Go Beyond Your Basic Hot Dog

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.