like Tsingtao. The chicken is especially tender because of the egg white and cornstarch coating.

Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 20 min

The vitamin C used in this recipe prevents the apple juice from browning.

Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 2 hr

Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 25 min

In Indian cooking, tikka refers to chunks of meat cooked on skewers.

This lively salad is from Jorge Navarro, the chef-owner of Café Navarro, a cozy, Caribbean-style spot in Eugene, Oregon.

From the Williamsburg Inn's Regency Room.

This is the most often requested recipe in my repertoire, and I've passed it on to many, many people. It appears so often on Bay Area menus (sometimes called Dave's ginger cake, which, I admit, amuses and flatters me) that I sometimes think I'm responsible for too much of a good thing. Then I order it, taste it, and decide not to worry: This simple cake is wonderful.

After making this flavorful dressing in the processor, we give it a whirl in the blender for the smoothest texture. Crisp iceberg lettuce stands up best to this thick dressing. Active time: 10 min Start to finish: 15 min

Savor raw oysters served with three spicy, slightly sweet, and fiery salsas.