Inqlings | Wild Thing adds a spicy pitch

Phillies pitcher-turned-broadcaster

Mitch Williams

has a sideline in the food business.

Wild Thing Southpaw Salsa was introduced Friday at the Chickie's & Pete's eatery in Egg Harbor Township, N.J. Owner Pete Ciarrocchi is a backer.

Williams, 42, a self-described "really good cook," uses a blender because "I can't stand chunky salsa." He had been making it quietly in his kitchen, but word spread when he was approached to do a cooking show. Then promoters/marketers Ellen Barkann and Scott Soffen got involved. This month, after a tasting on Angelo Cataldi's show on WIP (610), Soffen arranged a broker to get the salsa into stores. A plant in Lancaster will make it to Williams' specs and pack it in gallons for restaurants and in jars for supermarkets. A rollout date has not been set.

Barkann's husband, Comcast SportsNet's Michael Barkann, came up with the name. "Mild Thing" must have been taken.

With luck, there'll be no fire or medical emergencies in the Lower Northeast tomorrow morning. That way, all of Engine 61 can gather round the tube to watch firefighter

Cecilia Ortiz

represent the Eastern United States in a firehouse-chili cooking contest on the

Rachael Ray

show (6ABC, 10 a.m.). The show invited firehouse cooks to submit recipes; Ortiz, a 21/2-year veteran, was the only woman among four finalists in the contest, which was taped Aug. 29. You'd think someone would spill the beans on the outcome after 11 months, but the Fire Department is keeping the lid on.

Jill Pasternak

has been off classical WRTI (90.1) since taking a nasty spill last month near her Center City home.

Gregg Whiteside

takes her afternoon shift while she mends. Her return is expected in late summer or early fall. Pasternak, you may recall, tripped during a 2002 visit to her son in Guam and stayed there for months to mend.

Three out-of-town radio vets start this week in high-profile jobs. John Cook arrives tomorrow as program director at talk WYSP (94.1) and talk WPHT (1210), replacing Gil Edwards, who was fired from WYSP, and Grace Blazer, who quit WPHT and landed in Boston. (Somehow doubtful that Cook will receive a double salary.) Cook, who programmed the old Star 104.5 from 1991 to 1994 and went on to stations in Dallas, Los Angeles and Houston, is the Philly-born son of late WFIL "Boss Jock" Jay Cook.

Meanwhile, Elroy Smith is preparing for his Wednesday arrival as operations director at Radio One's Philly stations - urban WPHI (100.3), adult-urban WRNB (107.9) and gospel WPPZ (103.9) - replacing Daisy Davis. Smith, who led Chicago's much-honored WGCI, is "the Michael Jordan of urban programming," WPHI program director Colby Colb says. Smith, acknowledging and respecting his competition at WDAS (105.3), says: "We're going to play an active role in helping to curb crime in Philadelphia because urban radio can really make a difference." During a murderous period in Chicago last year, Smith staged a rally called "Black Life Has Value." Among his plans: adding inspirational talk to WPPZ.

Radio One on Friday announced the hiring of Smith's boss, Andy Rosen, whose past includes heading Clear Channel's New York stations. He'll replace Chester Schofield as vice president and general manager.

Chris Heuisler

, 27, starts Wednesday on CBS's

As the World Turns

in the recurring role of Cole, "an insecure singer/songwriter with relationship issues" (2 p.m., CBS3). Heuisler was 1997 senior class president at St. Joseph's Prep, and recently visited Bulgaria to shoot a still-untitled film in which he portrays

Ernest Hemingway

at age 23. (His

own

papa,

John Heuisler

, was named "best actor" at the Prep in 1963.)

Delaware Valley College students and staff help on tonight's episode of the Nickelodeon reality show Let's Just Play (8:30). Senior Donna Palmen of Collegeville introduces the participants to farm-related responsibilities, including milking a cow and cleaning a pig habitat.

Mark Wahlberg

and a brother played half-court Friday at the Ellis Athletic Center in Newtown Square. Wahlberg is in rehearsals for

The Happening

, the next

M. Night Shyamalan

movie.

Aussie's Sav Rocca grew up driving on the left, but the aspiring Eagles punter mastered Dover International Speedway. His average speed of 119.72 m.p.h. was the fastest among a half-dozen Birds doing practice runs Wednesday.

John Legend couldn't make a dinner Wednesday for top members of his Legend Network at Bookbinder's in Old City, so he phoned in his greetings to his manager's cell phone - and picked up the tab.

Phillies slugger Ryan Howard shows off his pearl-white 2007 Escalade with 26-inch Asanti rims wrapped with Pirelli tires in the current issue of the oddly capitalized duPont REGISTRY Celebrity car magazine. The ride's sticker price was $60,000 before extensive pimping. A bit extravagant, given that his mother, Cheryl Howard, is his accountant. The mag says Howard told a fan he had to sneak it out of his allowance.