"Chiles" news and stories

Along with the jump-start of joe in the morning, throw some chiles in your scrambled eggs. A Mexican breakfast burrito is guaranteed to wipe the sleep from your eyes. Add to the eggs some sauteed green onions, olives, fresh tomatoes and maybe some Monterey Jack or Cheddar cheese. Wrap it all up in a warm tortilla, and serve the burrito, as blogger jeffreyw does, with a side of ancho chile sauce. (Ancho chiles are dried poblanos, and have a mild, sweet flavor with a bit of heat.)

Breakfast burritos can include ham, bacon, vegetables such as spinach and tomatoes -- anything you think marries well with eggs will take the wrap. (Get a recipe here.)

Become a member of the Slashfood Flickr pool for a shot of having your photos featured in Feast Your Eyes.

Each Thursday, we round up a selection of scrumptious links from our friends over at YumSugar. Here's what they've got cooking this week:

• Popular American dishes are born from sea to shining sea.
• Take a sweet peek behind Jacques Torres' chocolate curtain.
• Domino's also shares -- shares TV production secrets, that is.
• South-of-the-border sage says not to fear chiles, then makes mole.
• Cook up these dishes before cherry season is kaput.
• You too can grill green.
• Gobble this burger fit for Michelle Obama.

Pork is a must-have food for the holidays. Heck, it's a must-have meat for the home cook. Below are two pork recipes for those with little time to cook, especially families, during the holiday rush.

This Tex-Mex-inspired dish is the easier of the two and adapted from a recipe by the blogger's mother-in-law, Robin Ringland. Since she doesn't have all day to spend in the kitchen, she gets the dish going first thing in the morning. By the time she returns home beat from the corporate grind, it's practically ready to eat.

Some cooks reach for Sriracha, the ubiquitous Thai hot sauce, in a pinch. Others swear by soy sauce. And then there are those who refuse to reveal (*cough, cough* butter) what made the dish you just demolished delicious. For our part, we've developed a tiny -- OK, midsized -- crush on an infused chili oil, and we need to talk about it.

Sid Wainer & Son's Domaine de Provence pepper-spiked oil is fantastic. A drizzle of the fiery goodness rescues storebought and homemade guacamole alike with a heady, late-blooming heat on the palate. According to owner Henry Wainer, it's also tasty on bruschetta. We plan to carry it on our person all summer -- potentially awkward in the 90-degree swelter -- using guerilla tactics to douse any crustaceans and pork we spy sizzling on the grills of party hosts. (Brooklyn, consider yourself warned.)

Wainer has been equally passionate about the oil since meeting its producer at a dinner in France 18 years ago. Such culinary serendipity, he declares, "enriches the world." Can't argue with that.

After purchasing dried chiles de arbol at the San Angel market, I couldn't wait to make a deliciously spicy and savory salsa. While in Bucerias, my boyfriend and I learned firsthand from Sergio, a chef specializng in Mexican cuisine. The recipe simply includes 11 tomatillos, 15 to 20 chiles de arbol (depending on your desired level of spiciness), quarter of one onion, cilantro, and salt.

The first step involves sautéing the chiles de arbol in olive oil. This releases the juices from the peppers. Afterwards, you will immerse the peppers and tomatillos in a pot of water. Boil these ingredients until the tomatillos are soft - approximately 20 to 25 minutes. While they are boiling, chop a handful of cilantro. Take about one quarter of an onion and slice it. You do not have to worry about finely chopping the cilantro and the size of the sliced onions, because all these ingredients will eventually be placed in a blender.

Once the tomatillos and chiles de arbol are finished boiling, empty most of the water from the pot. Retain some of the water, about an inch. Now, place all the ingredients into the blender. After blending these ingredients, your salsa will be ready to serve. Add salt according to taste. Since, I am a fan of hot salsas, this is one of my favorites. If you prefer a more mild salsa, you should consider decreasing the amount of chiles de arbol or trying a different pepper.