I’m still not the biggest fan of the shroom, but the zesty aroma will make them hard to refuse. A definite must-bring to any pot-luck party. Just make sure your host has available oven space to cook them just before putting them out. (Geez, I sound like Martha Stewart! I’m tossing that powder blue oven mitt the minute I get home!)

Stuffed Mushrooms from Half Hour Meals

1 package of large white mushrooms (about 10)
8 oz. cream cheese
6 strips of bacon (cooked and crumbled)
1 tbsp. worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp. parmesan cheese (separated)
Preheat your oven to 400F. Wipe all your mushrooms off with a damp paper towel to remove all dirt. DON’T RINSE THEM or they’ll absorb all the water and blow up to something you could attach to a rope and parade down Central Park West on Thanksgiving morning.

Carefully pull out each stump so there is a hole in each mushroom to stuff. Discard the stumps. If one breaks off, you can use a spoon to scrape it out of the inside of the hole.

In a large bowl, add your cream cheese and stick in the microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute to soften. Take your precooked, crumbled bacon and add to the cream cheese. Stir and add your Worcestershire sauce as well. Mix all ingredients vigorously until fully combined. Take a spoonful of the mixture and fill each mushroom cap. You can fill each cap pretty generously as long as it does not fall down the side of the mushroom.

Place your mushrooms, filling side up, in a greased baking pan. Place into the oven and cook for about 15-25 minutes, ovens will vary. The last 5 minutes pull the pan out of the oven and top with grated parmesan cheese. You can tell that they are done when the mushrooms are dark in color and slightly mushy to the touch. The filling should be slightly browned on top.

Remove from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes. The filling will be extremely hot! If you have any filling leftover, I recommend hanging on to is and using as as a bagel or sandwich spread. You will not be disappointed.

Here’s a simple twist on the recipe for crab puffs I posted a while back to accomodate those heathens who dislike crab. There were more of them out there then I originally realized – my mother and father being two of them – so out with the crustacea and in with a hot and zesty one-two punch of prosciutto and serrano pepper that’ll keep these babies flying into your mouth faster than you can keep count. And being as light and mouth-watering as they are, you won’t want to keep count.

Serrano is Spanish for “from the mountains.” The peppers were reportedly first cultivated in the mountain regions of Puebla and Hidalgo, Mexico. They are generally the hottest peppers commonly found in U.S. grocery stores, and are 5 to 10 times hotter than jalapenos. Their thin skin and meatiness makes pre-prep nearly non-existent. I simply mince a few up and toss them into everything – tacos, tuna salads, ground beef, chicken, sandwiches, eggs and pizza toppings. They’re bountiful and inexpensive, but if you’re not a fan of chile pepper heat, just omit them from the recipe. The prosciutto itself brings more than enough flavor to satisfy just about anyone.

• 1 cup water
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 5 eggs
• 3/4 finely chopped prosciutto or fully cooked ham
• 2 serrano peppers, minced
• 1/4 cup minced chives

In a large saucepan, bring the water, butter and pepper to a boil.  Add in the flour ALL AT ONCE and CONTINUE TO STIR until it begins to come together into a sticky substance with a “Play-Doh” consistency. Remove from the heat and let stand for about five minutes

Add eggs, one at a time, blending well after each addition.  Continue beating until the mixture becomes smooth and shiny.  Stir in the prosciutto, serrano peppers and chives. Mix thoroughly.

Lay out on greased baking sheets in heaping teaspoons.  Cook for approximately 19-22 minutes, but check frequently, and once they turn golden brown, remove them.  Let cool for about 5 minutes, then serve warm.  Refrigerate leftovers and re-heat at 350 for about 10 minutes  (though they go down almost as well cold, trust me).

Once you start showing off what you’ve managed to learn to make in the kitchen (say, on a blog for example), you have to take a certain level of responsiblity when friends and family start making certain food assumptions about what you’ll prepare for them when you invite them over. I became accutely aware of that fact earlier this week when my friend Travis asked what I was going to be serving at my weekly LOST viewing party and dinner:

Travis: “What are you making tonight, Gary?”
Me: “I’m making this amazing jalapeno popper mac and cheese.”
Travis:  “Cool… what else?”
Me:  “What do you mean what else?”
Travis:  “I mean… what else are you making to go with it?  And what, no dessert?”

I guess my days of gliding by with spaghetti and meatballs served on plastic plates I stole from my college dining commons are over, but I’ll happily leave that era in my past. MG often reminds me of my typical day’s food rundown from our first year or so of dating. I don’t recall, but apparently I lived exclusively on Hot Pockets, McDonalds and Tombstone frozen pizzas. I’m guessing MG is happy I’ve left those days behind as well.

On to the mad mac and cheese recipe I found over at Let’s Cook.

It’s not going to win any awards for keeping your arteries shiny and clear, and it may cause your eyes to spontaneously cross every few bites, but it is deadly satisfying in the way really bad Catholic sins are satisfying. And don’t worry about preparing anything else to go alongside it. Trust me, it is not necessary. This meal is covered in cheese, and since the cheese stands alone, this meal does as well.

Jalapeño Popper Mac and Cheese from Let’s Cook Adapted from Rachael Ray

• 16 ounces dry pasta (cavatappi was listed in the recipe, but I used mostaccioli – just make sure it’s hollow)
• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 jalapeño chiles, seeded, ribs removed and thinly sliced
• 2 serrano chiles, seeded, ribs removed and thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 8 ounces cream cheese, sliced into cubes
• 2 tablespoons dried minced onion
• 8 ounces (about 2 cups) shredded Mexican-blend cheese

In a large pot of boiling, salted water, add pasta and cook according to package directions. Drain and place back into the pot off heat.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium. Stir in jalapeños, serranos and garlic – cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add to the pot with the drained pasta.

Preheat the broiler.

In the same saucepan, add milk, cream cheese and onion – heat over medium-low, stirring, until very smooth, about 5 minutes. Pour in to the pot with the pasta and add the cheese – season with salt and fresh ground black pepper, tossing well to coat. Scoop mixture into a casserole dish coated with cooking spray. Place under the broiler and bake until lightly browned on top, about 3 to 5 minutes.

1.) Bachelor 16-1 Recap: Winemaker Ben “Sloppylocks” Flajnik Seeks SWF to Help Squeeze His Grapes

2.) Nacho Dogs

3.) Celebrity Apprentice: Are you becoming more and more curious to see what Lil John looks like without those stupid glasses?

4.) Watching: Ringer: Pilot (The CW)

5.) Five Things I Learned From the Hollywood Arsonist OR “Cornmeal Thyme Cookies”

6.) Tv Food and Drink: Podcast #1 Featuring Sammy Davis Jr, Ann-Margret and Frank Sinatra

7.) Chipotle Chicken and Apple Pizza

8.) Dancing with the Stars: Nancy Grace Nipple Slip Twitter-Cap

9.) The Bachelor 15-5: Brad Womack and the Two We Know Are Gonna Be in the Finals

10.) Portobello Buffalo Burgers

Underneath that deceptively simple asiago/mozzarella cheese canopy are hiding chunks of shiitake mushroom, aromatic fennel, tangy tomato, onion, and thick cuts of spicy salami.  I had complete confidence in all of these ingredients with the exception of the fennel.  I’d never used it in a pizza before, and I was worried its flavor might overwhelm.  No need to fear.  This pizza was all sorts of savory, rich, and meaty, with just pings here and there of fennel sweetness.

I snatched up this recipe from My Year on the Grill, who is in the opening weeks of his Pizza 2011 Project – 52 unique gourmet pizzas in 52 weeks.  If you’re looking for something other than the standard default pepperoni pie, this should be your first stop.   And if you see no need to deviate from the traditional, he’s also got a couple suggestions for how to gussy up the classics!

Ever heard a pizza talk?  This one had quite a bit to say (and no, for those of you who follow this blog regularly and might be wondering, it’s not Bond music in the background, but it’s close.  It’s Michael Giacchino’s soundtrack for The Incredibles).

Salami with Fennel and Asiago Pizza from Year on the Grill

For the sauce:

1 can (14 ounces) diced tomatoes
1 small can tomato paste
4 shiitake mushroom buttons, cut into thin slivers
1/4 cup red wine
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup Pecorina Romano cheese
1/4 white onion, diced (I added this to Year on the Grill’s recipe)

Combine everything in a sauce pan and simmer for 30 minutes. Year on the Grill suggests then using hand mixer and blending to a thick paste, but I kept it as is – nice and chunky!

For the pizza:

1 stick salami of your choice. I used Columbus Brand Herb Salami
1 cup shredded Asiago cheese
1 cup mozzarella cheese
Pre-made pizza dough (or if you have the time to make your own, click here for a recipe)
Salt and pepper for seasoning, along with any additional spices of your choice
olive oil for brushing the pizza dough

Preheat oven and pizza stone (or heavy baking sheet) to 500 degrees for at least 30 minutes.

Cut the salami into slices about 1/2 inch thick, then cut these into quarters. I halved them and left it at that.

Cut the fennel bulb into thin slices, separate the rings

Grate the asiagio cheese

Roll your crust out on parchment paper to your personal preference. Brush Olive oil around the edges. Salt and pepper the crust. Top with your sauce, fennel, salami, and both your cheeses. Add any additional seasoning and bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes. If you notice the side closer to the rear of your oven browning faster, turn pizza midway through the cooking.

Pull your bubbly pie out of the oven, and watch it dance and sing as it cools. Give it close to ten minutes before you cut into it. Enjoy with someone you love!

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The footage is a masterful way to open the story.  Unfortunately, real-life bears, leopards and gazelle are notoriously temperamental when it comes to performing traditional movie duties like, say… delivering lines, hitting their marks and recounting their cocaine addictions to Mary Hart.  So, after these few fun first minutes, the live animals all but disappear, and we spend the next ninety minutes with stuffed tigers, rubber snakes on strings, and an alligator who’s head completely separates from the rest of his body whenever his jaw opens for the camera.  I choose to believe this particular alligator merely suffers from a herniated disc in its neck and just needs some good acupuncture.  I’m still working on an excuse for the fact that I could hear its motor.

Still, considering it’s nearly seventy years old, The Jungle Book is a pretty ambitious film. The human actors, once they arrive, do a fairly good job at moving the story along.  And even though most of the animals may be constructed from fiberglass and paint, they still demonstrate more charisma than my actual living cat does any day of the week.

Oh Z, what would become of you in the wild?

This pizza is really simple to make, and I recommend it to anyone who may be looking for an alternative to the traditional tomato sauce-heavy pies, of which I myself have recently tired. All you need to make this is the crust of your choice, about a 1/3 pound of Brie, a medium onion (I chose a Visalia), some honey, a few red pepper flakes, a bit of olive oil and, if on hand, some fresh basil and baby spinach, though I think this pizza would wholly satisfy even without the greens on top (but they help carry the visual a long way).  The Brie melts fantastically, pairs beautifully with the honey, which is in turn offset just a touch by the heat in the red pepper flakes.

A memorable meal with minial effort!

Honey, Brie and Onion Pizza

• 1 pizza crust, pre-bought or rolled out to 9 inches in diameter.
• 2 Tbsp honey
• 1 Tbsp olive oil for onions, additional 1 Tbsp olive oil for pizza dough
• 1-2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/3 pound Brie cheese, sliced (keep the rind on – it’s delicious!)
• 1/4 cup loosely packed baby spinach and basil, mixed close to a 50/50 ratio

Pre-heat your oven and pizza stone to 500º F. While slicing your onion, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a pan. Add onions to pan and let cook for approximately 5-10 minutes, stirring regularly with a spatula. Once onions have softened and browned, remove them from heat and let cool slightly.

Spread olive oil and honey generously across the top of your rolled-out pizza dough. Scatter red pepper flakes over the top, and then score the dough by poking small holes gently into it with a fork. Transfer to oven and let cook for approximately three minutes.

Remove pizza from oven. Add cheese and basil/spinach mixture. Top with sauteed onions and return to oven. Let cook for another 7-10 minutes or until edge of crust is golden brown. Remove from oven, cool and dig in!
“Jungle Boy” Mowgli is played in this film by Indian actor Sabu Dastagir, whose other most memorable credit is as Abu in the 1940 British film The Thief of Bagdad. Taken in by a family of wolves after his father is mauled to death by the tiger Shere Kahn, Mowgli grows to be a young man able to communicate with any animal in the jungle, most often in rhyming verse.  It worked so well for Mowgli in the film that I decided it would help me better exert my will over the cat, so I marched right up to Z and commanded, “Honorable feline, soul un-remitting… arise at this moment… and perform all my bidding!”

It didn’t work.
The human villains of the film are a trio of more-than-slightly buffonish local villiagers who follow Mowgli to a mysterious lost city where they discover a cavern filled with lost treasure. The threesome decides to rape the jungle of its precious, golden heart.  Mowgli works desperately to thwart them.  Since this film is aimed squarely at kids, correctly guess who wins and I’ll give you a coconut.
There’s a pretty amazing fire sequence near the picture’s end.  The very ahead of its time cinematography by W. Howard Greene and Lee Garmes (Gone With the Wind, Since You Went Away) makes the most of the color – vibrant jungles, serene lagoons and imposing ancient ruins are always just a few frames away.  They more than make up for the disastrously dated animal technology that would make the birds in “The Enchanted Tiki Room” smack their little feathered foreheads in embarrassmnet.  One final note… the film has fallen into public domain, so there are tons of pirated and murky prints floating around out there.  Best bet is to locate its next airing on TCM, curl up with your favorite wild animal, and let your eyes lose focus just a bit whenever one of the grips kick-starts the alligator and floats him into the shot.

The smell over the burners as the mushrooms and onions browned together was truly intoxicating.  The portobellos add a rich, woodsy flavor to the meat.

Mature mushrooms such as portobellos store higher levels of octenol in their gills, leading to a richer aroma when they’re cut open.   I topped them with a simple slaw made with celery, apple, sugar and cider vinegar that rendered any additional topping or condiment unnecessary

Tender buffalo that melts in your mouth, packed with aromatic mushrooms and topped with a zesty slaw.  Write your own ending to this one.  I just remembered there are two left over in the refrigerator!

Portobello Buffalo Burgers with Celery Apple Slaw From Epicurious

For burgers:

• 1 pound ground buffalo
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 10 ounces portobello mushrooms, trimmed and quartered
• 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
• 4 hamburger buns or kaiser rolls, split and toasted

For slaw:

• 2 celery ribs
• 1/2 Granny Smith apple, cored (left unpeeled)
• 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon whole-grain mustard
• Rounded 1/4 teaspoon sugar

Pulse onion and mushrooms in a food processor until finely chopped. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a 10-inch heavy skillet over medium heat. Add mushroom mixture, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and rounded 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables begin to brown and liquid has evaporated, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and allow to cool, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes.

While the mixture cools, start on the slaw: Cut celery and apple into thin julienne slices (I used my handy old potato peeler). Whisk together mayonnaise, vinegar, oil, mustard, sugar, rounded 1/8 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl. Add celery and apple, tossing to coat. Let stand 15 minutes to develop flavors.

Mix buffalo into cooled mushroom mixture with your hands until well combined. Form into 4 (4-inch) patties. Heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Cook burgers, turning once, about 8 minutes total for medium-rare.

Serve burgers, topped with slaw, on buns.

If you enjoy your pizza with movies that include garroted high-wire performers, dancing elephants, nails through the forehead, performing poodles, women accidentally sawed in two, underwhelming freaks, and an ending that feels it was decided upon when the producers ran out of money, Berserk! is the movie for you!

This pizza came together as a result of MG’s prosciutto passion and my desire to break away from tomato sauce for a while. If you’re looking for something a little lighter and brighter than your typical pizza pie, this is definitely the way to go.

Make sure you go with a quality pizza crust if you aren’t making from scratch because its flavor is going to be more apparent without having to compete against a heavy sauce on top of it. You may even want to coat your crust or dough with a few tablespoons of honey along with the olive oil to bring up the sweet factor. The fontina cheese is creamy with just a hint of nuttiness, and it melts beautifully. The prosciutto and onions bring a bit of a salty bite to the party. And the introduction of the arugula in the last two minutes of cooking folds it nicely into the rest of the ingredients without extinguishing any of its peppery freshness.

Without the tomato sauce, this is a much cleaner, easy to execute pizza that makes a great summertime dinner or appetizer on the deck while you’re watching the sun set with a glass of chilled white wine… or in our case watching two hours of a lighting guy desperately trying to hide Joan Crawford’s neck.

Prosciutto Arugula Pizza with Fontina

• Prepared pizza dough
• 2 Tbsp olive oil for sauteed onions and prosciutto
• 1 Tbsp olive oil for pizza crust
• 1/2 large onioin, thinly sliced
• 3 oz. thinly sliced prosciutto
• 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes.
• 1 tomato, diced
• 1 1/2 cups shredded fontina cheese
• 2 cups packed coarsely chopped arugula
• 1/4 cup shaved parmesan cheese

Pre-heat oven to 500º F

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a skillet on medium heat.  Add onion, prosciutto and crushed red pepper. Cook, stirring often, until the onion begins to brown, approximately 3-5 minutes.

Roll out pizza dough and brush with 2 tablespoons oilve oil (and honey if desired).  Place crust in the oven and allow to cook approximately four minutes.

Open oven and top crust with the onion prosciutto mixture and shredded fontina.  Return to the oven for another seven minutes

Open oven again and top with tomatoes, arugula and shaved parmesan,  Return to the oven for up to another two minutes, but make sure not to let the arugula wilt. Alternatively, top with arugula, tomato and shaved parmesan once pizza has fully cooked and is removed from oven.

It’s pretty clear from this film that Joan Crawford was a woman who simply wanted to work.  It’s not really much of a movie worth watching with the sound up, but there is a reasonable amount of unintentional humor and plenty of entertaining animal acts on display.

Plus, any Oscar-winning actress who’s willing to deliver the line, “Presenting Phyllis Allen… and her intelligent poodles!” with not a shred of embarrassment is a winner in my book.

The Black Scorpion centers on a misunderstood prehistoric creature who is accidentally freed from his underground cave by a volcanic eruption and proceeds to roam all of Mexico in search of friendship and understanding.

Unfortunately, he is unable to find it, so instead he decides to slash his way through thousands of locals, demolish infrastructure, and create economic chaos in an attempt to weaken the peso.

Is it wrong to have a little sympathy for this guy?  True, his stinger is the size of a Beluga Airbus, but I think we could all benefit from a little understanding.  After all, think of everything The Black Scorpion’s missed out on these past 65 million years. He didn’t get to see that Garbage Pail Kids movie.  He never got to try Billy Beer.  He missed those Pepsi commercials with the little Jewish girl who sounds like Aretha Franklin. Don’t even tell him about Hands Across America!

It makes sense that The Black Scorpion’s probably a little frustrated for not being more up on recent culture. Shit, I go nuts when my DVR forgets to record Price is Right.
So he knocked a few trains off their tracks, and he pulled a couple phone repair guys off their polls and snapped ‘em in half.  Don’t tell me E.T. wasn’t planning the same exact path of destruction before he got trapped by that trio of brats and was forced to live in the bottom of a closet, eat obscene amounts of sugar, and dress in drag.
No… human beings were just not ready to embrace a predatory arthropod simply looking to make friends and live its best life.  So they lured him to a giant football stadium with a truck full of dead cattle and went after him with tanks, choppers and electric cables to the throat.
And in the end, as is often the case in these 1950′s stop-motion horror films (especially the ones that came out of Warner Brothers), the humans come out on top!

Sorry to see you go, Señor Black Scorpion, but on the bright side, the little niños will have dinner tonight!

Texas BBQ Chicken Pizza with Prosciutto

• 1 – 1 1/2 cups BBQ sauce
• 1 1/2 – 2 cups cubed or shredded chicken
• 1/4 cup diced onion
• 2 cups gouda, 1/4 cup reserved
• 1 cup mozzarella, 1/4 cup reserved
• 1/2 cup diced bell pepper
• 2 tsp. diced pickled jalapeno pepper slices
• 1/4 cup roughly chopped prosciutto
• 1 tsp. fresh chopped basil
• 1 tsp. fresh chopped rosemary
• salt, oregano and pepper to taste
• 1 Tbsp. oilve oil

Preheat oven with pizza stone to 500°F. Evenly spread the olive oil over the top of your rolled-out pizza crust. Top with BBQ sauce and chopped onion, then both cheeses (reserving 1/4 cup of each, followed by bell peppers, jalapenos and prosciutto.

Top with both reserved cheeses, basil and rosemary. Add salt, pepper and oregano. Cook in oven for approximately 14 minutes (turning once mid-way), or until crust is golden brown. Gouda does not melt as smoothly as mozzarella so don’t be concerned if it still looks slightly un-melted. If the rest of the pie looks ready, remove it from the oven, let cool and enjoy!

Please understand that I have no interest in discrediting the standard summer hot dog served up on that doughy white bread bun and weighed down in yellow mustard or store-bought ketchup.  Plant one of those babies in front of me right now and I dare you to predict how long it lasts!

The whole experience of the low-brow, shiny stadium-style dogs clumsily wrapped in cheap wax paper and dripping with salty juices will never get old. Forget that they’re considered traditionally American, family-oriented, and best of all, cheap.  They just taste good!

But a simple, inexpensive hot dog can go so much further.  And right now is the perfect time of the year to take this standard summer staple out for a test drive, and see what it can really do for you.

First off, steer clear of those standard supermarket hot dog buns.  They’re too soft, they spilt in half too easily, and after coming into contact with condiments, they quickly degenerate into multi-colored, spiritless soggy messes.  Instead, get yourself some large sourdough or pane rolls, the kind you usually see housing a meatball or Italian sausage sandwich.  You’re going to need a roll strong enough to keep a steady grip on everything this Bobby Flay recipe packs into it.

Next, add a sweet tangy, sauce that works nicely against the flavors in the salty dog. Molasses, brown sugar and honey bring the sweet, while a little red wine vinegar and Worcestershire sauce provide the tang.  Simmer it nice and slowly in plenty of pureed tomatoes, onions and garlic.  Let it thicken up to the point that it will still cling to the dog if you turn it upside down – at least thirty minutes.

Lastly, you’ve gotta have a little crunch to let your ears in on some of the fun your nose and mouth are having.  A simple slaw with cabbage, carrots and onions, gently seasoned, and some good crunchy sour dill pickle slices will fit this bill nicely.  Any leftover slaw can be mixed with a can of tuna for a thick and crunchy tuna salad.

Make sure you brown the inside of the rolls slightly and serve the slaw at room temperature.  The sauce should also be at room temperature at minimum, but preferably slightly warmed so it can wind its way into the crevices of the slaw, allowing every bite you take to consist of a little of every element.  You’ll never be able to look at a hot dog at the little league park the same way again.

A simple recipe for some sweet potato fries to serve with these dogs accompanies below. Place them on a large dish and cover with any leftover BBQ sauce and slaw and place in the middle of your dinner table.

Enjoy your weekend!

Texas Dogs from Bobby Flay

8 kosher beef hot dogs
8 good quality hot dog buns, split 3/4 through
Sour dill pickles (not half sour), for serving

For the BBQ sauce:
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 large Spanish onion, coarsely chopped
5 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
3 cups canned plum tomatoes and juices, pureed
1 cup water
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 tablespoon honey
1/4 cup molasses
3 tablespoons ancho chili powder
3 tablespoons pasilla chili powder
2 to 4 canned chipotle chiles in adobo, pureed (depending on how spicy you like it)
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

For the cole slaw:
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 small white onion, grated
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon celery salt
3 tablespoons apple-cider vinegar
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 head cabbage, cored, finely shredded
1 large carrot, finely shredded

For the hot dogs: Heat the grill to high. Grill dogs until golden brown on all sides, about 7 minutes. Remove to a plate. Place buns on the grill cut side down and grill until lightly golden brown, about 20 seconds.

For the BBQ sauce: Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan. Add the onions and cook until soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and water, bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for an additional 30 to 40 minutes until thickened, stirring occasionally.

Transfer the mixture to a food processor and puree until smooth, season with salt and pepper, to taste. Pour into a bowl and allow to cool at room temperature. Sauce will keep for 1 week in the refrigerator stored in a tightly sealed container.

For the cole slaw: Whisk together the mayonnaise, onion, sugar, celery salt, vinegar and salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add the cabbage and carrot and stir to combine, season with more salt and pepper, if needed. Let sit at least 15 minutes before serving.

Place hot dogs in the buns and brush dogs with BBQ sauce, top with coleslaw and pickle

Sweet Potato Fries

• 4 sweet potatoes, washed
• 4 tablespoons canola oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place a baking sheet in the oven.

Work in two separate batches, separating the oil and potatoes up evenly.

On a cutting board, slice the sweet potatoes in half lengthwise. Slice each potato half into 6 wedges. Place wedges in a large bowl, add canola oil, season with salt and pepper, to taste, and toss to coat.

Remove the baking sheet from the oven. Place the fries onto the baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Turn the fries and bake for another 15 minutes until brown and crispy. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve.