bánh mì hot dogs

there are few things i love more than hot dogs. they're my favorite part about baseball games, they might even be one of my favorite parts about summer. when i was little, this was acceptable. now that i'm a sophisticated (*picks nose*) adult, it's almost embarrassing to eat a hot dog unless i've waited hours for it at hot doug's. at barbecues i feel like i should be going for angus this or wagyu that instead of elbowing a seven-year-old out of the way to get to the wieners with ketchup only. cue the judgements from all the chicagoans. i know i know. but is it so much to ask that i have a new, fun way of eating a hot dog that makes me feel more like a real live grown-up?

no.

enter: the bánh mì hot dog!

it's inspired by the one at asiadog and it's basically what would happen if your beloved hot dog got the prettiest, most colorful makeover in all the land. it's also perfect if you don't have access to those special meats that are often found in bánh mìs. this version is super easy to make and great for adding some spunk and new flavors to your barbecues. snappy wieners basking in squishy soft buns, topped with heaps of crunchy veggies? ooh yes.

bánh mì hot dogs

makes 8

ingredients

for the daikon/carrot slaw:

(adapted from the kitchn)

1 c julienned daikon

1 c julienned carrots

a big pinch of salt

1/4 c sugar

1/2 c white vinegar

1 c water

for assembly:

8 hot dogs

8 cobblestone bread co. windy city hot dog buns

1 large cucumber, seeded and sliced

1/2 c hoisin sauce

sriracha mayo (1/2 c mayo + 2 tsp sriracha, or more if desired)

2 jalapeños, seeded and sliced

fresh cilantro sprigs

clues

for the slaw, combine all ingredients in a large bowl, cover, and then refrigerate until ready to use. (you want it to sit for at least half an hour.)

for assembly, grill the hot dogs. place them in their buns and top each with a slice of cucumber, some hoisin sauce, sriracha mayo, some slaw, a few jalapeño slices, and a sprig or two of cilantro.

enjoy!

-yeh!

compensation for this post was provided by cobblestone bread co. via aol media. the opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of cobblestone bread co. or aol.

p.s. check out these other fun summer sandwiches!

strawberry hi-hat cupcakes

happy ojai friday! today marks the fifth day of my stay and the fifth day that i have eaten nothing but yogurt in the morning, mexican food in the evening, and a whole lot of green room hummus in between. (and i wouldn't be surprised if the entire orchestra could say the same. how does the stage not smell like one big fart all the time?) 

it's been weird not being in my kitchen all week, but exciting because i get to use my host family's beautiful sunny kitchen, and then in order to access wifi i mosey over to the hall which yields live soundtracks like brooklyn rider rehearsals and face melting jazz renditions of all of my favorite mahler tunes. 

pictured are some strawberry cupcakes that i made for betty before i left. i love that a hi-hat is both a cymbal and a cupcake, don't you? these little guys are inspired by these chocolate beauties, and they totally remind me of that smiling poop emoji. gluten-free smiling poop emoji, in fact!

the recipe is over on betty's site.

have a wonderful weekend, everyone! i am off to berkeley on monday... any restaurant recommendations would be much appreciated :)

-yeh!

a farm in ojai

right around two years ago, i rode down atlantic avenue on a bus with rob, jenny, and the human who later became eggboy. we were on our way from the governor's island gatsby party and so naturally i was dressed like a flapper. the person futurely known as eggboy and i had a conversation that still echoes in my brain every so often:

so what's you're farm like?? i really want to go live on a farm someday! i think it would be so much fun!

oh. um. ok, well are you sure? what do you imagine when you think of a farm?

i imagine myself walking barefoot through rows of dewey fruits and vegetables at sunrise. i'd wear a sundress. maybe i'd eat a mango. it would be foggy and in the distance there would be mountains. perhaps some olive trees. 

oh. well, ok, my family's farm isn't exactly that. it's basically as flat as can be and there are days when all you do is sit in a tractor for 14 hours. you don't ever want to be barefoot. i listen to a lot of radio.

rob: moll, i don't think you could handle real farming.

yes i could! yes i could! i love the radio! i can wear cute boots!

so imagine eggboy's reaction when i told him that after a year on his farm, i'm now staying on the farm of my 2012 dreams. you're never coming back are you. i'll be back, i'll be back, but not before a few more good sunrise strolls through the fields of my host family's farm.

this place is like willy wonka for grownups.

colorful little rows, each with different crops, look like a trifle at the right angle, interrupted only by the volunteer squashes that grow from seeds that have wiggled out of compost. my morning walk yesterday smelled like basil as my host farmer and his team prepared bunches to sell at the santa barbara market. as i photographed the orange trees, a small farm dog romped through the stevia and kale to come say hello. 

mountains in the distance, fog in the morning... dreamy is an understatement. maybe when my host farmer decides he's in need of some snow and the cold, he'll do a farm swap with us. 

-yeh!

ojai, day one

i awoke like i often do: to birdies chirping, the sun shining, and with a britney spears song stuck in my head. my routine bedside instagram and twitter checking was just that--routine--until i noticed the mountains and palm trees, staring at me, all vulnerable in my genghis barbie t-shirt.

in a pre-coffee fashion, i fumbled around, cranking up the shutter speed faster and faster until i could snap that bottom photo, right from my bed! (jealous yet, woodpecker?)

when i loped downstairs at the wee hour of 8 for me, 6 for them, my host farmer took me on a stroll around his farm to meet his crops and sample the herbs. there were orange trees, green vegetables, and many kinds of basil. purslane and amaranth... more on this later.

the day continued on with extraordinary versions of everyday things:

my daily exercise, done not on a treadmill in front of orange is the new black, but up hills lined with yards where ostriches and lamas played.

a burrito, not at the town qdoba, but out of doors, with a beer, a joe, and three new friends.

and a chocolate o'clock photo session that came complete with two very special assistants, one being my host farmer, who dashed out to his farm mid-shoot for the healthiest mint leaves i ever did hold and the prettiest blue flowers called bachelor's buttons. they're edible, so naturally they found their way to my almond butter cups.

the too-hot-for-pants day turned into a chilly night during an outdoor opera rehearsal, and then over quesadillas and bacon we sleepily drank our beers before bidding the mountains goodnight.

oh hi, ojai.

-yeh!