Joan Shih

Soak the glutinous rice in cold water to cover for 1 hour; drain.

To make filling: Soak dried Chinese black mushrooms in boiling water for 15 minutes. Squeeze water out of mushrooms and cut off stems. Finely chop the caps.

Combine mushrooms with chopped water chestnuts, scallions and ginger in a small bowl.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground pork, salt, sesame oil, soy sauce, sugar and pepper; mix thoroughly, then add mushroom mixture and mix well. Set aside.

To make pearl balls: Sprinkle the cornstarch evenly in a large shallow dish or tray. Spread the drained glutinous rice evenly over the cornstarch. Form the pork-mushroom mixture into 1-inch balls (about the size of a small walnut), then roll meatballs in rice to coat evenly.

Fill wok about three-fourths full with water. Loosely line an 8- or 9-inch bamboo steamer with aluminum foil, allowing some space between the edge of the foil and the sides of the steamer. (The foil should not be tight against the side of the steamer, or the steam cannot reach the food.) Place as many meatballs as will fit on foil. Cover steamer and place in wok. Water should come up the side of the steamer about an inch.

Bring water to a boil over medium-high heat, cover wok and steam for about 4o minutes, until meatballs are cooked through; add water if level drops too low. (Water should not bubble up and touch the meatballs or they will become soggy. If you don't have a steamer, meatballs can be placed on a heatproof dish and the dish placed on a rack in a pot of boiling water. Cover pot and steam, as directed.)

Garnish each meatball with a cilantro or parsley leaf and a thin slice of carrot, if desired. Serve immediately with soy sauce for dipping.

Recipes were tested by Bonnie S. Benwick of The Post's Food section or Candy Sagon.