The chili dog is one of life’s guilty little pleasures. It’s as American as…well….hot dogs and apple pie.

The National Hot Dog and Sausage Council estimates that Americans consume 20,000,000,000 (that’s 20 billion) hot dogs per annum. That works out to 70 hot dogs a year for every man, woman, and child in the country.

The history is somewhat murky, but most historians credit Charles Feltman, an immigrant German butcher in Brooklyn, New York, as the first to combine a frankfurter sausage and a soft roll which he called “red hots.” The year was 1867.

In 1920, a man by the name of E.N. Umberger opened a store at 165 E. Main Street in Wytheville and began selling the wildly popular sandwich.

Today the store still exists and the world famous “Skeeter Dogs” are still their best selling item.

Walking into Skeeter’s is a step back in time. Much of the place is the way it was when E.N. ran the store. The lunch counter is the same and the steam table is the same except for the stainless steel top that has replaced the old linoleum.

The numerous advertising signs on the walls are not the reproductions sold all over the country, they’re the originals.

I chatted with Miss Elizabeth, the 77 year old lady who has worked the counter for the past 24 years. When I told her of my love of chili dogs (my name on yahoo and aol is Chilidawgguy), but that for health reasons I don’t eat them much anymore, she said, “You only pass this way once. If you see something you want, and can afford it, get it.” Words to live by. When asked about her favorite celebrity customer, she pointed to a picture of then Governor, now Senator, Mark Warner and said, “The Governor stops in a least once a year, whether he’s running for anything or not.”

Miss Elizabeth

In one of those serendipitous moments, I met Rodney and Carrie Catron from Virginia Beach. They were in town visiting Rodney’s 101 year-old mother, and stopped in for a couple Skeeter Dogs before they left for home. Rodney attended the old Wytheville High School from 1948-1951. In those days, chili dogs were 15 cents a piece or 2 for a quarter. A coke from the box still sitting against the far wall was a nickel. He ate two a day….everyday.

Carrie and Rodney Catron

Before I left, I took Miss Elizabeth’s advice to heart. I had one with slaw.

**********

Yesterday was cooking demonstration day at the Wytheville Farmers Market and I got to be the Ol’ Rock’n Roll Chef one more time. Folks, I had a blast. I’d like to thank all of you who stopped by to say hello. It is truly gratifying to meet my readers.

I’d also like to thank Louise Bennett, who acted as my sous chef. Louise is a Personal Chef from Rural Retreat. She cooks, bakes, shops, and does meal plans among her many talents. This lady really knows her stuff, and I couldn’t have done it without her. If you could use her services, give her a call at 276-686-5031. Louise had to leave around 11:00am, and my lovely and talented wife Anne stepped in.

I decided to make omelets, and I was able to buy all the vegetables and eggs I used from the vendors at the market. I hope those of you who got to taste the samples we gave away enjoyed them as much as I enjoyed making them.

Purchasing organic veggies from Marcie Krause as Dave Richert looks on from the next stall

Turnin' and Burnin'

Anne and I are deck people. We have had a deck for most of the last three decades, and during good weather we spend a lot of time on it. At the end of the day, we relax with a drink, often have supper, and do a lot of entertaining there.

Basically, the deck is our outside room. Adjacent to the deck is The Dead Tree. It stands there like a totem, very sculptural in its appearance. It’s a favored perch for birds and Rocky, the Demon Squirrel. I usually see the Effing Chipmunk running from the strawberry patch towards it. I’ve photographed The Tree dozens of times under many different conditions.

A couple of evenings ago, I noticed something kind of odd. Little Wayne was half-way up the tree. Now I know black rat snakes go pretty much anywhere they damn well please, but I’ve never seen one climb a dead tree before. And this one was not only up the tree, he was disappearing inside the tree.

Obviously I know squat about Black Snakes, so I did a little more research and found that not only do they climb trees, they spend a lot of time in trees. Much of their diet is derived from the various creatures that inhabit trees. Now I wonder what LW was going after. I’m sure there are plenty of insects, and I guess it’s possible mice are nesting there. The birds that nested in The Tree this spring are gone. There is a chance that Little Wayne may have been going after the Effing Chipmunk.

If that was the case, all I can say is “ROCK ON YOU WEIRD LITTLE DUDE!”

So Friday, we met Joe Lucas, the man who plans to lease the land (nice alliteration, huh?) at the farm to go over the deal. It’s been over a year since we’ve seen the place. It’s a little more run down, and a little more overgrown, but still beautiful.

After we roughed out a deal with Joe, Anne and I headed down to Floyd to meet our friends Amy and Doug Thompson. We hooked up with Doug at the Floyd Country Store and spent a pleasant afternoon catching up. I had a light lunch of a grilled cheese sandwich and a cup of pinto beans, both of which were some of the best I’ve ever had. I also purchased a copy of Rodale’s Organic Gardening, the bible for many organic gardeners.

Friday was Amy’s birthday and the four of us met for an early dinner at Mickey G’s. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, Michael Gucciardo is the best chef in Southwest Virginia. I had a whole Red Snapper with Livornese Sauce (tomatoes, onions, capers, and black olives) topped with fresh mussels and clams. It was to die for. Anyone within driving distance of Floyd who hasn’t eaten at Mickey G’s is really missing something.

After a leisurely drive home, we spent a quiet evening with cocktails on the deck. Saturday morning, I headed to the Wytheville Farmer’s Market while Anne slept in. If I don’t stop eating the outstanding baked goods at the Market, I’m going to gain back the 40lbs I worked so hard to lose. Some of this stuff is positively addictive. Thanks to the hard work of Market Director Suzie Richert, this year’s Market is not only a great place to purchase quality products, it has become a fun place to hangout.

Next week, yours truly will be turning and burning starting at 9am, so be sure to stop by and say hello. I’ll be giving away free samples using products purchased from local vendors.

I made it back home in time for the afternoon thunderstorm. The brief storms and showers we’ve had for the past week have not only helped the garden, they’ve cooled things down in the evening. We’ve made it this far into the summer without the air conditioner. I grilled a whole chicken using Dave Richert’s Green Grillin’ small batch applewood charcoal and accompanied it with a mess of turnip and collard greens, blackeyed peas with chopped raw onion, dirty rice and some excellent sourdough rolls I purchased at the Market.

Just another couple of days in paradise.

DOUBLE-WIDES

The above were taken in less than 15 minutes at the local Wal-Mart. There are 7 more I could have included. Chips and Ho-Hos anyone?

]]> http://www.wythenotes.com/wp/2010/07/14/single-wides-and-double-wides/feed/ 4 http://www.wythenotes.com/wp/2010/07/09/butterflies-and-maiden-flies/ http://www.wythenotes.com/wp/2010/07/09/butterflies-and-maiden-flies/#comments Fri, 09 Jul 2010 13:09:07 +0000 Ron Dees http://www.wythenotes.com/wp/?p=2052

**********

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union,
establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common
defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to
ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the
United States of America.

**********

“Fourscore and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation or any nation so conceived and so dedicated can long endure.

**********

“Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

**********

**********

Last Thursday, Charlottesville experienced a microburst, a shotgun blast of energy similar to a tornado that knocked out power to most of the town and surrounding area. Hundreds of trees, mostly large pines and sycamores, were uprooted or broken, knocking down power lines and damaging homes, cars, and commercial buildings. Luckily, no serious injuries were reported.

When we arrived at our hotel Friday afternoon, the hotel and most of the town was still without power. We were there to attend the wedding of Andrea Illmensee and Mike Hasenfus on Saturday. Andy is the daughter of our oldest friends, Tom and Judy Illmensee. Did I mention that the temperature was in the mid-90s? I’d like to thank the staff at the University Holiday Inn for making the best of a difficult situation. In addition to everything else they had to contend with, the Broadey family, an extended African-American family celebrating their 44th annual reunion was staying at the hotel, and there were a number of special events that had to be canceled or rescheduled. After some initial misgivings, the Heir Apparent decided it was pretty cool going to the bathroom by candlelight and having Grandma Anne read to him using a flashlight. The Broadeys took it all in stride, and I had a chance to meet a really interesting and friendly group of people. The wedding went off without a hitch, and Andy was a beautiful bride.

Prior to the wedding Saturday evening, we spent most of the day at the City Market and the open-air Downtown Mall where we had an excellent lunch of soft-shell crab salad with chickpea fritter at Petit Pois. Because of the heat and the pending wedding reception at a local winery, we elected to go with unsweetened Southern Champagne to drink (that’s iced-tea for you uninformed) and chocolate bread pudding with homemade vanilla ice cream for desert. So, ok, we did taste a few wines at the City Market.

Sunday, we returned the Little Prince to his home in Aspen Hills, MD, via Rte 29. Monday, we did our power shopping at Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s, ate lunch at Preet Palace in Centreville, my favorite Indian restaurant, and spent a grueling four and a half hours fighting the insane traffic on I-81. All-in-all, it was a pretty good road trip, but we are VERY glad to be back home.

=====================================================================

ANNOUNCEMENT

Today, July 1, Anne and I celebrate our 41st wedding anniversary. To say that the last 15 months have been difficult gives a vast, new meaning to the word understatement. We lost our only child. Seven months later, Anne lost her job. A week later, we lost our dog of fourteen years. Last month, Anne’s wonderful mother, Betty, passed away. As hard as things have been for me to deal with, they have been twice as hard on Anne. I’d like to thank her for her strength, support and unfailing love these past 41 years. She is my dear and darlin’ one.

Step One: Contemplate the artistry of the concoction.

Step Two: Examine carefully to make sure all the elements, cake, strawberries, vanilla ice cream, and whipped cream, are all present.

Step Three: Approach the first bite carefully. Taste for flavor and aroma.

Step Four: Allow the flavors to marry in your mouth.

Step Five: Try not to eat the spoon.