Place chicken in a medium bowl. Stir in soy, sugar, and garlic. Cover and marinate in refrigerator for 2 to 3 hours. Bring to room temperature. Blend in corn starch with fingertips.

Prepare dipping sauce. In a saucepan, combine lemon juice, vinegar, soy, water, sugar, and garlic. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Add serrano; let cool. When ready to serve, place dipping sauce in 4 bowls.

Sprinkle with carrot.

Heat oil in wok. Add lemongrass. Sauté 1 minute. Add chicken and all but 1 tablespoon green onion. Cook and toss until chicken is browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Spoon onto one side of a platter.

Sprinkle with remaining green onions and peanuts.

Keep warm. Place spaghetti on other side. Arrange lettuce, bean sprouts, and mint on a separate platter.

To eat, tear off a portion of lettuce. Add some chicken, bean sprouts, and mint. Roll up and dip in sauce. Eat with spaghetti, or wrap spaghetti in the lettuce with the chicken. Makes 4 servings.

In saucepan, combine water and sugar. Bring to a boil; simmer 5 minutes. Cool. Combine syrup with soy sauce, vinegar, and paprika. Set aside. Heat oil in wok; add garlic, and sauté until golden.

Over high heat, stir-fry chicken until almost done, about 2 minutes. Push up one side of wok. Add egg and scramble, then mix with chicken. Add noodles, tofu, and reserved soy sauce mixture. Stir-fry over high heat 2 to 3 minutes, until noodles are soft and some liquid is absorbed. Add green onions and half the bean sprouts. Stir-fry 1 minute. Top with remaining bean sprouts and peanuts. Makes 4 servings.

Arrange meat, vegetables, spaghetti, and tofu attractively on large platter. Combine soy, wine, water, and sugar, stirring to dissolve sugar. Pour sauce into small pitcher. Heat sukiyaki pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to coat pan. Add half the ingredients, keeping each separate, starting with beef.

Cook until no longer pink.

Sauté onions lightly. Add mushrooms and jicama. Pour half the sauce into pan. Cook over medium-low heat. Then add spinach and watercress, pushing them down into liquid, turning often. Add spaghetti and tofu. Heat through.

Repeat. Serve with hot cooked rice. Makes 4 servings.

NOTE: Partially freeze meat for easy slicing.

In medium bowl, cover potatoes and carrot with cold water. Heat oil in wok over moderately high heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté until tender. Add chicken and stir-fry until no longer pink. Drain potatoes and carrot; add to wok with jicama and chayote.

Add water, half the soy, salt, and pepper. Cover and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Stir in green beans and cabbage. Cover and cook until tender, about 3 to 5 minutes. Cool slightly.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine water, brown sugar, remaining soy, corn starch, and garlic. Bring to a boil. Cook and stir until slightly thickened. Pour into a serving bowl; cool to room temperature. For each lumpia, place a lettuce leaf on a wrapper parallel to bottom edge. Let lettuce extend slightly beyond one side. Drain liquid from filling. Place about 1/3 cup on lettuce. Fold one side of wrapper over lettuce and filling. Fold up bottom. Leave side with lettuce open at top. Roll up. Arrange on a platter; cover with plastic wrap to prevent drying.

Serve at room temperature. To eat, spoon sauce into open end. Makes 12.

Cut flank steak across the grain thinly. In bowl, combine 1 tablespoon soy, sherry, sugar, and pepper. Marinate beef for 10 minutes. Mix in corn starch. Cut vegetables; arrange on plate.

In wok, heat 1 tablespoon oil. Add onion and celery. Stir-fry for 1 minute. Remove to a platter. Heat 1 tablespoon oil. Add tomato; stir-fry briefly to heat through. Remove. Heat 1 tablespoon oil. Add garlic and ginger; stir-fry briefly. Add beef, in two batches. Stir-fry until meat loses red color. Return vegetables and meat to pan. Add broth combined with remaining soy and catsup. Add corn starch mixed with water. Cook and stir until thickened. Serve hot with rice. Makes 4 servings.

In a bowl, combine turkey with 1 tablespoon soy, 1 teaspoon sherry, and corn starch, mixing well. Marinate 20 minutes. Beat eggs with water. In wok, heat a little oil; add eggs and scramble lightly, until barely set.

Break into small pieces; set aside.

Wipe out wok. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in the wok. Add mushrooms and stir-fry 1 minute. Remove and set aside.

Add remaining oil. Add turkey, and stir-fry until no longer pink. Stir in green onion, garlic, ginger, and broth. Cover. Cook 2 minutes. Add jicama, remaining sherry, soy, sugar, and vinegar.

Cook over high heat until sauce is reduced, if thin. Scatter in egg and mushrooms. Heat through. To serve, place a Mandarin Pancake on plate (recipe follows). Spoon on filling. Roll, folding up the end. Makes 4 servings.

Place flour in a bowl. Add boiling water; mix well. Add cold water; mix well. Knead until smooth. Divide into 24 pieces. Roll each into 3-inch circle. Coat half of them well with oil, especially the edges. Place a dry circle over an oiled circle.

Press together. Roll into 6-inch pancake. Heat a small skillet; rub with an oiled paper towel. Fry each pancake over medium heat until small golden bubbles appear on bottom, 1 to 2 minutes.

Turn and fry other side for 1 minute. Do not over-fry. Remove to serving plate. Split pancakes. Fold into fourths and cover with a cloth. Serve at once. Makes 24.

In a bowl, marinate lamb with soy, sherry, and half the green onions for 20 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon corn starch; mix well. Steam eggplant 5 to 7 minutes, until softened. Drain. In wok over high heat, heat 1 tablespoon oil. Add half the eggplant.

Stir-fry. Remove from wok. Repeat with remaining eggplant. In 1 tablespoon hot oil, stir-fry garlic, ginger, and remaining green onions briefly, until aromatic. Add lamb. Stir-fry until browned. Return eggplant to wok. Combine and add broth, vinegar, soy, hot pepper, and sugar.

Cook and stir until blended. Add remaining corn starch, blended with water. Cook and stir until thickened. Serve with rice. Makes 4 servings.

Cut flank steak into thin strips, 1-1/2 inches long. Marinate in 2 tablespoons soy and 2 teaspoons sugar for 10 minutes. Add egg and flour. Mix with fingers. In small bowl, combine remaining soy, sugar, catsup and orange juice.

In wok, heat oil to 400°. Slide beef, piece by piece, into hot oil. Fry in small batches until brown and crisp. Drain on paper towels.

Pour off oil and wipe out wok. Return 2 tablespoons oil to wok. Stir-fry chiles and orange peel until darkened. Add garlic and stir-fry briefly. Add green onions and stir fry briefly. Add orange juice mixture. Bring to a boil. Combine and add corn starch and water. Cook and stir until clear and thickened. Return beef to wok. Cook and stir until heated through. Remove chiles. Serve with rice. Makes 4 servings.

In wok or saucepan, heat oil and curry paste on high heat until curry paste bubbles. Add potatoes, coconut milk, soy, brown sugar, and food coloring. Stir well. Bring to a simmer. Cook 20 minutes, until potatoes are almost tender. Add chicken; cook 7 minutes longer, until chicken is cooked through and potatoes are tender. Serve with rice. Sprinkle with cilantro. Makes 3 servings.

Coconut Milk: In a saucepan, simmer 1 cup water and 1 cup unsweetened dried coconut, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Strain, pressing coconut solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Reserve liquid.

In food processor, combine ingredients. Puree until smooth. Place in glass jar, cover, and refrigerate. Keeps several months.

Bean sprouts - Available canned and fresh. Cooked lightly, these add crunch to a dish.

Bok choy - A tender-crisp mild vegetable with snow-white stalks and wide, dark green leaves.

Chinese cabbage - Also called napa cabbage. Mild, celery-like stalks with crinkled pale green leaves.

Cilantro - Pungent, aromatic green herb.

Dried mushrooms - Store in covered jar in a cool dry place. Reconstitute in hot water for 30 minutes. Cut off stems and squeeze out water after soaking.

Dried red pepper - Thin, finger-length scarlet chile peppers give heat to Szechwan dishes. Seeds especially spicy. Pepper keeps indefinitely in airtight jar.

Gingerroot - Fresh, light brown root adds zippy flavor. Grate, slice, or chop to use. Unpeeled ginger keeps well in vegetable bin. Or slice and cover with sherry to store in refrigerator or freezer.

Lemongrass - Has distinctive lemony flavor. Lower part of the stalk is crushed and chopped. Grated lemon zest is a substitute.

Rice vinegar - Mild, low-acid vinegar. White or cider vinegar may be substituted.

Sesame seed - Toasting brings out sweet, nutlike flavor.

Soy sauce - Dark, savory, salty. Strength varies by brand.

Tofu - Soybean curd comes in a variety of forms, from soft to firm. Store in refrigerator in water that’s changed daily, up to 5 days.