Side

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from Simple Chinese Cooking by Kylie Kwong. Because pork is rather rich, I like to add a touch of hoisin sauce—the pork can stand up to it. The malt vinegar balances out the flavors, cutting through the richness and sweetness.

The broccoli gives bright flavor and color to this easy vegetarian pasta dish.

Pea tendrils or shoots are available at Asian markets. Or substitute baby bok choy cut into thin strips.

Serve as a side dish for roast chicken.

This recipe originally accompanied shrimp and scallop posole .

Bagged salad mix gets dressed up with a tangy lime dressing, spicy serrano chile, and crunchy pepitas.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from The Essence of Chocolate: Recipes for Baking and Cooking with Fine Chocolate by John Scharffenberger and Robert Steinberg. _ Contributed by Arnon Oren. Café Cacao, the restaurant in our factory, surprises some visitors. Many expect a coffee bar that serves nothing but chocolate cake and cookies. While we do serve many kinds of desserts, Berkeley residents come more for the savory foods made with cacao nibs. Arnon Oren, our first executive chef, created this fresh, memorable dish. Combining roasted squash with pancetta and crunch cacao nibs brings out the depth and sweetness of the squash, making it taste almost creamy. Prosciutto or any salty cured meat works well in this recipe. _

A V-slicer— sold at some supermarkets and most cookware stores—makes quick work of slicing the potatoes very thinly. Serve these alongside Martinis.

This fresh and sophisticated dish would be a delicious vegetarian entrée for two—just add rice. Look for curry paste and coconut milk in the Asian foods section of the supermarket.

Mac and cheese goes southwestern with corn chips and salsa verde.

This recipe uses dried chickpeas, which must be soaked at least 8 hours or overnight. Depending on their age, chickpeas can take more or less time to soften during cooking, so use the cooking time as a guideline, not a rule. Check the chickpeas occasionally — if they seem too dry, add additional water in 1/4 cup increments.

In the islands, black-eyed peas are known as black-eyed beans.

Look for malanga at Latin markets or online at melissas.com.

This slightly sweet mash tastes great with roast pork or lamb.