Fans of Michael’s Restaurant (and they are legion) will be thrilled to know that its chef and owner, Luis DeLoera, has opened a new place, called the Blend at Three Mile Harbor. On the site where Harbor Grill used to be, it is an attractive space — beige and white wood, exposed beams, some framed mirrors around the dining area — with a good-size bar to the right as you enter.  A wall of glass and wooden doors creates a barrier between the dining room and the bar, to cut down on the din at Happy Hour.

On both recent visits, the owner was working behind the bar and came out to greet each and every guest in the dining room. This is always much appreciated. Like Michael’s, the Blend offers what people want: good value and hearty portions.

Upon being seated you get a bowl of green olives, a basket of good, crusty sliced bread, and some foil-wrapped butter pats (the man in the White House’s favorite because they haven’t been touched by human fingers!).

We began our meal with Caesar salad, calamari, tuna tartare, and baked clams. The Caesar salad was very good, with a lemony dressing, plenty of grated Parmesan (or Romano) cheese, house-made croutons — and bonus points for the two white anchovies resting on top. The calamari was pretty good, the rings a bit chewy, and it was served with one dish of marinara sauce and one with a chili aioli. The tuna tartare was a good version, big diced chunks of tuna with avocado in a citrusy dressing, with some tomato slices on the side. The menu said it was served with toasted bread crisps, but it was served with homemade potato gaufrettes, which were delicious and crunchy and able to withstand the weight of the tuna chunks. The baked clams, also pretty good, were six littlenecks with a lot of diced red pepper and bread crumbs.

For entrees we ordered the flounder, steak au poivre, braised lamb shank, and paccheri (a big tubular pasta similar to rigatoni) with Bolognese sauce. There are no side dishes offered at the Blend, because most entrees come complete with a vegetable (in this case, steamed vegetables on three of the entrees) and rice or potatoes. My guest found the flounder fresh and well seasoned, but a bit dry. “Steamed vegetables” sounds kind of boring, but the vegetables here had more oomph and more than evaporated water involved in their cooking: They were a medley of broccoli, red peppers, cauliflower, and asparagus and maybe a bit of butter. The flounder was also served with some rice.

The steak au poivre was an excellent, juicy steak, cooked perfectly to order and sliced, but the accompanying sauce had been made with finely ground black pepper, offering nothing but an intense, blasting heat. Steak au poivre is usually made with coarsely crushed peppercorns pressed into the meat before searing. The truffle fries served with it were hand-cut, loaded with Parmesan cheese and truffle oil, and were delicious. The braised lamb shank was also good, very tender and flavorful, served with the aforementioned vegetable side, and some good mashed potatoes flecked with bits of goat cheese. The paccheri was the dud of the bunch, simply because the pasta bordered on raw, like pre-al dente, so chewy it almost crunched. The Bolognese sauce, however, was very good. You could taste the full variety of meats used in its preparation.

The service on the night of our visit was excellent; our waiter, Todd, was knowledgeable and friendly. I had assumed the Blend was so named because it has an impressively large and reasonably priced wine list and they use beautiful wine glasses. That’s all true, concurred Todd, but it’s also called the Blend because the owner is half-Italian, half-Mexican, and his wife is Filipino, and there are meant to be some slightly Filipino touches throughout the menu. We couldn’t find the Filipino accents, but the menu at Michael’s does indeed have a few Southeast Asian touches. The Blend’s menu is surprisingly long for such a small space, with more than 16 appetizers and 17 entrees, plus a full-page prix fixe menu. The prices are moderate. Appetizers are $10 to $18, entrees are $24 to $38, and desserts are $7 to $10. 

We sampled a few desserts (not made in house), and they were just okay. We tried the cheesecake, which was very dense, period. The carrot cake was average. On a previous visit I had tried a chocolaty-peanut-butter brownie thingy and it was, again, not bad.

Over all, it was a nice experience. The Blend offers good value and some very good dishes at reasonable prices in a friendly atmosphere. Ask your server to direct you toward what’s best.

Beer Banquet

Indian Wells Tavern in Amagansett is teaming up with the Montauk Brewing Company to present a five-course, five-beer dinner on Sunday evening beginning at 6. Menu items include short ribs braised in a double India pale ale and veal stock, and pork and beans made with pork belly that has been braised with Arrowhead red ale. The cost of the dinner is $75 per person. Reservations are required.

Trivia Night

The Springs Tavern, on Fort Pond Boulevard in Springs, will host a Trivia Night benefit for the East Hampton Little League on Wednesday from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Tickets are $40 in advance and $45 at the door. Complimentary small bites and one free beverage are included. Tickets are available from Dave Rutkowski, at 631-681-7086. 

White Wines

Park Place Wines and Liquors in East Hampton will offer the next in its free Discovery Wednesday classes on Wednesday from 5:30 to 6:20 p.m. Led by Ted Satinsky of Michael Skurnik Wines, participants will sample and discuss white wines from the northern wine-growing regions of Germany, Austria, and Alsace, France. Advance registration is in person at the store, or via its website.

Golden Pairing

The featured artist at Wednesday’s A Night Out With event — a collaboration between the Golden Eagle art studio and store and Nick and Toni’s restaurant, both on North Main Street in East Hampton — will be Sylvia Witzenmann, a painter and goldsmith who will talk about the historical significance of the precious metal and lead participants in a hands-on exercise. The workshop starts at 5:30 p.m. at the Golden Eagle and will be followed by a two-course dinner at the restaurant next door. The cost is $75, which includes the class, supplies, dinner, tax, and tip.

East End farmers, winemakers, micro-brewers, and chefs will convene to share their insights into our regional food culture at the Peconic Land Trust’s fifth annual spring lecture series. Laura Donnelly, The Star’s food columnist, will moderate the talks, which will take place at Bridge Gardens, on Mitchell Lane in Bridgehampton, beginning at 2 p.m. on March 4, a Sunday, and then continuing on intermittent Sunday afternoons through the end of April. Tickets are $30 for each lecture or $100 for the full series.

On March 4, the featured speakers will be Sean Magnusson from the Greenport Oyster Company; Erik Bilka, a winemaker at Premium Wine Group, a Mattituck facility that provides custom wine production, and George Hirsch, a chef based in Sag Harbor and the host of the PBS television show “George Hirsch Lifestyle.”

On March 18, beer and wine will be the focus, with talks by Marcos Ribeiro, the co-owner of the North Fork hops farm Craft Master Hops, and Robin Epperson-McCarthy, the entrepreneur who launched the wine label Saltbird Cellars. Stephen Bogardus, the executive chef at the North Fork Table and Inn, will also be giving a presentation. 

On April 15, Peter Treiber Sr., the owner of the Trieber family farm in Southold, will be the featured speaker, as will Anthony Sannino of the Sannino Bella Vita Vineyards in Peconic. Chef Justin Finney of the Highway Restaurant and Bar in East Hampton is also on the slate.

On April 29, the final day of the series, the featured talks will be by Stephen Skrenta, a Wall Street businessman who moved to Amagansett and started a grass-fed beef company called Acabonac Farms; Melissa Daniels of the Jamesport Farm Brewery, and Stefanie Sacks, a culinary nutritionist and the author of “What the Fork Are You Eating?” 

Several cities in Florida claim to have invented the Cuban sandwich, but it is clear that it originated in Key West. Tampa, specifically Ybor City, a neighborhood of Tampa, inserts Genoa salami into their version, and the city council passed a bill in 2012 claiming the Cuban sandwich as theirs. Passing a bill doesn’t make it a fact, folks.

Some version of the Cuban sandwich, or mixto, or Cubano, was being made in Cuba hundreds of years ago. When cigar makers emigrated to Key West in the 1860s, it became popular as an easy, filling, portable meal. What goes into it? The sandwich traditionally starts with Cuban bread, a very specific, pale, fluffy, nondescript white loaf the size and shape of a large baguette, made with lard. A little bit of yellow mustard is smeared on the bread, some butter is optional. Next comes a little pile of shredded roast pork cooked in mojo, a marinade of sour orange juice, cumin, oregano, garlic, onions, vinegar, and salt. Then a slice or two of sweet ham (nothing too assertive, so as not to overwhelm the other white meat), along with three thin slices of pickle — no more, no less — and a slice of Swiss cheese to complete the sandwich. It is then pressed in a plancha (similar to a panini press but without the grill stripes). It is an odd-sounding mixture but can be oh, so delicious.

On this year’s adventure in Key West, I tried to sample as much Cuban food as I could. Not just Cuban sandwiches, but variations of Cuban coffee (cafecito, a tiny, potent, foamy cup with as much as a tablespoon of sugar added); pastelitos (puff pastry or Cuban bread filled with guava paste and cream cheese), and lots of rice and black beans. Being that my only mode of transpo was the ten-toe turbo — that is, walking — I wasn’t able to try every place on the island, but I tried enough to, one, get fat, and, two, find some awesome spots.

El Siboney has been a Cuban staple in Key West since 1984, named after the Siboney tribe of Cuba. The Taino and Siboney were prehistoric, self-sufficient, fishing, hunting, farming, and building wooden structures peoples. El Siboney has been rated Key West’s best Cuban restaurant every year since 1993. I think they are resting on their laurels. We tried two versions of chicken, the medio pollo a la plancha al ajillo and pechuga de pollo a la plancha, the first being a grilled garlic chicken, the second a grilled chicken breast. The garlic chicken was no more than very dried-out chicken with garlic salt on it. Same for the chicken breast, and no amount of sliced raw onions on top of them could moisten the dry meat. However, the fried plantains were good, as were the rice and beans. The rice was buttery, and the beans full of flavor, with bits of ham, onions, garlic, and other spices.

On to Cuban Coffee Queen, where the motto is “Drink more Cuban coffee and do stupid things faster.” Here, the Cuban sandwich was made with the addition of lettuce, tomato, and onion, considered sacrilege in some establishments, but I’ll take my vegetables where I can get them, especially when I’m already eating piglet squared. This version was very good, but the pork wasn’t tender enough to bite into; it just popped out of the sandwich with each bite. For $8.50, you get the sandwich and your choice of fruit or a bag of plantain chips, plus a DumDum lollipop. 

Next stop, Havana Restaurant, where the sandwich is $13 and served with choice of potato salad, French fries, or wasabi coleslaw. This version was excellent! The pork was tender and flavorful, everything balanced nicely, and the sandwich benefitted from an addition of caramelized onions.

Five Brothers is a well-known but simple sandwich shop where the Cuban mixto sandwich is a mere $6.50, and it is very good, if a bit sparse with the fillings.

Next, it was time to get off the leash and try some Cuban mashups. 

One of the best sandwiches I tried (and most dangerous for digestion) was the burger from Frita’s, supposedly based on 1930s Cuban street food. It is a beef and pork patty (I think the pork part is pure chorizo sausage), seasoned with garlic, onions, a spicy sauce, and fried potato strings, all on a Cuban bun. Frita’s recommended Manchego cheese on it, which was delicious. But as I observed the red-hot oil seeping out of the burger and dripping onto the plate, I said to it, “You’re going to come back later to haunt me, aren’t you?” The awesome Frita burger is $8.95.

In between sampling these not-so-healthy Cuban classics, I fried up some yellowtail snapper, cracked some stone crab claws, steamed some Key West pink shrimp, and blended fresh pineapple with bananas and mangoes for breakfast, and perhaps blended the same later in the day with a splash of dark rum. . . .

For an island that is a mere four miles long by one mile wide, Key West has a staggeringly huge number of restaurants. Estimates range from 454 to 700. I have my favorites: NineOneFive, Firefly, Blue Heaven, Onlywood, La Grignote. And I have those I avoid: Why go to a Hard Rock Cafe, like, ever?

I love this tiny island, the Conch Republic, the Rock. It is quirky and dirty, charming and alarming, sunny and “shady,” with an iguana in the backyard (Señor Verde) and a scorpion in the tub. I tell friends I come here for some sunshine and rum drinks and turquoise water, but really, I come for the people and their food.

I’d been wanting to try Mercado in Bridgehampton for quite a while. But no matter what time of day or what time of year I drove by, the place looked empty. For years it has remained as mysterious as that roadside business in Southampton that has the creepy statuary of Elvis, elephants, Marilyn Monroe, big dinosaurs, and bigger Buddhas.

There have been advertisements recently on the local radio station WEHM for Mercado. They feature a lady saying something along the lines of “I drive by here all the time and I’ve never been in.” The ads also proclaim that Mercado has the best margaritas. Oh, boy. 

So I put together my most reliable, intrepid, and game gang of tasters, and we went on a Sunday night. It was, indeed, empty. The entire time. As a matter of fact, after we had ordered our food, a gentleman who may have been the owner or manager (we never found out and he never acknowledged our presence) went out for a while and returned with some bags of groceries. Maybe they weren’t expecting us? Or anyone? Much to our amusement he spent most of the rest of the evening staring at a screen at the hostess station. Was he managing reservations? Trying to figure out where to put everybody? It shall remain a mystery. 

The interior of Mercado (formerly the Woodshed and for many years Almond) is colorful. The tin ceiling is painted yellow, the walls are brick red, there are a few movie posters en espanol (“Rebelde Sin Causa!”), some mounted boxes with skulls, and some strips of different colored wood (flooring samples?) glued to another wall. There are four flat screen TVs above the long bar, which boasts 75 different kinds of tequila.

On this quiet, quiet night of our visit, Simon was our waiter, bartender, perhaps even chef, cook, and bottle washer for all we could tell. He was delightful company and made some very good margaritas, in particular the caliente version.

We began our meal with guacamole, salsas, and stuffed jalapeños. The guacamole was good, if a wee bit too cold. The chips are fried and come with a tomatillo salsa and another roasted chile salsa. Both were very good, and just spicy enough. The chips were also good, until you came across one that had been fried in rancid oil and tasted ghastly. They should clean out the fryer and start fresh.

For entrees we tried the Yucatan chicken, carne asada, and shrimp tacos. All three were very good. The Yucatan chicken was a chicken breast on top of jalapeño mashed potatoes, covered in an almond cream sauce, and topped with lightly cooked zucchini ribbons. The carne asada was a tender, well-seasoned piece of skirt steak with house made corn tortillas, flour tortillas, and caramelized onions, and was served on more of the excellent mashed potatoes. Our buddy Simon gave us some sautéed mushrooms to go along with it. The shrimp tacos were good — slightly sweet from some grilled pineapple and zesty from pickled red onions. The Mexican rice served alongside was sad, but the refried black beans were good.

The prices at Mercado are moderate. Appetizers are $6 to $16, quesadillas and salads are $13 to $27, and tacos and burgers are $12 to $23. Main dishes are $22 to $35, sides are $4 to $7, and desserts are $7. As I mentioned before, our server, Simon, was charming, and we had his undivided attention.

We were in a bit of a hurry to get home to watch the Golden Globes, so we ordered two desserts (made in house) to go, the flan, and the tres leches cake. The flan was okay, but a bit overdone, ergo gritty, and the tres leches cake had seen better days. It was dry and bland.

Over all, our dinner at Mercado was a pleasant surprise and the food quite decent. I would definitely go back for some of the dishes we tried. Were Mercado’s margaritas the best, as touted on the radio? Not quite. In my opinion, that award goes to Townline BBQ, but they were good. 

It can be rather sad to be the only people in a restaurant on a Sunday night, and of course it doesn’t bode well for the business. But this place deserves a chance.

For Travel Channel fans who have wondered if and when the peripatetic chef and TV personality Andrew Zimmern would touch down in the Hamptons, the wait is over. 

The first episode of season seven of his “Delicious Destinations” series, during which he visits Stuart’s Seafood Market in Amagansett, the Lobster Roll restaurant on Napeague, Nick and Toni’s in East Hampton, and East Hampton Point, can be seen on Optimum’s Channel 96 on Sunday at 1:30 p.m., Jan. 29 at 8 p.m., Jan. 30 at 3 a.m., and Feb. 20 at 5 p.m. The Travel Channel’s verdict: “The Hamptons’ dinner scene is sizzling.”

Pollock’s Birthday

The Springs Tavern will celebrate Jackson Pollock’s birthday on Jan. 28 with an evening that will include art, nature, and a $30 prix fixe menu inspired by the artist. The tavern is on the site of Jungle Pete's, a bar and lounge he frequented back in the 1950s. Will food be flung and sauces splattered? Will the cake sport 106 candles? The answers can be found and reservations made by calling 631-527-7800.

The tavern also hosts happy hour Mondays through Fridays from 3 to 6 p.m. All wine, beer, and well drinks are reduced by $1, and a $5 bar menu — subject to change — includes mozzarella sticks with marinara sauce, vegetable egg rolls with sweet and sour sauce, chips and salsa, wings tossed and served with barbecue, buffalo, or sweet chili sauce and blue cheese dip, and grilled zucchini wheels with jack cheese and red pepper coulis.

Art Night

A Night Out With, which pairs an art workshop or discussion at the Golden Eagle Studio in East Hampton with a two-course dinner at the neighboring Nick and Toni’s, will feature the artists Dan Rizzie and Susan Lazarus-Reiman on Wednesday starting at 5:30 p.m. at the studio. The $75 cost includes the art workshop, any supplies if needed, and dinner, tax, and gratuity. Linda Capello will be the guest on Jan. 31.

Bites for a Cause

Love Bites, an annual tasting event for the benefit of Katy’s Courage and the Scarlett Fund, will take place Saturday from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. at the Muses in Southampton. The evening will feature food and beverages from more than 20 local restaurants, caterers, private chefs, and other purveyors, and music by D.J. Michael of East End Entertainment. 

Tickets start at $125 and can be purchased at katyscourage.org. Katy’s Courage is dedicated to supporting education, children’s bereavement counseling, and pediatric cancer research in honor of Katy Stewart, and the Scarlett Fund benefits children’s cancer research in honor of Scarlett James.

When your hunter friends stop by and drop off their bounty, do you know what to do with it? Deer? Goose? Wild duck? 

I have fishermen and fisherwomen friends who drop off striped bass and blues and I am always thrilled and know what to do with them, but a lean, gamey duck that may have been feeding on fishy things? Not so much.

Pretty much every recipe online involves soaking or marinating wild birds in buttermilk or savory items, then wrapping in bacon to keep the meat moist, and not much guidance beyond that.

How wild is your game? This is a question worth asking. Most of the hunters I know prefer to go upstate, down south, or to Canada. Why? Fewer athletic fields, golf courses, manicured lawns, soy and corn fields, parks, and sod farms. In other words, fewer chemically treated food sources for these animals. If I see a group of deer munching happily on glysophate-laden bushes, shrubbery, and ornamental plants on Lily Pond Lane, I think “chemicals,” not “Oh, boy, Bambi Bolognese tonight!”

I am pro-hunting, and I have eaten venison in various forms and it was delicious. This can also be a valuable food source for many, through the donations of meat to local food banks and pantries.

If you are a duck hunter, you already know that the ducks that feed in freshwater taste better than sea ducks, which can be fishy tasting. Wood ducks and mallards are said to be the tastiest.

When I was growing up in Virginia, there was a popular restaurant in Washington, D.C., called Dominique’s, which specialized in all manner of exotic meats — elk, ostrich, alligator, llama, rattlesnake, you name it. Our parents never took us there; it was really more popular with people like Richard Nixon, Spiro Agnew, and the wealthy lobbyists who perpetually swarm our nation’s capital.

If you have a hankering to try something other than the usual hamburger or steak, there is a farm on the North Fork that raises bison. North Quarter Farm, owned by Ed Tuccio, has been raising “almost organic” bison since 1986. Bison meat tastes very much like beef, but is lower in fat and cholesterol and higher in protein than beef, chicken, pork, or turkey.

How about rabbit? This is considered quite a delicacy in France but seldom seen in America, either at home or on restaurant menus. If you want to get fancy you can prepare a saddle of rabbit. This is the cut that runs from the end of the rib cage to the hind legs, basically the two loins that sit on either side of the spine. The few times I have prepared rabbit, I kept it rustic, stewing it in a rich, mustardy sauce. It is delicious!

Many recipes for wild duck suggest removing the fatty skin, as this can be the part of the duck that is particularly strong flavored. Some suggest using only the breast meat. Others simply turn the meat into jerky, sausage, or pastrami.

Wild Canada goose is also delicious. I got a recipe years ago from Mark Borucke that begins with a marinade of garlic and ginger. Then the breast is cooked on the grill and served with a horseradish sauce and spiced pecans. This is always a hit.

So if you are “game” to try some more exotic meats and birds, here are some recipes for inspiration.

Click for recipes

A number of East End eateries are offering prix fixe deals this week as part of Long Island Restaurant Week, which continues through Sunday. On the South Fork, participating restaurants include Page at 63 Main, Wolffer Kitchen, and Lulu Kitchen and Bar in Sag Harbor, Le Charlot in Southampton, and Topping Rose House in Bridgehampton. They are offering a $28.95 three-course meal, with supplemental charges for certain dishes, all night tonight, tomorrow, and Sunday and until 6:30 on Saturday. 

Those willing to venture farther afield for the deal will find it at restaurants in Riverhead, Hampton Bays, and on the North Fork, including such spots as the well-reviewed North Fork Table and Inn in Southold and the Halyard at the Sound View motel in Greenport, overlooking the Long Island Sound. Reservations are a must and can be made directly through the restaurants or at opentable.com. 

Far East Flavors

The Asian specialty menu returns to the Highway Restaurant and Bar in East Hampton tonight. The three-course prix fixe menu is $39 per person and features a green mango and papaya salad, a chicken and cashew nuts entree, and coconut sorbet for dessert. A la carte options include a main course of beef short rib with house-made kimchi and shareable dishes like crispy Long Island duck with hoisin sauce and moo shu pancakes.

Super Bowl Celebrations

Now that the teams are set for the Super Bowl on Feb. 4, Sam’s Beverage Place in East Hampton is taking 25 percent off all football-theme party accessories such as napkins, cups, and plates. 

Indian Wells Tavern in Amagansett will be serving up a complimentary buffet during Super Bowl halftime. Drink specials will include $5 pints of tap beer and $6 well cocktails. The restaurant will also be offering giveaways with a chance to win a flat-screen TV, beach chairs, T-shirts, and $50 gift certificates to Indian Wells Tavern, Bostwick’s Chowder House, and Fierro’s Pizzeria. The event begins at 6 p.m. and the first 50 people through the door will receive a goody bag.  

Also on Super Bowl Sunday, diners at the Springs Tavern on Fort Pond Boulevard will receive a raffle ticket for each food or drink item purchased — prizes will be awarded at the end of each quarter. The restaurant will offer discounts on food and drinks.

O’Murphy’s Specials

O’Murphy’s Restaurant and Pub in Montauk is offering $24.95 dinner specials Sundays through Thursdays (the restaurant is closed Tuesdays). The price includes the soup of the day, a salad, and an entree, plus coffee and dessert.  

Draw and Dine

The latest A Night Out With event — a partnership between the Golden Eagle Studio and Nick and Toni’s restaurant in East Hampton — will take place on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. with a two-hour drawing class (working with a live, fully-clothed model) led by Linda Capello, a figurative artist. The workshop will be followed by a two-course dinner at the restaurant, which is next door. The price is $75 and includes the class, any necessary supplies, plus dinner, tax, and tip. 

Valentine’s Day

The 1770 House in East Hampton will offer a four-course prix-fixe tasting menu on Valentine’s Day. The dinner — featuring entree options such as sea scallops with mushroom and truffle broth and roasted rack of lamb — is priced at $85 per person, excluding beverages, tax, and gratuity. Service will began at 5:30 p.m.

A couple of years ago I was overcome by a major craving for dumplings, like, serious, spicy Szechuan dumplings. The craving would not abate so I started researching where the nearest good Chinese restaurant was. I convinced myself that a three-hour round-trip drive UpIsland was not an unreasonable mission, and then realized that’s nuts! 

I told myself, “You know how to cook, surely you can figure out how to make dumplings.” And with the help of Lucky Peach’s “101 Easy Asian Recipes,” some won-­ton wrappers, and ground pork I did it. The recipe was easy, and it made enough for extra dumplings to be tossed in a Ziploc bag, popped in the freezer, and pulled out at a moment’s notice to impress friends and create a quick meal or substantial appetizer.

This time of year, we have more time and inclination to cook, but the appreciation for thriftiness knows no seasons. Ground meats and fish are marvelous starting points for hearty, versatile, and economical meals. 

Here is a ridiculously long list of ideas from around the world to give you an idea of how many variations and flavors there are. Let’s start with our own clam pie, rustic and old-fashioned. Then there are meatballs, hamburgers, meatloaf, moussaka, shepherd’s pie, pasties, empanadas, tacos, larb, pastitsio, corned beef and red flannel hash, chili, stuffed cabbage, peppers, eggplant, and zucchini, Sloppy Joe’s, brandade de morue (made with dried salt cod), steak and tuna tartare, potted shrimp, conch fritters, pork rillettes, chopped chicken liver, patés, sausage, quenelles, croquettes, picadillo. Shall I go on? 

One well-known San Francisco dish seldom seen outside of the Bay Area is called Joe’s Special. It was invented by an Italian-American in the 1920s and is a garlicky mixture of ground beef and spinach scrambled with eggs and served with toasted sourdough bread. Larb is a tangy, spicy ground chicken dish from Thailand that is served in lettuce cups as a light starter. Remember deviled ham? Not the creepy, fatty, out of the can Underwood variety, but the good, homemade version of chopped ham bound with mayonnaise, mustard, and chopped pickles. This is the perfect way to use up ham scraps. It can be served as an hors d’oeuvre or sandwich filling. Way back in the good old days, you could find this in East Hampton at Dreesen’s Excelsior Market, like way back when they still had sawdust on the floor.

Shepherd’s pie is another old-school dish you don’t see very often anymore. It is a layered dish with ground lamb, some winter vegetables, and a layer of mashed potatoes on top. Made with ground beef, it is known as cottage pie.

Most good markets out here can provide you with ground chicken, veal, pork, and lamb. If you can’t find them, a good butcher may be willing to grind up your meat of choice. You can also do this at home with a food processor.

A lot of ground meat recipes are especially well suited for big crowds, such as chili for a Super Bowl party, or tamale pie made more easily with a boxed cornbread mix.

Cuban picadillo is a versatile dish made with ground beef (or a combination of beef, pork, and chorizo), chopped olives, raisins, and plenty of oregano. This can be used as a filling for empanadas or tacos, served over rice with black beans and fried plantains, or just with a salad.

With a bit more labor but economy still in mind, you can tackle a recipe for fish quenelles, basically little oval dumplings that are poached in stock, then served in a rich sauce. Traditionally made in France with pike, you can make them with many varieties of local fish like fluke, flounder, or monkfish.

Jim Villas, a local cookbook author, 30-year food and wine editor of Town and Country, and all-around delightful gourmand, wrote an entire cookbook dedicated to ground meats and fish, titled “Ground Up.” In his introduction, he describes a conversation shared over champagne with a fellow illustrious East Hamptoner, Craig Claiborne, the cookbook author and longtime food editor of The New York Times. Aware of the many meals around the world that Mr. Claiborne had enjoyed in his lifetime, Mr. Villas asked him to name his absolute all-time favorite meal. Without hesitation, he replied, “anything with ground meat.” 

If economy and ease aren’t enough to convince you of the value of these humble dishes, then surely these words from one of our wisest food icons should be.

Click for recipes

Super Bowl Specials

To help you celebrate the Super Bowl, Smokin’ Wolf in East Hampton is giving away a free 12-pack of beer for every $85 spent on its menu, which features barbecue platters, sandwiches, wraps, salads, and quesadillas. 

If you’re opting for seafood over meat, Stuart’s Seafood in Amagansett is giving a 10-percent discount on cooked lobsters and lobster dinners. Shrimp platters are also available in two sizes: two pounds of large shrimp for $65 or two pounds of medium shrimp for $45. Stuart’s also carries pigs in blankets and other assorted appetizers. The deal is available tomorrow through Sunday. 

The Super Bowl party at Union Cantina in Southampton starts at 5 p.m. on Sunday and features food and drink specials, plus three complimentary raffles. The grand prize is a Friday night cabana at Southampton Social Club with bottle service for 10 people. 

Valentine’s Day

Baron’s Cove in Sag Harbor is offering a three-course prix fixe Valentine’s Day menu for $50 per person. Featured entrees include salmon with sweet potatoes, Swiss chard, and horseradish creme and a flat-iron steak with Brussels sprouts, fingerling potatoes, and smoked butter. If you’re celebrating Valentine’s Day early, the menu will also be available on Sunday, Feb. 11. Reservations are required. 

Pomegranate will be the featured ingredient on the Valentine’s Day menu at Almond in Bridgehampton. The restaurant is offering a special four-course dinner for $75 per person — which is also available on Feb. 10 — in addition to the regular a la carte menu.

Wine Tasting

Park Place Wines in East Hampton will present a series of free wine classes starting on Feb. 14 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. The first class will focus on the differences between French and American cabernets, pinot noirs, and chardonnays. The next class, on Feb. 28, will introduce tasters to the white wines of Germany, Austria, and Alsace. 

Dye and Dine

The featured artist at this week’s A Night Out With event — a collaboration between the Golden Eagle Studio and Nick and Toni’s restaurant in East Hampton — is Traute Worschech, a painter who will teach the art of shibori tie-dyeing (silk scarves will be provided). The workshop takes place on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. at the Golden Eagle on North Main Street in East Hampton and will be followed by a two-course dinner at the restaurant next door. The cost is $75 and includes the class, supplies, dinner, tax, and tip.