Great hot dog recipes and side dishes from famous locales nationwide. Americans eat around 20 billion dogs a year, and it's no wonder that wherever you find yourself in the country, there's a local hot dog stand, diner, deli, or restaurant with a special take on this American classic. From the Coney Island Dog of New York to the Remoulade Dog in New Orleans to the tortilla-wrapped Bacon Burrito Dog served up at Pink's in Los Angeles, The Great American Hot Dog Book takes you on a tour to reveal the inside story of how the hot dog has evolved and become even more firmly entrenched in America's culinary traditions. Recipes Fun Facts
Yes, I read a book about hotdogs. I am apparently not alone in my fascination with this tubular delight. A friend of mine refers to hotdogs as "the food of the gods." I suspect that in Olympus ambrosia was simply a condiment.
I enjoyed reading about the various places around the country that serve hotdogs and how preparation is influenced by the local cultures. Being from Ohio I never considered deep-frying a hotdog unless it was covered with corn batter. Hmmmm.
I have no illusions of traveling the countryside sampling hotdogs from the 50 States, or even just the lower 48, but Becky Mercuri did the next best thing for me; she provided recipes. My high praise for the book is not just a little influenced by the inclusion of a specific recipe, a recipe for Cincinnati Chili. When I was in college my brother came across a recipe to make Cincinnati Chili from scratch and it contained some rather unique ingredients. Well, he lost it and until this Christmas I had never seen that recipe again. I'm pretty sure that Becky Mercuri includes is the very one. We tried it; we liked it. Thanks, Becky.
Really amazing how different hot dogs are in different parts of the US. Interesting book, but then we are opening a hot dog/shave ice hut so we are a little more addicted than the average person! Oh my, I can hear Arielle sighing and shaking her head now...her poor crazy mama...