Man Bites Dog: Hot Dog Culture in America
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- 18,99 €
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- 18,99 €
Publisher Description
Whether you call them franks, wieners, or red hots, hot dogs are as American as apple pie, but how did these little links become icons of American culture? Man Bites Dog explores the transformation of hot dogs from unassuming street fare to paradigms of regional expression, social mobility, and democracy. World-renowned hot dog scholar Bruce Kraig investigates the history, people, décor, and venues that make up hot dog culture and what it says about our country.
These humble sausages cross ethnic and regional boundaries and have provided the means for plucky entrepreneurs to pull themselves up by their bootstraps. Hot dogs, and the ways we enjoy them, are part of the American dream. Man Bites Dog celebratesthe power of the hot dogthrough a historical survey and profiles of notable hot dog purveyors. Loaded with stunning color photos by Patty Carroll, descriptions of neighborhood venues and flashy pushcarts from New York to Los Angeles, and recipes for cooking up hot dog heaven at home, this book is the ultimate source—informative, fun, and tasty—on the role of hot dogs in American culture. It’s a must-have for the dog fan, the foodie, the pop culture maven, and the street-cart obsessed.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this cleverly titled volume, Kraig takes a look at the American hot dog phenomenon, giving the history and folklore behind the foodstuff that became "quintessential public dining treats long before the rise of hamburgers sold on streets, at fairs and festivals, at picnics (weenie roasts), and in fast food venues." Not surprisingly, sections on how hot dogs are actually produced, with descriptions of "high-speed choppers" used to blend meat trimmings, spices and other ingredients "into an emulsion or batter," can be less than appetizing. Talk of industrial sausage machines and the "hazard of butchery" also prove difficult to digest. But chapters on the simple pleasures of eating hot dogs and the numerous ways which they can be served pull readers back in. A fully loaded Chicago dog, for example, "has mustard, bright green relish, chopped onions, tomato slices, pickle slices, and small sport peppers jammed onto the bun." And currywurst, first popular in Germany, is "covered in a sweet-hot sauce" and "served on paper plates." Photographer Carroll includes images of old-school hot dog stands and pushcarts, helping to illustrate this sometimes disturbing but always bright tribute to an American food classic. With recipes and full color photos.
