Thai-Coconut Chicken wings W/ Peanut sauce
Marinade:
2 cups coconut milk
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons crushed garlic
2 teaspoons ground turmeric
2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon ground galangal (or 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger)
1 tablespoon kosher salt
20 chicken wings, jointed
Thai Peanut Sauce, recipe follows

To make the marinade: using a food processor, grind the ingredients into a paste the consistency of thin yogurt. Reserve small amount for basting and transfer the remaining marinade to a glass bowl. Add the cleaned and trimmed chicken wings. Toss liberally, cover with plastic wrap, and marinate in the refrigerator overnight.

To grill the wings, shake off the excess marinade and grill the wings over medium heat for approximately 5 minutes per side, or until crispy. Brush them frequently with the reserved marinade, and be careful not to burn the wing tips. The wings should have a crispy texture with a deep mahogany color when done.

Serve with the Thai Peanut Sauce.

Thai Peanut Sauce:
1/2 cup unsalted roasted peanuts
1 tablespoon peanut oil, plus more to taste
2 fresh Thai chiles or other small chiles
1 1/2-inch-thick slice fresh ginger
4 garlic cloves
1/3 cup canned unsweetened coconut milk
2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
4 teaspoons fish sauce
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
Pinch salt (add to taste, as fish sauce can be very salty)
1/2 cup finely minced cilantro leaves and stems

To make the peanut sauce, add the peanuts along with the peanut oil to a food processor. Blend, on high, until the peanuts form a rough paste.

Add the rest of the ingredients except for the cilantro; blend until smooth. Stir in the cilantro and thin with peanut oil to taste.
Yield: 1 cup

Honey Fried Chicken Wings
chicken wings
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
Vegetable oil, for frying
1 cup hot pepper sauce
1/2 cup honey
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
Blue cheese or ranch dressing, for serving

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or nonstick aluminum foil.

To prepare chicken wings, cut off wing tips at the joint and discard the tips or reserve for another use. In a large bowl, combine flour, garlic powder, Essence, salt, and white pepper. Dredge the wings in the flour mixture, shaking off the excess and let set on a plate.

In a large, deep-sided pot, heat several inches of vegetable oil to 350 degrees F. When the oil is heated, dredge the wings a second time, again shaking off the excess.

Deep-fry the wings until crispy and golden brown, about 12 minutes.

While wings are frying, mix the hot sauce, honey, and brown sugar in a large bowl until mixture is smooth. Remove the wings from the oil, pat dry and then dip in the hot sauce mixture to coat. Lay the wings on the baking sheet. Bake coated wings until the sauce is dry, about 12 minutes. Serve hot with blue cheese or ranch dressing.

Buffalo style chicken wings

2 1/2 pounds chicken wings, tips removed and cut in half at joint, rinsed and wiped dry
1/2 cup red hot pepper sauce
1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 cups vegetable oil, for frying
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon Essence, recipe follows

Blue Cheese Dipping Sauce, recipe follows

In a large shallow, non-reactive bowl combine the chicken, hot sauce, pepper, and salt, and toss well to combine. Cover the chicken with plastic wrap, refrigerate, and let marinate, for at least 1 hour, and up to 3 hours.

In a heavy pot, heat the oil to 360 degrees F.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour and 2 tablespoons Essence.

Remove the chicken from the marinade and add to the flour 1 at a time, tossing to coat evenly.

Add the chicken in 2 batches to the hot oil and cook, turning occasionally, until brown on all sides and cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove the chicken wings from the fryer with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

Ultimate Layer dip
2 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1(15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups low-fat shredded Cheddar
2 ripe avocados, preferably Hass
1 jalapeno, stemmed, finely chopped, (with seeds for more heat)
2 cups chopped romaine lettuce
1 1/2 cups nonfat yogurt, preferably Greek
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, leaves and some stems, roughly chopped, plus more for garnish
3 ripe medium tomatoes, diced
5 scallions (white and green), thinly sliced

Baked tortilla chips, for dipping
On a cutting board, smash the garlic cloves, sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of the salt, and, with the flat side of a large knife, mash and smear the mixture to a coarse paste. Put the garlic, beans, chili powder, water, and olive oil in the bowl of a food processor and blend until smooth.

Spread in the bottom of a 2 quart casserole or gratin dish, or in individual sized dishes, as desired.

Scatter the cheese over the beans. Halve and seed the avocados, then mash with the jalapeno and another teaspoon of salt in a small bowl.

Spread a layer of the avocado over the cheese, and then scatter the lettuce on top.

Mix the yogurt with the cilantro and then spread over the lettuce. Add a layer of tomatoes and finally scatter the scallions on top. Chill until ready to serve. Garnish with a few cilantro sprigs and serve with baked chips.