Valerie Phillips

The Quintessential All American Food - The Hot Dog By Valerie Miracle (Phillips) When I was a little girl, I remember one of my favorite things to hear was we were going to get a Tootsie hotdog. Tootsie’s was a little family run country store with a counter and stools set up so the locals could have a hotdog, chili dog, or a sandwich. I thought there was something magical in the way those hotdogs were made. There was nothing better than my parents or grandparents taking us there, ordering a hotdog, and grabbing a bottle of soda out of the cooler. Years later, I bought the same brand that Tootsie used but they never tasted quite the same. Hotdogs have been around for years as the quintessential all American food. They are cheap, easy to cook, and most think they are quite tasty (some even enjoy a “burnt” dog from the grill). Germany actually gets credit for the first frankfurter. It wasn't until they made it to the states that the label of ‘hotdog’ caught on. There are various stories about how the name came to be. Some say a cartoonist didn’t know how to spell dachshund after observing and drawing a vendor calling “Get your red hot dachshund sausages!” Another tale (pardon the pun) centers around immigrants introducing the sausages and the Dachshund dog breed. No matter, these popular sausages nestled in a bun are now one of America’s favorite foods. With the 4th of July rapidly approaching, millions of hotdogs will be consumed in back yards and parks across the nation. Slathered with mustard, ketchup, onions, relish, chili, and many other toppings hotdogs have become as mishmash as the United States, so what better food to celebrate Independence Day with? A favorite in our house is a dish my daughter makes to perfection - Oven Baked Chili Cheese Dogs. She has done some tweaking from her first set and they are now one of life’s guilty pleasures. Her recipe follows... Oven Baked Chili Cheese Dogs 8 Hot Dogs (those with chili cheese already inside are perfect) 8 Hot Dog Buns 1 can of spicy chili 1 can of normal chili Chopped onions - optional Shredded cheese - optional Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9 x 13 baking dish with aluminum foil. Place hotdog buns with hotdogs inside them into the pan. Mix the spicy and non-spicy chili together and spoon over the hotdogs. Add cheese and onions. Cover with aluminum foil and bake 25 minutes. This is a perfect dish to get the kids to help with! This dish is perfect for celebrating July 4th here in the Phoenix valley. No one is standing over a hot grill in the blazing sun. Will your Independence Day menu include hotdogs? If so, what is your favorite way to prepare them?