Bon Appetit Hot Dogs

This issue of Bon Appetit had no less than 80 hot dog ideas. Some are so insane I have to share - here are some favorites, from the ridiculous to the tasty-sounding.

Trailer Park - melted processed cheese and crushed potato chips. Get your trucker hat ready.

Australian - mushy peas. Only the Aussies.

Korean - kimchi and pickled cucumbers. This probably only sounds terrible to me because I find kimchi to be completely putrid.

Swedish - mashed potatoes and lingonberry jam. For some reason my mother bought me a Swedish cookbook from Ikea once, and of the 30+ recipes they all seem to be rearrangements of the same ingredients: lingonberries, potatoes, salmon, and caviar... and here they are again. As nice as it is to think that their food could be good if combined with a hot dog, I really, truly doubt it.

Colombian - pineapple, ham, mayo, mustard, ketchup, chopped onion, and crushed potato chips. Again with the crushed potato chips. Just thinking of the pineapple or ham coming in contact with the ketchup makes me shudder.

Hippie - alfalfa sprouts, sauteed mushrooms, and vegan mayo.

As far as the ones that I'd actually be interested in trying:

Thai - Thai basil, cilantro, lime juice, fish sauce, and crushed peanuts. I don't actually know if this would work till I tasted it, but I love Thai flavors so I'd definitely try it.

Indian - mango chutney and sliced red jalapenos.

Bistro - Dijon mustard and whole cornichons. Just mustard and relish in a new way, how can you go wrong?

French Dip - jus and provolone.

Tijuana Danger Dog - wrapped in bacon and fried. I gain a pound thinking about it, but I know it would be delicious.

So go ahead, get a little adventurous making your hot dogs this summer. I might even try one with a little Hoisin and cilantro tonight.