It's a Dog Eat [Hot] Dog World

I love hot dogs. I have probably grown to love them more in recent years after I heard how unhealthy they are, because they're now forbidden fruit. This past weekend during a family dinner, the hot dogs made their inaugural 2014 appearance. Mid-April might seem too early to jump feet-first into BBQ season, but I did anyway. Sort of.

The "sort of" stems from a mid-February decision my parents made to get a puppy. Bentley has definitely helped fill the void left behind by our nearly 15-year-old dog Sebastian who left us on Halloween. Born on Thanksgiving, a day that I dare say is probably the pinnacle of pinnacles in the life of a foodie, Bentley already had a place in my heart. Now nearly 5 months old, he's still a monster, but less disorderly than he was at 10 weeks. Because he will eat anything deemed remotely edible (and even things inedible like his metal food bowl) we knew we would have to watch him carefully once grilling season started.

Sebastian used to lurk innocently around the yard until the grilling process ended so he could feast...on the charcoal ash. We usually remembered to keep him at bay, but the times we didn't, he'd eappear at the back door with a sooty muzzle, ready for a nap after a full sweep of the scraped-off grill bits and charcoal ash.

Since Bentley has been far more adventurous than Sebastian, we knew we would have to be mindful about preventing him from ingesting grill toxins, especially at such a young age. Most of his outdoor time involves eating every flower petal, piece of mulch, or blade of grass he can find. You'd think we were starving him. Here he is eating my parents' new azalea bush.


So with these hot dogs on Sunday, I was faced with a choice:  Grill them outside or cook them inside. Considering the Bentley hassle of grilling outside, I opted to try broiling them inside. I've had pretty good luck with toasting chicken hot dogs right on the toaster oven rack, but these were beef hot dogs with a higher fat content. In case you haven't toasted fattier hot dogs, the extra fat drips onto the toaster coils creating the makings for a good ole grease fire.

Instead, I put them on a small tray and broiled them in the oven, turning them every few minutes until they were swollen and crispy. I then added my favorite topping, baked beans mixed with grated Parmesan, as well as some coleslaw, ketchup and whole grain mustard.

It was salty, crispy, crunchy, cold, hot, sweet, soft--it was my everything. I can't wait to have another one, but I want the next one to be grilled. And, I certainly hope Bentley's foraging habits don't drive a wedge between me and that dream.

Maybe the perfect solution is to grill him a hot dog, too, so we can enjoy them together. Dog + hot dog = happy. Me + hot dog = happy. Everyone's happy! It's a dog eat dog world out there, but if it was a dog eat hot dog world, then maybe we'd all be in a better place.

Adventures into Southeast Asia

As many of you know, I am headed to Southeast Asia later this year to visit good friends of mine who will soon move there for a couple of years. It has always been a dream of mine to visit SE Asia, but lack of substantial vacation time, life timing and lack of cash flow were always barriers. Well, as sad as I am to see two fun people leave the states for greener pastures in Malaysia, that means I get to go visit them!

Joining me on my trip--which will involve visits to Cambodia, Malaysia and Thailand--are a close college friend and her coworker. In preparation for what will be my first-ever adult trip (adult as in, longer than 3-4 days and involving a passport), I have been researching accommodations, activities, food, flights--everything. I love handling the logistical aspects of vacation and can easily get mired in the weeds of details, details, details. In my downtime from planning, I have been sure to eat my fair share of Asian cuisine to prepare myself for 15 days of culinary bliss.

My latest exploits were at newly-opened Zensai Sushi in downtown Silver Spring, MD. While I would've normally gravitated towards pad thai, sushi, lo mein and a variety of curries, I decided to try something different off the noodle menu.

Called Chiang Mai Noodles, this dish featured a duo of crispy and soft egg noodles with chicken, onion, scallion, sour cabbage and bean sprout in spicy yellow Thai herb with turmeric and coconut milk. It was as good as it sounds! The chicken was tender and noticeably marinated with a memorable flavor. I hope noodle dishes like this are what await me in Chiang Mai. If so, it will be very hard to leave and head back to the states when the time comes. Maybe I should just buy a one-way ticket?

What I do find curious is whether these dishes I eat in the states will taste any different than food from the motherland. I recall my last international trip back in 2000 to Italy where I was initially disappointed by the cuisine since my palate was tainted by American Italian food. I really hope that I don't wish I was back in downtown Silver Spring eating this food (as wonderful as it is) when I am in Thailand. I remain hopeful that I will not be disappointed by the food--but maybe I should lower my expectations just in case?

Chasing the Elusive G

After many a failed attempt to taste one of Mike Isabella's sandwiches from his new-ish restaurant G, I had found success...twice.

The sad part of the story began in December. A couple foodie friends (doubling as running buds) and I headed over there after a Friday evening run only to feel the sting of rejection. G by day is a sandwich shop and by night, which unbeknownst to us started at the stroke of 6pm, is run as a tasting-menu restaurant. That early start meant that it stopped selling sandwiches on that day of the week at 5pm. We had planned our route to end at G as a handsome reward for our hard work. When we opened the door and trotted in, the music stopped. Our hearts sank. Were we in the right place? A well-dressed hostess and well-dressed patrons all looked up to suggest that we most certainly were not. Nothing screams "class" like sweaty running clothes.

We left, dejected but still determined to try again another time during normal sandwich hours.

---begin happy chapter---

Weeks later, I returned on a weekend afternoon, well in advance of the switchover time and found five minutes of happiness in the form of G's Italian Hero. Yes, I ate it that quickly. Made my insides sing.

The buffalo mozzarella was velvety and sweet. The cured Italian meats were spicy, seasoned and sassy. The bread...well, just look at it!

Since I don't live or work anywhere near G, it takes a dedicated plan to pay the shop a visit. This past Friday was one of those days. Since it's Lent, I observe the "no-meat" Fridays and was considering NOT going because I thought it would be too hard to abstain. Friend Laura was the best friend a friend can be and coaxed me to power through and try G's Roasted Cauliflower sandwich. She said it was a noteworthy one that had been written about in reviews as their signature item. Who knew...cauliflower? Delicious cauliflower sandwich? Never thought I would find those three words thrown together.

Laura suggested we just split that one sandwich since she wanted to try it and I couldn't share any meat sandwich she got anyways. A good friend, I tell you! And here is what we saw after tearing open the paper.

Toasted bread soaked with unbelievably flavorful Romesco sauce. Lightly charred cauliflower florets, tender and basking in Romesco. I wanted to bask in Romesco. The pickled veggies offered a nice twang that sent this sandwich deep beyond the friend zone with me. I think I found my soul-mate.

If only G were closer (or would open a spot in Bethesda...hint hint) then I could relive this amazing meet cute over and over again. Until next time, G. I'll be thinking of you.