Detroit Coney Island Hot Dog

My dad was a Chef but at home he cooked regular food. This is about one of the meals I never figured out. We always had a block of Frozen Chili on the house. I vaguely remember my big brother putting in a sauce pan and thawing it out.

When I went into the military and was living on my own I knew what to do when I wanted chili. These bricks are easy to find in any freezer section of the market.

After thawing and bringing the chili to a boil, I found some crackers a bowl, a big spoon and was ready to chow down.

Yuck. What? Why did I ever think this was good? Maybe the brand was wrong? Maybe I didn't pay close attention. I don't know but soon I gave up and found a real recipe for chili. Fail.

Last week I found myself in Detroit/Pontiac MI and had to drive a 7 mile stretch of road called Walton Blvd. It was a busy street but I noticed many restaurants and a good percentage of them were either closed or up for sale. The other thing I noticed was that the names of the open and busy ones were, "The Stuffed Bun,

The Classic Coney Kitchen, Nikko's Koney Kitchen, Bob E's Big Chief (The One With The Toasted Bun)."  It was weird seeing pizza joints closed down while there were nice restaurants dedicated to hot dogs.

I mentioned this to one local and heard more than I ever wanted about the Coney Island Dog and how it was a serious Michigan tradition. I called home and my very wise wife tasked me to go have a Coney and report back. :)

At lunch the next day I stopped at Nikkos. I tasted a Coney and then a Loose Coney. I knew I had to ignore how I felt and think about what this actually was. The Coney was a chili dog, a natural encased hot dog on a fresh bun . The Loose Coney was hot dog bun with seasoned ground beef covered with a layer of thin chili sauce. Both had a strip of yellow mustard for a wisp of acidity and covering of diced sweet onions. Ok, got it. I now know what these guys like and I can now report back, Good.

But how I felt? OMG!!! After years, I finally remember what that brick of frozen chili was about. The memory came back fully and was complete. My brother would boil a pack of hot dogs, then thaw and heat the chili. One day. every couple of weeks we had Chili dogs on Wonder Bread hot dog buns. This is was that brick was for, NOT chili, it was actually chili sauce.

Today I made a Detroit Coney and that first bite brought me back, way back.. It made me realize that my dad had taught my brother (1 year older) how to cook dinner for his 9 and 7 year old brother and sister. This was a bite full of memories. Not just childhood memories but good memories.

I think I now really get the definition of Comfort Food.

The Celebrations of Spring!

Spring is in the air. It's a ways off, but close enough that I can begin to plan for the little celebrations it will bring. I love this time of year. The thought keeps me going through the last of the cold winter days. There is still a crispness in the early morning air and a promise of rain showers that will serve to nurture the tiny new shoots of spring flowers that are beginning to peek from beneath the earth.

 And, there's nothing sweeter than new born baby animals reminding us that there is promise and rebirth and a newness in this world. I love the sounds of birds chirping and working tirelessly on their nest. I'll be working on our spring nest, too and bringing you some fresh ideas for your home and garden.

It's a time to freshen up your grocery list with smart buys,  add new light desserts and easy dinner menus, colorful flower arrangements and table settings.

Marti Gras shows first in March with the colorful celebrations of New Orleans. One of my all time favorite haunts. I want to show you some of the classics dishes of Fat Tuesday and some of the fabulous sights of the Big Easy, my surrogate home away from home.

 My twin daughters birthdays are at the beginning of March. Our most important celebration of the month. I can't wait to show you what I have in mind for the special day. I think they'll love it, too. Ash Wednesday will also fall on my daughters Birthday. I've been looking forward to sharing some of the foods and traditions this holiday.

And last but not least comes St. Patty's day. Just wait until you see what I have in store. The perfect Irish stew and much, much more. And this is just the beginning of spring.  So stay tuned for all the new Kit loves Caz post to come, full of recipes, eye candy and ideas to make your everyday, extraordinary.

Remember to love deeply and enjoy the little things in life. XX Kit~