Lemongrass

Nhi Mundy dusted off her family's best old recipes when she moved to upstate New York and opened Ba & Me. The lemongrass pork that tops her noodle bowl is a secret family recipe, but we think this flavorful variation is just as delicious.

Mai My Lin, one of the chefs Marcia Kiesel met at the Nha Trang night market, prepares an aromatic and pungent marinade for grilled pork with two quintessential Vietnamese ingredients--lemongrass and fish sauce. The real surprise here is Mai's zesty Carrot and Daikon Pickles, which are amazing with the smoky grilled meat.

Though chef Hans Rockenwagner makes homemade mayonnaise for this recipe; you can substitute 1 1/4 cups of jarred mayonnaise blended with 1 tablespoon of minced lemongrass, from the tender white bulb, and 1 teaspoon of finely grated ginger; let sit for 30 minutes.

Thai cooks love tilapia for its versatility. "You can steam it, fry it or grill it," Andy Ricker says about this mild white fish. At Pok Pok, he stuffs whole fish with lemongrass, encases it in a salt crust, and cooks it over a charcoal fire. Be sure the heat stays relatively low, or the crust will burn before the fish is ready to emerge, moist and fragrant.

Rucker gives Thai lemongrass chicken soup a French makeover with white wine, sweet potatoes and heavy cream. The result is a rich, warming stew of super-tender chicken thighs.

The bar at this Caribbean-Mexican restaurant is backed by an enormous blacklit aquarium filled with brightly colored tropical fish.

You can use gyoza wrappers instead of making dumpling dough.

This spicy lemongrass paste is also wonderful rubbed on pork tenderloin or any firm, white-fleshed fish, such as snapper, sea bass or halibut.

Pings (simple grilled dishes), like these juicy grilled chicken breasts, are very popular all over Laos. Bruising the lemongrass is an essential step that helps release its flavor into the marinade, which can also be used for fish or pork.

F&W's Grace Parisi makes this soda with iSi's new Twist 'n Sparkle soda maker, which carbonates beverages in less than 30 seconds. $50; williams-sonoma.com.

Top Chef winner Harold Dieterle's feel-good Thai coconut soup is flavored with chiles, ginger and lemongrass, and garnished with plenty of shrimp.