You say "chipotole," I say "chipotle," becuase that's how it's pronounced

I used to think Bobby Flay was a cocky jerk. Now I think he's endearing, with overtones of cocky jerkiness. But they don't bother me. Mostly, he's an alpha male and a chef, on top of being a New Yorker. So, it's understandable. As Gretchen Wilson says, "a product of my raisin'." Yee-haw indeed.

I softened on him the more I watched him on various shows on Food Network. Bobby Flay, in case you missed it, is on every show on Food Network. He is a judge on Next Food Network Star, he's an Iron Chef, he does Throwdown, plus his Grill It and Boy Meets Grill. I think he might have a few other random ones thrown in, because I swear he is in a new show whenever I turn around. In addition, he just pops up from time to time in the most unusual places. For example, commercials. He's where's waldo with a santoku.

Setting aside his alpha-maleness, the man certainly knows how to cook. When he's not the only one in front of the camera, he's likable, too. You can tell he actually likes people, which helps quite a bit. Passionate about his stuff but not afraid to be real, too. I can respect that.

What I can't bring myself to accept is his insistence on using the word, "chipotole." It's chipotle! Three syllables! Do not add another, for goodness sake! It's just a jalapeno that's been smoked; the smoking does not add an extra syllable. If you're at all familiar with Bobby Flay, you know that this isn't an occasional problem because the man is obsessed with chillies of various description. It's just fingernails on a chalkboard to me when he says it.

Why the semantic rant? No real reason. We used the adobo from a can of chipotles to marinate a flank steak the other day before grilling. Then we sliced it thinly across the grain, for ease of chewing, and put it on tortillas with red onion, yellow tomato, some fresh cilantro and a smattering of shmear (labled queso fresco for the occasion). It was heavenly and almost embarrassingly simple, considering the taste. The grill and chipotle married the smoky char flavor into the meat, but the fresh tomato kept it from being overpowering. The cilantro lent a wonderful freshness and flavor, and the queso was a creamy and sweet counterpoint. A perfect meal before a night on the town, which is what we did. Fabulous Sister babysat. It's nice to be a grown up, a woman and a wife sometimes without worrying about being a mommy, too. It makes me appreciate Baby Girl that much more.