IT’S NOT what you think it is. Ultimate Dynamite is not as spicy as the name implies. It’s just a hefty snack or starter made from cheese, ham and long green chili, and coated with honey mustard sauce.

The chili adds a kick to the snack, but it won’t explode in your mouth. It’s actually the creaminess of the cheese that stands out in every bite.

The chili is delicately cut lengthwise, its seeds scraped and the pith taken out, then stuffed with grated cheese and ham. It’s then rolled several times in cornstarch, egg and breadcrumbs, and fried till golden brown.

The crisp coating provides the perfect complement to the succulent ham and cheese underneath.

“But, if you like it really hot, you can leave the seeds inside the chili,” says Dorothy Melencion, a foodie and weekend-market food seller (tel. 09326331277). “Just make sure you leave the stem of the chili uncovered, sticking out at one end, for decorative purposes only.”

Ingredients:

1 square sweet ham, sliced into strips

1 cup cheddar cheese, grated

2 eggs, beaten

4 pieces long green chili (siling haba),

seeded

½ c cornstarch

bread crumbs

oil

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