Now that's a coney dog

That's a coney dog

Living in Western Michigan as I do, there's a huge hole in my diet. Namely, the Coney Dog. The Coney Island dog or chili-dog has somehow been perfected on the East side of the state and specifically in Detroit. Now, if you want a chili burger, you have to go to Los Angeles, but Detroit has cornered the market on the dog.
Next door to the American Coney Island, a poor excuse for a coney island joint, you'll find the best there is: Lafayette Coney Island.
The natural casing makes the hot dogs snap when you bite into them. The fries are fresh and hot, covered in shredded cheddar and a ladle of chili. The onions are zesty. The service is... oh what's the word... International, that's it. The guys that work there speak enough English to take your order, deliver it and talk about the Tigers, Lions, Redwings, Pistons, and how Joe Louis was the greatest boxer who ever lived.
They have Coke at the soda fountain, and everything else comes in cans, including Vernors of course. That's the Michigan state beverage.

... maybe it's just me?

Peanut Butter Banana dogs

Peanut Butter Banana dogs

Mmmm...
So what you do is split a hot dog down the middle and warm it up. Bologna works in this, but bacon is best. The hot dog was a little improvisation.
Then a banana and put it all on a hot dog bun spread with peanut butter.
So good.

Peanut buttery, melty, banana-ey, salty, meaty...

... maybe it's just me?

Valentines Schmalentines

Every year the Hallmarkiest of Hallmark holidays comes around in mid-February. Of course I mean Valentine's Day. People who are together feel pressure to do something grand and people who are alone get depressed. We all eat too much candy. Kids bring card-ettes to school and often lace them with less than flattering aphorisms.

In the USA Miss Esther Howland has credit for receiving and sending the first valentine cards in 1847. Commercially produced cards were introduced earlier in Europe right around 1800 – the first mechanical cards in 1840.

Then there are the candy hearts. How can anyone actually ingest those chalky, flavorless lumps with trite sayings tattooed in Red #6? The first conversation hearts were introduced in the 1860's by the founder of the NECCO Company founder. The hand-made candy hearts included lengthy entreaties such as,

"Please send a lock of your hair by return mail."

Finally they were tightened up and factory-made by the NECCO Company in 1902 and since then have sported favorite sayings like: kiss me, sweet talk, and be mine. 2004 brought the internet-based IM ME to the hearts.

The mind swims with the awfulness.

Over the years NECCO has eliminated sayings when they become out-dated, such as the funky "Dig Me" and the cheerful, "you are gay".
A full production run contains 1.7 million pieces and NECCO will sell about 8 billion candy hearts in six weeks. They have a shelf life of 5 years.

Thanks to the folks at despair.com there's a valentines candy heart for the rest of us.

... maybe it's just me?

Fruit Salad

Brian's Fruit Salad

Is that a euphemism?
Sylvia says that I'm a good cook. I made up this fruit salad on the fly while I was at the grocery store picking up groceries to cook in my new groovy pad for the first time.

Ingredients:
2 Bartlet pears very ripe
1 Granny Smith Apple
1c red seedless grapes
2 blood oranges
1 starfruit
1 stalk of celery
1/2c roasted almond slivers

Directions:
cut it all up, mix with your (clean) hands, top with almonds. There's plenty of citrus juice to keep things from browning. Serve it up in piles or in bowls.

I also made, a green leafy romaine/spinach salad, baked potatoes, and rib eye steak.

Sylvia brought harvest medley pie (raspberries, rhubarb, apples, pears) and ice cream to the Super Bowl the night before, but we didn't have any then. It was really good for dessert the next day.

Anyway, I like to cook, and I like to make a nice presentation... maybe it's just me.

Leftovers again

It's Fat Tuesday again - kind of a second Thanksgiving here on the brian-food blog.

Fat Tuesday.

Since we're still behind the picket lines of the writer's guild strike, here's a Phat Tuesday re-run, just like on TV.

Meanwhile, one of my co-workers brought in the Paczki this year - I need to go get one before they're gone!

I'd still like to know if anyone is making a sacrifice for lent.

...maybe it's just me?