HAL’S KITCHEN: Snap goes the wiener! Skinners celebrates 95 years

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Happy Birthday, Skinners! The iconic hot dog brand is celebrating 95 years in Lockport. And to mark the occasion, Skinners is selling its world famous singles for just 95 cents on Wednesday which just happens to also be Hot Dog Day. Owner Brent Thompson says they’ll also be serving birthday cake and giving away a bunch of prizes. Why are Skinners dogs so damn good? It’s certainly the snap but it’s also the great recipe that Winnipeg Old Country hasn’t changed very much over all these years. Here’s to Jimmy Skinner Senior who probably had no idea what he was starting when he opened his small stand in 1929. And if you’ve ever wondered why there are two locations in Lockport, Brent says the other Skinners opened in about 1950 after Highway 44 changed following a deadly crash. I hope to see you Wednesday. I’ll be the guy in the ’97 F-150 at the dam watching the pelicans and chowing down on a Lockport Dog (mustard, fried onions, pickles, bacon, cheese and a bit of seasoning salt).

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CALGARY STAMPEDE EATS

I call it carny food. You know, the unique and sometimes outrageous stuff you can sample at bigger summer fairs. Red River Ex has a few items every year but the Calgary Stampede which wraps up this weekend gets a lot more. It is the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth, afterall. Here’s what people have been eating and talking about in Cowtown over the past couple of weeks…

– Watermelon Burger: Instead of a bun, it’s watermelon slices with sesame seeds on top. Between the watermelon, there’s feta, spinach and fresh mint with a drizzle of balsamic reduction.
– Cheeseburger Ice Cream: Vanilla-infused BBQ-flavoured ice cream in a waffle cone. Then it’s dunked in hot cheese and sprinkled with sesame seeds and garnished with an onion ring and a pickle.
– Pickle Fry Poutine: It combines brined, seasoned and fried pickle fries with Quebec cheese curds and hot gravy.
– Gator Pepperoni Pizza: Thin crust za, topped with low-fat mozzarella, caramelized onions and artisan alligator pepperoni.
– Ube Coconut Little Donuts: A new take on an old classic. Mini donuts infused with ube, a purple yam from the Philippines, and then topped with ube cream and sweetened coconut shavings.
– Cowboyaki: A fusion dish based on traditional Japanese takoyaki. These ball-shaped snacks are filled with meat floss, octopus, seaweed strips, pickled ginger and cabbage. They’re then brushed with teriyaki sauce.
– Chamoy Lemonade: It combines classic lemonade with chamoy, a tangy and spicy Mexican condiment. Topped with chilli lime seasoning and peach rings.

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PICKLE CUPCAKES?!

Pickle brand Claussen and Baked By Melissa have joined forces to create the first pickle cupcake. The “dill-icious dessert” is made from pickle-infused cake and pickle buttercream icing with red and white sprinkles.

S’MORES NOODLES

Nissin Foods, the makers of Cup Noodles instant ramen, has introduced a new flavour: Campfire S’mores. The limited-edition offering combines microwavable noodles and the taste of chocolate, marshmallow and graham crackers, with a smoky note and extra mini marshmallows to sprinkle on top. I don’t think it’s for me but if you’re craving a sweet and gooey dessert that you can make in just five minutes, this might be right up your alley. In the past, Nissan has released other special ramen flavours including Pumpkin Spice and Everything Bagel.

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KEEPING FRIES CRUNCHY

Here’s a hack you might not be aware of to keep your French fries from getting soggy. As I’m sure you know, takeout orders of fries can lose their crunchiness very quickly. The best way to get them home is to not close the bag. It might seem counter-intuitive because the heat will escape but closed containers result in condensation and therefore sogginess. The type of container matters, too. Plastic will trap heat and lead to more condensation. An open paper bag is the better way to go. And then when you get home, reheat the fries in an air fryer or toaster oven for about five minutes at 400.

BIGGEST PIZZA CHAIN

This might surprise you but the biggest pizza chain in the US is Hunt Brothers Pizza. It has 9,500 locations across America, usually in convenience stores. Domino’s is second with 6,929 locations. Pizza Hut rounds out the top three at 6,775 locations.

— Hal has written columns for years. He’s also the host of Connecting Winnipeg weekday mornings from 10 to noon on 680 CJOB. You can email him at Hal@HalAnderson.ca.

Have thoughts on what’s going on in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada or across the world? Send us a letter to the editor at wpgsun.letters@kleinmedia.ca

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