an ode to the jalapeño

How I love thee, let me count the ways.

Happy Cinco de Mayo, amigos! ¡Felicidades!

In honor of today's events (aka, just another reason down here in Texas for us to drink margaritas and eat a bowl of chips and queso out on a sunny patio with friends), I thought I'd focus on my favorite pepper (technically, a fruit!) -- the jalapeño pepper.

The thing that's great about the jalapeño is the level of heat -- not too much, not too little -- total Goldilocks.

I honestly can't go more than a few days without eating a jalapeño. Most of the time, the green goddess finds herself on my plate at breakfast time on a taco, or a burger, or sliced and wedged in a bagel with a schmear of cream cheese.

Down here in the Lone Star State, the jalapeño possibilities are endless. You can order a jalapeño margarita (made from the oils/essence of the [boiled] pepper, mixed with a simple syrup and traditional margarita ingredients) -- a perfect blend. And you can't beat jalapeño jelly on cream cheese & crackers -- a perfect and quick appetizer. We grill 'em all the time in the back yard at most festivities, stuffed with cheese, shrimp and bacon. Williams-Sonoma makes the perfect accessory.

So again, Happy Cinco de Mayo, my hot little pepper. Thanks for adding so much spice to my life.