In a 5- to 6-quart pan over high heat, bring about 3 quarts water and 1 teaspoon salt to a boil. Add 2 pounds frozen soybeans in pods and cook until beans inside pods are tender to bite (break a pod open to test), about 5 minutes. Drain and sprinkle with additional salt to taste. Serve warm or cover and chill up to 4 hours.

1. Rinse 3 to 4 pounds of any combination of the following: boned, skinned salmon; albacore tuna fillet; boned, skinned chicken breast halves; peeled, deveined shrimp (20 to 30 per pound); and/or sea scallops (about 1 in. wide). Pat dry.

2. Cut salmon or albacore against the grain into 1/2-inch-wide strips. Cut chicken lengthwise into 1-inch-wide, 1/2-inch-thick strips. Use a small sharp knife to butterfly shrimp: cut lengthwise along back of shrimp, stopping before you cut all the way through, then spread apart to flatten.

3. Thread one strip of fish or chicken, two scallops, or one shrimp onto each soaked 12-inch wood skewer. Brush lightly with Asian sesame oil or vegetable oil.

4. Place on a lightly oiled grill over a solid bed of hot coals or high heat on a gas grill (you can hold your hand at grill level only 2 to 3 seconds); close lid on gas grill. Cook, turning once, until seafood is opaque but still moist-looking in center of thickest part or chicken is no longer pink in the center (cut to test), about 5 minutes for tuna, chicken, and shrimp, 8 to 10 minutes for salmon and scallops. Serve warm with mustard, ginger, or ponzu dipping sauce.

Ginger dipping sauce: In a blender or food processor, whirl 1/4 cup coarsely chopped white onion, 1/2 cup peeled, coarsely chopped ginger, and 1/3 cup peeled, coarsely chopped sweet apple (such as Red Delicious), scraping sides of bowl as necessary, until smooth. Add 3/4 cup soy sauce, 6 tablespoons rice vinegar, 1 1/2 tablespoons Asian sesame oil, and 1/4 cup sugar. Whirl until smooth. Serve immediately or cover and chill up to 1 week. Whisk before serving. Makes about 2 cups.

Mustard dipping sauce: In a blender, whirl 3/4 cup soy sauce, 2 tablespoons water, 1/4 cup dry mustard, 1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds, and 1/4 cup sugar until smooth. Stir in an additional 1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds. Serve immediately or cover and chill up to 1 week. Whisk before serving. Makes about 1 1/3 cups.

Ponzu dipping sauce: In a 2- to 3-quart pan over high heat, bring to a boil 1/2 cup sake or dry white wine, 1/2 cup mirin (sweet rice wine; available in supermarkets), 1/2 cup soy sauce, 1/2 cup rice vinegar, and 1/4 cup dried bonito flakes (optional; available in Asian markets); if omitting bonito flakes, combine all other ingredients in a bowl and chill. Lower heat and simmer 15 minutes. Strain and chill until cold, about 1 hour. Stir in 3 tablespoons lemon juice. Serve immediately or cover and chill up to 1 week. Makes 2 cups.

Nutritional analysis per 1-ounce salmon skewer.

1. Rinse 1 1/2 pounds fresh shiitake mushrooms (2 to 3 in. wide) or Asian eggplant, or a combination of both. Remove tough stems from shiitakes. Slice eggplant in half crosswise; cut each piece in half lengthwise.

2. If using eggplant, place a rack over about 1 inch water in a 6- to 8-quart pan. Pile eggplant on rack, bring water to a boil over high heat, cover, and steam eggplant until soft, about 5 minutes. Let stand until cool enough to handle.

3. Thread two or three mushrooms (horizontally through cap) or one piece eggplant onto each soaked 12-inch wood skewer. Brush vegetables lightly with Asian sesame oil or vegetable oil.

4. Place on a lightly oiled grill over a solid bed of medium-hot coals or medium heat on a gas grill (you can hold your hand at grill level only 3 to 4 seconds); close lid on gas grill. Cook, turning once, until tender when pierced, 6 to 8 minutes. Serve with ginger or ponzu dipping sauce.

Ginger dipping sauce: In a blender or food processor, whirl 1/4 cup coarsely chopped white onion, 1/2 cup peeled, coarsely chopped ginger, and 1/3 cup peeled, coarsely chopped sweet apple (such as Red Delicious), scraping sides of bowl as necessary, until smooth. Add 3/4 cup soy sauce, 6 tablespoons rice vinegar, 1 1/2 tablespoons Asian sesame oil, and 1/4 cup sugar. Whirl until smooth. Serve immediately or cover and chill up to 1 week. Whisk before serving. Makes about 2 cups.

Ponzu dipping sauce: In a 2- to 3-quart pan over high heat, bring to a boil 1/2 cup sake or dry white wine, 1/2 cup mirin (sweet rice wine; available in supermarkets), 1/2 cup soy sauce, 1/2 cup rice vinegar, and 1/4 cup dried bonito flakes (optional; see notes); if omitting bonito flakes, combine all other ingredients in a bowl and chill. Lower heat and simmer 15 minutes. Strain and chill until cold, about 1 hour. Stir in 3 tablespoons lemon juice. Serve immediately or cover and chill up to 1 week. Makes 2 cups.

Nutritional Analysis per skewer of shiitakes.

1. In a 5- to 6-quart pan over high heat, bring about 3 quarts water to a boil. Add noodles and cook until tender to bite, 3 to 6 minutes. Drain noodles and rinse gently under cold running water until cool.

2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, and wasabi. Pour about half the dressing into a small bowl and reserve. Add noodles to the large bowl; mix to coat. Cover and chill until cold, about 1 hour, or up to 4 hours.

3. Just before serving, add reserved dressing to noodles and mix to coat. Sprinkle salad with green onions and bonito flakes, if using.

1. In a 5- to 6-quart pan over high heat, bring about 3 quarts water to a boil. Add half the spinach and cook until wilted, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove spinach from water with a strainer and place in a large bowl of ice water until cool; lift out and drain. Repeat process to cook and cool remaining spinach.

2. In a large bowl, mix sake, soy sauce, sugar, and sesame oil.

3. Squeeze or roll spinach tightly in a kitchen towel to remove as much water as possible. Place in bowl and mix with dressing to coat. If making salad ahead, cover and chill up to 4 hours.

4. Divide spinach into six cylindrical bundles and squeeze each tightly to compact the leaves. Arrange bundles on a serving plate or in individual small, shallow bowls. Spoon a little of the dressing left in the bowl over each bundle. Sprinkle each bundle with about 1 teaspoon sesame seeds.