Category Archives: Mains

Here are the big boys. The heavy hitters. Main courses to build a meal around. We specialize in strong flavors and quality ingredients and not overly complicated preparation. Check ’em out.

Recipe: Fried Calamari with Three Kinds of Peppers

  Three Vines Bistro, an establishment in my town, makes a superb fried calamari with three kinds of peppers: cherry, jalapeño and banana. I didn’t have banana peppers so I substituted some sliced pepperoncini. They were fine but the hot … Continue reading

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Recipe: Secret Ingredient Steak Tartare

The secret ingredient in our steak tartare is reconstituted dried onions…. a natural extension of their use in daddyburgers. By the way, turns out in his later years Sigmund Freud ate steak tartare for breakfast every day, something his Kosher-keeping … Continue reading

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Recipe: Midcentury Chinese Pepper Steak

Elsie Lee says this Chinese Pepper Steak recipe, which appears in her hard-to-find Easy Gourmet Cooking, cannot be improved on. It’s a midcentury classic; if you grew up then you will immediately recognize the taste profile of celery flavored with … Continue reading

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Recipe: Chicken Rice from Supermarket Rotisserie Chicken

Chicken rice is a Hainanese recipe in which tender poached chicken is served over rice cooked in a rich chicken and ginger stock. It’s supreme comfort food that has spawned a number of fast takeout places in the Bay Area … Continue reading

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Recipe: Ultimate Protein Smoothie

Dr. Ludwig’s smoothie is one of the better things about the Always Hungry Diet. But when you add a ripe banana, you end up with the ultimate protein smoothie. It’s so good and satisfying, you may never eat solid food … Continue reading

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Recipe: Quick Kapoon (Lao Chicken and Coconut Soup)

Quick Kapoon is thanks to some member quotes on the Lao and Asian Kitchen Cooking Facebook group; I faithfully followed the House of X Tia recipe but realized I could get almost the same result with some dramatic shortcuts. For … Continue reading

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Recipe: Galbi (Korean Short Ribs) with Ssamjang Sauce

This is the Galbi (Korean Short Ribs) prep we used for our Galbi vs Bulgogi Taste Test. Serve it with ssamjang sauce (recipe below) and lettuce leaves for wrapping plus rice and your favorite banchan and you’ve got a luxury … Continue reading

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Recipe: Cincinnati Chili

Cincinnati Chili is not actually chili in the way we think of it down south; some versions do not even include chili powder. It’s more like the meat sauces with warm, Greek-inspired spices we slather on our hot dogs in … Continue reading

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Recipe: Lao Steak

Here’s the Lao Steak recipe from House of X Tia. The author says the marinade would be good on chicken or pork as well. Serves 4. Ingredients: 2 steaks totaling 24 oz or so. We used New York strip but … Continue reading

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Recipe: Easy Gumbo

Easy gumbo because this should not be a fussy (or expensive dish). The most important ingredient is patience. Take your time cooking the roux and then blending in some (high quality) stock. The roux is entirely capable of thickening on … Continue reading

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