808 root recipes

Salt-smothered chicken buried in a bed of red-hot rock salt with ginger, tangerine peel, and Szechuan peppercorn marinade sealed in the cavity. An ancient Cantonese technique that steams the bird to silken tenderness.

Thai-inspired mollusk pan roast with shrimp, mussels, and clams in a coconut milk-lemongrass broth with ginger, chilies, and white wine. Oven-finished in a Dutch oven.

Thai-inspired spicy seafood soup with shrimp, mussels, lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime, and fish sauce. A fragrant, fiery broth in the tom yum tradition.

Asian-style green salad with napa cabbage, bean sprouts, bamboo shoots, and broccoli in a soy-ginger-rice vinegar dressing. A crunchy, low-fat vegetarian side that comes together in 20 minutes with no cooking.

Cold or warm noodles tossed in a Chinese tahini sauce with sesame oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar, chili paste, and fresh ginger. Nutty, spicy, and ready fast.

Pork tenderloin marinated 24 hours in bourbon, honey, fresh ginger, and sage, then smoke-roasted over fruitwood coals. Sticky, smoky, and fork-tender.

Crispy golden tofu stir-fried with broccoli, Chinese mushrooms, and ginger in a savory hoisin-chili sauce. A hearty vegetarian Chinese dish ready in about an hour.

Asian-inspired ginger beef pizza with marinated sirloin slivers, fresh ginger, garlic, dry sherry, and chili sauce on a prebaked shell. Topped with scallions and red peppers.

A buttery ginger pound cake baked in a ring mold, splashed with rum, and crowned with a garland of poached pears, candied orange peel, and grapes glazed in apple jelly. A showpiece holiday dessert.

Lemon ginger beef stir-fry with flank steak, green beans, carrots, mushrooms, and a glossy sauce of fresh ginger, lemon juice, honey, and sherry. Bright, savory, and ready in an hour.

Stir-fried crabs with ginger and green onions in a classic Cantonese wok preparation. Fresh crab cooked fast over high heat with garlic, rice wine, and soy sauce.

Fettuccine with shrimp and scallions in a ginger-chili-soy sauce spiked with pecans and sesame oil. A 25-minute Asian-Italian fusion pasta.

South Indian-style aloo baingan: potatoes and eggplant simmered with a fresh ginger-coconut-chili paste, mustard seeds, asafetida, and toasted spices in ghee. A vegetarian curry full of layered aromatics.

Chinese BBQ pork lo mein stir-fried with bok choy, bean sprouts, ginger, and a savory sauce of oyster sauce, dark soy, and sesame oil. A takeout-style noodle dish ready in 35 minutes.

Spiced Indian potato and pea curry with cumin, mustard seeds, and fresh coriander. A warming vegetarian stew ready in 30 minutes using pantry staples.

Cold green vegetable soup with poached fish. Source: Olga Gorechev, St. Petersburg, Russia