Recipes from the book

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