Recipes with monosodium glutamate

Mock crab roe is a clever Chinese dish of steamed white fish mixed with egg yolks and scallions, then fried into golden nuggets. Served with soy-vinegar dip.

Tender marinated beef and crisp asparagus stir-fried with pungent fermented black beans and garlic in a savory cornstarch gravy. A classic Chinese takeout dish made from scratch at home.

Hearty pinto bean and ham soup simmered low and slow with a bold herb blend of cumin, oregano, rosemary, and chili powder. A splash of sherry at the end adds warmth and depth. Pure comfort in a bowl.

Oyster and spinach soup with pureed oysters, spinach, milk, and half-and-half, finished with broiled whipped cream on top. A rich, velvety bisque-style soup with a golden cream cap.

Butter-browned chicken bakes for an hour in a tangy sour cream and sherry sauce with rosemary, thyme, mushrooms, and slivered almonds. Retro comfort food that never goes out of style.

Mom's macaroni with steak is a one-pot pressure cooker dinner: tender round steak strips and elbow macaroni cooked right in a paprika-spiced tomato sauce, then finished with melted sharp cheddar. Hearty weeknight comfort.

Quick Chinese wok stir-fry with thin-sliced pork and crisp bok choy in a ginger-garlic sauce with dry sherry. From cutting board to table in just 15 minutes. Serves 4.

Raw mushroom dip with whipped cream cheese, fresh chopped mushrooms, onion, and parsley. A no-cook appetizer spread for crackers or open-faced sandwiches.

Traditional Japanese tentsuyu dipping sauce for tempura made with dashi stock, mirin and soy sauce. Served warm with grated radish, horseradish and a squeeze of lemon.

A delicious Chinese stir-fry is perfect for a busy work-day dinner.

Deep-fried sticky rice dumplings filled with pork, dried shrimp, and bamboo shoots in a sweet rice flour dough. A crispy, chewy Chinese dim sum classic that puffs up golden brown in the fryer.

Crispy Japanese shrimp and vegetable tempura fried in a light, lacy cake flour batter. Served with a homemade tentsuyu dipping sauce with grated daikon, this is the real deal from scratch.

Chicken and cashew nuts stir-fry with water chestnuts in a sweet and sour sauce. Marinated chicken breast wok-fried with crispy cashews, served with fried rice.

Korean seafood and vegetable jeon (pan-fried omelet) with shrimp, oysters, fish, tofu, and pumpkin dipped in egg batter and pan-fried crispy. Served with vinegared soy dipping sauce.

Texas-style no-bean chili with ground beef chuck, pork, and cubed beef simmered in beer with bold spices and thickened with masa harina for competition-worthy flavor.

Asian-style BBQ pork tenderloin marinated overnight in soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, and ginger, then smoked on a covered grill. Served sliced with a sesame-soy barbecue sauce.