Hot Dog!

When I think of a hot dog, my mind is pulled in many directions, baseball games, airport dining, street venders, and Nordic countries. 


As to street venders, it's Lucky Dog in NOLA and lots of stainless carts in most other cities. Lucky Dog always brings me a vision of Ignatius Jacques Reilly, the Don Quixote of the New Orleans hot dog. 


Who can go to a baseball game without indulging in a "red hot".  The National Hot Dog and Sausage Council (NHDSC) forecasts sales at ballparks around the country will reach 21,378,064 hot dogs in the 2010 season. That's enough dogs to circle the bases 29,691 times. I think I'll have another. 


Anyone who has experienced high levels of business travel, has dined on a quickly consumed dog between flights, and perhaps, re-experienced the repast during the next leg of the journey. 


The Nordic countries have hot dogs (Grillpolser) at every turn. They seem to be the national snack in northern Europe. I will admit that the best dog that I ever had was in Stykkishólmur on the Snæfellsnes peninsula. How can one resist a deep fried wiener on a fresh bun with 2 types of sauce, cheese, onions, relish, and generously sprinkled with crushed Doritos. Yum!