The Texas Dog #BallparkFood #Giveaway

A bacon-wrapped hot dog, tucked into a well-buttered, grilled slice of Texas toast, then heaped with jalapeño relish. Make your own or head on over to Minute Maid Park and enjoy a baseball game as well. 

One baseball season, 30 baseball parks to visit, with the sole goal of trying All The Food. Sounds like a dream job. The author of The Joy of Ballpark Food – From Hot Dogs to Haute Cuisine, Bennett Jacobstein took it upon himself, selfless person that he is, to research ballpark food and, along with his long suffering wife (and photographer) he did indeed visit all the major league parks in the 2014 season, eating his way through a substantial menu of offerings, in support of a bigger cause, the Second Harvest Food Bank. All royalties from his book will benefit SHFB.

Jacobstein shares his culinary discoveries, along with historical curiosities about the start of concession food from the beginning of hot dogs, peanuts and Cracker Jacks – and a thorough discussion of the song that made the last two famous - through new trendier dishes like carne asada waffle fries and crab-stuffed pretzels. (Unfortunately, no recipes are included, so you have to make the rounds yourself to taste the food!)

Maybe I’m a food nerd, but the history was my favorite part. Who knew that the man most responsible for popularizing hot dogs at baseball games was a Brit, born in Derbyshire, England? Or that nachos were first invented by a waiter named Ignacio “Nacho” Anaya who called them Nacho’s Especiale, since he had created them? I was also tantalized by the menus from each ballpark, starting with the Arizona Diamondbacks and their Venom Dog made with habanero sausage through the Washington Nationals speciality dog named the DVM in which a foot-long half smoke is smothered with Maryland crab dip, then topped with Virginia ham.

This book would be a great gift for a baseball fan, perhaps to accompany some tickets to a ball game or even, maybe, a series of tickets in different cities so the recipient can try foodie favorites in a few places, budget allowing. But I gotta warn you, if your friends and family are the type to quote historical dates and numbers, you may well be hearing more facts about popcorn and hot dogs, not to mention Cracker Jacks, than you ever wanted to know. Because they are all in there, and Jacobstein’s warm and engaging delivery and sense of humor are motivation to keep reading.

I call Houston my hometown on Facebook and here on my blog About Me page, but sadly, I have never been to a home game in The Juice Box, aka Minute Maid Park . Truth is, I haven’t lived in Houston for a good number of years and a trip to the ballpark when I am home just never came up. When I read the fabulous food on offer, I wonder why. It doesn’t have to be about the ball game apparently. There are folks who just go for the food. Jacobstein doesn’t mention it, but Minute Maid Park has an all you can eat option, which includes a game ticket on the mezzanine floor and all you can eat hot dogs, nachos, popcorn, peanuts and soda. Way to upsize it Texas-style, Minute Maid! First thing I’m going to try is the Texas Dog, because it’s wrapped with BACON and cooked, then it’s put in Texas toast, and finally, it’s covered in jalapeño relish. And since I can’t wait, let’s just try one now.

A Note on Texas Toast
Here’s the thing about Texas toast: Don’t be shy about either cutting it thick or spreading on the butter the same way. The butter’s where it’s at when it comes to toasting slices on a griddle. Also, garlic is not essential, never mind what Bobby Flay might have you believe. The original Texas toast, whether it started in Dallas or Beaumont, certainly didn’t have garlic. Okay, tiny rant over. Let’s bacon wrap a dog!

Ingredients
1 slice smoked bacon (not thick cut)
1 hot dog of your choice (These here are Oscar Mayer because that's what I can get in Dubai.)
1 double thick slice bread
Butter, softened
2 tablespoons spicy jalapeño relish

Method
Wrap your bacon around the hot dog and secure it with toothpicks.

Fry the bacon-wrapped wiener until the bacon is crispy and the dog is hot through. Remove the toothpicks.

Apply softened butter liberally to both sides your thick cut bread.

Toast it on a griddle until golden and crunchy on both sides.

Place the hot dog in the bread and fold it up.

Cover it with the relish.

Enjoy!

If you know someone who would enjoy receiving a copy of this book, please head over to the website to buy one. Remember that all royalties benefit Second Harvest Food Bank so you’ll be doing a good deed and making someone happy all at the same time!

And since this is a charity effort, I am going to send my copy to one reader (US shipping addresses only, please, and book will be mailed out at the end of May from Houston, Texas) and the promoter is also offering one Kindle version to anyone worldwide who can accept an ebook from Amazon.com.

To enter the drawing, leave me a comment saying 1. real book or ebook and 2. who you are going to give it to and 3. why you think that person deserves it. It could be yourself and you are the biggest foodie baseball fan you know. Sell me! I’ll choose two winners from the comments on Wednesday, 13 May.

My decision is final and no discussions or objections will be entertained. Winners will be notified by email (The Disqus commenting system automatically saves them for me so make sure you use a valid email to comment.) and will have 48 hours to respond. If an original winner does not respond in that time frame, I will choose another winner. And so on, until we give both books away.

It’s a fun read! You all are going to love it!

Disclaimer: I was sent one copy of The Joy of Ballpark Food – From Hot Dogs to Haute Cuisine. No other remuneration was received. I am delighted to support this fundraising effort for Second Harvest Food Bank.

Update: I chickened out and couldn't chose between the comments for a winner so I let the random number generator at random.org do the job. Our winner for the real book is Jan Elmore and she has been sent an email to confirm this.

Thanks for playing, everyone!

Pattypan Edamame Parmesan Pasta

Pan-roasted pattypan squash and edamame tossed with tiny pasta, olive oil and freshly grated Parmesan make a deliciously filling and nutritious main course or side dish.

My baby is having a big event tonight. The biggest since her graduation from high school and the biggest until exactly one month from today when she will graduate from university.

And I’m not there.

I was just with her last month when we spent her last spring break working and cooking and shopping and laughing and just hanging out. And I’ll be there next month for her graduation. I struggled, really struggled with the decision to miss her senior show, the culmination of four years of learning and one long, sleepless semester of laborious efforts on her clever design project.

So today I’m feeling guilty and tearful.

It comes over me, unbidden and at inopportune times. At the grocery store check out. While I toss a ball in our backyard for her furry brother. As I typed the blog post I was supposed to be writing. Because I want to be there and am not. But also, because in this place that I live, there are workers who haven’t been home for two years or, often, more. They’ve left children behind to be raised in their home countries by their wives who live as single mothers or with aged grandmothers who have already raised families of their own. They send every extra cent home to pay for food and schooling. What right have I to well up with tears over missing one big event when I’ve been there for most every other landmark over the last almost 22 years? When they have missed most of them. And don’t even mention the parents who are mourning the loss of their children from recent catastrophic events. I cannot go there. I give myself a firm talking to. “Graduation is one month away. It’ll be fine. Her sister will be there. It'll be fine. Suck it up!”

This post is me, sucking it up, by sharing.

My younger daughter loves to bake brownies and lately has added her roommate’s mother’s banana bread to her repertoire but she isn’t as fond of cooking. (I know, I know. Where did I go wrong?) Her meal planning is generally predicated on the question, will it go with pasta? She makes a lovely dish with Brussels sprouts that have been halved and roasted in a skillet until they are caramelized and golden. Then she tosses them with hot cooked pasta and an avocado scooped from its peel. If there’s Parmesan, some of that might get hummed in. But it’s not essential.

A couple of weeks ago, I was pan-roasting some pattypan squash and thought, “Will it go with pasta?” So I browsed around in the cupboard for a recently discovered pasta shape called pallettoni, which translates to buckshot, a name that amuses me and describes the pasta perfectly. Although she’d probably want me to trade in the squash for Brussels sprouts, she is a fan of edamame so I think my daughter would like this.

I may not be there, sweet thing, but you may rest assured that you and your sister are never far from my mind. And graduation is just a month away. And it will be fine. It will be fine. By which I mean, I will be fine. I never had any doubts about you.

Ingredients
9 1/2 oz or 270g pattypan squash
Olive oil
2/3 cup or 115g dried pallettoni pasta or another small pasta of your choice
1/2 cup or 80g frozen already peeled edamame, thawed
1⁄2 cup or 90g freshly grated Parmesan
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Method
Cut the stem ends off of your pattypan squash and then slice them into two or three pieces.

Pop them in a skillet drizzled with a little olive oil, over a high fire, and cook until they have little brown spots all over.

On another burner of your stove, boil the pasta in well-salted water, according to manufacturer’s instructions. Add in the thawed edamame during the last minute or so.

Drain the pasta and edamame and add them to the squash pan, along with another drizzle of olive oil.

Sprinkle on most of the grated Parmesan, reserving about 1/4 of it to add to the top of the finished dish. Stir in the Parmesan and then taste and season with salt and pepper.

Sprinkle the balance of the Parmesan on top of the finished dish. Add a little more freshly ground black pepper, if you'd like.

Enjoy!

Ever miss an important event in someone special's life? Tell me the tale and we can commiserate.

Chipotle Cheddar Sweet Potato Muffins #MuffinMonday

Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce add a lovely smoky spiciness to these sharp cheddar muffins made with roasted sweet potatoes.

Chipotle peppers in adobe sauce are a great ingredient for adding flavor and spice to many dishes but though they come packed in small cans, I never seem to use the whole can for any recipe. So I pour the leftovers in a plastic bag and roll it up like a tube and pop it in the freezer. Then it’s easy to slice off however much you need for the next recipe. We loved these muffins so much that I'd open another can just to make them again.

Ingredients
1 whole roasted sweet potato (about 8oz or 225g)
1/4 cup or 60ml canola or other light oil
2 cups or 250g flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 tablespoons chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
5 1/3 oz or 150g extra sharp cheddar, grated
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
3/4 cup or 180ml milk

Method
Preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°C and prepare your muffin pan by greasing it or lining it paper muffin cups.

Peel your sweet potato and mash it with a fork.

Add in the eggs, milk and oil and whisk to combine.

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add in all but a generous handful of the cheddar and mix thoroughly.

Pour your wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and fold them together until just mixed.

Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups.  Top with the remaining grated cheddar.

Bake in your preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean and the muffins are golden.

Allow to cool for a couple of minutes then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Enjoy!