Fourth of July – relish hot dogs with relish

The Original Nathan’s Famous is still open for business at the very same Coney Island location where Nathan Handwerker, a Jewish immigrant from Poland, founded it in 1916. Based on a recipe developed by his wife, Ida, Nathan served hot dogs that would win favor as a popular all-American food, particularly for events such as Fourth of July celebrations. While many people enjoy grilled hot dogs with little more than a few squirts of mustard and maybe some sauerkraut, hot dogs can be made even better served with homemade relish, especially relishes created by brothers Matt Lee and Ted Lee and the late Marion Cunningham, award-winning cookbook authors all. With relish recipes consisting of fresh ingredients like tomatoes and peppers, the time is perfect for seeking the best of the best produce from home gardens and farmers markets. And, because hot dogs are so inexpensive, especially in July, the month designated as National Hot Dog Month, there’s room in the budget to purchase a variety of mustards to go along with your hot dogs. Some of the tastier ones include Pommery Meaux Mustard, a whole-grained mustard which comes packed in a stone jar, Harry & David’s Hot ‘N Sweet Beer Mustard, Kosciusko Spicy Brown Mustard and, of course, Nathan’s Coney Island Deli-Style Mustard, to name but a few. According to the National Hot Dog & Sausage Council, the summer months between Memorial Day and Labor Day is the “hot dog season,” with the biggest hot dog day of the year taking place over the July 4th holiday. So stock up on hot dogs, select a variety of good mustards and set aside a little time to make relish.