Gilligan's Gourmet: Celebrate National Hot-dog Day

In the press box, sports cartoonist Tad Dorgan was nearing his deadline and desperate for an idea. Hearing the vendors, he hastily drew a cartoon of barking dachshund sausages nestled warmly in rolls. Not sure how to spell "dachshund" he simply wrote "hot dog!" The cartoon was a sensation--and the term "hot dog" was born.

Today's hot dog on a bun was probably introduced during the St. Louis "Louisiana Purchase Exposition" in 1904 by Bavarian concessionaire, Anton Feuchtwanger. He loaned white gloves to his patrons to hold his piping hot sausages. Most of the gloves were not returned, and the supply began running low. He reportedly asked his brother-in-law, a baker, for help. The baker improvised long soft rolls that fit the meat--thus inventing the hot dog bun.

Barbecued Hot Dogs 

Ingredients
2 packages Colossal Beef Franks
¾ cup chopped onion
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
1-1/2 cups chopped celery
1-1/2 cups ketchup
¾ cup water
1/3 cup lemon juice
3 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
16 hot dog buns split

Method:
In a saucepan over medium heat, sauté the onions in butter until tender. Add celery, ketchup, water, lemon juice, sugar, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce and mustard; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Cut three ¼ inch deep slits on each side of hot dogs; place in a 2-1/2 quart baking dish. Pour the sauce over the hot dogs. Cover and bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes or until heated through

CHICAGO-STYLE HOT DOG
The Chicago Dog is a Windy City classic, and a big favorite with sports fans! The frank must be all-beef, the bun must be poppy seed, and the ingredients must be piled onto the bun in the order specified. And whatever you do, don't spoil the splendor with ketchup!

Ingredients:
1 all-beef hot dog
1 poppy seed hot dog bun
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
1 tablespoon sweet green pickle relish
1 tablespoon chopped onion 4 tomato wedges
1 dill pickle spear
2 sport peppers
1 dash celery salt

Method:
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Reduce heat to low, place hot dog in water, and cook 5 minutes or until done. Remove hot dog and set aside. Carefully place a steamer basket into the pot and steam the hot dog bun 2 minutes or until warm.
Place hot dog in the steamed bun. Pile on the toppings in this order: yellow mustard,
sweet green pickle relish, onion, tomato wedges, pickle spear, sport peppers, and celery salt. The tomatoes should be nestled between the hot dog and the top of the bun. Place the pickle between the hot dog and the bottom of the bun. Don't even think about ketchup!

AND FINALLY…
Two Irish nuns have just arrived in USA by boat and one says to the other, "I hear that the people in this country actually eat dogs." "Odd," her companion replies, "but if we shall live in America, we might as well do as the Americans do." Nodding emphatically, the mother superior points to a hot dog vendor and they both walk towards the cart. "Two dogs, please," says one. The vendor is only too pleased to oblige and he wraps both hot dogs in foil and hands them over the counter. Excited, the nuns hurry over to a bench and begin to unwrap their "dogs."

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Nster.com