Chinese Long Bean

Delicate scallops need only a brief marinade before a short stint on the grill, meaning you can have this summery slam dunk on the table in 35 minutes.

Thai papaya salad is an ideal summer side dish and packs up well if you want to take it with you.

Grilled cheese? Yes, please. But not that kind. We’re talking creamy-charred paneer with grilled green beans—a perfect vegetarian side for your next cookout.

You can find long beans, the Rapunzel of green beans, at Asian markets.

Find long beans at Asian or specialty grocers.

This salad from Street in Los Angeles is inspired by Vietnamese green papaya salad.

Sinigang is adobo’s close contender for the title of National Dish of the Philippines. Like many Filipino dishes, this soup is bold in taste: sour, salty, slightly sweet, spicy, and umami.

If the ingredient list didn’t tip you off, the seven-hour cooking time makes it official: This recipe is a project that you make for people you love. They’ll be thankful.

This curry is doubly rich from the coconut milk and the deep red curry, but the pineapple keeps it from being too heavy and gives a beautiful freshness to the dish. I like to cook the lobster in the shell because it makes for a more flavorful sauce, and I like to serve it that way too. You can be as refined as you like or, like me, pick up the shell and make an animal of yourself. If lobster is going to blow the budget, you can still have a delicious curry by substituting shrimp or monkfish.

Some varieties of noodles suggest soaking them in boiling water instead of cooking them; check your package instructions before preparing them.

This is a warm salad, combining a wide range of textures and flavors, great as a light lunch or a starter for any Asian meal. Although you can buy packaged fried tofu at many Asian markets—and that is undeniably convenient—it is much better homemade. Just be sure to remove as much of the water as you can, by firmly pressing the tofu between paper towels as detailed on page 491. For information on shrimp paste, see page 9; for information on nam pla, see page 500.

This fiery, strong northern Thai specialty (if it’s made correctly, you will really reek after eating it, but it’s worth it) has become one of the most popular dishes in Thailand and at Thai restaurants in the States. When I was in Bangkok, I could not walk down the streets or through the markets without at least a dozen offers of Som Tum from the vendors, and it was hard not to stop for a little dish with some grilled meat and sticky rice. You can usually find green, or unripe, papayas and yard-long beans (and the Thai fish sauce called nam pla) at Asian or Latin groceries, but you can also substitute Granny Smith apples for the papaya and Napa cabbage for the beans.

If using dried shrimp, grind to a powder in an electric coffee/spice grinder or use mortar and pestle. Seasoning paste can be made ahead and chilled, covered, up to 1 week or frozen 1 month.

Bahmi goreng You'll be hard-pressed to refuse seconds of this irresistible stir-fry. Tender Chinese egg noodles, crisp green snow peas, and Chinese long beans mingle with plenty of rich, garlicky sauce. Cubes of tofu and shredded omelet add even more texture.

This noodle salad, studded with slices of sweet mango and crisp cucumber, is a cooling oasis in the midst of a meal packed with rich, spicy dishes. The glazed roast pork gives the salad added dimension, but could also be served on its own.

Pa-O Long Beans Finding long beans is worth the effort — the high heat of the wok is just too much for green beans, which aren't as hearty.

Pae Thee Thoke Chinese long beans, also known as yard-long beans, really are long — about 18 inches.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Pla Phad Phrik Khing The pummelo salad makes a nice first course with this dish.