INDEPENDENCE EATING Fire up the grill before the fireworks start. CHICAGO-STYLE HOT DOGS 12 large hot dogs (with natural casings, if available) 12 large hot dog buns with poppy seeds Toppings: Yellow or brown mustard, to taste Sweet-pickle relish, to taste Chopped onions, to taste Kosher pickle spears Tomatoes, thinly sliced Serrano or Jalapeno peppers (both canned), sliced, to taste Celery seeds,. to taste Boil, steam or grill hot dogs. Place in buns and layer on the toppings in the order given. Makes 12 servings. FLAVORFUL TURKEY BURGERS WITH RED- AND YELLOW-PEPPER RELISH ANNABEL COHEN Special to the Jewish News I n 1776, the America colonies severed their ties with Great Britain to become the United States of America. Though there are many intricacies and various dates involved to this history (it didn't all happen exactly on the Fourth of July), America's independence — for the better part of two centuries — has been celebrated on this day. America's Independence Day is usually celebrated for nearly a week. You can spy fireworks in the sky at least a few days before the Fourth and a couple of days after. Most people get a work holiday and no doubt grills around the country will be sizzling hot, just waiting for whatever we decide to throw on them. For most of us, "grilling" means burgers and dogs. They're cheap, tasty and, well, tradition. There's no reason to reinvent July 4 fare. After all, what's better than a grilled hot dog? So serve hot dogs, serve hamburgers, serve potato salad and any apple dessert you like best. And for a little twist on summer favorites, try some of the ideas below. The following recipes are easy basics everyone should have in their repertoire. Chicago is famous for its hot dogs piled high with nearly everything under the sun and stuffed into big poppy-seed rolls. And a burger is still a burger if it's made with turkey and served with an inter- esting garnish. Sweet-and-sour red pepper relish is perfect for any grilled meat as well as these burgers. If you like chilidogs, you'll want to try this super and easy-to-prepare hot dog chili made without beans. Basically, it's a throw-together recipe. Though your mother's potato salad may differ from the recipe here, this old-fashioned dish is just plain good. Finish off your meal with a pretty apple-blueberry crisp (the blueberries turn the apples a lovely plum color). There's no crust to worry about and it's simple to serve. Just spoon it up. Find yourself a cool spot in the shade of a giant maple and relax with a plateful of Fourth of July favorites. Chase your meal with something cold and tall and look up. Fireworks start around 9:30. 6/28 2002 90 Burgers: 2 pounds ground turkey 2 T. cold water 2 T. dried parsley flakes 1 T. granulated garlic 2 T. Worcestershire sauce 1/2 t. ground black pepper 1 t. kosher salt, or to taste 8 good-quality onion rolls Relish: 1 cup red bell pepper, chopped 1 cup yellow pepper, chopped 1 cup onion, finely chopped 1/2 cup white vinegar Juice of one lemon 1/3 cup sugar 2 T. red, hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco) 2 t. mustard seeds Kosher salt, to taste Make relish: Combine all ingredi- ents in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat and stir well. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce heat to simmer and cook, covered, for 40 minutes. Let cool to room temperature before chilling, covered, up to two weeks before servings. Makes 8 serv- ings. Make burgers: Combine all burger ingredients and mix well. Chill the mixture, covered, until very cold. Shape the burger mixture into eight "balls." Form the burgers by placing each ball on a 6-inch square of wax paper or parchment paper. Center a dinner plate over the ball and press down until the burger is about 1/2-inch thick (they will shrink when cooked). Place another square of waxed paper over the fin- ished burger and repeat with the remaining balls. Stack the burgers and chill until ready to cook. Heat grill to, medium-high. Spray each turkey burger with nonstick cooking spray (one side only) before placing on the hot grill. Spray the top of the burger with nonstick cooking spray before turning over to cook on the side. Grill for 10 min- utes or until burgers are to your lik- ing. Serve on onion rolls with pepper relish. Makes 8 servings. HOT DOG CHILI 2 pounds ground beef Water 1 cup onion, chopped 1 t. minced garlic 1/4 cup white vinegar 1/2 cup (4 ounces) tomato paste 2 T. sugar 1 T. paprika 2 t. ground cumin 2 T. ground chili powder 1 t. salt 1/4 t. cayenne pepper 1 t. ground black pepper Place beef in a large pot over medi- um-high heat. Add enough water to just cover the meat and bring to a boil. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the meat is cooked through. Use a potato mash- er, hand-blender or fork to crumble the meat in the pot. Add remaining ingredients and bring mixture to a bo il. Reduce heat on the pot and sim- mer, uncovered, for 40 minutes or until the chili is thickened. Alternately, you may cook this Hot Dog Chili in a Crock-Pot or other slow-cooking device. On the High setting, cook for 8 hours. Makes 12 servings. YOUR MOTHER'S POTATO SALAD 3 pounds peeled potatoes (any kind), cut into large chunks 1/4 cup red wine vinegar 1/2-1 cup mayonnaise (regular, lowfat or nonfat) 2 T. yellow or Dijon mustard 6 hard boiled eggs, chopped 1 cup chopped celery 1 cup chopped mild onion (such as Vidalia) 1/2 cup sweet-pickle relish Kosher salt and pepper, to taste 1 cup frozen peas, thawed Paprika and chopped fresh parsley, garnish