I'm still recovering from last night's epic Little María mash-up at Little Sparrow in which Taco María chef Carlos Salgado and Little Sparrow head Eric Samaniego teamed up for the finest French-Mex collaboration since the vals at a quinceañera. Following Samaniego's Santa Ana Certified Farmers Market pop-up last month, and Visalia's best product is on a roll with his magnificent cuisine.
And yet the dish that he's impressed me the most with is something downright austere: roasted cauliflower salad.
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This is it: roasted cauliflower, pickled red onions, and vadouvan, which is essentially a French take on a masala. What seems like a mishmash of leftovers turns into something refreshing and filling, yet with nuance: the slight heat of the vadouvan, the tartness of pickled red onions, and cauliflower's creamy allure. It's supposed to be a warm-up, but Samaniego's roasted cauliflower salad can make a meal unto its own. Besides, you should gorge on this to cleanse yourself for his next epic feast…
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