It is beginning to look like unofficial hot dog day here at Slashfood, though I'd like to clarify that this recipe calls for 100% all-beef wieners rather than some of the other available alternatives. Ugh.
Anyhoo...
For those of you gearing up for some grilling this weekend, you may want to check out Bobby Flay's "Texas Dog" - a simple recipe which includes a hot dog smothered in his special homemade BBQ sauce, then topped with freshly-made coleslaw and quartered dill pickles. This is perfect for backyard "plate-less" eating since the usual side dishes are already on the bun.
Granted, this recipe may not win an award for being the fanciest dish or require a lot of skill to prepare, because let's be honest, at the end of the day it is still just a hot dog, but it tastes delicious and everything can be prepared beforehand. If you are having company over for a backyard barbecue, really, isn't that the point? I've included a copy of the recipe and instructions after the jump.
Bobby Flay has an impressive list of titles including famed chef, television personality, Iron Chef on the Food Network, and author of several cookbooks. He also runs a group of restaurants including Bolo and Bar Americain in New York City, Mesa Grill located in both New York and Las Vegas, and Bobby Flay Steak in Atlantic City. Today, Flay is opening a third Mesa Grill, located in the Bahamas at the Cove Atlantis - marking his first business venture outside of the United States.
Widely known for his Southwestern cuisine, Bobby Flay is apparently excited about mixing his signature style with ingredients and flavors of the Caribbean, and will be serving dishes such as Bahamian Spiced Chicken Skewers with Yogurt Cilantro Sauce, Crispy Squid and Cracked Conch Salad with Orange-Chipotle Vinaigrette, and Bahamian Lobster Tail with Red Chile-Coconut Sauce and Green Chile Rice. Sounds pretty delicious to me.
The restaurant, according to the Cove Atlantis webpage, overlooks beaches and the Atlantic Ocean and features vibrant colors, Southwestern motifs, and an auburn and white cow print on the dining chairs. The bar "features a terrazzo and sea shell counter with backlit glass and embedded goatskin, flanked by columns of river rock."
Up and coming chef Ben Sargent had just been given his very own half hour Food Network TV show--all about him and chowder, his specialty. With the sun barely up one morning in May, cameras followed him around the Fulton Fish Market. He stocked up on monkfish, live eels, and giant clams that looked like tubular aliens. The work was scrutinizing, but the last day on camera promised to be easy: a Brooklyn waterfront party where he cooked and his friends gnoshed. Like the cameras weren't even there.
The day arrived. Sargent happily and somewhat drunkenly prepared his chowder. He looked up, and Bobby Flay stood in the audience--the fiery haired Iron Chef, no less. Suddenly, Flay was on him, shaking his hand and challenging him to a chowder cook-off, right then and there.
This wasn't Sargent's show at all. This was Food Network's Throwdown with Bobby Flay and he'd just been had.
After talking about Throwdown with Bobby Flay earlier this week, I couldn't resist tuning in to view the steak episode. Early on in the show, I though that Bobby was guaranteed to win; grilling steaks, and meat in general, is one of his strong suits. Then I saw the competition. Eric Dominijanni, a.k.a. Captain D, a captain in the Marine Corps stationed in the California desert knew what he was doing, not to mention that he was really fun to watch on camera.
Bobby perfected his recipe in the test kitchen and headed out to the Mojave Desert to challenge the Captain at his base. They fired up their grills and started to cook in 112°F heat. Bobby Flay got progressively redder throughout the show, either from the heat or from a sunburn, and it was pretty funny to watch, although Captain D complimented him on how well he was holding up.
Here's a spoiler: Bobby Flay actually lost the challenge, although not by much. Watch the episode when it reruns to see Bobby Flay turn (adorably) into a beet and to cheer on Captain D. You can find Bobby's almost-winning recipe here.
Update: You can find Captain D's famous Hot and Tangy Marinade recipe here (Thanks, Tony C!).
Most chefs are very proud of what they do. They are used to working under a lot of pressure and the best chefs are the ones who thrive under it. Pressure and pride make a fiercely competitive person, whether they're competing to prove to themselves that they can do better or they're trying to prove it to others. We've seen aspects of this on Top Chef, but these elements are what make the Food Network's new show, Throwdown with Bobby Flay, work.
The premise is this: Bobby Flay goes around and finds someone who is the best (or one of the best) at what they do. He challenges them to "throw down" and compete in a one-on-one culinary competition to see who can make the best product. The competitions are judged by different "experts" in each show.
In all honesty, I didn't expect the show to be any good. But it was.
Agnostic
of your preference for men or women, the hot chefs on the Food Network, well, they know they're hot. They're
entirely crush-worthy and would make ideal fantasy Valentine's dates - they're personable, they have great taste in
wine, and best of all, they can cook. If marital status weren't an issue, my top Valentine's Day picks would
be:
Bobby Flay: I've had a crush on Bobby ever
since I first wished I was his giggly sidekick on Hot Off the Grill. I saw him, in person, at Bolo five or six years ago and my face got all warm, I felt like I
was in the presence of royalty. He's the ultimate in hunky Food Network chefs. On my dream date, he'd grill shrimp and portabello mushrooms
with some sort of green garlic sauce and we'd wash it all down with a gigantic pitcher of sangria.
Giada de Laurentiis: She's so obvious it almost feels wrong picking her. Giada just drips sex appeal
from the camera angles to the cleavage. Boys, she is one hot cookin' mama. We'd eat lobster fra diavolo and warm chocolate cakes with berries
and drink cocktails of Prosecco with raspberry puree.
It is beginning to look like unofficial hot dog day here at Slashfood, though I'd like to clarify that this recipe calls for 100% all-beef wieners rather than some of the other available alternatives. Ugh. 
Bobby Flay has an impressive list of titles including famed chef, television personality, Iron Chef on the Food Network, and author of several cookbooks. He also runs a 
Up and coming chef 
After talking about 
Most chefs are very proud of what they do. They are used to working under a lot of pressure and the best chefs are the ones who thrive under it. Pressure and pride make a fiercely competitive person, whether they're competing to prove to themselves that they can do better or they're trying to prove it to others. We've seen aspects of this on Top Chef, but these elements are what make the Food Network's new show, 
Food & Wine went to 50 cities around the
world and compiled their list of the 
Agnostic
of your preference for men or women, the hot chefs on the Food Network, well, they know they're hot. They're
entirely crush-worthy and would make ideal fantasy Valentine's dates - they're personable, they have great taste in
wine, and best of all, they can cook. If marital status weren't an issue, my top Valentine's Day picks would
be:
America's Most Hated Foods
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