The results are in from Martinsville. Kyle Busch in his Toyota won the opening event in the 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. What is not known is exactly how many Martinsville Hot Dogs were consumed during the weekend.
And I'm also wondering just how many of those vendors have learned their craft from Hot Dog University. Yes, it's true there is such an institution of higher learning sponsored by the Vienna Sausage Manufacturing Company, based in Chicago. The two day course is taught by Mark Reitman who proudly proclaims, "We are the nation's college of encased meat knowledge."
With a combination of classroom instruction and hands-on cart experience Prof. Reitman instructs students how to successfully launch a career in the mobile food service business. Hot Dogs 101 includes information about business practice, product knowledge, permits and licensing, set-up and break down. A HDU manual is also distributed, containing important information and worksheets. And of course there is behind the cart training with real food and live customers. That's when the theoretical becomes practical. It's quite literally The Art of the Cart.
The registration fee to attend HDU is $699. Graduates are awarded, in addition to a diploma, $350 in rebate coupons and an additional $350 in marketing materials and signage from the sausage company.
When you think about it, booking passage on a cruise ship is an economical way to travel. For one price you receive lodging, meals and entertainment, usually all for under $100 a day. There are, however, certain additional costs that are not included in the base cost.
Such is the case when you choose to dine in one of the upscale restaurants onboard. While you can get 3 meals a day plus snacks and room service 24/7, there are options for fine dining, for a price. One evening my traveling companion and I made reservations at The Pinnacle Restaurant, a steakhouse on the top level of the ship. For that privilege we each paid an additional $35. Prime rib, petit filet and strip steaks were all on the menu as were lamb chops and even chicken for the timid.
And while it all sounds very enticing, I found the experience to be underwhelming and frankly disappointing. I'm sure it it a promotion for the young wait staff to work there but for me it was nearly impossible to understand what my waiter was saying. His heavy Eastern European accent made most of his explanations indistinguishable. I could only hope that I was ordering correctly according to his descriptions of the meals and accompaniments. Then when my selections arrived I had to get out my magnifying glass to find them. Take for example this Caesar salad:
But the crushing blow was the New York strip steak. It had all the tenderness of an old saddle, and the flavor to match. I couldn't decide whether I had a very dull knife or a very tough steak.
Fortunately my dining partner shared with me some of his lamb chops that were easier to enjoy (and digest!).
I have found that for the most part the old adage You get what you pay for rings true. But, unfortunately, not in this case.
Editor's Note: Vinny will be off on Friday in search of soft shells. Look for his next post on Monday.
This weekend begins another season in the NASCAR circuit. The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing sanctions over 1,500 races at over 100 tracks in 39 states. The sport has millions of followers and is second in popularity behind only professional football.
But few people realize that it had its origins in the southern states as drivers would customize small, fast vehicles to deliver bootleg whiskey during Prohibition, running 'shine and evading revenuers. By the 1940's the races were run for pride and profit and became a popular entertainment in the rural South.
The 2016 season's Sprint Cup Series commences with the STP 500 on the shortest and oldest track in the country at the Martinsville Speedway in Virginia. And there is quite a controversy brewing there this year. No, it's not about the track surface or the kind of tires that are permitted on the vehicles. It has nothing to do with the blend of fuel or the pit crew's safety gear. The contentious debate in Henry County centers on the speedway's decision to change the supplier of the nearly fluorescent red, almost sweet tasting hot dogs that are sold in wax paper and served slathered in chili, onions and slaw.
It seems that the speedway owners have to decided to switch from hot dog maker Jesse Jones who has provided the tube steaks for nearly 70 years. The new dogs in town will come from Valleydale Foods, a subsidiary of Smithfield Foods. This is not an insignificant move. The Martinsville hot dog is one of the most iconic concession items in all of racing. Consider this...more than 50,000 are sold each weekend. Some crew members have been known to eat 40 to 50 of them in a single weekend. They consume them for breakfast, lunch and dinner. And while the competition between race cars is fierce, it's even more competitive in the pits as running totals of hot dogs consumed is kept on garage stall walls.
And may the best man, er...dog...win! Gentlemen, start your appetites!
Last night I spent 2 hours preparing dinner. Everything was homemade from scratch using ingredients I had on hand. It was a very healthy meal, low in calories, sodium and sugar. And it tasted good, too.
But not everyone is able to spend that kind of time in the kitchen each night. The convenient option is to stop by the supermarket on the way home and pick up a meal already prepared and ready for the table. But the convenient alternative isn't always the healthiest one. That is according to the findings of a recent European study that examined prepackaged and frozen meals. According to a report from the online journal BMJ Open, more than half of all calories and almost 90% of all added sugar intake in the US diet come "ultra-processed" foods.
Ultra-processed foods are those which include - as well as added salt, sugar, oils and fats - any number of non-nutritional additives such as dyes, flavorings, emulsifiers and other products designed to imitate the "sensorial qualities" of "real" food. Falling into that category are foods like fruit beverages and milk based drinks, soft drinks, cakes, cookies, pies, salty snacks, frozen and shelf-stable plates as well as pizza and breakfast cereals.
To get a better grasp of the issue of how much added sugar is actually in the US diet, researchers examined data collected from more than 9,000 people in a study conducted over a 2 year period from 2009 to 2010. They compared the amount of added sugars in the average diet and discovered that ultra-processed foods were responsible for more than half of the total calorie intake. The total was just under 60%. In the average ultra-processed food product added sugars accounted for 1 in every 5 calories.
Excess sugar increases the risk of diabetes, obesity, cancer and tooth decay. The researchers went on to state, "Foods higher in added sugars are often a source of empty calories with minimum essential nutrients or dietary fiber. They displace more nutrient-dense foods and lead to simultaneously overfed and undernourished individuals."
Quicker isn't always better. Good things take time, just like last night's dinner. So prepare your meals like your life depends on it, because it does.
The last stop on my Caribbean culinary cruise was Grand Turk, the island capital of the small nation of Turks & Caicos Islands (TCI). The islands are a part of the Lucayan Archipelago and are officially a British Overseas Territory. First discovered by Ponce de Leon in 1512 TCI has been under the authority of the Spanish, French and British. But speaking to some of the local populace they indicate that most of the infrastructure is due to the presence of the US military who maintained a presence there until recently.
The islands were once a popular hide out for pirate bands before a more legitimate enterprise invigorated the economy. Processing sea salt predominated and became their major export until the end of the 20th Century. But their claim to fame remains the reception they gave when they hosted the US astronaut John Glenn in 1962 when he was plucked out of the nearby ocean waters after orbiting the earth 3 times.
It was a warm and sunny day when I strolled into downtown Cockburn Town. I must admit that there wasn't a whole lot to see. After touring the minuscule National Cultural Museum I went looking for a place to eat lunch. That proved to be a challenge in the undeveloped island.
Eventually I happened past a small shack with a sign outside that said, "Edith's Fish Fry." There wasn't a printed menu, they didn't need one. There was only one thing to order...you guessed it, fried fish. But they did have free wifi (if you ordered a beer), so I parked myself on a wooden stool and sat at the plywood bar, waiting for my meal as I checked my e-mail. Edith went to work in her kitchen and soon I had an immense fried filet and a side of fried plaintains handed to me on a paper plate. It was delicious! And a panoramic ocean view was just to my left, a pristine beach of white sand and azure blue water.
The beer and the fish-$11
The scenery-Priceless
"Just because you don't reach for the salt shaker doesn't mean you aren't consuming too much sodium." That is the opening statement in a recent on-line article published by the website hellawella. It goes on to point out that more than 75% of the sodium we eat comes from packaged and restaurant foods.
The American Heart Association offers these helpful tips to counter that trend:
When you go grocery shopping:
Choose packaged and prepared foods carefully. Compare labels and choose the product with the lowest amount of sodium (per serving). Pick fresh and frozen poultry that hasn't been injected with a sodium solution. Words on labeling like "broth," "saline," or "sodium solution" are code for increased sodium, so check the fine print.
Choose condiments carefully. For example, soy sauce, bottled salad dressings, dips, ketchup, jarred salsas, capers, mustard, pickles, olives and relish can be sky high in sodium. Look for a reduced or lower sodium version.
Choose canned vegetables labeled "no salt added" and frozen vegetables without salty sauces. When you add these to a casserole, soup or other mixed dish, there will be so many other ingredients involved that you won't miss the salt.
Look for products with the American Heart Association's Heart-Check mark to find foods that can be part of an overall healthy dietary pattern.
When you prepare food:
Use onions, garlic, herbs, spices, citrus juices and vinegars in place of some or all of the salt to add flavor to foods.
Drain and rinse canned beans and vegetables. This can cut the sodium level by up to 40%.
Combine lower-sodium versions of food with regular versions. If you don't like the taste of lower-sodium foods right now, try combining them in equal parts with a regular version of the same food. You'll get less salt and probably won't notice much difference in taste.
Cook pasta, rice and hot cereal without salt. You're likely going to add other flavorful ingredients to these foods, so you won't miss the salt. Cook by grilling, braising, roasting, searing and sauteing to bring out the natural flavors in foods. That will reduce the need to add salt.
Incorporate foods with potassium, like sweet potatoes, potatoes, greens, tomatoes, white beans, kidney beans, nonfat yogurt, oranges, bananas and cantaloupe. Potassium helps counter the effects of sodium and may help lower your blood pressure.
When you eat at a restaurant:
Specify how you want your food prepared. Ask for your dish to be made without extra salt. Taste your food before adding table salt. If you think it needs a boost of flavor, add freshly ground black pepper or a squeeze of fresh lemon or lime juice and test it again before adding salt.
Watch out for foods described using the words pickled, brined, barbecued, cured, smoked, broth, au jus, soy sauce, miso or teriyaki sauce. These tend to be high in sodium. Foods that are steamed, baked, grilled, poached or roasted probably have less sodium in them.
Control portion sizes. When you cut calories, you usually cut the sodium, too. Ask if smaller portions are available or share the meal with a friend. If the restaurant permits, ask to order from the children's menu! And there's no shame in taking part of the meal home in a doggie bag.
Ask about the sodium content of items on the menu. A new law required chain restaurants with 20 or more locations to provide nutrition, including sodium content, to customers upon request.
As I wandered the streets of Old San Juan I came across this plaque commemorating one of their many claims to fame. Here it is:
I'll drink to that!
