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http://www.kqed.org/a/forum/R201204171000

Cauliflower Fritters with Yogurt, Early Cucumbers, Mint and Dill Dipping sauce

What you'll need:

1 Head Cauliflower

1 cup Sharp Cheddar cheese

Minced: 

Green Garlic

Parsley

Dill

Mint

Greek Yogurt

Cucumber

2 Beaten Eggs

1 1/2 cups Flour

1/4 cup Milk

Olive Oil

Vegetable Oil

Salt

Pepper

Mix Greek yogurt, 1 tbsp Olive Oil, Chopped Dill, Mint, and Cucumber in a bowl.

Add Salt and Pepper to taste, set aside in fridge. 

Heat Vegetable Oil to 350 degrees, use a candy thermometer, in a heavy bottomed pot 

(we used a dutch oven because it retains a lot of heat)

Roast Cauliflower in the oven at 400 degrees for 10 minutes.

Add All ingredients to a large bowl, add Cauliflower.

Add more flour if batter is liquidy at all, you want it to stick together.

Once Oil is at 350, add a scoop the size of a large spoon of the mixture.  

Fry until golden brown and then set on a plate lined with paper towels.  

Salt.

Dip in Yogurt and enjoy!

Homemade BBQ Sauce

Spring is in the air! What's better than firing up the barbeque and filling that fresh air with wood smoke and the smell of roasting meats? 

Store bought BBQ sauce is often times too sweet for us.  We want BBQ sauce to be tangy enough to stand up to the smokiness from the grill.  

BBQ Chicken Method

Part one: Brine

Start with one whole bird.  Cut it into eight parts.  If you are unsure how to do this ask your butcher to do it for you.  

Make a simple brine.  For this recipe we use 5% salt.  50 grams of salt in 1 liter of water.  There's nothing more American than using the metric system to brine your BBQ chicken.  I also added 20 grams of brown sugar.  Brine the bird for 4-6 hours.  

In the meantime, chuck the bones in a pot of water and make a blonde chicken stock.  

Part 2: Rub

Get out your spice grinder and buzz up some delicious flavors.  Heres what we did (or thereabouts)

1 t cumin

1 t corriander.

6 each allspice

1/4 stick cinnemon

2-3 cloves

1 T black pepper

2 dry New Mexico chiles

Part 3: Sauce

Now that your grill is hot and your bird is brined, dried and rubbed, you better get your sauce workin.  

What follows is a recap of the sauce.  If its too tangy add more sweet ingredients.  Conversely taste with each addition of sweet ingredients so as not to cause diabetes.  

1 cup chopped shallots

4 cloves garlic chopped

1 inch ginger chopped

1/2 cup sherry or cider vinegar

1 cup tomato (can or fresh)

1 T tamarind

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 T maple syrup

2 dry ancho chiles

1/4 cup honey

1 quart blond chicken stock (from above)

Sweat the shallots until they start to color.  Add the tomato and cook it down until it starts to stick.  Add garlic and ginger.  Cook until fragrant.  Add brown sugar and carefully stir until it begins to caramelize.  Deglaze with vinegar.  Add the other ingredients and reduce until thick.    Puree with immersion blender.  

Start  the chicken skin side over a hot grill until crispy.  Coat with sauce and cook over indirect heat until done.  

Put some beer or sangria on ice.  Set up a table outside and enjoy with friends.