Point of Inspiration

I'm a kind of "Go With the Flow" kinda guy.

Well, not so much in life.

Perhaps in the kitchen.

Actually, I think my friends would probably tell you that I am quite bossy in the kitchen and a bit of a control freak.  My students would probably tell you the same.

But with a recipe, I kind of look at it as a jumping off point: a source of inspiration for some culinary play.  Last summer my friend and I were trying to be "good" about what we ate, and, as a result, I was trolling the interweb searching for healthy recipes with substance.  I found a FABU recipe for Hoisin Chicken with Cucumber Salad. 

I have since used this marinade for pork and sauce for grilled salmon, but I am constantly playing around with the ingredients:  using less garlic, adding Dijon mustard, using Thai chili paste instead of jalapeños, adding a ton of cilantro, using red wine vinegar.  You get the idea.  And it would always come out really tasty, but I would usually have a goodly bit left over (about 1/4 cup).

What to do with this extra deliciousness?

I know!  Add two additional teaspoons of rice wine vinegar and whisk in some olive oil and *VI-OH-LAY* you have a tasty vinaigrette perfect for hardy, bitter, greens.

Play wit-cho-food!

Bitter radicchio, radishes, and spicy wasabi peas play famously off the sweetness of this plumby vinaigrette!