NEW YORK —

“Iron Man” isn’t the only superhero to visit the Middle East this summer. Milo Ventimiglia, who plays power-absorbing Peter Petrelli on NBC’s “Heroes,” traveled to the region last week as part of a USO tour of U.S. bases in Iraq, Afghanistan and Kuwait.

He met many soldiers who were familiar with his show, and had strong opinions about his character’s nemesis, Sylar (played diabolically by Zachary Quinto).

“When I was over in Iraq and Afghanistan, a lot of soldiers were like, `Dude, will you just kill Sylar already? Will you just get rid of him?’” Ventimiglia told The Associated Press during a telephone interview this week. “And I’m like, `Man, I don’t know if you’re gonna want that just yet. I think you’re going to be very surprised as to what happens.’”

NBC-released video teasers for the series’ third season, premiering Sept. 22, promote the theme of the next “Heroes” chapter, titled “Villains.” In one clip, these ominous words pop up: “Good will battle evil. Because in every hero, there could be a villain.”

In that case, could Peter - one of the so-called good guys - wind up swapping places with Sylar?

Ventimiglia said he wouldn’t disagree with that theory. He also said Volume Three will be “so good” - a step in the right direction from season two, which was criticized heavily by fans for its draggy plotlines, among other complaints.

“I’m a tough critic,” Ventimiglia said. “The first season, I remember the producers would come up to me … after we’d all watch an episode, and they’d say, sort of, `What do you think?’ And I’d either hem or haw or say it was good or not. They kinda won me this year. The scripts are great, the feeling on set is nothing but fun. I mean, we’re really just doing some good work that I’m very proud of.”

The 31-year-old actor said returning to Los Angeles - and to work on “Heroes” - feels surreal after his weeklong USO tour. His travel compantions included NFL players Drew Brees, Osi Umenyiora and two Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders.

Blinded by the football star power, some soldiers would “look at me like I was an AP photographer because I was carrying around this gigantic camera with me all the time,” joked Ventimiglia, who snapped a “bunch of great shots” during his trip.

Naporitan is a simple spaghetti dish popular in Japan. It’s one of "yoshoku" dishes which are Japanized Western foods alongside "hanbaagu" and "omurice". Because of its sweet taste, spaghetti naporitan is popular among Japanese kids and is sometimes put in bento lunch boxes. For adults, add some tabasco sauce as needed. Ingredients:7 oz. spaghetti1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced1/2 small onion, thinly sliced1/4 lb sausage or ham, sliced 1/3 cup ketchup2 tsp butter2 tsp vegetable oilsalt and pepper to seasonPreparation: Put about 8 cups of water in a large pot and add 2 Tbsp of salt. Bring to a boil on high heat and cook spaghetti according to package directions. Meanwhile, heat vegetable oil in a large skillet and stir-fry onion, bell pepper, and sausage on medium heat until softened. Season with salt and pepper. Add drained spaghetti in the skillet and stir-fry with other ingredients. Add ketchup and stir-fry the spaghetti. Mix butter in and stop the heat.
*Makes 2 servings

From: japanesefood.about.com

Here is a copycat recipe for the Anchor Bar’s famous original Buffalo wings. You will need a deep skillet, Dutch oven, or a deep-fryer to fry the chicken wings. It is all about the sauce, which contains only 3 simple ingredients.Prep Time: 10 minutesCook Time: 45 minutesIngredients:4 to 5 pounds chicken wingsFreshly ground black pepperSalt (if desired)4 cups vegetable oil4 Tablespoons butter or margarine (1/2 stick)5 Tablespoons Louisiana-brand hot sauce or Tabasco sauce1 Tablespoon white wine vinegarPreparation: Chop off the tip of each chicken wings, and discard it. Chop the wing in half (cutting at the joint) to make 2 pieces. Grind on fresh black pepper and sprinkle with salt if desired.

Heat the oil over high heat in a deep skillet, Dutch oven, or deep-fat fryer until it starts to pop and sizzle (around 400 degrees F). Add half the chicken wings and cook until they’re golden and crisp, stirring or shaking occasionally. When done, remove them to drain on paper towels and cook the remaining wings.

Melt the butter or margarine over medium heat in a heavy saucepan, add the hot sauce and the 1 tablespoon of wine vinegar. Stir well and remove from the flame immediately.

Place the chicken on a warm serving platter, pour the sauce on top, and serve.

Yield: 8 to 10 servings

Note: Buffalo Chicken Wings are traditionally served with blue cheese dressing and celery sticks.

Recipe Source: Totally Hot! The Ultimate Hot Pepper Cookbook by Michael Goodwin (Doubleday)
Reprinted with permission.

From: homecooking.about.com

Austrian German to Standard German

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Using the translator below, you can learn the German word or expression for many Austrian expressions that differ from standard German. Select an Austrian word or expression from the following drop-down list to find the German () equivalent. Also see the German to Austrian Translator.

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From: german.about.com

Friday July 18, 2008
Aaron McCargo, Jr. Food Network

This week’s episode of saw the departure of Kelsey Nixon. The final three contestants are Aaron McCargo, Jr. (Executive Catering Chef for Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia), Adam Gertler (actor, server, and former restaurant owner), and Lisa Garza (co-owner and special event planner of Suze Restaurant & Catering in Dallas). The winner of , of course, receives his or her own show on the Food Network. airs on Sunday nights on the Food Network.

Check out the photo gallery of The Next Food Network Star Contestants