EATS | WALKING CHILI-CHEESE DOGS
We’re coming up on National Hot Dog Month in July, just in time for Independence Day and summertime cookouts.
According to the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council, in 2022 Americans spent more than $8.3 billion on hot dogs and sausages in U.S. supermarkets.
The council also says that on Independence Day, Americans will enjoy 150 million hot dogs, enough to stretch from Washington D.C. to Los Angeles and back, more than twice.
From Memorial Day to Labor Day is hot dog season’s peak season. Then, Americans typically eat 7 billion hot dogs. That’s 818 hot dogs consumed every second during that period, the council says.
And although eating a grilled dog in a bun – with or without the fixings – is the most traditional way to enjoy, might we suggest our Walking Chili Dog.
Our Walking Chili Dog is a fun take on Walking Nachos; it’s delicious, and easy to make. We like to use flexible silicone bowls or make a folded aluminum foil bowl and add a layer of crushed nacho-flavored tortilla chips, like Doritos, or corn chips, like Fritos.
To that we add a generous amount of piping hot chili, then one cooked hot dog, cut into bite-sized segments. We then add a handful of shredded cheese. You can further garnish the Walking Chili Dog if you like.
Serve with a spoon and you can walk around eating your chili dog.
More, VirginiaEatsAndDrinks.com
DRINKS | BLUEBERRI-TINI
Blueberries are one of the sweetest summer flavors, and the pints of the fruit are coming into market now. They can be enjoyed in many ways, from eating out-of-hand to adding to muffins, pies, and smoothies.
You can also use them in our Blueberri-tini cocktail, a delightfully refreshing drink cocktail.
Lemon has a natural affinity with blueberries, and the two flavors come together in our Lemond-Blueberry Sauce.
Here’s how I make the cocktail:
Start by making a blueberry compote: wash and pat dry 2 pints fresh blueberries. In a medium-sized bowl add blueberries, 1/2 cup sugar, 3 tablespoons limoncello or other lemon liqueur, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, and 1 teaspoon lemon zest.
Stir to combine, slightly mashing the berries. Stir again, and cover. Refrigerate at least 1 hour, or overnight. Keep refrigerated until use, and stir before serving.
To make the cocktails: in a cocktail shaker, add 1 tablespoon blueberry compote, 2 ounces vodka (in today’s segment we use Chesapeake Bay Distillery’s Blue Ridge Vodka), and 2 ounces limoncello or other lemon liqueur (in today’s segment we use Chesapeake Bay Distillery’s Lemon Liqueur). Fill the shaker with ice, cover, and shake vigorously until blended.
Place 1 teaspoon blueberry compote in the bottom of a martini glass and strain the cocktail into the glass.
Have leftover blueberry compote? Keep it refrigerated for three to five days for additional cocktails, topping breakfast dishes like french toast, pancakes or waffles, or topping desserts like cake or ice cream.
Lemon liqueur in today’s segment comes from Chesapeake Bay Distillery, www.
FOOD NEWS YOU CAN USE |
THE OUTER BANKS BRUNCH TRAIL
Brunch is a recipe that takes a little bit of breakfast, a little bit of brunch, a dash of tradition, and a soupçon of leisure.
From the beginning, brunch has always been about abundance. With roots in 14th and 15th England as grand hunt breakfasts, by the late 19th century, the event became a bit more civilized.
In the early 20th century, it developed into brunch – a portmanteau of “breakfast” and “lunch.” It was enjoyed late morning into the early afternoon with hearty dishes from each meal, as well as alcoholic beverages like bloody marys and mimosas.
There is no lack of good places for brunch on North Carolina’s Outer Banks. And there’s no lack of good reasons to enjoy brunch with family and friends, either.
Take advantage of the more than 50 Sundays in a year and create your own OBX Brunch Trail. Take your time and start out north at Corolla with family and friends, and wind your way down this special thin strip of land. Seek out the local restaurants along the way, all the way to Ocracoke.
We’ve been dining here for more than three decades, and here are a few of our picks-of-the-moment to get you started. Remember, the journey of a thousand meals begins with one bite. Here’s my list:
MUST EAT: BANG FOR THE BUCK
Sam & Omie’s
One Egg Breakfast
More, www.SamAndOmies.net
MUST EAT: BRUNCH SANDO
Crab Cake Sandwich
Art’s Place
More, www.ArtsPlaceOBX.com
MUST EAT: GUT BUSTER
Garbage Plate Challenge
Bob’s Grill
More, www.BobsGrillOBX.com
MUST EAT: INTERNATIONAL FLAIR
Huevos Rancheros
Coastal Cravings
More, www.CravingsOBX.com
MUST EAT: PANCAKES
High Stack with Blueberries
Stack’em High Pancakes
More, www.StackEmHigh.com
MUST EAT: SOUTHERN
Shrimp & Grits
Grits Grill
More, www.GritsGrill.com
MUST DRINK: EYE OPENER
Tiki cocktails
Mama Kwan’s Tiki Bar & Grill
More, www.MamaKwans.com
More delish details are found on our blog, www.VirginiaEatsAndDrinks.com
MORE EATS + DRINKS
Get all the information from today’s Virginia Eats + Drinks on Living 757 segment plus more: giveaways, recipes, tips, and tricks on our website, www.VirginiaEatsAndDrinks.com
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