Franks Foods Franks (The Red Hot Dog)

Franks Foods Franks

There's a lot to be said for the way color influences what we eat. Back in college I took a color theory class and discovered the many ways color subconsciously affects our everyday lives. Of particular interest to me was the way color has the ability to stimulate our appetites. Although the way colors affect us depends greatly on our cultural differences and individual life experiences, in general, warm colors stimulate the appetite and cool colors suppress the appetite. This may be attributed to a time when the only cues we could rely on to indicate ripeness and wholesomeness as opposed to unsavoriness like mold and spoilage were color indicators. Consider the fact that most fast food chain logos use reds yellows and oranges in their logos. My guess is, the decision to graphically warm things up was based on careful market research and color consultation and not by chance alone. Here's a link to more on color theory by Color Professor J.L. Morton.

I assume color theory to some extent must have been the original concept behind artificially colored red hot dogs. In my opinion, possible carcinogenic risk aside, (from FD&C red 40) a red hot dog looks much more appealing on the surface than a pasty, flesh colored wienie. Vivid colors imply freshness and flavor. I almost believe a red hot dog actually tastes better than a hot dog of a subtler hue. A "blind" taste test would seem in order here. I only recently found out to what extent meat producers are willing to go to in order to present the desired color in their products and their tactics extend surreptitiously well beyond coloring hot dogs red. Check out this article in the Washington Post for more information on this subject.

With all that color theory background in place, I present to you FF Smoked Artificially Colored Franks. That's exactly what they're called on the package. These franks are red. They are really red.

FF Brand Smoked Artificially Colored Franks

Red on the backside too

In Hawaii, red hot dogs and sausages are popular items. Redondo's "Winners" and Pupu Pups, Miko hot dogs, and Pupu Rockets and Uncle Louie's sausages are just some of the hot dogs and sausages available that proudly sport the bright red, fresh sun burnt complexion. On many a plate lunch menu one can usually find the chili frank plate. Consisting of a scoop or two of rice smothered with chili and accompanied by a dollop of cool macaroni salad on the side, any chili frank plate worth it's heartburn would be incomplete without the signature bright red hot dog.

Chili Frank Plate

Hawaii is not alone in it's affinity for red hot dogs. In some regions of the country, red hot dogs are almost exclusive on local menus. Take for instance, North Carolina's Bright Leaf brand of hot dogs produced by Carolina Packers, manufacturing red hot dogs since 1941, or West Point, Nebraska's Wimmer's Meats, producing fine meat products including red hot dogs, since 1934.

So what is it about the red hot dog? Hot dog aficionados across the country swear by them. For me, the red hot dog speaks of tradition and stability in an ever changing culinary environment. Food trends seem to come and go, reluctant to blend in, adapt and assimilate. Today's hot ticket meal quickly becomes tomorrow's has-been novelty. Wow factor (I hate that term) food is all too often the main objective in fancy restaurants these days with comfort, tradition and sometimes even taste suffering as a result. Red hot dogs remind me of more carefree days spent picnicking at the beach or backyard barbecuing at friend's houses in the summer. Red hot dogs come from a time when we weren't overly concerned with what we were eating, as long as it tasted good and we ate it in moderation. We were ignorantly blissful before we found out that everything we eat is going to kill us.

I say, you should eat what you want and enjoy it but do it in moderation. Like everything that's supposedly bad for us, red hot dogs simply taste good but no one needs ten of them at one sitting to feel satisfied. Eat with your eyes, then your taste buds, then think of all the reasons why you're enjoying it.

Bratwurst and Sauerkraut

Bratwurst and Sauerkraut

Back in the mid-nineties, I worked at a big firm with a bunch of guys from other countries. Every year, around Christmas time, there was always a few of us left behind, unable to afford to go home for the holidays and although there was always a lot of work to do and consequently a lot of overtime to be paid, it still sucked not being able to spend much needed r&r with our families back home, wherever that may have been.

After work, over a few beers, the conversation would turn to how each of us celebrated the holidays in our respective hometowns and what we missed most at that time of the year. (Hey, since we were all stuck in the same boat, we may as well commiserate, right?) My memories were of family and food of course, the Honolulu City Lights display and the Giant Santa that appears every year at Ala Moana shopping center.

One of the guys happened to be from Cologne, Germany and his recollection was, he would go into the decorated, lit-up, freezing downtown district after work to do his Christmas shopping and rather than stop for dinner, he would pick up a steaming hot bratwurst with spicy mustard on a roll from one of the street vendors and eat it while walking briskly to the next store. That image stuck with me. If I ever happen to be in Germany during Christmas season I'll definitely have to try one.

In the summer months, we cook bratwurst on the grill and enjoy them on a roll with a side of potato salad but during the fall and winter months I start thinking of bratwurst and sauerkraut. Maybe it has something to do with the imagery of October fest, maybe it has to do with my notions of what a traditional Christmas is like with it's Northern European origins.

I took a jar of sauerkraut, put it in a large pan and to it added some sliced apples and onions, caraway seeds, a little cider vinegar and a good slug of dark beer and let it simmer. In the meantime, the brats were grilled up under the broiler. Some folks prefer their brats cooked with the kraut but I like to give the casing on the brats a chance to crisp up first. The bratwurst was then added to the pan to soak up a little of the flavor and to continue cooking. We had them alongside some smashed red spuds.

Köstlich!!!

Arabiki

Arabiki

What's Arabiki? One answer would be, an onomatopoeic word for the sound these little sausages make when you bite into them. They have a very distinct snap and crunch to them. The other answer is, a delicious, Japanese style, finger sized, smoky pork sausage.

Item #26980

The Reverse Side

Arabiki(s) are a relative newcomer to the Hawaii sausage scene but they seem to have quickly and easily secured their place in the sausage line-up as evidenced by these 20 oz. jumbo packs of Redondo's Brand Arabiki available at Costco in Hawaii. Supply and demand is a reflection of popularity so if Costco is carrying these, they must be popular!

Curriculum Vitae

Let's check out the label to see what makes these things so tasty. First, the list of ingredients: Pork-that's a good sign, water-okay, pork back fat-of course, salt, soy protein concentrate, sugar, flavoring-all good, onion powder, liquid smoke, natural sheep casing-all wholesome enough sounding.

And then there are the "other things". Mono sodium glutamate-msg (a little won't kill you), sodium phosphate-WTF? sodium erythorbate, and sodium nitrite-again, WTF?

Okay, most of those ingredients I'm familiar with, but those chemical thingies? Further research was called for. According to Wikipedia, monosodium glutamate is a flavor enhancer-most of us are familiar with, sodium phosphate acts as an emulsifier, sodium erythorbate is an antioxidant which preserves color, and sodium nitrite is a color fixative and flavor enhancer. Wikipedia also interestingly lists that sodium nitrite has also been used as an antidote for cyanide poisoning among other uses. Wow. Why didn't they just say so!

I know the FDA makes food producers list all the ingredients that go into their finished products and I can understand there are good reasons behind their policies but perhaps they could extend a little poetic license when it comes to describing some of these ingredients.

What if you read the side of a box and the list of ingredients read something like this;

Contains: calcium carbonate, calcium phosphate, magnesium carbonate, soluble and insoluble proteins, B vitamins, as well as vitamins A, D, and E, lutein, zeaxanthin, trace amounts of β-carotene, phosphorus, iron, magnesium, and other metals, hydrocarbons, phenols, indans, indoles, pyrroles, pyrazines, and sulfides, including hydrogen sulfide, dimethyl sulfide and dimethyl trisulfide.

Would you readily put whatever that is in your mouth? Does that sound appealing at all? What if I told you the box you were reading was an egg carton and the list represents the chemical make-up of a chicken egg? Well, why didn't you just say egg in the first place? By comparison, our little sausages here could almost be described as "all natural". Almost, that is.

I think Redondo's could drop all the "sodium's" and still put out a great product and I don't think the taste would be affected much either. Of course they would have to be eaten sooner than later and they may not retain their color as well but they usually don't last long enough in this house to be adversely affected by the lack of artificial additives and preservatives anyway.

Coarse and Tasty

Okay, diatribe over, back to the sausages. The cooking instructions on the package says "boil 2 to 3 minutes". Although they are good prepared this way, I like to fry them or grill them. Direct heat brings out all the flavor in these things and as long as they don't burst while cooking, they retain all their succulent juiciness and crunch just like the label says in that screaming red bubble on the package. The texture of the coarse ground pork and the smokiness are reminiscent of a kielbasa style sausage but with a slight hot doggyness to it, perhaps due to the aforementioned "additives".

Index, Middle, Ring, Pinky....

Although diminutive in size, each sausage packs a wallop of flavor. They're so addicting, be sure to wear gloves while eating so you won't accidentally gnaw your fingers off. The package also states, serving size, 2 pieces..... Okay, on what planet?

Kitchen Forager Serving Size

Miko Scottish Bangers- Breakfast of Champions

Miko Scottish Brand Bangers

Here's another type of sausage I ate growing up on Oahu. I remember getting up early on Sunday mornings and jumping in the car with my Dad to meet my Grandparents for breakfast at Zippy's on Nimitz highway near the harbor. My Grandfather, who spent his weeks working on the Big Island would come home to Honolulu on the weekends. For breakfast, he would sometimes order bangers and eggs. That's when I was first introduced to them.

Zippy's on Nimitz Highway

The Scottish banger is representative of many things that find their way to Hawaii's shores. The origins of how and why they made the long trek to such a distant remote island in the first place may be lost to history, but despite that, they become absorbed and adopted into Hawaii's culture and become as much a part of the islands as the people who initially brought them there and ended up staying.

Scottish bangers in Hawaii aren't very common. The only local company I know of that still makes them (or to my knowledge, ever made them) commercially is Miko Meat Corporation, a sausage and meat product manufacturer headquartered in Hilo-which may explain my Grandfather's affinity for them. The only place I know of where you used to be able to order them off the menu was at Zippy's. Unfortunately, I just checked out their website and they're no longer available there so I guess that means if I have a craving for them, I have to cook them up myself.

Fresh out of the Package, Wrinkles and All

If you can find them in the market, they come eight per package, tied off in pairs. Right on the package, it says, "How to prepare: Brown lightly in skillet or on rack in baking pan at 450 degree oven". When I would order them at Zippy's, they would come out really dark with an almost crispy casing. I think they must have deep fried them. I've found the way I like to cook them best is to cut them apart, put them in a hot pan with a couple of tablespoons of vegetable oil and put the lid on. I let them brown up on one side, give the pan a shake like a jiffy pop popcorn pan and let them brown up on the other side. I don't know why they do it, but shaking the pan that way usually causes all the sausages to roll over onto their unbrowned side at the same time. Then I reduce the heat so they won't split open and let them cook through for a few more minutes.

Voila!

As Fat Bastard would say, "Get in my belly!"

In addition to all the other things that make their way into sausages these bangers contain 7.43% breadcrumbs or rusk...Wow, that's an exact figure!!! Not only do the breadcrumbs give the bangers their unique flavor and texture, they also aid in browning up a nice golden color.

That Looks Like 7.43% Breadcrumbs To Me

Breakfast of Champions

I always eat them with rice and a fried egg with a little shoyu drizzled on it, Hawaiian style.

Hi Ho Silva

Silva Sausage Breakfast Link Size Linguica

I found these breakfast size Portuguese sausage links at Nielsen's market while in Solvang so I thought I'd give them a try. I've tried Silva's regular Linguica before so I figured the only difference would be in the shape. I found the regular linguica at our local supermarket and having run out of Hawaiian style Portuguese sausage one day, figured it could be a similar enough stand-in.

Growing up in Hawaii we ate a lot of Portuguese sausage, mainly as a breakfast meat along with Spam and bacon or as the key ingredient in Portuguese bean soup, a Hawaiian favorite. Hawaiian style Portuguese sausage, of which there are many different brands today, are all similarly identifiable in flavor; porky, spicy, smoky, salty and very, very garlicky. The main differences between the various brands seems to be hot or mild and the coarseness of the grind. Silva's linguica tastes similar but has a pronounced "paprikaness" to it reminiscent of chorizo. Only slightly spicy hot, the breakfast size links seemed a bit leaner too, perhaps a little lighter in fat content. The hand tied, natural sheep casings give the sausage a good bite resulting in a sausage more a kin to an Algerian merguez in texture.

The Line Up
"Number three, turn to your left"

All things considered, a great tasting sausage. Not exactly like Hawaiian style Portuguese sausage but tasty nonetheless in it's own unique way. If memory serves me correctly, the Portuguese that initially came to Hawaii were from the Azores, so maybe Hawaiian style Portuguese sausage is actually more specifically Azoreian style Portuguese sausage if there is such a thing. In any case, Portuguese sausage, no matter what it's regionality remains one of my favorites.

Good To Go

Medisterpolse

On my first trip to England to visit T1's family, we landed at London Heathrow and were met by T1's Mum and Pop. We then jumped in Pop's car for the long car ride back to Liverpool. I can't remember why we just didn't fly into Manchester Airport which would have made more sense but I'm glad we didn't. In retrospect, the car ride, which took the whole afternoon gave me a chance to see the beautiful English countryside. I'm glad we drove the 200 or so miles instead. Thanks to Pop's impeccable driving skills we made the journey in good time and along the way we stopped at a Granada rest stop on the side of the motorway to stretch our legs and get a drink and a prawn sandwich. The rest stops in England seem quite civilized compared to the ones you see here in the states. It was clean for one thing and the cafeteria area offered hot plates as well as pre-packaged sandwiches. It was here in the steam table that I saw for the first time, a savory, coiled, snake-like rope of mince occupying it's own pan and bathed in it's own gravy. "What the heck is that?" I asked T1. She said it was a Cumberland sausage. I never got to try one while in England but the image of that thing sitting there waiting for my fork remained in my mind all these years.

The Setting: Solvang Countryside

Fast forward to last week. We were in Solvang on our road trip. I did a little research on Solvang before the Folks came out and ran across an image of what I thought was a Cumberland Sausage. Turns out it was a Danish sausage called a Medisterpolse. Looked very similar to my memory of a Cumberland sausage. We went to a local supermarket in town called Nielsen's to pick up provisions so I beelined over to the refrigerated meat case and that's where I found the Medisterpolse. Needless to say, I wasn't going to pass up the opportunity to try this thing and bought it.

Medisterpolse from Nielsen's (my thumb went through the package)

The next morning I cooked it up in our kitchen equipped room to have for breakfast with some scrambled eggs, potatoes, fruit, pastry and bagels.

Medisterpolse Done!

Now That's a Breakfast!

It rocked! Although the label doesn't reveal the ingredients, (sometimes when it comes to sausages, you're better off not knowing) I could taste perhaps pork or veal and a hint of mild spice like allspice or clove maybe. Anyway, it all went together well. A few years ago while visiting Solvang, I had a sausage with an order of aebleskivers and it was served on the plate with some berry jam. I can't remember if it was Medisterpolse. It didn't share the same coiled shape, but the jam complimented the sausage nicely. For this Medisterpolse, I ate it with a good strong mustard.