Category: Main Dish

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Vegetable Lo Mein


When I was living in Los Angeles, I use to frequent this tiny hole-in-the-wall restaurant where they served the most amazing vegetable lo mein. I have yet to find a place here in New York City that serves up lo mein that gets me as excited.

I’m still searching. In fact, we went to Chinatown to grab lunch today. Sure enough. Not it. But as my search continues, I make due by making my own lo mein at home. It’s actually more than just making due. It’s pretty damn good. My husband says it’s much better than takeout; but my husband is TOTALLY partial. 🙂

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Ham, Cheddar, and Caramelized Apple Sandwich


My mom declared ham, cheddar, and apple sandwich her favorite sandwich ever.

That’s saying a lot. I grew up near Pasadena, arguably the cute cafĂ© capital of Southern California. During my teenage years, my mom and I used to visit various cafĂ©s to partake in the atmosphere and gourmet sandwiches. It was our mother and daughter weekend routine. I felt so sophisticated sipping cappuccinos and nibbling on pretty sandwiches. Little did I know, my mom didn’t really like the sandwiches. She just liked our time together.

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Chicken with Orange Sauce

My husband rarely cooks. In fact, I can easily count the number of times he’s cooked for us with the fingers in one hand. Even then, I would still have a few fingers left.

It’s not for lack of trying. He tries. He really does. But when he last tried to cook, he nearly took his finger off with our chef’s knife. So when he suggested he cook a few days ago, I was a little surprised and more than a little trepidatious.

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Fried Rice with Sautéed Mushrooms and Crispy Prosciutto

I never order fried rice at restaurants.

When I was a kid, a friend told me that restaurants use customers’ unfinished rice in their fried rice. Day-old, cold rice is preferred over just-cooked, hot rice in fried rice. And if you cook it all up with other ingredients – as in fried rice – no one would be the wiser. So it seemed feasible. I really hope this was an urban legend; but I haven’t taken any chances.

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Shake Shack – My Burger Indulgence

If you are going to be in the city for a visit, you should really stop by the Shake Shack. There are other burger places in NYC – among them Five Guys Burgers & Fries, 5 Napkin Burger, and the Burger Joint. But in my opinion, the Shake Shack burger comes out on top.

Look. I’m not much of a burger fan. The last time I had the ubiquitous Big Mac was in the 7th grade. So, unless it’s a great burger, I’ll probably – no, surely – pass. Needless to say, I look forward to my occasional burgers at the Shake Shack.

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