Recipes with cornstarch

Chinese-style pork ribs marinated in five-spice, soy, and sesame, then deep-fried until crispy and glazed with a sweet-savory tomato-laced sauce. A takeout classic worth making at home.

Classic Italian ricotta torte in a double-crust pastry with ricotta, cream cheese, candied fruit, and a splash of rum or brandy. Silky, not heavy.

Mapo tofu stir-fries marinated ground pork with hot bean paste, ginger, garlic, and chiles, then simmers cubed tofu in the spicy sauce. Authentic Sichuan classic ready in under an hour.

Crispy Asian-style crab cakes with lemongrass and cilantro, served with tropical fruit chutney for elegant seafood appetizers with Thai-inspired flavors.

Tofu stir-fry with mushrooms and snow peas in a soy-ginger sauce served over rice. A quick vegetarian dinner with fresh ginger and garlic, ready in 30 minutes.

Dense chocolate fudge cake layered with a tangy cream cheese ribbon and covered in rich fudge frosting. Made with real unsweetened chocolate for deep, intense flavor.

Scallops stir-fried with bamboo shoots, carrots, and snow peas in a ginger-gin sauce, served inside a crispy deep-fried potato basket. A Chinese banquet showpiece you can pull off at home.

Hongshao wanyu: crispy whole fish (or cod fillet) pan-fried then braised in a fragrant sauce of dried tangerine peel, black bean, ginger, garlic, and dark soy. Classic Chinese technique.

Golden chicken breasts sauteed with shallots, carrots, and fresh herbs in a light Riesling wine sauce. A refined French-style dinner that's on the table in 30 minutes.

A decadently rich chocolate cake that contains no flour but has the consistency and density of a chocolate candy bar.

Serve as the first course of a traditional Chinese dinner or alone as a light nutritious supper.

Grilled chicken pieces brushed with a glossy sesame-soy sauce alongside charred bell peppers and zucchini. Includes both direct and indirect grilling methods for any setup.

Nicole's cheesecake features a sugar-cookie crumb crust, a cornstarch-stabilized cream cheese filling, and a sprinkle of crumbs on top. A quick 1-hour square cheesecake, no water bath needed.

Stir-fried rice vermicelli draped in a savory broccoli sauce with bean paste, garlic, and thick soy. This Thai-inspired vegetarian noodle dish comes together in 35 minutes flat.

Chilled curried broccoli soup pureed smooth with chicken stock and finished with cold cream and fresh watercress. A silky, spiced cold soup that comes together in under 45 minutes.

Italian polenta cake made with cornmeal and buttermilk, topped with a warm raspberry-blackberry sauce spiked with raspberry schnapps. Rustic, golden, and begging for a scoop of gelato.