Chili's All Spiced Up

Not that long ago Chili's Restaurant had basically, well, boring food, typical of what you'd find in any chain restaurant.The food was OK, with the typical array of burgers, soups and salads.It's all changed The beloved chain has given itself a spicy shake.The result? Fun, flavorful dishes. I spent lunchtime at the restaurant, excited with the new choices, It's more like it's cousin,the attached Mexican restaurant On The Border. There 's a strong Tex Mex vibe but not so loaded with fajitas and chilis( although those dishes are featured)The kitchen has embraced new food trends like flatbread which is crispy and flavorful.It's served in a long narrow dish.It was a spin on the Margherita pizza, with fresh tomatoes and basil but with the addition of a drizzle of cilantro basil pesto.The other flatbreads have the plus of chicken and avocados.The flatbread was like a crispy cracker with a tangy topping. They have many more burgers, starting with a traditional cheeseburger to burgers loaded with applewood bacon and sauces.Try their chicken quesadillas,.These are laden with chicken and cheese complete with salsa and black beans.There's also a chicken enchilada soup that is like a tasty cheese soup loaded with chicken along with another chicken soup.This is closest to a true Mexican recipe with hominy or maize added along with tortilla strips. Chili's has maintained some of it's American dishes. They still serve thickly cut steaks with a delicate garlic butter along with the traditional broccoli and mashed potatoes.There's also the homey country fried steak with a black pepper gravy along with fresh corn on the cob and mashed potatoes.Another dish that could come straight from a country kitchen is a rack of ribs graced by cinnamon apples and homestyle fries.Luckily Chili's provides lighter fare with salads and fish.The salads are not your typical fare.There's the Caribbean salad, full of fruit and veggies plus chicken along with quesadilla salad that has the addition of extra quesadillas.For those truly watching their weight, Chili's has a mango salsa tilapia,and for really healthy fare, there's salmon with just broccoli and rice.The desserts are pure Chili's , starting with the yummy skillet cookies.Diners can have the choice of the giant chocolate chip or peanut butter cookie, complete with a scoop of vanilla and drizzles of caramel or chocolate.There's also the brownie sundae and a New York cheesecake as well as the very decadent molten chocolate cake that has every decadent plus, from a candy shell to ice cream to gooey chocolate. Go to your neighborhood Chili's.It's livened up with new dishes,from Tex Mex fare to fun desserts.It's far from a boring chain ,restaurant with ho hum fair.It's amped up its dishes with new recipes and ingredients.

Neat Little Meals

One of the best aspects of a summer weekend is that it's anything goes.This includes eating.You can create a neat little meal using your imagination and whatever is around the kitchen and in the fridge.Make what you want.Eat what ypu want.It's just that simple. One of the most fun dishes to whip up is a cream cheese spread.Cream cheese, the real dairy and the soy kind is such a great base for any sort of spread.One of my favorites is a family recipe handed down from my Piedmontese side.It 's taking a whole clove of garlic, mincing it into tiny pieces and adding it to the cream cheese.Also add a small drizzle of extra virgin olive oil along with sea salt and fresh cracked pepper. The soy version is actually easier to work with because it"s softer and creamier.Another cream cheese spread contains chopped green Manzanilla olives. .Just add about a third of a cup of the cut olives and some of the brine.Mix well until thorough Y blended.You can serve these on thin slices of French or Italian bread.I usually like the spread on crackers.A good side is salted grape tomatoes too with the rounds.They're light and filling.Another fun idea is taking tomatoes,garlic and basil ,chopping them up to make a tasty bruschetta.For some variety and weight, you could also throw in any minced Italian cold cut like pancetta, or salame.Another spin is adding tuna or minced cooked shrimp if ypu have them around. Want a more substantial hot meal?Then try soup. You could easily open a can but one bouillon cube, a cup of hot water and a slew of ingredients can create a fun meal without any mess.With the broth you can try, either beef, chicken or vegetable(you could also make these yourself and thaw enough frozen stock for one bowl of soup.Mix one eggs with shredded fresh spinach leaves for a quick stracciatella.Vegetable broth with the addition of a fresh tomatoes, onions along with celery and carrots can serve as an easy made veggie soup..You can also add half a can of corn and half a can of beans too.A cup of rice can also be a great base to any quick summer dinner.Add some beans ,along with sliced grape tomatoes for a quick rice salad.If you have any leftover chicken or beef make quick stir fry in your frying pan.Drop in some snow peas if you have ,them or actually any sliced veggies .Toss in a good dash of soy sauce and voilà, an instant hot meal.If you want a sweet meal, then make French toast.It just takes one beaten egg and two to three slices of any bread or even left over rolls.Have with butter and syrup or jam. It's the weekend.Don't sweat making a meal for yourself.Forage around until you find something you can make a meal out of and enjoy.

The Feasts Of Ferragosto

Today is a holiday throughout Europe,the Ferragosto ,Mostly Italy, Greece and Spain celebrate The Aussumption when the Virgin Mary ascends into heaven.The Italians are the ones who enthusiastically observe the day with masses and, of course, food.The summer holy day is also a culinary holiday, celebrating the best of the harvest of estate, or summer. Both the north and south of the Republic have different dishes.The North offers the truly tasty Vitello tonnato, veal in tuna sauce.This is boned veal that has been marinated in wine overnight and finished with a tuna and anchovy sauce.Some enjoy grilled steak accompanied with pasta and a simple pesto sauce.Cranberry beans ,a pink and white striped bean is also served ,usually in a form of salad.A kind of ratatouille is served.This is a delicious blend of garden fresh onions, eggplant and tomatoes.Potatoes are also added.Parmesan cheese mixed with egg is then added to it to give it body.Another tasty treat that's a great beach snack is stuffed tomatoes.The filling is arborio rice mixed with basil and oregano.Potato wedges are also baked with them, a kind of French fry accompanyer .To end the meal is watermelon or cocomero.Families enjoy chilled slices, perfect foils to the salads and meat dishes.The melon can also be turned into refreshing ice as well or part of a fruit salad too. The Greeks also celebrate the day or as they call it Assumption Day.Every section has a different way of observing the day.The mainland has potatoes, beef stew and potatoes while the islands such as Karpathos ,one of the Dodecanese has seafood feasts..The island of Syros makes a special fish soup known as kakavia.This is a kind of bouillabaisse .Lobster, hake, along with smaller fish is cooked with tomato, olive oil, water and eggplant.along with the staple of Hellenic soups, lemons.Spain also celebrates, usually with families and friends visiting each other.Restaurants and even stores are closed so it's a homemade and home cooked.Grilled sardines are served at many cookouts along with various salads and wines.Some towns celebrate Noche de Vino or Night of Wine The Assumption may be a holy day but it is also a day of celebration and good summer dishes.The day is a great time to enjoy the fruits of the summer harvest with delicious food and drink.It is not only a religious holiday but a culinary one as well.

A Spicy Take On Summer Corn

There's nothing like summer corn.It's sweet yet versatile, pairing with everything from butter to tomatoes.The best part is is that it can be made into any dish.One of the best is a tasty corncake,griddle cooked and topped with fresh from the garden toppings. David Tanis know this and wrote about them in his column ,A City Kitchen in yesterday's New York Times Dining section.Like most of us he prefers his ears of fresh picked and newly shucked slathered with butter and salt. However by now that can grow old.He suggests other recipes to keep up the veggie's appeal.First though, he gives a quick guide to picking the perfect ear.The husk should be a bright green and plump.There should be heft to it.That means that it's mature, with fully formed kernels and ready to take home with you.Cooking it is a matter of choice.You can easily boil it or grill it for a smokier taste.You can even microwave it.This last just requires the corn to be cooked with it's husk on and the silk(those strings that hang from it).One ear only takes three to five minutes to fully cook. Mr. Tanis opts to make corn cakes.These are a nice and tasty alternative to other corn based dishes such as chowder, creamed corn and succotash.He gives it zing with scallion and sliced jalapeño peppers.There's a homeyness to it by the addition of buttermilk and corn meal.This last is a cup and a half to give the griddle cakes a more corn cake like texture and chew.Keep the griddle medium hot to give the cakes a nice crunchy exterior.Mr.Tanis creates a kicky topping that goes well with them.This also can have your garden's or farmer's market's latest harvest.His salsa has bell peppers along with red onions and tomatoes.Lime is added to give it a Mexican vibe along with more chopped jalapenos and cilantro leaves.Sprinkle with quasi fresco, or if you don't have it, mild feta.You could also add ham bits instead of jalapeño to the batter and serve with a good dollop of sour cream or Plain Greek yogurt too for a heartier lunch or dinner. There's nothing like fresh corn to enjoy on a summer's day.However corm cakes, fresh from the griddle is taking it to a whole new level.They're a yummy way to enjoy the best of the warm weather harvest.

Skirt Steak A Grill Alternative

Everyone is probably sick of grilling the usual rib eye by now.Yes it's tasty and it looks pretty charring over coals, but it's the same cut barbecue after barbecue.Home chefs should try another cut,something succulent that's tasty and also relatively inexpensive. This can be found in the humble flank steak.It's the perfect way to get out of those grilling doldrums. Melissa Clark thought this too as she recommended flanks steak today's in New York Times Dining section.Her A Good Appetite column gives some tips about buying the cut as well as a recipe for one.Another plus is a quick sidebar about what wine goes well with it.Flank steak is actually tastier than any other cut however it's not popular.This could be due to it's length.The cuts are longer than the average beef ones, usually flipping over the sides of the frying pan or plate.This can create a lot of frustration as cooks try desperately to get the piece evenly cooked.It comes from a cow's abdominal muscles?It's at it's best when it has a bright red color.Cut the finished flank at a forty five degree angle when serving.Doing such guarantees a tender slice every time.It should be cooked between rare and medium rare.Any longer and you will wind up with a chewy ,tough piece.It also has to be cooked on a grill.An open fire is the best way although you can use a frying pan.It does have to be strikingly hot.Anothervplus is that flanks steaks are less expensive and a value price wise. MOst chefs, both home and professional marinate flank steaks.A good soak is perfect for the almost mineral flavor and loosely knit flesh. In South America where flank steak is the most preferred cut, it's usually cooked with a Chimichurri sauce, a kind of salsa verde made with parsley and basil.Ms Clark gives us a simpler recipe. Hers is with basil and aromatics for color and aromatics and peperoncino or pickled peppers for bite..This is made into a paste which is slathered on the meat before grilling. You can also try a simple oil and vinegar marinade that has an extra kick of soy and honey or just olive oil with some salt and pepper..As for an accompanying wine, Ms Clark recommends a malbec ,a deep red ,almost violet wine, that will stand up to the steak.You could also try a syrah with this or a St Joseph or a Croze Hermitage from the Rhone.To be honest any full bodied red is an exellent go with for flank steak. Flank steak is a nice break away from the usual barbecue fare of rib eyes and T bones.Try it ,coated with a fiery paste or a simple marinade.Either way, it's a succulent, juicy meat, perfect for a summer dinner.

Kitchen Critters

Summer is here and with it visitors.No not relatives who want to camp out in the backyard ,but actual pests. Hot weather draws all sorts, mostly insects. Yet you can keep your cooking and eating areas pest free with being smart as well as using natural methods to get rid of them. One of the most abundant summer pests is the ant.Colonies of them start invading kitchens by March and usually go into hibernation by October or November.It's a common thought that ants will eat anything ,but they will go for sweets long before they'd go for baked goods or meats.They're particularly drawn to jams and honey.It's best to keep these in the fridge until the winter Ants will pass up salty foods so potato chips, pretzels and any other salty snacks can be left out.Ironically cinnamon, long associated with sweet treats that lure ants, acts as a repelllent.Lemon juice is another deterrent as is vinegar .If you don"t mind the mess, you can also draw chalk lines in your doorways.The insects will not cross them.Cockroaches are another problem ,mostly in multiple family dwellings.They , too, head for sweets, however they also are partial to starch and this includes a wide range from potatoes to glue..Fast food is a definite roach magnet.It has everything they like, meat, grease ,sweet and starch.Strangely, depriving them of water is the surest way of killing them.White vinegar also repels them.Some kitchens are plagued by mice. Interestingly enough they would rather have chocolate instead of cheese.It doesn't,t harm them as it does other animals.?Peppermint oil is an excellent all natural deterrent. Mice are put off by the intense aroma. There are many ways to keep your house pest free.One of the methods is keeping all food neatly stored away, whether in the fridge or plastic or glass containers.Target has an excellent selection of plastic canisters that work well for storing cereal, candies or cookies.Also keeping a clean kitchen is always a plus.Constantly wipe up cookie crumbs and throw out candy wrappers as soon as you eat their contents.For added protection , wipe down countertops with either lemon juice or white vinegar on a weekly or bi weekly basis.Get in the habit of storing everything in the refrigerator during this time. To be honest food actually tastes better when it's chilled during the summer months.Another good habit to get into is rinsing plates, bowls, and utensils before leaving them in the sink.As many as twenty or thirty ants will flock to a cake crumb or even a drop of honey.Pantries should also be checked, and be reserved for canned goods or goods put into seal tight canisters. Don't let your kitchen become a summer hangout or vacay destination for pests.Keep your cooking and eating area tidy.It's the best way not to attract unattractive dinner guests.

A Quest For Healthy Snacking

Snacking is never easy.If we indulge in some sinful or tasty, then there's the guilt of eating mixed with the extra calories and fat.If we eat healthy, we have to give up flavor for something that tastes like cardboard.Luckily there's a new chip that's not only good for you but really flavorful as well. The munchie that promises everything from taste to benefits is Quest Protein Chips.This is a brand new snack.The company is known for their,good for you candies and even pasta.Each bag has twenty one grams of protein.It is low in carbs making it an excellent snack for both mid afternoon and late night. Another plus is that they are low calories too with each 32 gram bag being 120 calories.A huge benefit is that they are gluten free so anyone with gluten allergies can use these instead of crackers.Protein blend and protein isolate are also included in the recipe as well making them a tad more nutritious than the average potato chip or Pringles chip.There are three flavors, sea salt, barbecue and cheddar and sour cream. The big question is are they tasty? Most good for you snacks aren't however Quest chips is just the opposite.The sea salt flavor is pleasantly salty, has a nice cracker like texture and would work well with hummus or a veggie dip.The cheddar and sour cream is cheesy more than sour cream.I can see this crushed as a coating for fried chicken (which kind of defeats it's purpose)"The barbecue flavor has a nice ,sweet and smoky tang in the taste.Again use this too as a coating for fried or even barbecued chicken..The chips come in smaller packs ,ideal for lunch boxes and brown bags?Hopefully, there will be more flavors in the future along with Quest coming out with a line of protein enhanced pretzels, popcorn and popcorn chips. Quest Protein Chips are the ideal snack for those who want both taste and quality.Have them as a mid afternoon pick me up or a late night snack.They are the best treat for you .