Beef Chow Fun

Notes: Look for dried wide rice noodles, sometimes called “Pad Thai noodles” or “straight-cut,” in the Asian-food section at most supermarkets and natural-foods stores. Annie Chun's brand now makes brown rice noodles that are becoming more widely available. We like to use them in place of regular rice noodles because they have 4 grams of fiber per serving versus 0 grams in noodles made with white rice.

Shao Hsing, or Shaoxing, is a seasoned rice wine. It is available in most Asian specialty markets and in the Asian section of some larger supermarkets.

Sherry, a type of fortified wine originally from southern Spain, is an acceptable substitute. Don't use the “cooking sherry” sold in many supermarkets--it can be surprisingly high in sodium. Instead, get dry sherry that's sold with other fortified wines at your wine or liquor store.

Black bean-garlic sauce, a savory, salty sauce used in Chinese cooking, is made from fermented black soybeans, garlic and rice wine. Find it in the Asian-foods section of most supermarkets or at Asian markets. Refrigerate for up to 1 year.

People with celiac disease or gluten-sensitivity should use soy sauces that are labeled "gluten-free," as soy sauce may contain wheat or other gluten-containing sweeteners and flavors.