Whole bamboo stalks. [Photograph: Chichi Wang] You can cook bamboo stalks in any of the ways suitable for bamboo shoots, but I like to have my bamboo stalks dressed simply, in salad form. Western style vinaigrettes taste just as fine... More

I love well-made vermouth, and this is a good drink to showcase its potential. The Bamboo dates to at least the early 20th century, and unlike most cocktails you come across, it has a more modest payload, being based on equal parts dry vermouth and dry sherry (I like the bone-dry crispness of manzanilla in mine, though you could explore the range of dry sherries with this drink; an oloroso or amontillado could have interesting results). More