Sonoran Dog

El Guero Canelo, Tucson, Ariz.: Sonoran Dog

El Guero Canelo

Next on our list is a hot dog that is completely unlike any other in the country: the Sonoran Dog, a shining example of international cooperation. John T. Edge first brought this hot dog into the spotlight in 2009, and even though it’s been around for more than 40 years, the Sonoran is having quite a moment in the sun. Here’s how it works: a hot dog is wrapped in bacon (good place to start), griddled until crispy, stuffed into a split-top bun that’s different from any other in the country, and topped with any of a slew of condiments that usually involve beans, diced tomatoes, mustard, ketchup, and mayonnaise. There are stands all over Tucson selling Sonorans, but the most shining example is sold in the humble, ragtag El Guero Canelo, which got its start as a tiny cart run by Daniel and Blanca Contreras in 1993 and now has a semi-outdoor seating area, a massive array of toppings, and an ever-present jovial vibe.

Cooking Salmon in a Dishwasher

Needs:

• salmon fillets
• aluminum foil
• a lemon
• a few butter pats
• electric dishwasher

Place the fish on two large sheets of aluminum foil.

Squeeze on some lemon juice and place the pats of butter on the salmon fillets.

Seal the fillets well in the foil, and place the foil packet in the top wire basket of your electric dishwasher.

DO NOT ADD SOAP OR DETERGENT!

Close the dishwasher door, set the dishwasher on the hottest wash cycle, complete with drying cycle, and let it run through a full cycle.

When the cycle is complete the fish will be cooked just right.

Shannon's Brisket Rub

1/3 cup salt
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup chili powder
1/4 teaspoon thyme (optional)
6 tablespoons black pepper (can add more to make it spicy)
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper
1 tablespoon Cajun powder
1 tablespoon Cayenne pepper

I like to rub my meat the night before and then rub it a couple of times throughout the night before cooking it.

Hope you enjoy rubbing your meat.

Tax Day USA

Should the US keep the Chicken Tax?

The Chicken Tax was instituted back in 1963, and was aimed at European (read VW) truck makers. The long and the short of it is that there was a trade war going back then between the USA and Europe. The Europeans tripled the tax of chickens being imported into Europe, and the US retaliated by putting a 25% tax on any truck imported into the USA. That's how it came about, and we've lived with it ever since.
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Chicken Cordon Bleu

Chicken cordon bleu is a dish designed to dispel pansy notions about chicken preparation. This is a meal that requires the chicken be thoroughly beaten with a ballpene hammer. The procedure is impressive even though it is ostensibly accomplished AFTER the chicken is dead. You don't need a hammer to kill a chicken. To really prove your manhood, wringing its neck will suffice. Some prefer merely choking the chicken. However, this can be a messy and embarrassing procedure if accomplished in public.

Admittedly Cordon Bleu is not the easiest dish to make. Yet, it is worth the trouble and violence required. Cordon Bleu tastes great and has the added benefit of having a French sounding name that you didn't make up. Your girl friend will have heard of this one before and will be shocked at your ability to put this together.

Make the most of the situation. Serve this meal with candlelight. It is one of the few meals that you should actually go through the trouble of selecting a wine. If your spouse is sophisticated, this is a dangerous maneuver. Be careful not to get a German wine. To be safe, don't buy anything that comes in a brown bottle or seems to require that you clear your throat in order to read the label, and buy nothing that you would have bought in college that begins with the letters MD and is fondly remembered with the appellation, "Mad Dog". Instead, get something that comes in one of those tall green bottles. Chardonay is good. Even though it sounds French, an American male can pronounce the word without lisping and having his wrist go limp. There is nothing worse than sounding like a girl when you are trying to impress the little woman.