httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsZsvQ5ry_4
Hey, Food Friends!
This week’s episode is on the goofy side. Now, don’t ask what possessed me but, as the Lady says (in her words below), it reminded us of how much fun we have had over the years!
Seeing as this is a food blog, I don’t get the chance to talk about technology often (another passion of mine). Well, not until now, so hold on to your hats (Mexican or otherwise) as this was the first time that I introduced a second camera onto the set.
We’ve had many comments (off blog) where folks said they could not really see what we were doing, especially further away from the counter (like at the stove). I kept that reminder in the back of my head.
So, when the opportunity was right (i.e. a sale), I bought a wee video camera (Kodak ZI8, to be exact) that records in “high definition 1080P”. We are amazed at the quality of the video and I highly recommend this camera. I’m also using something called a Gorilla Pod (mini tripod) that uses very strong magnets to hold it in place, yet is still quite flexible. Helenka and I spent many brain cells trying to figure out where to put it for the best vantage point, and I hope you will agree that it does a better job now of detailing what we are preparing in order to review.
On the topic of food, growing up, we loved hot dogs. I remember my Mom getting out a pot, putting the wieners in hot water, covering the pot with a grill before putting the hot dog buns on top of the grill and covering those with a cloth for them to steam. Sometimes, they came out a bit soggy, lol, but who cared … we were kids. By the way, I’ve said this before, but my Mom is a fantastic cook so don’t let the hot dog incident lead you to think otherwise. 😛
I was quite interested in these more “adult” hot dogs. As to why they are called “Mexican” Hot Dogs, well, I have no idea. I’ve been to Mexico several times and I don’t recall seeing any Mexican locals eating these, so I will chalk this up to the these ingredients giving it a “Mexican” theme.
Speaking of ingredients, we got to have the marinated jalapeno peppers again. I’ve improved since the last time when my fingers were burning (yeah, okay, see me being all macho with no gloves). This time, I cut an end off, then scooped out the seeds using a tiny spoon before cutting the peppers into little rings (still no gloves, but no burning either). These are fantastic and highly recommended!
My friend Menka who also bakes with me on occasion (see us on “Desserts Are Fun!”) gave me some homemade salsa (divine, by the way, Menka) which we also added to the hot dogs.
The green onions made a pretty picture but, next time, I don’t think I would add these without cutting them up after grilling. Let’s just say I had to edit the video as poor Helenka could not sample her dog properly without cutting into it.
Seeing as we are trying to eat better, the hot dogs themselves were Angus beef wieners which I found to be quite tasty!
That’s it for this week. This was quite a fun episode to put together and, by the way, not rehearsed at all in advance, so it is Genuine Helenka giving me that look of “what in the world are you doing now”. 😉
Till next time, have some fun with your food (Ola, “Mexican” hot dogs) and bring along some friends, too!
Enjoy!
B & H =;)
Please note: We try and review the recipes in the cookbook. However, in an effort to respect copyright, we are not able to reproduce the actual printed recipes here. If you do have the book, please follow along with us.
Insight on: “Mexican” Hot Dogs
Notes from the Chef’s Sidekick (Helenka)
Okay, first of all, I have to say that this episode was about more than just cooking for me. Or the incredulous look on my face to see what antics Brian was up to … this time! It reminded me of how much fun Brian and I have had over the years (to some outrageous lengths) and, yet, I think our friendship can be just as simple as a hot dog. Why? Well, it’s uncomplicated, easy to prepare and tastes good. And both of us are equally uncomplicated (at least when it comes to food), we cook elaborate feasts that – in our eyes – feel easy, because we’re all about pleasing each other and, um, we make food taste good!
The other reason I’m mentioning the hot dog analogy is because one of my fondest memories is of the ferry rides we’d take to the Toronto Islands in the summer. If we were lucky, the concession stand at the ferry terminal on the mainland would be open. And we would get a hot dog each. Then came the fun part: deciding just what outlandish combination of condiments we’d choose and just how high could we pile everything. That’s where I found I liked having things like sauerkraut, hot peppers, pickles and … oooh, did someone say caramelized onions … on my wiener!
The other memory that is equally vivid is when we met downtown after work in December to take a look at the special displays at the Bay (Queen Street store). At the north-east entrance, there is a large triangular wedge behind which are revolving doors to enter the store. This set-apart wedge becomes home to whatever is the current Winter Wonderland theme. As we strolled and pressed our noses against the windows to glimpse all of the intricate displays including mechanical dolls and animals (because we’re still kids at heart), we enjoyed our al fresco dinner of sausage dogs purchased from a street vendor and held in chilled fingers. Always a wonderful memory.
With my Polish background, I didn’t know what a hot dog was until I got older. But I do have very fond memories (unfortunately getting fainter by the minute) of a traditional Polish dish called Patyczki (translated as “little sticks”). These sticks were thin wooden skewers about the length of a hot dog that had bits of meat (traditionally pork) moulded around them before being cooked. I guess they had the same reputation that hot dogs do: fun to have occasionally but not to be eaten on a regular basis. [When I was looking them up online, I found a business that makes them and sells them as frozen appetizers in the South-Western Ontario market. Hmmm, I wonder….]
Variations
Okay, even though it’s embarrassing, I’m glad Brian mentioned how much trouble I was having eating my dog piled on with so much stuff, including grilled green onions that refused to co-operate and be assimilated. [Yes, I know. The nerve!] So I thought about how this dish could be varied to make it more amenable to less-messy eating, something I’m always in favour of. Here’s what I came up with:
- use small dinner rolls instead of wiener buns, cutting the grilled hot dogs to fit (into 2 or 3 pieces)
- partially hollow out the dinner rolls so that there’s room for the guacamole, salsa and jalapenos
- use kitchen shears to snip the grilled onions into inch-long pieces, because they are really hard to bite into and chew otherwise
As for variations in ingredient toppings, I could see an explosion of flavours, tied to traditional world cuisine, though not authentic, but just for fun, like:
- sauerkraut, caraway seeds, crisp bacon bits and fried diced onion (German)
- sliced Kalamata olives, crumbled Feta cheese, chopped green pepper, half-rings of red onion (Greek)
- chopped tomato, fresh basil, shredded Mozzarella cheese (Italian)
As you can see, I’m merely using my imagination with no intent to create a dish that is meant to be tied to any regional cooking history. But, then again, hot dogs were never meant to be taken seriously, so I’d encourage you to play around with the toppings to see what other weird and wacky combinations you can invent. And, please, let us know what you’ve created in your own kitchens. Because, if you haven’t figured it out yet, Brian and I are curious and fascinated by food, glorious food!
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