Hot Dog!!!!

Nothing says summer like a good old fashioned hot dog. it's the type of food that can be dressed up or down. You can serve it as an hors d' oeuvre or eat it as a snack. You can make it sinful or as healthy as you like. Best of all you can make it your way.

Hot dogs came came from the German town of Frankfurt (hence its' other name frankfurter) and have been around since 1480. They were made out of pork slurry but other flavors such as beef. chicken and turkey have been added. They came to the States in 1870 when a German immigrant Charles Feltman began to sell them. They were also sold in St Louis and made their debut at the St Louis Fair. Back at Coney island one of Feltman's workers, a Nathan Handwerker went into his own wiener dog business and that's how the famous Nathan's was born. Today only a few places such as Nathan's , Sonic and Johnny Rockets sell hot dogs. Most stands are independently owned.

Hot dogs at home are the best. You can pick out what works for you (ours are usually soy)You can cook them they way you want and top them however you want. I usually like mine with with the Ginger People's ginger barbecue sauce on a fried bun. Another great way is having a foot long one fried til almost crackly crisp and serve on a thick roll. This style is popular at a Jersey shore landmark, The Windmill in Long Branch. Their dogs are the best, flavorful, tasty and very very filling.

Hot dogs are the perfect summer nosh. They can be cooked and served a variety of ways. What';s your favorite? Foodie Pantry wants to know.

The International Easter Bunny

There's nothing like Easter candy, especially when it;s from other countries. Don;t get me wrong. I love our own brands, the Russell Stover and Palmer bunnies, the Reese's peanut butter eggs, The Hershey's kisses ,the Almond Joy coconut eggs and so on . However it's the Euro chocolate that makes me swoon. Some how the dark chocolate is more intensive while the milk has a creamy texture and feel, as if it was made yesterday.

Since the Germans more or less invented th e modern Easter tradition, it's no wonder that their chocolates are the best. I remember when my Swabian cousins brought someover one Easter. talk about goo d chocolate. It was ethereal, with a lighttexture and amazing cream (not milky ) taste. This is the stuff of Easter legend. Not to be outdone there is Perugina a staple at my houseand my other cousins in Northern Italy. Their eggs, these large ostrich size confections are hollow and filled with treats . Their bittersweet is almost like a cacao liqueur, deep, almost coffee like in flavor and smoothness . Te milk is creamy, light in flavor without that cloying aftertaste that some milk chocolates possess. Perugina is the master chocolatier throughout Europe and their holiday candies reflect this the best. This is where you can taste their fine candymaking with pieces of unadulterated chocolate.

The English know how to do candy right as well (well they should. They're the number one candy consumers in Europe).Their filled Cadbury eggs are a fun reminder of what Easter candy should be. Break open an etched milk chocolate one and out pours this gooey mix of fondant white and yolk. Their filling is similar to the one you find in Cella cherries , a rich gooey creme that has to be slurped up quickly. It';s a nice offset to the chocolate and adds to the shell's flavor.

it;s nice to know that the Easter bunny is a global creature. He picks up candy from all over the world to give to us. Now if only the little cotton tail could stop the global recession.


Note: Remember to help the victims of L'Aquilia earthquake. You can go to www.redcross.org and then click on where it has info about L'Aquila. 1,500 are homeless and they need more shelter and food to survive.

Bread Basket

As every person knows bread is an important part of our lives. As every foodie knows a person can't live on white bread alone. Nowadays there are so many different kinds to choose from round loaves to artisanal whites.What to choose? They're all good and delicious.

The French have cornered the market on many different varieties ofpain. The French make their bread without any fat hence the reason why it is so crisp and delicate in flavor. Usually a baguette or long bread lasts only a day otherwise it will get hard (but you cna grind up the stale baguette for some awesome bread crumbs).A sliced baguette is perfect for any kind of sandwich because the taste doesn't overpower the sandwich's filling. There is also the thinner version known as ficelle which means string. There is also the pain viennois. This is a softer, fatter version of the average baguette. The French also love a good chewy peasant loaf known as or ball. This is perfect for sopping up gravies or even for making French toast. The French also put raisins or nuts in their bread for an extra treat as well as making a type of focaccio with bacon, onions and herbs known as .
fougasee.

Italians are also passionate about their pane and every good Italian bread store has a huge and calorie lethal assortment.There are over 350 types of bread, each region making its' own special recipe. My Piedmontese ancestors were the first to sample the breadstick, a specialty of the royal city of Torino. These long sticks were made by a clever Piedmontese baker,Antonio Brunero, in 1679 to tempt the appetite of an ailing young Savoyard prince. The grissin strat became such a big hit that city states copied it. However for the real thing it's best to head to Piedmont and have them. Other Italian breads include the herbed focaccio , popular in central Italy and variations of pizza bread from Naples and other parts of Southern Italy. There is also the Sardinian flat bread that puffs to a nice golden brown when rebaked.

Other countries have contributed to the world's bread basket. Germany has given us rye and Easter sweet bread while India has given us nan. The US has contributed with sourdough and a variety of different breads such as banana nut and zucchini.

The next time you're in the mood for a good slice of bread, think about the different types. Don't just go all white bread. Choose a crusty baguette or a dark satisfying rye. Vary your bread basket.