Ghost Chilis are (supposedly, arguably, possibly) the hottest pepper in the world. In 2007 The Guiness Book of World Records deemed them 401.5 times hotter than Tabasco sauce. Since then, the Naga Viper Pepper, Infinity Chilli, and the Trinidad Scorpion Butch T Pepper have been bred to (supposedly, arguably, possibly) surpass the ghost pepper on the Scoville scale, which (supposedly, arguably, possibly) measures the heat level in chili peppers.

Not that the semantics matter when you taste one– because they are hot. Damn hot. Too hot for me (supposedly, arguably, possibly). But that doesn't mean I can't find a way to cook with them. Take this Flatiron Steak Sandwich With Cucumber, Ginger Relish & Ghost Chili Aioli. I took a great sandwich recipe from Tom Colicchio and adapted to include this Ghost Chili Aioli.

I have been wanting to do something with Ghost Chilis for about a year. You see Marx Foods sent me some dried Ghost Chili samples and they have sat in my pantry this past year zinging me with the promise of a heat so hot as to be (supposedly, arguably, possibly) inedible.

Inedible. Heat so Hot. Those are fightin' words in my house. I'll eat anything, and I'll scar my tongue just to prove it if I have too.

Melon with Blackberry Sauce & Pistachios.

Is that really a salad? Well I wittily titled this series "Summer Salads and Some Aren't". Get it? Some are some are not! That's clever writing, huh?

But clever writing or not I still think it's a salad. In fact I'd call it a breakfast salad. Perhaps a new culinary category– but delicious nonetheless. Hey! This could even be a dessert salad...

Okay, so now we have determined that this is indeed a salad. But not all salads need a vinaigrette. Some salads are sauced. In the case of this melon and blackberry salad the dressing is simply blackberries with some lemon juice and a bit of sugar. I infused the sauce with some fresh lemon verbena leaves as well. I think the herbal quality makes this sauce more suited to a sophisticated salad than a banana split sundae.

You could use any melon you like in this salad. You could even mix your melons (now I'm blushing). I chose galia, a green fleshed musk melon that is super sweet this time of year. I made mine into perfectly shaped little melon balls (blushing again) but slices or chunks taste just as delicious.

Crunch is a texture all salads need in some measure. I made that point yesterday when I introduced this week long series of Summer Salads. I also explained exactly what a salad was in my mind. This salad gets its crunch from pistachios. Besides the green color works so well with the melon flesh (now you're blushing).

Home Fries are crisp pan-fried potatoes. Home Fries are a simple and familiar bit of comfort. Home Fries make people smile because they feel like home. They make the whole house smell good too. (CLICK here for my Home Fries recipe)

Well I have a new home and new family I’d like to tell you about. It’s an online family and we are called HomeFries.

Our mom is Joy the Baker and our dad is Michael Friedman an Emmy Award winning writer and producer. I’ve got a slew of girl cousins Tsh (Simple Mom), Tracy (Shutterbean), Whitney (Brunellos Have More Fun) and Christina (Wine with Christina).

But I am mostly here to tell you what me and my HomeFries little brothers are up to. Andy (@windattack), Nathan (The Chocolate of Meats) and I get together and dish out entertaining tidbits about entertaining! We don’t mind if you eavesdrop either– because this family is a family of podcasts.

Our podcast is called The Table Set. We talk about parties. Your parties, our parties– parties we’ve been to. Parties we’d like to throw. Parties you want. Parties you need. Whether it’s a pool party in the kitchen or something a bit more chic. It’s our job to get you over the stress and into the swing of things. Because ultimately entertaining is just another way to express yourself. So loosen up with us. Listen and enjoy. Because this party is just getting started.

Gallo Pinto. Rice and Beans– Tico style, the breakfast of champions.

I'm in Costa Rica. I have actually been here a few days. But I wanted to get my local groove on before I posted about my experience. But I am ready to start this Costa Rican travel adventure and what better way to start than with breakfast. In Costa Rica, comida tipica includes rice and beans. They are a staple. They often make the plate three times a day, at breakfast, lunch and dinner.

But it's breakfast where Gallo Pinto reigns supreme and is Costa Rica’s favorite way to start the day. Costa Rican food usually consists of a combination of rice, beans, meat, and vegetables. The typical Costa Rican breakfast exemplifies what comida tipica is all about. Most families in Costa Rica eat a full serving of Gallo Pinto every morning before heading off to their daily activities, sometimes eggs, toast, tortillas and plantains are included. Most tourists have it at least once during their stay. Maniacs like me have it every day because I wanted to come up with my own version.