By DAVE KESSLER
Skinny Cooks Can't Be Trusted 

If you lived in the area of the Everglades you would be surrounded by pythons most of the time. You would know that pythons don’t lay eggs, but give birth to a big slew of baby pythons when the time is right.

Since this a recipe for a scary Halloween treat for the young folks in your home, you can tell them a little lie by calling these fried hot python eggs. Telling little lies is the right thing to do, according to Mark Twain. He said "truth is a precious commodity and should be used sparingly" or something like that, so go ahead and lie to make Halloween more fun.

These python eggs should be rolled by hand into the shape of small eggs about 2-3 inches in size. Since they contain chopped jalapenos you should be very careful about touching your fingers to your eyes. These peppers can do damage if you’re not cautious. Make your python eggs ahead of your Halloween party, even a day ahead of time. Put the formed eggs into your freezer to get them somewhat solid so they’ll hold their form when being deep-fried. They contain only a few ingredients and are easy to put together in a few minutes.

You can also feature these as appetizers on other occasions. They make good treats for your next football tailgate party – just change their name to Colts poppers.

3 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

4 big jalapeno peppers, chopped

2 tablespoons half-and-half

1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs (Italian type work well)

Crushed red pepper flakes – the more you use the hotter they will be

Cornmeal and buttermilk for batter coating

Use a large bowl for mixing the ingredients. Toss in the cheese, chopped jalapenos, half-and-half and breadcrumbs. Mix them well and form them by hand into egg shapes.

Fix a small bowl containing the cornmeal, red pepper flakes and any other seasonings you wish to use. Roll the eggs in this dry mixture, then dip them in the buttermilk. Repeat rolling them in the dry cornmeal ingredients.

Put the eggs into the freezer for about an hour or even overnight. This helps them hold their shape in the deep fryer.

Fry in hot grease to get them golden brown. This will only take a couple of minutes. Drain them on paper towels. Serve them with a flavorful dip such as ranch dressing or a salsa. Kids will act hesitant, but will gobble them up while having fun.

A couple of weeks ago, Kristi Lee of radio’s "The Bob and Tom Show" reported there’s a big market in Indianapolis that claims to have genuine python meat for sale – skinned, gutted and wrapped – for $20 per pound. Maybe some of you wild and crazy readers who want to try it will report back on your culinary adventures. But not me!

Readers with questions or comments for Dave Kessler may write to him in care of this publication.