A second spoonful of ginger for your helath

A writer whom Newsweek has called "one of America's top 25 Asia hands" published a somewhat revolutionary cookbook, "A Spoonful of Ginger" (Knopf, 1999). In it, Nina Simonds introduced Westerners to the Chinese idea that food has health-giving properties, and that disease occurs when there is an imbalance in the "yin" and "yang" (negative and positive) energies in the body.

Twelve years later, the book has been republished, this time in paperback. It re-emerges at a time when many people are more attuned to the idea of eating seasonally, are more concerned about the healthfulness of their diets, and may be more receptive to Simonds' message. But the best thing about the new paperback edition of "Spoonful" is that it gives a new batch of cooks access to her many tasty - and generally simple - recipes.

This is a book that works on several levels. Simonds is careful to exhort readers to seek qualified medical advice for health concerns, but she is also undoubtedly offering a self-help manual. If you are willing to try celery juice for your hypertension or clam broth with garlic chives for a hangover, the information is here. But if you are simply a home cook looking for tasty recipes, this book is also a treasure.

One of my favorite meals from Simonds' book is Korean barbecued beef, with rice and wilted greens. I never paid much attention to the yin and yang of it all, but I revisited the recipe in the new edition and learned that while beef is considered one of the most "yang" (warming) foods, the effect in this recipe is "somewhat neutralized" by the "cool" lettuce leaves, which makes the dish "an excellent one to serve at any time of year." To our health!

KOREAN BARBECUED BEEF

1-1/2 pounds boneless sirloin steak, trimmed of fat and gristle

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/3 cup rice wine or sake

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons minced garlic

1-1/2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon hot chile paste (optional; see Cook's note)

8 whole scallions, ends trimmed, cut into 1-inch lengths

1 head Boston lettuce, rinsed and drained

Cook's note: Hot chile paste is sold in many supermarkets, sometimes as "chile paste with garlic."

Cut the beef, with the grain, into long strips about 1-1/2 inches wide, and place in a bowl.

Mix together the soy sauce, rice wine, sugar, garlic, sesame oil, pepper and chile paste (if using). Add one-third of this mixture to the beef, tossing lightly to coat. Cover and let marinate for at least one hour at room temperature (or longer) in the refrigerator. Mix the remaining one-third of the mixture with the scallions, and place in a saucepan. Bring to a boil for one minute, stirring often. Set aside.

Separate the lettuce leaves, trim the stems, and lightly flatten the leaves with the broad side of a knife or a cleaver. Arrange in a serving bowl.

Prepare a medium-hot grill. Remove the meat from the marinade, discard the marinade, and grill the meat three to four minutes per side, until medium rare. Alternatively, cook on a lightly oiled, very hot skillet for about two minutes per side. Cut the meat across the grain into thin slices. Reheat the sauce with the scallions, and pour into a serving bowl.

To eat, each diner arranges several meat slices on a lettuce leaf, spoons some of the sauce on top, folds the leaf over, and eats the bundle with the fingers.

WILTED GREEENS WITH SPICY GARLIC DRESSING

Yield: 6 servings

For the dressing:

3 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons rice wine or sake

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon hot chile paste (optional)

For the greens:

1-1/4 pounds fresh spinach, watercress or other leafy green, rinsed and drained

1 teaspoon canola or corn oil

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

Mix all the dressing ingredients together.

Remove any tough stems from the greens. Heat a wok or large pot, add the oils, and heat over high heat until near smoking. Add the greens, and toss about one minute. Add the dressing, and continue stir-frying about 30 seconds, until the leaves are slightly wilted but still bright green. Serve greens and sauce hot, at room temperature or cold.

• Marialisa Calta is the author of "Barbarians at the Plate: Taming and Feeding the American Family" (Perigee, 2005). For more information, go to www.marialisacalta.com.