Spike's Onion Blossom Thing Petals | Buffy the Vampire Slayer

I almost burnt the house down in an attempt to make "blooming onion things". It was entirely my fault. I was in a hurry and wasn't thinking. In short, I used a pot that was far too small ("oh, this is the perfect size for this onion!"). I filled it with oil. I brought that oil to 375° F. I proceeded to lower a battered onion into that oil. That oil all poured over the edge of the pot and onto the flame underneath the pot.

Fried Marshmallow Pies | Gilmore Girls Coffee Klatch

I told myself that I was only going to watch one season of Gilmore Girls this week. But alas, I have no willpower when it comes to the town of Stars Hollow. I watched another two seasons, which means that I only have two seasons to go and am way ahead of schedule. I'll wind up kicking myself for it when I finish and have to wait too long for A Year in the Life.

But hey, what's a girl to do? Today I'll be recapping seasons four and five. Did I mention how much food there is in this show? Aside from coffee, which is a food group in and of itself, there's always inspiration to be found in Sookie and Luke's kitchens, Friday night dinners, and even movie nights.

Bucket of Garlic (Fries) | Hotel Transylvania 2 #FoodnFlix

This month's Food 'n Flix pick is the family-friendly, animated Hotel Transylvania 2, which (surprise!) picks up where Hotel Transylvania left off. Drac has accepted that his daughter loves a human, and Mavis and Johnny are married. Humans and monsters are coexisting throughout most of the world—even in Drac's hotel.

Fast forward a bit to a pregnant Mavis, and eventually baby Dennis. Dennis has big, curly ginger hair like his dad does, and seems human. But Vampa ("vampire grandpa"), aka Drac, believes that Dennis is just a "late fanger", since fangs might not pop out until a vampire's fifth birthday. But Mavis wants her dad to accept that Dennis is human and thinks that they should move to America, to be near the human side of the family.

Fried Apple Hand Pies

It's the second Wednesday of the month, and that means it's time for another edition of the Blogger C.L.U.E. Society. This month we rummaged through our assigned blogs looking for recipes featuring fall fruits, and my assigned blog was Kelli's Kitchen. I had such a fun time rummaging through Kelli's blog in search of the perfect thing to make.

On her about page, Kelli says that she learned all the best things in life from her Nana, so I'm pretty darn excited that the recipe I chose to make this month is one that her Nana used to make—small fried apple pies.

These little hand pies remind of the hot apple pies at McDonald's that I loved as a kid and the kind of little pies that slide out of a little cardboard box (that I always hope will be good but never are). The only difference is, these are MILES better than either of those options. Honestly, I couldn't stop eating them. It was a really bad idea for me to make them in the morning when everybody else was off at school and work. I had to force myself to leave the kitchen just to put them out of view.

Buttermilk Cardamom Beignets inspired by Chef

Sometimes our Food 'n Flix picks aren't what most people would think of as a typical "foodie movie". They take us out of our comfort zone and make us put on our kitchen thinking cap. That is not the case this month. If you've seen Chef, you know it's a flick that keeps you hungry and induces different cravings from start to finish! It's about as much foodie flick as they get. You'd think this would make heading into the kitchen and cooking up something from it easier. I actually think it makes it harder. I could not decide what I wanted to make. But you know, I figured something out.

From the opening scene, Chef is a sensual experience. The sound of a knife slicing through vegetables, the sizzle of meat hitting a hot pan, the sheer focus on getting prep done for tonight's meal, the excitement of a whole pig being brought into the kitchen—it's scenes like these that make me miss working in a restaurant kitchen. But that's only the first few minutes.

The story of a successful restaurant chef who finds himself going in a direction he never imagined, both professionally and personally, Chef is a feast for the the senses. This isn't a review (though I obviously enjoyed the movie), so I don't really want to go into the story. You can find synopses of the movie all over the web if you look, I'm just here to talk about the food today.

Maple Bacon Doughnut Holes

It's official, school is back in session. I watch the cats suspiciously eye the hush that has settled over the house as I sip my coffee. Although I think it's too soon for school to be back in session (I'm an after-Labor-Day cheerleader), it is nice to fall back into a routine after a loose summer.

I would like to say that routine includes popping doughnut holes in my mouth while formulating recipes and writing stories to accompany them, but it doesn't. And truthfully, that's a good thing. One (me) can only handle doughnuts sporadically these days. So really, it's more likely that doughnuts will happen on the weekend when people besides me are home to eat them.

Case-in-point, these little fried dough balls of delight. Basically, they're raised doughnuts infused with real maple syrup and bacon. After you fry them, you drop them into a snow drift of powdered sugar and shake. The result is nothing short of dangerous.

Corn and Smoked Sausage Fritters

I would like to personally thank the Sunshine State for sitting pretty with temps in the 80's at the beginning of April. Sure, I may shake my fist at my Florida friends when they share their pics of the Palm trees, foamy waves, and sunny weather map - but that's because I'm jealous.

Take out your violins.

I'm pretty sure that I have a case of seasonal affective disorder going on. Our long, harsh winter was filled with 5-foot mountains of snow-ice (which are decidedly NOT as fun as simple mountains of snow) and unforgiving negative temperatures with even worse wind chills. It seriously is the worst winter that I can recall. And the last of our snow just melted last week. That would be after the first day of Spring. Or as we're calling it in the Midwest, "Spring".

Okay, bows down.

Orange-Fennel Cake Doughnuts

This month's theme for #TwelveLoaves is ORANGES. The first place my mind went was to Orange Rolls. They're a family favorite and Christmas morning tradition around our house. I thought maybe I'd toy with a new recipe or put them in a different form like monkey bread (Iwasthisclosetomakingmonkeybread,really), pull-apart bread, or a swirled loaf. I went back and forth trying to make up my mind.

And then I shifted directions entirely.

You see, I found something that I'd been looking for forEVER. Sugar-coated fennel seeds. Seriously, I should have bought the small pack that I saw in the candy section when I staked temporary residence at Eataly in January. But there were just so many other things beckoning me from all around, that I forgot about them.

Blackberry Fritters

It's that time of year. The time when many people across the world set about using up the sugar, fat, and eggs they have stored in their pantry and fridge to prepare for a time of penance and sacrifice. Fat Tuesday, otherwise known by its French translation, Mardi Gras, falls in two days time. Traditionally, on the Tuesday before Lent, Catholics and other Anglicans have eaten rich, fatty foods both in order to use up the ingredients they had around, like I mentioned, but also to prepare for the ritual of fasting. One last hurrah, if you will.

Even though I don't practice either of those religions, learning the traditions and practices of any portion of a culture is important to understanding them. Respecting those traditions builds compassion, respect, and friendships. In my eyes, at least.

These days, I've run across many people who don't even know why they're celebrating Mardi Gras. To them, it's just a week-long party in New Orleans. In actuality, it's celebrated world wide. But yes, in many places it has turned into a week-long celebration culminating on the Tuesday before Lent.

Curry Puffs {Food Blogger Cookbook Swap}

Last year I had so much fun participating in the Food Blogger Prop Swap that when Faith and Alyssa announced that they'd be hosting it again, but with a different twist, I signed up immediately. The twist? Instead of props, this time around we'd be exchanging cookbooks. One of my minor obsessions.

If you know me, you know that I have a riduculous amount of cookbooks. They line the bookscases in many-a-room of my house. They take up real estate via large plastic tubs in my basement. They're stacked on end tables, and maybe even my kitchen table. I read them like novels and can pretty much always find something useful in every one. Some are tattered and loved, others are basically uncracked.

My first step? Trying to pair up one of those books with Haley from Cheap Recipe Blog. I really wanted to send her a book that fit her style, a book that she could get some use from. How did I do? You can find out here!

Fried Catfish Nuggets w/ Homemade Tartar Sauce

nug·get  

/ˈnəgət/

Noun

1. A small lump of gold or other precious metal found in the earth.

2. A small lump of another substance: "tiny nuggets of shrimp".

Synonyms

lump - clod

So...yeah.  Small Lumps of Catfish.  Small Clods of Catfish.  Either one of those titles could describe these.  But I'm sticking with 'nuggets'.  It sounds so much more appetizing, wouldn't you say?

Bimbunuelos & Bits (sort-of) ...made from TortillaLand Tortillas

So when I think about the food that goes with summer, all sorts of images pop into my head.  Ripe, juicy tomatoes plucked straight from the plant.  Ears of corn on the cob that have been grilled or charred over an open fire and then slathered in crema, rolled in cotija, sprinkled with chile, and doused with lime.  Brats on a bun that have been smothered in onions cooked alongside them in a foil pouch on the grill.  Good ol' burgers and dogs.  Barbecued ribs that leave a sticky smile on your face and finger-lickin' madness.  Tender grilled cactus paddles alongside knob onions and thin strips of grilled skirt steak that tastes super garlicky.

And then there's a plethora of sandwiches, beans, potato and macaroni salads, zucchini-anything, and piles upon piles of tropical fruit piled in piles of glistening rainbows just daring you to pass them by.  Let's not forget those beautiful cold treats on a stick like popsicles and paletas, ice cream bars, and push-pops.  Or ice cream dripping so fast down the cone that you're racing to eat it before the ants get a sticky treat to play in for the rest of the day.  Milkshakes and slushies and ice cold cocktails with umbrellas peeking out.  Sweaty pitchers of lemonade.  Coolers packed with ice and beer.

Oh yeah.  That's summer.

But there's something else.  Some other variety of food that sends tickles of anticipation up and down my spine when I know Summer is getting near.  A class of food and eating all unto itself.  FAIR FOOD!  Oh yeah.  Fried pickles and cheese curds.  Ginormous corndogs.  A foot-long stick of frozen strawberries dipped in chocolate and rolled in sprinkles.  Smoked turkey legs bigger than your head.  Artery-clogging goodies like deep-fried candy bars and twinkies.  Chunks of tender steak cooked right in front of you with potatoes, onions, green peppers, and mushrooms and then tumbled together into a cardboard boat - begging to be doused in house-made steak sauce.

My mouth is watering so badly right now that I wouldn't be able to speak if I tried.

But maybe the MOST indicative fair food of the summer - for me - is that hot, just fried "ear" of dough that has been rolled in cinnamon and sugar and handed to me in a paper sleeve.  Crisp on the outside and soft and tender on the inside.  Each bite fires pleasure-inducing neurons to my brains and sweet, gritty sugar down the front of my shirt.  If I close my eyes, I can feel the live music from the grandstand...see the colorful bags and handmade bracelets and necklaces tucked under the tents...hear the laughter of the people around me...and bask in the sun kissing my nose and my cheeks and my shoulders.

THAT is summer.

So when I was handed the opportunity to try some more TortillaLand Tortillas (again) and I tried to figure out something indicative of summer to make with them, I hemmed and hawed and couldn't quite decide.  Until, that is I conjured up memories of summers past.  Elephant Ears.  Fried Dough of any sort, really.  My mind was made up.  Just one bite - heck, just one smell - takes me back to the fairs and festivals of summers past.  The hubs says they remind him of the Bimbunuelos of his childhood.  The kids (of course) loved them.  Summer lovin' at its finest.

Try TortillaLand Tortillas for anything, though - it doesn't have to be these.  Next to homemade, these are the BEST flour tortillas you'll find.  I think so, anyway.

Bimbunuelos & Bits

by Heather Schmitt-González

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Keywords: fry snack dessert vegetarian American Mexican summer

Ingredients (serves 5)

• 5 TortillaLand Tortillas (uncooked)
• 1 c. granulated sugar
• 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• freshly grated nutmeg
• coconut oil or vegetable oil, for frying

Instructions

Use a small paring knife or some sort of "cutter" to cut some designs from the uncooked tortillas. Traditionally, these have wedges cut from them, so that they look like wagon wheels. I used an apple corer to cut random circles in them this time. Save the "bits" you cut out, as well.

Combine sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a pie plate. Set another pie plate next to it for later.

Pour oil in a large pan w/ sides to a depth of ~½". Heat until it begins to smell hot and shimmers.

Using tongs, carefully slide one cut tortilla round into the hot oil. Fry until bubbly and golden, flipping when the bottom is done. This will take a total of about 30 seconds. Lift out of the oil and let as much of the oil drip back into the pan as possible. Set hot bimbunuelo into the pie pan with the sugar mixture.

Turn other pie pan upside down on top of that pan and gently flip over a few times, in order to coat both sides of the bimbunuelo. Carefully lift out of sugar mixture and shake off excess.

Repeat with remaining tortilla rounds. Fry the bits of dough that you cut from the tortilla rounds last; they will only take a few seconds (have a slotted spoon ready to lift them out). Toss those in the sugar, as well. Discard remaining sugar mixture.

Eat immediately. Enjoy immensely.

notes:

Cut any pattern you like into the tortillas.

Feel free to use rolled-out flour tortilla dough if you can't find TortillaLand uncooked Tortillas.

This recipe can be easily increased or decreased - but they are best eaten while still warm or soon thereafter.

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*disclaimer: I received 3 free packs of TortillaLand Tortillas to do with as I pleased.  All thoughts and opinions stated in this post are 100% my own.

Spicy Chicken Strips, Fried Pickles, and Homemade Buttermilk Ranch Dressing inspired by The Sookie Stackhouse Series

Anticipation.  One of the main components in loving a particular series of books.  Anticipating what will happen in the world of the characters whose world you invest yourself in.  But also the anticipation of the next book.  It always seems to take so long until the next one is released.    And the thing is, I WISH that I could savor it once it actually hits shelves.  But no.  In typical me-fashion, my fingers are eagerly fumbling with the pages before I can even make my way out of the library doors.  Or the bookstore.  Or wrestle the book from its mailing vessel.

And as badly as I want it to last, I'm equally fervent in devouring every last word.  And for one...two if I'm lucky...brief days, I visit the world I've been missing.  Before I start fantasizing about what's to come next time.  And plead with the "author gods" to make insert name here write faster!

Crispy Chicken Drumsticks & Wings

You know how I told you that Sundays are "my days".  As in, I don't like to plan things on Sundays because I'm busy finishing up the laundry, washing the dishes, cleaning various household messes, piddling about in the yard, double-checking backpacks...you get the drift.  Well.  I have a couple of exceptions to this rule.

The first exception -- school breaks or holidays that include the following Monday.  All bets are off.  Because Monday turns into Sunday, of course.  And the big one...the extra long holiday -- summer vacation.  I get lost in a haze of sunny days and often don't know if it's Sunday or Thursday.

Okay, this is a total exaggeration.  Scheduling posts keeps me on "real time".  Not to mention the three...seriously three...calendars that I have in the kitchen alone.  But you know, "my time" Sundays get put on hold during these periods of time.  And since it's Spring Break for the kiddos this week, I was able to exercise my rite to throw the rituals aside and not do a lick of laundry yesterday.  Instead, the kids and I hopped in the car and took a little road trip up to my mom's house.  It was extra special because my youngest sister and my four nephews recently moved back to Michigan from Texas and this was the first time we've seen them since they've been back!  Can you imagine having 4 kids aged 3 and under?  YIKES!  I don't know how she does it.

So the cousins had a great time running amok at Nana's.  Since her house is made for running amok.  That's her in the midst of a houseful of grandkids.  Minus a few since my other sister was not over with my other nephew and niece.  And yes, my youngest child always makes crazy, nostril-flaring, cross-eyed camera poses.  ALWAYS.  Sigh...

What does one feed a house full of hungry kids and adults?  Well, since we popped in unannounced (is that fun or cruel?), my sis ran out to grab some more chicken to add to some that were already marinating happily in the fridge.  In a marinade that was both beautiful to look at and beautiful to smell.  I wish I'd thought to whip out the camera and take a shot of it.  Oh well.

So once dinner time rolled around, we added an extra-large 100-count Old World Pepperoni Happy's Pizza to the mix along with a salad that included strawberries, avocado, and pecans...and we got busy filling our bellies with good food.

This is the chicken that my sis fried up. The original recipe was for drumsticks alone, but she added wing-dings to the mix...which are perfect for tiny hands and mouths.  And just plain fun for regular-sized hands and mouths.  It's perfectly crispy on the outside and incredibly flavorful and juicy on the inside.  Try it.  It'll please a crowd.  I know.  From experience.

Crispy Chicken Drumsticks & Wings

by Heather Schmitt-González

Prep Time: 4 hours or up to overnight

Cook Time: 8-15 minutes

Keywords: fry entree chicken American

6021384

Ingredients (serves 8)

• canola or vegetable oil, for frying
• 3 lb. chicken drumsticks
• 3 lb. chicken wings, tips removed and cut into wing-dings

marinade:

• 3 Tbs. minced garlic
• ½ c. white wine vinegar
• 1 c. spicy whole-grain mustard
• ½ c. chopped rosemary leaves
• 1 c. olive oil
• 3 Tbs. sea salt
• 2 Tbs. freshly ground black pepper

to finish:

• ~4 c. all-purpose flour

Instructions

Add all of marinade ingredients to a blender or food processor and process until emulsified.

Place chicken in a large resealable bag. Pour the marinade over the chicken. Close the bag and massage the marinade into the chicken pieces until well coated. Place in fridge for 4 hours to overnight.

In a heavy-bottomed pot, heat enough oil to come halfway up the sides of the pot, to ~375° F. Preheat the oven to 375° F.

Put the flour in a shallow dish. Remove the chicken from the marinade. Dredge each piece of chicken in the flour, shaking off any excess.

Fry the chicken in batches until golden brown, ~7-8 minutes. Remove the drumsticks from the fryer and arrange them on a sheet tray. Put them in the oven until cooked through, ~6-8 minutes longer or until everything has reached 165° F.

adapted from Aaron McCargo Jr.

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The proof is in the pudding.  And now to plan our next family get together when there will be more kids and adults from even more generations of the fam.  A holiday weekend is approaching!  What's on your Easter menu?

Fried Catfish & Hushpuppies {The Homesick Texan Cookbook Spotlight & Cook-Off}

I have Lyrical Teen to thank for this.  And Lisa Fain.  You see, LT has been asking me constantly hinting to the fact that he wants catfish.  And I keep meaning to make it.  But somehow, it keeps getting pushed to the back burner.  And I don't mean that literally.  But when I realized that there was a fabulous cornmeal-crusted catfish recipe in The Homesick Texan Cookbook, I figured it was time to grant that wish.  Both of my boys gobbled it up.  I gobbled it up.  Drama Queen?  Gobbled.  Mexi loathes fish (other than tuna in a can)...and therefore didn't gobble it up.  Heck, it wasn't allowed anywhere near his person.  His loss.  That thin, pebbly-crisp crust encased the tender, juicy fish so perfectly.  Throw some hushpuppies on the plate and serve a crunchy green salad with a tangy dressing on the side.  That's dinner, baby.

Hushpuppies

slightly adapted from The Homesick Texan Cookbook

yield: ~16-20

oil, for frying

¾ c. yellow cornmeal

½ c. all-purpose flour

½ tsp. baking powder

¼ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. kosher salt

1 large egg

½ c. whole milk or buttermilk

1 jalapeño chile, stemmed, seeded & finely diced I used 1 jalapeño en escabeche

¼ medium yellow onion, diced fine

In large pot or Dutch oven, heat about an inch of oil until it's ~300° F.  Again, I just guess at this...rippling oil, etc.  Make the batter while the oil is heating up.  Mix together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Add the egg and milk.  Stir in the diced jalapeño and onions. I wound up using some a pickled jalapeño since we were out of fresh.  It was a great substitution, if I do say so myself.  And I do.

To fry the hushpuppies, place tablespoon-size balls of batter into the hot oil and fry until crisp and golden brown, ~2 minutes.  I use my trusty scoop to scoop and drop the batter directly into the oil.  The same scoop I use for making cookies.  Drain on paper towels.

Fried Catfish

also slightly adapted from The Homesick Texan Cookbook

yield: 4 servings (I double-and-a-halved it and it worked well)

1 lb. catfish fillets, cut into 1-2" wide chunks

kosher salt

 black pepper

2 large eggs

½ c. whole milk buttermilk

1 c. yellow cornmeal

¼ tsp. cayenne

vegetable oil, for frying

Salt and pepper the catfish fillets well.  I mean, season them until you think you've seasoned them enough, then season them a little more.  In my opinion.  This is your only seasoning.  Beat eggs and buttermilk together in a bowl.  Mix together the cornmeal and cayenne on a plate.

Heat ~2" oil until it reaches 300° F.  I just fried the hushpuppies first, then fried the fish in the same oil.  Go fish second so your hushpuppies don't taste like fish!  

Dip fillets in egg-milk mixture and then dredge in the cornmeal, covering both sides.  Place fish into hot oil and cook ~4 minutes, turning once if needed.  Drain on a paper towel-lined sheet tray.  Fry in batches if necessary.

I served this with hushpuppies and a chipotle mayonnaise sauce for dipping.  So.  Good.

*This post is part of The Homesick Texan Cookbook Spotlight and Cook-Off sponsored by Hyperion and hosted (right here!) at girlichef*

I am also sharing this post with:

Spaghetti Fritters (frittelle di spaghetti)

So.  Let's just say, hypothetically, that you happen to be craving pasta.  But at the same time, you also want something fried.  Oh, and did I mention that you also need to eat it on the go....because you're totally running late for the big {game, meeting, awards ceremony, talent show, you-name-it}? It's true, you do.  So, hypothetically,  how are you going to accomplish the task of eating fried pasta on the run?  You're going to make Spaghetti Fritters.  It's pretty quick and totally doable.  Pile 'em in a paper sack and you're good to go. Hypothetically. 

Spaghetti Fritters

Frittelle di Spaghetti

adapted from Jamie's Italy

makes 8-16 (depending on size of fritter)

7 oz. dried spaghetti, broken in half

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

handful parsley, chopped

2 eggs

1 egg yolk

2 handfuls freshly grated Parmesan

2 good squirts of anchovy paste (or 2 anchovies, chopped)

1 Tbs. crushed red chile flakes

salt & freshly ground pepper

olive oil

Cook your spaghetti in boiling, salted water until al dente, ~10 minutes (check package instructions, if using store bought).  Drain, rinse in cold water, and set aside to continue draining.  Place everything else, except for the olive oil, in a bowl and whisk together.  Toss well-drained spaghetti in the mixture to coat well.

Pour a thin layer (~¼") into the bottom of a pan and scoop and pile some of the mixture into the hot oil.  Make the pile as big or as small as you like.  Fry until golden and crisp on the bottom and then flip and repeat on the other side.  Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and repeat with remaining mixture, adding more oil to the pan as needed.

The fritter should be soft on the middle and crispy on the outside.  Made with the chile flakes, your mouth gets a pretty hot assault when you bite in...so, if you don't like as much heat, simply put less chile in or leave it out all together.  They're great for a "walking" snack food...but I think they're even better when dipped in a homemade, chunky Marina sauce.  I bet they'd be equally as delish with a meat sauce or even a pesto.

I am also sharing this post with:
~Our theme this week at IHCC is Plenty-o-Pasta
~PPN is being hosted by Cassie at Kitchen Alchemist this week

Homemade Corn Dogs ...for International Incident Party: Hotdogs

Hotdogs...love 'em or loathe 'em?  Caught somewhere in between?  I guess I'm an in-between-er in this debate.  I like them.  I've had boring ones and ones to swoon over.  Used them as an ingredient and as the star of the show.  Well, when I found out that the International Incident Party at Jeroxie this month was all about the Hot-diggity-dog, I knew I had to be in on it.  And I knew it would be the perfect opportunity for me to try making corndogs at home.  When Chris at Nibble Me This mentioned they were a favorite fair food of his and then proceeded to make them...I knew I wouldn't take me long to follow suit.  I mean.  I fall in the love 'em category when we're talking about a good corndog!  Funny thing though...I don't ever remembering ordering one at a fair.  Hmmm.  So I found myself wondering where I did normally order them.  I came up with the conclusion that I didn't order them anywhere.  I ate them in cafeterias.  Wha..!?  Or cooked them from frozen.  Double Wha..!?  Yeah.  Time to remedy that situation.  So basically...what I'm trying to spit out here...is that I'm making corndogs from scratch from now on.  And probably ordering one from the fair come summertime.

Corn Dogs

adapted ever-so-slightly from Nibble Me This

makes: ~ 8-12 dogs

1 c. all-purpose flour

½ c. yellow corn meal

1/3 c. sugar

1½ tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. Kosher salt

1 tsp. paprika 

¾ c. milk

1/4 c. yellow mustard

1 egg

2 tsp. vegetable oil

 ----------

oil for frying (I used coconut oil)

----------

8-12 hotdogs

skewers

----------

Mix the dry batter ingredients in a mixing bowl. Add in the liquid ingredients and mix thoroughly, then allow to sit for a few minutes.  Pour it into a tall, deep, narrow vessel for ease of dipping.

Preheat 2" oil in a wide pan w/ deep sides (or deep fryer or Dutch oven) to 375° F. 

Using paper towels, dry off your hot dogs.  Slide each onto a skewer.  Dip and twirl for a few seconds to let the excess batter slide off.

Place gently into the hot oil and allow to fry for ~2 minutes for a texture that is golden brown and a bit soft...add another minute or so for a darker, crisper crust.

I've always been one to do a half mustard-half ketchup dip.  Although I'm not against dipping in one or the other...or other condiments altogether...I just like 'em like that.  Pick your poison!

I made twelve corndogs before I ran out of dogs, so I had some left over.  I decided to try freezing them.  You know, just to see what would happen.  I layed them out on a parchment lined sheet until frozen, then transferred them to a freezer bag.  When it came time to re-heat, I put them in a preheated 350° F oven for ~15 minutes.  It works!!

*This post is linked to:

*re: DHoHD- Corndogs (fried food in general) is pretty horribly decadent.  Right!?