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The other night I found myself staring five leftover Independence Day hot dogs in the face.  I wanted to eat them all, but I knew that I could do something more with them than just the usual.  In a few minutes, it was like a Top Chef Quick Fire Challenge.  I got a little experimental, and it led to this:

Nothing can prepare you for what's in store.

(In case you’re wondering, these are all beef Hebrew National dogs.)

#1 – The Italian Grinder Dog:  This hot dog is wrapped with provolone cheese and Genoa salami, topped with sharp, creamy mustard.  As can be expected, this one was pretty tasty.  I figured it would be a good place to start.  I would not suggest making a whole mess of these and eating them all at once, though, as I’m sure that would pose some sort of problem down the line.

#2 – Wasabi Dog:  In honor of the ever-determined Takeru Kobayashi, I dressed this one with some wasabi paste.  The result was a killer of a dog.  I could eat these more often.  Next time, I will probably add soy sauce (not a lot, just enough to flavor the inside of the bun).  You might find it strange, but I think it works.

#3 – Roasted Red Pepper Dog:  No need for dressing, just a few peppers did the trick.  I liked it, but I put the peppers on straight out of the fridge.  Next time, I will have to heat the peppers and the dog.  Not sure if heating them up together is the trick here.

#4 – Whole Seed Dijon Mustard Dog:  Okay, so I started to come up dry on the ideas at this point.  I just noticed a new mustard in the fridge and wanted to try it.  So what?  The mustard was really quite good.  The seeds gave it the texture of a poppy seed bagel, almost.  Ain’t nothin’ wrong with that.

#5 – The Control Dog:  The final dog was just the way I like it: with Kosciusko brown mustard.  I’ve been in love with that stuff for years.  It was sort of a measuring stick against the rest.  In all honesty, why mess with success?

Polish it off with a nice cold Corona Light.  Mmmm… now that’s the stuff.