Hot Dogs Are Good for You! Creamy Cole Slaw

I was in the back seat of the family van during a day of errands. My father was driving, my mother was beside him, and we were all hot, tired, cranky, and hungry.

Hunger had been the consistent culprit of many a family meltdown. Since we shared a proclivity for low-blood sugar induced madness, when we passed a hot dog stand, I asked my father to stop, for the delicious opportunity of the moment, and for the emotional well being of our group.

My father said, “Hot dogs are no good for you. You shouldn’t eat that crap,” and continued driving.

Had I been ten, I would have pouted at the injustice of it all – the tiny voice making an enthusiastic, inexpensive, reasonable and self-preservational request from the back seat. Another unmet need. It's not fair.

But I was 36, so I did not pout, as I had learned a couple of things over the years. 1. I would drive myself to the hot dog stand as soon as the car pulled into the driveway, and 2. Sometimes it’s best to keep one’s (insightful and apt) mouth shut in the face of parental irrationality.

My father is not alone in his belief that hot dogs are crap; my mother agrees, as do many soccer (or is it hockey?) moms across the country. They smile at each other, knowingly, in the grocery stores, as they pass by the Twinkies, Fruity Pebbles, and Tater Tots, and choose whole wheat pretzels, soy crisps, and baked lays instead.

But I knew the value of a hot dog in between-meal moments like this, when a Clif Bar seemed smug. While teaching kosher cooking classes on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, I would have a Gray’s Papaya dog prior to every class.

The dog did two things for me: It gave me enough energy to keep me peppy until class was over, and it gave me a perverse porcine thrill. I would giggle every time a felt a tiny trafe burp during class.

And now, my own pork-loving pop was denying my simple request for a $1 dog.

But the last laugh is with me, because guess who is coming for a visit this week? The parents. And lucky for them, I’ve prepared a hot dog spread fit for the finicky. I’ve got Martin’s potato rolls, Ba-Tampte pickles, mustard, ketchup, heck I’ve even prepared some Sabrett’s style onions for them.

Plus, I’ve got my new favorite dog: Applegate Farms Organic All-Beef. I will slit them down the middle and broil, then snuggle them in a toasted bun for my parents to fill as they like.

In addition, I made a home made cole slaw the spicy and creamy one my mom really likes. A spoonful of sugar can sometimes be a forkful of cabbage.

I’m confident they’ll rethink their weiner wariness. Because if they don’t like what's on their plate; they might just be sent to bed hungry. It’s so hard to get adults to eat good food these days.

SATISFYING SLAW
Created by The Wooden Spoon
Serves 6 to 8

3/4 cup low fat mayonnaise 

1/4 cup Dijon mustard 

¼ cup cider vinegar 

1 teaspoons granulated sugar 

1/2 teaspoon celery seed

1 (16-ounce) package cole slaw mix
1 small red onion, thinly sliced 
on a mandolin
2 green onions (white and green parts), chopped
1 serrano chile (small red chile), chopped or 2 tablespoons of pickled jalapenos, drained and chopped (optional, or more to taste)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper


In a large bowl, make dressing by combining mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, sugar, celery seed; whisk to combine. Add red onion, green onion, chile, to dressing and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Chill until ready to serve to (can be made up to 3 days in advance).