Salad to Go with Barbecue

"The reason we should eat our vegetables isn't because they're good for us. We should be eating them because they are damned delicious." René Redzepi, chef/owner of Noma in Norway, called by many the world's finest.

The Science of Slaw. Slaw is slaw, right? Wrong! Cole slaw is the world's best salad. Crunchy, juicy, refreshing with bright sweet/sour/salty/savory flavors, it kicks the butissimo of any wimpy limpy lettuce leaf salad. But more important, slaw is the perfect accompaniment for barbecue. There are scores of great slaw recipes with a wide variety of ingredients, and each recipe can be prepared with a wide variety of techniques. They are easy to make, but like anything else, there are secrets that separate everyday from holiday slaw. Here are some tips on technique to make your salad slawsome.

Thai Cucumber Salad. One of the simple pleasures of dining in a Thai restaurant is the lovely delicate cucumber salad they serve as an appetizer. The delicate piquance of the mild rice vinegar is a great counter-point to the sweetness of a classic Kansas City sauce. And the best part is that, unlike so many other cucumber salads, there is no oil in this recipe!