When I think of the 4th of July I automatically think of three things, fireworks of course, hamburgers and hot dogs. All three are very iconic of the holiday celebrating the birth of our nation and of America itself. All thing considered I wanted to offer a truly kick ass 4th of July that featured classic summer cookout fare with my own twist.

Being the cooking fanatic that I am, I wanted to create new and even better twist on iconic dishes for this menu but then I started thinking. Why not highlight some of the previous popular post featuring recipes that would easily fit into any 4 of July menu?

You may have seen a few of these before, but maybe you have not considered working them all together into a single menu. Don’t worry. We will be sharing new adventures in spicy bold cooking in up coming post but for now let’s all enjoy a Kick Ass 4th of July. America… F’ Yea!

Demon’s Eye Deviled Eggs

I worked this recipe up a few Thanksgiving’s back and whenever there is a party I am commanded to make them. They feature Sriracha sauce which really sets them off. Make more than you think will be eaten. Trust me on this. Out of this world and definitely Kick Ass!

OMG Burgers

A recent discovery of making burgers with a mixture of skirt steak and rib eye was the basis of the OMG burger. Fixings include lettuce, tomato, applewood smoked bacon and gorgonzola cheese with toppings of chipotle aioli (1/2 cup mayo with 1 minced chipotle in adobo and a squeeze of lemon) and roasted red pepper ketchup (roasted red peppers, pureed with ketchup). These burgers will blow your freaking mind!

Real French Bistro Fries

Would you like fries with that? Of course you would. What is a burger without fries, right? If you have frequented this site then you know all about making “real” French fries. It takes a few more steps than simply popping frozen fries in the oven but the effort is most definitely worth it. And it’s better for you, I think.

Creole Mustard Potato Salad

Since you got the grill going might as well crisp up some red potatoes and dress them with this spicy rustic mixture. If you can’t find Creole mustard (Zatarain’s® is the only I know of) you can make your own. The process is too long to go into here, just Google it. Oh, and this potato salad, especially if you have the Zatarain’s®, is very Kick Ass!

Grilled Corn on the Cob

Of course we would have corn on the cob. Keep the husk on but remove the silk and soak them for 30 minutes in water. Throw them on the grill until done then top with salt and any of the following compound butters. Chipotle Chile & Lime Butter, Serrano Butter, Roasted Red Pepper Butter, Basil Butter.

Bacon Ice Cream

Yep. Only in America would someone combine bacon and ice cream. This is what makes our country so great. The right for the pursuit of happiness. God Bless Americaaa!

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY EVERYONE! F’ YEA!

Yes, Chili Cheese Fries Porn. Simply the most alluring photography of the good stuff found on the net. Either this post will reaffirm your love and desire for the messy, gloopy, goodness or you will never go there again. Hey, one man’s heart attack on a plate is another man’s nirvana.

Maybe you are already well into BBQ season and have been grilling for several weeks, but like most you probably still have your trusty Weber Kettle covered. Yes, it may require a little work to get your grill back into shape (removing rust, insects, dust and dirt) so maybe you have been putting it off. If you are still dragging your feet we give you ChiliCheeseFries. Net’s…

TOP 10 REASONS TO FIRE UP YOUR GRILL THIS WEEKEND! (Weather permitting of course.)

Not and easy task to review nearly two years worth of recipes (most of which involve grilling) and conclude a top 10 list. While other excluded recipes may have been more popular, we feel these represent the truest form of fast cooking foods over an open flame. We left out smoking and traditional BBQ’ing because well while we love them equally, they just aren’t grilling. We will reserves those for another post on another day.

Number 10: Great Grilled Veggies!

That’s right, I said veggies. You remember those green, white and red things that your mom said you always needed to eat. Turns out they are very edible when grilled. Maybe not as healthy as steaming them but come one, at least you are not frying them.

Number 9: The Hammy Burger!

This was my very first post back in 2008 in which I combined ground pork and beef for a unique texture and extra juiciness. But frankly any burger (when grilled correctly) is a great reason to wheel the old grill out into the sunlight.

Number 8: Prosciutto Wrapped Grilled Wasabi Tuna!

An adaptation of a recipe from Chef Mark Griffin, this will hijack your mouth with a wonderful marriage of the salty prosciutto, spicy wasabi and the creamy texture of the seared tuna. Looks fancy but only the prep is mildly time consuming. After that it’s a quick fire dish.

Number 7: Jalapeno & Tequila Marinated Skirt Steak!

Oh just think about it. Skirt steak marinated in tequila and minced jalapeno, overnight. Then grilled quick then sliced on a diagonal. Juicy, hot and just a bit sweet. Pile this meat on a tortilla or directly into your mouth quickly.

Number 6: Grilled Pork Loin with Mango Salsa!

This is kind of a signature dish for me. It came out of one of those episodes totally experimental episodes and it really bowls people over. Along with the pork and mango, a ponzu reduction is ladled on top just before serving.

Number 5: Grilled Dr. Pepper Chicken Wings!

Born out of the ever popular Fried Dr. Pepper Ribs recipes we offered up last year, the same sauce on grilled chicken wings was an instance success. Again, after the prep, you can bang these out with ease.

Number 4: Grilled injected Rib-eyes!

I am a bit surprised that rib-eye steak came in at number 4 and not higher up on the list. Especially since I have a lot of say so around here and rib-eye steaks happen to be my favorite. Inject them with cordials and other spices and look out. I guess the 4th place placing says a lot for the top 3.

Number 3: Planked Orange Glazed Salmon!

Cedar plank to be exact but you can use other hard woods such as alder. Just about anything can be planked. The process imparts a much more subtle smoky overtone to grilled meats and veggies than traditional smoking does, which makes it perfect for delicate fish and shellfish as well as fast cooking chops and steak.

Number 2: Grilled Split Whole Chicken!

I know this doesn’t sound that sexy or maybe not sexy enough to be ranked 2nd. Well I guess it is all in how you look at it. I like to grill these up 2 at a time and fill everyone’s bellies. They are easy and simple and frankly taste wonderful. You may not think they are extremely sexy but you will immediately fall in love with them.

Number 1: Grilled Lobster with Clementine Butter!

What can I say about grilled lobster rubbed with vanilla bean and marinated for an hour. Then served with a melted compound butter of cream, white wine and Clementine juice. Bet you didn’t know your grill could do that.

Well there you have it. CCF’s Top 10 Reasons to Fire Up Your Grill This Weekend. Now get out there and knocked dust off of that cover and get to grilling.

2009 is almost over and this year is going out with a fizzle as far as Chili Cheese Fries is concerned. My day job kept me on the road for most of the past 2 months so I wasn’t able to share much in terms of holiday cooking. But hey so many people are unemployed so I am not complaining.

But then there was the White Screen of Death. What is that you ask? It’s when the blog suffers an error that causes every page to be served blank. Nothing. Just a white screen. Well it took me all of a week to fix it. What a mess.

Anyway let’s focus on more positive thoughts by reminiscing about some of the better posts from the year. Here are the most popular post meaning that you guys read, commented on and shared these the most in 2009. Looking back it is hard to believe I ate all of this. I mean this is a lot of food! OK, New Years resolution time. Loose 15!

1. Fried Dr Pepper Ribs
Easily the most popular recipe and the most controversial as several of you took issue with cooking with HFC’s

2. Chili Cheese Fries Revisited
Each year I try to be creative and offer up a recipe to pay homage to the blogs namesake. You guys seemed to like this one.

3. Ultimate Baked Mac ‘n’ Cheese with Jalapeno
Killer. Probably received the most email on this from people saying they made it and flipped over the taste.

4. Kentucky Beer Cheese Toast
This was kind of an afterthought post near the time of the Kentucky Derby. It got a lot of views

5. Buffalo Chicken Pizza
I mean combine two of the best things in the world, pizza and buffalo chicken and you got a winner

6. “The John Daly”
A cocktail made from sweet tea vodka and lemonade. Kind of a play on the Arnold Palmer. But now I understand Mr. Daly has straightened up his act. Oh well it’s still a damn good drink for the rest of us lushes.

7. Planked Orange Glazed Salmon
I think the photo spoke to a lot of you. The salmon on that plank looked so scrumpty dumpty I just wanted to chomp it down. Oh wait, I did.

8. Cajun Crawfish Etouffee
This is the only Cajun / Creole dish to make it into the top ten. Note to self, post fewer Cajun / Creole recipes. Just Kidding, you guys have to suffer through my endless babbling about the crescent city. Go Saints!

9. Jack Daniels® BBQ Rib Tips
I like ribs, I like Jack Daniels. Hey I have an idea! Let’s put them together and cook up some fantastic eats! You guys must enjoy the same things I do since this recipe made it in the top 10.

10. Chicken & Rice Soup with Chile & Lime
This is a surprise mainly because it is a soup. The sides, soups and salads usually do not get a lot of attention from you guys because they really aren’t sexy like say lobster tails are sexy. With all that said it is a great soup and rounds out or top 10.

Please stay tuned for more food and fun and remember to send me any suggestions, request, questions anything you would like me to covered in future post.

Oh, and HAPPY NEW YEAR everyone!