She's starting the season with a sizzle this year, serving the spicy foods her friends and large extended family favor. Buffalo Chicken Balls feature the flavors of chicken wings without the mess of sticky fingers or the hassle of juggling a plate of discarded bones. Crist tweaks the recipe each time she makes it and is sharing the version she considers just right.

"They're great for parties and are good at room temperature, but they don't usually stay around long enough to cool," she said.

The concept of pepperoni rolls, classic West Virginia fare, gets a zippy update with Roasted Jalapeno Rolls stuffed also with sausage and Monterrey jack cheese. Crist went out on a culinary limb with Ahi Nachos with Thai Chili Vinaigrette. She based the appetizer on the recipe shared by the Black Marlin restaurant, where her family sampled the dish while vacationing on Hilton Head Island.

She backed off the heat a bit in the sweet chili vinaigrette, so it didn't overwhelm the creamy wasabi sauce when layered on avocado and seared Ahi tuna.

Banana peppers stuffed with Italian sausage are also a longtime family favorite. She makes big batches, and then freezes them for future use. Her twenty-something nephews regularly raid her freezer for a to-go bag of peppers whenever they visit her house.

The original banana pepper bruschetta recipe was intended to be a salad, but Crist often uses it as a topping for crusty bread slices at parties.

Crist, who is the executive director of the West Virginia Broadcasters Association when she isn't hosting parties, loves to entertain. As the youngest child in a family with six children, she learned to cook with her mother, who naturally prepared generous quantities for her large family.

"All these recipes transport well, either prepared beforehand or assembled at a tailgate," she said. She'll take most of these dishes to Morgantown Sunday for the Friends of Coal Bowl between WVU and Marshall.

"I look forward to football season and love to go up to the games," she said. "You see half of Charleston up there."

She'd better make double recipes, as half of Charleston might just look for her tailgate and beg a few samples.

@tag:Reach Julie Robinson at jul...@wvgazette.com or 304-348-1230.

Buffalo Chicken Balls

Yield: 75 balls

6       tablespoons unsalted butter

3/4    cup Frank's Red Hot hot sauce, plus more for serving

2       pounds ground chicken

2       eggs, beaten

2       ribs celery, minced, about 1 cup

1 3/4 cups dried breadcrumbs

2      teaspoons coarse salt

Ranch or blue Cheese Dressing for Dip

Celery sticks, for serving

HEAT oven to 400 degrees. Lay sheet of parchment paper on cookie sheet or evenly coat a large rimmed baking sheet with olive oil and set aside.

PLACE butter and hot sauce in a small saucepan over low heat. Cook, whisking, until butter is melted and hot sauce is well incorporated. Remove from heat and transfer to a large bowl; let cool to room temperature, about 10 minutes.

ADD chicken, eggs, celery, breadcrumbs and salt to bowl with butter mixture. Use your hands to mix well but lightly, until well combined and the chicken is very soft.

ROLL chicken mixture into firm, 1-inch round balls and arrange meatballs in rows on prepared cookie sheet. Bake until cooked through, about 16 minutes. Do not over bake.

REMOVE from oven and let stand 5 minutes before removing from baking sheet. Place on a serving platter and drizzle with hot sauce; serve with dressing and celery sticks.

Ahi Nachos with Thai Chili Vinaigrette

Makes 30-35 strip tortilla chips

2                 Ahi Tuna Filets

                  Cajun spices

1/3             cup of sweet chili vinaigrette, available in Asian section of grocery store

1                teaspoon soy sauce

1/2             teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/3             cup sour cream

1                teaspoon wasabi paste

1                teaspoon lime juice

                  Sliced avocado

                  Picked ginger, available in Asian section of grocery store

                  Sesame seeds, optional

SEASON tuna with desired amount of  Cajun spices and sear on both sides.  Cool in refrigerator before slicing.

COMBINE vinaigrette, soy sauce and red pepper flakes and set aside in a zip lock bag.

COMBINE sour cream, wasabi paste and lime juice in a zip lock bag in the refrigerator.

WHEN assembling, cut the tips off the corner of the bags to drizzle the vinaigrette and wasabi paste.

PLACE tortillas on a serving platter and place a slice of avocado on each tortilla. 

ADD the remaining ingredients in the following order: seared tuna, soy chili vinaigrette, pickled ginger, wasabi cream sauce. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, if desired.

Stuffed Banana Peppers

24          medium Hungarian yellow wax peppers, hot or mild

1            pound Italian sausage

1/4         cup seasoned breadcrumbs

1            egg

2            tablespoons marinara sauce

             Marinara sauce

             Mozzarella cheese, shredded

CLEAN peppers. Wear gloves to clean hot peppers. Cut off the top, pull out the seed core, and cut off the tip. Removal of the tip prevents liquids from building up in the end of the pepper.

MIX sausage, breadcrumbs, egg and two tablespoons marinara sauce together.  Stuff filling in pepper and place in baking dish. 

BAKE at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. 

POUR marinara down the middle of the row of peppers and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese during the final 10 minutes of baking. Bake till bubbly.

Roasted Jalapeño Sausage Rolls

1             package frozen dinner rolls dough

1             pound Italian sausage

4             jalapenos roasted, seeded and chopped

1             cup Monterey jack cheese, shredded

SPRAY baking sheet with cooking spray.

SET out rolls on baking sheet, cover and thaw

ROAST jalapenos until broiler or on the grill until charred. Place peppers into a plastic bag.  Once peppers have cooled, rub the charred skin off while peppers are in the bag.  Do not rinse.

MIX sausage, jalapeno and cheese in a medium mixing bowl. Shape mixture into a 1-1/2 or 2-inch logs. 

PULL dough balls into small squares. Wrap dough around the sausage and seal the edges.  Each roll should be log-shaped.

PLACE rolls on a greased pan and let rise 20 minutes.

BRUSH tops with olive oil and bake at 375 degrees for 20 -25 minutes until golden brown.

Banana Pepper Bruschetta

3               medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped into small pieces

4               Hungarian wax pepper (2 mild and 2 hot), seeded and sliced into thin slices

2               tablespoons diced onion

1/4            cup red wine vinegar

1               tablespoon vegetable oil

1               teaspoon Italian seasoning, or variety of fresh herbs such as basil and oregano

                 Coarse salt and pepper

1                baguette or focaccia bread

COMBINE all remaining ingredients except bread and refrigerate. Bruschetta is best made a day before serving.

SLICE bread; drizzle lightly with olive oil and toast under broiler.

PLACE bread slices on a platter with a container of  bruschetta to spread on top.