About this episode

Dave Arnold and Farideh Sadeghin discuss hot dog culture, regional styles, and the nuances of toppings and preparation.

Dave is joined by Farideh Sadeghin, author of The Hot Dog Cookbook: 50 Recipes for a Classic American Food , for a deep dive into hot dog culture, regional styles, and the surprisingly high-stakes question of what belongs on a dog. They get into New York onion sauce, Seattle dogs on alleged “bialy sticks,” Colombian and Brazilian hot dog toppings, Zweigle’s red and white hots, Connecticut meat sauce, New Jersey Rippers, Italian hot dogs, Fenway Franks, split-top buns, and why a hot dog should usually remain a handheld food. Farideh also talks about the anxiety of writing a book on a food everyone has strong opinions about, the difference between hot dog chili sauce and standard chili, and why Heinz is the only ketchup worth discussing. Also covered: Quinn’s 25-pound pea situation, saffron labeling disasters, Rochester flour history, pit beef versus roast beef, Maryland crab habits, lobster-roll bun standards, grilled cheese crunch, and the final verdict: a hot dog is not a sandwich. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

People in this episode

Host: Dave Arnold

Guest: Farideh Sadeghin

Topics covered

• hot dog culture
• regional styles
• food opinions
• cooking techniques
• food history

Keywords

• hot dogs
• regional toppings
• cooking
• food culture
• Heinz ketchup

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Heinz

Books & works: The Hot Dog Cookbook: 50 Recipes for a Classic American Food

Places: New York, Seattle, Colombia, Brazil, Connecticut, New Jersey, Fenway, Maryland, Rochester

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