The tortilla chip aisle of the supermarket has never been more crowded. Whether it's using my favorite cheddar tortilla chips with flax seeds and quinoa, to a combination including black, green and Kalamata olives, to chili-lime, to roasted jalapeno, it might just be time for a tortilla chip tasting. Pair four varieties of chips with your favorite compatible soft drinks, beers and wines and first taste plain. Have on hand store-bought or homemade dips and toppings and you've got your own happy hour going.

There's more good news than just the taste sensations you may discover. If made from whole corn, tortilla chips are a whole grain containing fiber. Since they are a grain, a serving usually also contains about 4 grams of protein, no sugar and is especially filling due to the whole grains and protein. The fat, too, from the fried varieties (seek out those with healthful oils) is part of what makes them satiating, and baked varieties are available as well. All ingredients for possible dips and toppings below are to taste.

"CORN CHOWDER" DIP

Mix well still-semi-crisp cooked corn with diced red and green bell pepper, nonfat sour cream, whipped cream cheese, curry powder and freshly ground black pepper.

"CHILI DOG" DIP

Mix well diced cooked hot dogs, homemade or store-bought cooked chili, grated pepperjack cheese and diced red onions. Serve hot.

SALSA SUPREME

Mix well store-bought or homemade salsa and chutney, sliced scallions and finely diced fresh mango.

PULLED PORK PEP-ME-UP

Top with cooked pulled pork that's been combined with barbecue sauce and finely diced dill pickles.

MORE THAN BLACK AND WHITE

Top with homemade or store-bought white bean dip and sprinkle with pitted diced black olives, chopped cilantro and dried cumin.

ENCHILADA CHIPS

Top with cooked homemade or store-bought enchilada sauce, cooked shredded chicken, shredded cheddar cheese and chopped chives. Serve hot.

AFTER-WORK GOURMET COOKBOOK SHELF

Wendy Rowe has seen a lot of skin problems close up. For more than the last 20 years, she's been a celebrity makeup artist and beauty consultant, who can now add cookbook author to her resume. In order to help banish such problems, she wrote "Eat Beautiful: Food and Recipes to Nourish Your Skin from the Inside Out." Advice includes tips about: "Spinach (the free-radical fighter whose iron moves your blood, helping to repair your skin cells); chili peppers (the circulation booster famous for its capsaicin, which reduces blood pressure and improves circulation by encouraging blood vessels to relax and dilate, therefore acting as an anti-inflammatory); and natural red wine (the youth potion featuring a powerful anti-ageing antioxidant that slows the growth of acne-causing bacteria...)" She translates information deliciously with recipes for dishes like beet-quinoa burgers, almond milkshakes and no-cook walnut brownies.

Lisa Messinger is a first-place winner in food writing from the Association of Food Journalists and the author of seven food books, including "Mrs. Cubbison's Best Stuffing Cookbook" and "The Sourdough Bread Bowl Cookbook." To find out more about Lisa Messinger and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.