I've waxed poetic about mozzarella sticks, Australian Tim Tam cookies, and Little Caesar's Crazy Bread, so it probably comes to no surprise that one of my favorite foods are hot dogs; slightly junky but oh-so-delicious, I'll never turn one down.

While I love a humble dog with ketchup, mustard, or relish, these handheld bad boys are the perfect vehicle for a variety of creative toppings. So, the next time you set up a hot dog bar (because yes, this is something you should do and you should do it soon), surprise your guests with toppings to talk about. Make a Maryland dog with crab, corn, and Old Bay-spiced chips, throw potato salad on your dog, or put pineapple salsa and coleslaw on top for a little extra crunch.

And if you must, you can lay out some ketchup, mustard, and relish to add onto any of these hot dogs. Like I said, I support creativity.