Charleston goes to dogs

Well, hot diggitty dog! Charleston makes a Top 10 list again.

The makers of Ball Park franks have scanned the nation for the Top Ten Hot Dog Consuming Cities, and based on data from Information Resources Inc., we're in.

The other cities and their favorite dog breeds, according to Ball Park, are:

--New York, boiled dog with a special onion sauce and deli-style yellow mustard.

--Los Angeles, wrapped with Mexican-style bacon with grilled onions, jalapeno or bell peppers and salsa.

--Baltimore/Washington, D.C., all-beef frank topped with banana peppers, onions, diced red peppers, sliced pickles and served on a steamed potato bun with mayo.

--Philadelphia, all-beef hot dog and a potato fish cake topped with mustard and onions.

--Chicago, dog in a poppy seed bun with yellow mustard, green relish, chopped raw onion, fresh tomato, a pickle spear and a touch of celery salt.

--San Antonio/Corpus Christi, Texas, Tex-Mex dog topped with salsa, Monterrey Jack cheese and chopped jalapenos.

--Boston, the Fenway Frank is boiled and grilled, then served in a New England-style bun topped with mustard and relish.

--Harrisburg/Scranton, Pa., deep-fried Texas Wiener served with a spicy Greek sauce.

--Miami/Fort Lauderdale, Cuban-style with lettuce, avocado, mojo sauce and pineapple.

Drum roll, please ...

--Charleston, the Carolina dog is served with chili, coleslaw, mustard and onions.

Meanwhile, Hebrew National is calling attention to the "haute dog" trend sweeping the nation and asked chef Adam Close of Charleston's Blossom restaurant for his vision of a condiment or topping.

Close supplied this recipe, which was passed on to us:

Green Chile Mustard

Ingredients

1 poblano chile

1 jalapeno chile

1 tablespoon cumin seeds

1 tablespoon chile powder

1 tablespoon Coleman's dry mustard

1/4 cup malt vinegar

3/4 cup beer

1/4 cup honey

3 tablespoons tequila

4 egg yolks

Directions

Roast the chiles over an open flame or under a broiler, turning consistently until the skin turns black and blisters. Transfer to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap, let cool. Peel the peppers, cut in half, remove seeds and mince.

In a small saute pan with no oil, toast the cumin seeds and chili powder briefly over medium-high heat just until they release their fragrance, about 2 minutes. Transfer the toasted spices to a metal bowl or top of a double boiler and add the minced chiles and remaining ingredients. Cook over simmering water, whisking gently until smooth and thickened, just slightly looser than mayonnaise. Do not whisk too vigorously or it will become frothy. Remove from heat and refrigerate covered until chilled.