Hottie

I'm very fond of hot dogs, a trait My Beloved shares but with far less fervor. I maintain it's because he doesn't use enough condiments on his hot dogs, but we've debated that hotly for nearly 15 years and I haven't detected any "give" on either side of the issue.

Anyway, I use almost any excuse to eat a hot dog - ball games, backyard barbecues, rainy days, sunny days - you get the drift. So, when I heard that Acme bakery makes hot dog as well as hamburger buns, I was all about buying those and stopping on the way home to pick up a package of hot dogs, as well.

Here's the result. I grilled the buns on the Jennair, boiled the hot dogs until they swelled and split, and added dollops of relish, Dijon mustard and June Taylor's celestial ketchup. My Beloved is a mustard purist who turns his nose up at further adornment to his dogs, the poor dear.

These buns are really special; I may be spoiled for all time. I've been known to take my own maple syrup to a pancake breakfast to get the real thing - does this mean I'll be carrying my own hot dog buns to future ballgames and backyard barbecues?