With potato chips, you can go in a few different directions -- thick, plain potato chips with dip; skip the dip and serve flavored potato chips; or get all kinds of flavor-crazy and serve flavored potato chips with dip!

I am fickle when it comes to potato chips, so I actually do need to have several different options available. Sometimes I love those horrible Lay's potato chips that are nothing more than pieces of potato paper, but most of the time, I love thick, hard, crunchy kettle-cooked potato chips with an obscene scoop of French Onion Dip. You can make it from scratch, but I have to confess that I have a soft spot for the French Onion Dip made from dried soup mix and sour cream.

Frito Lay is releasing a new version of its popular Tostitos tortilla chips: Multigrain Tostitos. The new chips are made with four whole grains, including corn, oat, buckwheat and wheat, contain no trans fats and little saturated fat. When compared to the classic Restaurant Style Tostitos, which are made with whole, white corn, the Multigrain have 65mg of potassium and more dietary fiber, though they actually contain slightly less calcium. The fat and calorie counts are very similar.

A nuttier, multigrain taste will probably enable the new chips to compete with crackers as a dipable snack food, good for things like cheese spreads and hummus. The regular corn tortilla chips will still be tops for salsa, though, since there isn't enough nutritional benefit to be gained from making a switch to give up that classic taste.

Fruit salsas are not the on culinary cutting edge as they were only a few years ago, but they are as popular as ever. Instead of being found topping lightly grilled fishes and elaborately stacked entrees at high end restaurants, they are on supermarket shelves and being whipped up in homes. They provide a great alternative to the more ordinary tomato based salsas, with added variations and flavors. The fruits provide a sweetness that really livens up the dip and tempers the heat of the peppers. Trader Joe’s Roasted Peach salsa is a current favorite of mine. It is smoky, sweet and has a definite kick to it. Soft-firm fruits, like peaches, mangos, papayas and avocados typically make the best choices for salsas, as they hold up well and have strong enough flavors to compliment other spices, without overwhelming them or being overwhelmed. The salsas are great for dipping tortilla chips, pita chips and veggies and would be well received at any party (football, anyone?). They can also be mixed into a salad as a spicy alternative to regular dressings.

[Photo by Nicole Weston]