A: Use either dark soy sauce or mushroom soy sauce.

A: None. Shiitake mushrooms is the Japanese name for Chinese mushrooms..

A: Sweet rice, also known as glutinous or sticky rice, is a different variety of rice. Uncooked sweet rice is white and becomes translucent after cooking, whereas other types of uncooked white rice is translucent and becomes white after cooking.

A: No, a frying pan will do just fine. However, for ease of cleaning up the stove area, use a Dutch oven if you have one. The advantage of using a wok is you tend to use less oil. One tablespoon of oil in a wok seems like an awful lot, while that same 1 tablespoon of oil in a frying pan just disappears.

A: No, they are two entirely different items. Asian chili sauce is made from chile peppers. It is very, very spicy (hot), and a little goes a long way. Chili sauce found in the supermarket is made from a combination of a variety of vegetables and spices. There are many different brands of Asian chili sauce on the markets - some contain garlic while some contain fermented black beans. Read the labels and try different brands to find one that will become your favorite.

A: No, Chinese sesame paste is made from toasted sesame seeds. Tahini is made from untoasted sesame seeds. They are two very different products and are not interchangeable. For a close substitute, try peanut butter.