French Fry Diary 451: The Hanukkah Dog at Home

As I mentioned in an earlier blog entry, my mother-in-law got the very last Hanukkah Dog from the Cool Dog Cafe on the last night of Hanukkah this year. She really enjoyed it, and although we love her a lot, we were really jealous watching her eat the very last one.

Mom was so thrilled with Cool Dog's holiday special that she was telling everyone about it, and everyone was equally enthused about it. While we have all vowed to get to the Cool Dog Café earlier next year, we also determined to make our own when the family got together at Christmas.

So here is the homemade Hanukkah Dog. Makeshift and without the sautéed onions, Mom made a few of these on Christmas Eve night. I had two myself, and they were very good. Not that fries on a dog are an unknown quantity, Gene and Jude's in Chicago are famous for it, but I am ashamed to admit that this was my first time. It won't be my last. Thanks, Mom, and thanks to Cool Dog Café for the inspiration.

French Fry Diary 431: The Sandwich King's Hand Cut Fries

It's Food Network Friday, so here's another entry and recipe from the Sandwich King Jeff Mauro. In the episode entitled "Hot Diggity Dog," Jeff visits Gene's & Jude's in his hometown of Chicago, where they specialize in a very special kind of hot dog - one smothered in fresh cut French fries.

If I was local to Chicago I would have checked Gene's & Jude's out, but since I'm not, I'll have to depend on Jeff via the magic of television. As per usual on "Sandwich King," after learning how to do it at the restaurant of choice, Jeff heads home to create his own version of the sandwich. Including the fries. Mmmm… fries…

Here's Jeff's recipe for Hand Cut Fries with Celery Salt:

Prep Time: 15 min, Cook Time: 15 min, Level: Easy, Serves: 4 servings

Ingredients: Vegetable oil, 4 large russet potatoes, scrubbed, peel-on, Celery salt, for sprinkling

Directions: Fill a 6-quart heavy pot or Dutch oven two-thirds of the way full with oil. Heat the oil over medium-high heat until a deep-fat thermometer registers 375 degrees F.

Cut the potatoes lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick sticks. Fry the potatoes in batches, until golden brown, 8 minutes per batch. Transfer the potatoes with a slotted spoon to a paper-towel-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with celery salt and serve immediately.

Check out the full recipe here. "Sandwich King" airs new episodes on Sunday mornings.