American

Watermelon, cucumber and mint are great summer flavors. Jalapenos add a little fire to this refreshing salad. Just a little fire though.

Roasted pumpkin and squash seeds are a fantastic Autumn treat.  They're the byproduct of other recipes and are often overlooked.  There are countless uses for them but my favorite recipe is the simplest.

This is one of the best chile recipes I've ever made.  Guajillo, puya and cascabel chiles make a rich mildly spicy sauce for the tender cubed flank steak while wild tepin chiles add some fire.  I opted for no beans in this Texas Red style chili which is my personal favorite.

Pureed ancho chiles give the beef incredible flavor, a deep dark color and loads of moisture.  When I was putting my burger together I decided to make it absolutely obscene by using two half pound patties, four slices of monterey jack and I topped it with homemade ketchup.  It still seemed like it needed something so I put two armadillo eggs on top.

Here's a spicy recipe for a classic that everyone loves - jalapeno poppers.  These poppers are filled with monterey jack, and cream cheese but the crunchy panko crust separates them from the norm.  The jalapenos mellow a whole bunch when you cook 'em up but they're so good.

These are obviously more work than the kind you take out of the freezer and toss into the oven but they're worth it.  Besides, it's only 25 minutes of prep time.  So let's do it!

Ghost Peppers (aka Bhut Jolokia, Naga Jolokia) make this the hottest, spiciest grilled cheese sandwich I've ever eaten.  The creamy goat cheese mellows the heat of the Ghost Pepper a little but not by much.  The Parmesan crusted bread and red onion add a bit of salt and sweet.  I even threw in a few Parmesan crisps for good measure.

These are not your everyday pecan turtles.  There isn't anything unusual about the pecans or chocolate in these candies but the caramel packs some punch.  You might be surprised at how well the nuts and chocolate mellow the fiery caramel.  If you doubt your ability to handle the heat then just use one habanero the first time around.

Acorn squash pie has similar textures and flavors to pumpkin pie but it has a slightly different color.  The pie filling is very lightly sweetened with honey.  The pie is garnished with a mildly spicy walnut streusel and honey sweetened whipped cream.

Have you ever wondered about making your own ketchup from scratch?  Well, I did.  I realized how "monotone" the bottled stuff is when I tasted this scratch made spicy ketchup.  All of the flavors are very distinct and it contains no high fructose corn syrup or any substance called "flavoring."

I prefer yuca fries over potato fries anyday.  I like them so much, in fact, that I decided to make my regular yuca fries healthier by baking them.  Although the fried version has a slightly crispier surface, baked yuca fries are surprisingly similar and whole lot easier to make.

Creamy southwestern butternut squash bisque brings in some flavors of Autumn with a twist.  This is truly a lazy day dish since it's super easy.  I took a shortcut by garnishing with root vegetable chips rather than making my own but that doesn't make this dish any less comforting.

Caramel apples shout "Autumn" as loudly as the change in the color of leaves, apple cider, honey and pumpkin pie.  The habaneros in this spicy recipe for caramel apples leave a distinct habanero flavor but they might make it more of a trick than a treat for someone who isn't expecting the apple to bite back.  They are delicious but they certainly pack some heat.

Roasted carrots with ginger, hot pepper and a little honey to balance out the tartness of the lime juice.  It's the time for root vegetables and carrots are everyone's favorite.  Well, they're my favorite especially with a little spicy edge.

Macaroni and cheese is just as American as apple pie and almost as old as America itself.  This slightly spicy recipe is a spin on the old classic.  The jalapenos add just a touch of heat to this very mildly spicy recipe.  The sage and thyme go surprisingly well with the chiles while sharp cheddar, goat cheese and parmesan add a rich depth and offset the heat of the peppers.