Hoisin-Lacquered Ribs

When my husband and I started dating, he enjoyed meeting my mom for the first time. But when she made her Hoisin-Lacquered Ribs for him, he fell in love with her (I had secretly coaxed her into making his favorite food). Because this potential son-in-law showed so much enthusiasm for her food, she fell in love with him. That did it for me, too: One way to a Chinese woman's heart is to become infatuated with her mother's cooking. Anyway, I guarantee you'll fall in love with these fall-off-the-bone ribs prepared with a simple Chinese marinade of hoisin sauce, white wine, garlic, ketchup, sugar and salt. They are glistening, tender and completely addictive.

Serves 4 as part of a multi-course meal

Preparation time: 10 minutes plus marinating time

Cooking time: 60 minutes

2? to 3 lbs (1.25 to 1.5 kg) baby-back ribs

? cup (125 ml) ketchup

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons hoisin sauce, homemade or store-bought

1 tablespoon dry white wine

2 teaspoons salt

2 cloves garlic, minced

Trim fat and remove membrane from ribs, then place them in a shallow dish. Mix remaining ingredients together and pour over ribs, turning to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours, but no longer than 24 hours.

Heat oven to 400??F (200??C). Place ribs in a single layer on a rack in a roasting pan and brush with the marinade sauce. Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Turn ribs and brush with more sauce, then continue baking until done, about 30 minutes longer. (Reduce oven temperature to 375??F (190??C) for the last 30 minutes if ribs are thin.) Cut ribs apart and serve with hot mustard if desired.

Chinese-Style Parchment Fish

Wait a minute, Mr. Postman. These bundles of fish - topped with a classic Cantonese sauce of rice wine, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil and ginger - are baked to perfection in a paper package that, once opened, releases an intoxicating aroma. The fish inside is flaky, delicate and flavorful. None of your guests will want to return this dish to sender! When I swap out the regular soy sauce for tamari (a thicker, fermented soy sauce that contains no wheat), it's my girlfriend Jeannie Mai's favorite dish, because it's healthy, fresh and totally gluten-free.

Serves 4 as part of a multi-course meal

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 15 minutes

4 heads baby bok choy, sliced in half lengthwise

1 small red bell pepper, thinly sliced

Four 6-oz (175-g) halibut, orange roughy or red-snapper fillets

? teaspoon white pepper

2 green onions (scallions), cut into 1-in (2.5-cm) pieces

Zest from ? orange, cut into slivers

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon Chinese rice wine or sherry

1? teaspoons unseasoned rice vinegar

1? teaspoons dark sesame oil

2 teaspoons peeled and minced fresh ginger

? teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon white pepper

Preheat oven to 400??F (200??C).

Tear off four large squares of parchment paper and arrange on two sheet pans.

Distribute the bok choy, fiat side down, and bell pepper evenly among the squares.

Place one halibut fillet on top of the vegetables in each square, sprinkle with white pepper and top with the green onions and orange zest.

In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, rice wine, vinegar, sesame oil and ginger.

Spoon the mixture evenly over the fish fillets. Season with the salt and pepper.

Fold the parchment paper tightly around the edges in ?-inch (6-mm) folds to create a half-moon shape. Make sure you press as you crimp and fold to seal the packets well. Bake for 15 minutes.

Transfer each packet to a plate. Give each diner a knife to slit open their packet, and warn them to be careful of the steam that will escape. Serve immediately with steaming-hot rice.

Reprinted With Permission Of The Publisher