To prepare: pickling cucumbers, peel, seed, and cut into strips 1/8-inch wide and 2-inches long. Mix cornstarch with 4 tablespoons stock or water. Cook's notes: The Chinese would use egg noodles, but you can substitute readily available Japanese ramen noodles. Hoisin sauce, Asian sesame oil and chili oil are available at Asian markets or supermarkets with large Asian specialty sections. Procedure: In a bowl, whisk together the hoisin sauce, soy sauce, half the sesame oil and the chicken stock. Heat the peanut oil in a wok and stir-fry the garlic and ginger for 45 seconds, or until soft. Add the pork and stir-fry until nicely browned, about 2 minutes. Add the rice wine and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Stir in the broth mixture and bring to a boil. Stir in the cornstarch mixture and return the entire mixture to a boil; it will thicken slightly. Add chili oil to taste and keep the gravy warm. Cook the noodles in boiling salted water about 1 minute, or until done to taste. Drain well and toss the noodles with the remaining sesame oil.

Presentation: Divide the noodles among bowls, pour the gravy over them and garnish with bean sprouts and cucumber. Yield: Makes 6 servings. Nutritional info (per serving): 518 calories, 25 grams fat, 53 milligrams cholesterol, 1, 069 milligrams sodium.