Ginger ale, best friend, China and killer hotdogs!

Why do I only drink ginger ale when I am on a plane? I stopped drinking more than an occasional soda some years back but a ginger ale always sounds good on the plane. I am heading from Los Angeles to San Francisco to meet one of my best friends Ken. We are heading to Hong Kong and Shanghai for a week of food adventures. He is the perfect travel mate for this trip. Not only do we get along brilliantly and both pretend that we didn’t need permission from our wives to go but he has the same philosophy about food as I do: just because you are full doesn’t mean you should pass on trying something amazing that you walk by. Eat we will! Discover we will! With Ken’s help and another friend of mine Sam I have managed to get myself into some local kitchens to learn hot to cook some authentic Chinese food. I can’t wait!

Ginger ale makes me think of comfort food and comfort food makes me think of the hotdog I made for a dinner party the other night. I was hired to do a six-course meal and one of the courses was to include a hotdog. I toasted the bun with olive oil, smoked paprika and cumin. In the same pan I then added all beef, grass-fed hot dogs and thinly sliced onions. I cooked them over medium heat so that the hot dog would just start to blister but not crack by the time it was hot in the center. The onions were partially caramelized and partially charred – crispy and sweet. I smeared the toasted, soft bun with Crescenza cheese (AKA, Stracchino. An amazing triple-cream cheese from Northern Italy that tastes like Gorgonzola without the blue). The cheese melted into a sauce from the heat of the hotdog and dripped through the onions and out of the ends of the bun. One bite and the hotdog popped with a rich but not fatty beef flavor. There was enough acidity in the cheese to balance the richness. The smoked paprika and cumin came through in the finish making what appeared to be a simple hotdog much more complex. Can’t wait to get back to the stove or in this case in front of the wok! I look forward to bringing you some tasty new tidbits from China. Take care and enjoy!

Eat well, Enjoy life, Be happy