Thai Chile

Nuoc Cham Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are excerpted from Mai Pham's book Pleasures of the Vietnamese Table. Pham also shared some helpful cooking tips exclusively with Epicurious, which we've added at the bottom of the page. This recipe originally accompanied Crispy Spring Rolls. Nuoc cham is a must at every Vietnamese table, no matter what is served. You can use this condiment for dipping meat, seafood and vegetables, and for drizzling on rice. When serving it with steamed meats (such as steamed chicken), I often reduce the water by half so the sauce is more concentrated. You can often determine a family's roots just by looking at and tasting their nuoc cham. If it's clear and dotted with chopped chilies, the cook is probably from the central or northern regions, where a simple and straightforward version is preferred. But if it's diluted with water and lime juice and sweetened with sugar, one can surmise that the cook is from the verdant south. Although it will keep up to two weeks in the refrigerator, nuoc cham is best when freshly made. I prefer the intense flavor of the tiny Thai bird chilies, but any hot chilies will do.

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.

Often served with summer rolls or grilled meats, this sauce is also great over rice.

There isn't a drop of alcohol in this dish — the name refers to how much you'll want to drink to combat the heat. We suggest a nice cold beer or sparkling wine.

Cheera Thoren As cheera is hard to come by, we substituted red Swiss chard. The Indian ingredients can be found at Indian markets and Kalustyan's (800-352-3451).

We found that 1 green chile was enough, but add more if you like things fiery.

The ginger sauce is a good staple to keep on hand in the fridge — it's excellent with any fish, whether grilled, pan-seared, or steamed. Serve rice on the side, if you like.

If you're craving an aromatic Chinatown-style noodle soup, this recipe is a quick fix — especially if you use a roast chicken from the supermarket deli. (For another variation, try using roast duck from a Chinese deli instead.) The chrysanthemum leaves are a beautiful match with the delicate broth redolent of star anise, but watercress can be substituted if you like.

Kia Ly Dickinson of Miami, Florida, writes: "This fragrant soup is so good you will be freaking out. It can be served hot or cold, with rice. The recipe is an ode to my homeland, Vietnam, and I'd like to share it with my new friends in America." This recipe calls for fresh lemon verbena, but you can substitute 1 stalk of fresh lemongrass if lemon verbena is unavailable. Both ingredients are sold at specialty produce markets, but lemongrass is also sold at Asian markets and some supermarkets, so it may be easier to find. If using lemongrass, discard 1 or 2 outer leaves, then thinly slice lower 6 inches of stalk. Finely chop, then sauté along with chiles and garlic.

This chutney requires a lot of herbs. If the bunches at your supermarket are small, buy two or three.

In Indonesia, the term sambal encompasses a wide range of condiments and side dishes. Our version gets its sweet and spicy flavor from pineapple and chiles. Active time: 35 min Start to finish: 50 min

This is a coleslaw-style salad — its sweet, spicy, and crunchy elements make it a terrific accompaniment to anything fried. Sichuan peppercorns, sometimes called fagara, can be found at many Asian markets (though they're technically banned from import because they come from a plant that is susceptible to citrus canker, a disease that devastates citrus orchards). There's no substitute for their flavor, but if you can't find them, the recipe works perfectly well without them.

In its traditional form, this classic Lao soup is made with noodles rolled out and cut to order for each bowl. It is still excellent made with dried rice noodles. You can substitute fish, chicken, or pork for the beef, but rice noodles are an essential ingredient. The Lao like a considerable amount of lime juice in their food—here a range is given so that you can flavor the soup to your taste.

Though you may associate bocconcini with the tiny mozzarella balls sold at Italian markets and cheese shops, the word simply means "little bites" (the veal in this stew is cut into bite-size pieces). When purchasing dried porcini, look for packages containing large, flat, recognizable slices of the mushroom. Active time: 35 min Start to finish: 1 3/4 hr

This versatile tomato sauce gets its name from the addition of chiles—arrabbiata is Italian for angry. It's great on pasta (especially linguine with clams), roasted meats, and fish.