Ahhh, the New York Yankees. A team you either love or hate. In fact, one of my favorite teams is whoever plays the Yankees. Not a fan. Not a fan of Yankee Stadium either. It looks a lot like old Yankee Stadium, of which I was also not a fan. Hate the New York weather, it's either too hot or too cold, and the crowds are horrendous. So what do I like about New York? The food. New York City is like the epicenter of an international food explosion. You can get ANY type of food at ANY hour of the day. If food it your thing, New York is for you. You know what else New York is famous for? The strong accent and slang of its residents. You hear a New Yorker in a bar in Hong Kong and you immediately place the speaker as a visitor from the Big Apple. Food and accent is what makes the hot dog for Yankee Stadium. Allow me to introduce The Fugetaboutit. It combines one of New York's most memorable catch phrases (say “forget about it” as one long word after you have had twelve beers and you get the picture), with the knish, an iconic eastern European snack that has made a new home in NYC.
A knish is a dough pastry stuffed with any combination of sauerkraut, ground beef, mashed potatoes, and diced grilled onions. To make one, get the best sub roll you can find, slightly grill it on a skillet and then slap in a Hebrew National all-beef frank. Top the frank with mashed potatoes, sprinkle on ground beef, some grilled onions, a row of kraut and then add a meandering stream of spicy brown mustard. The knish tastes delish, and it's all on a hot dog. Unlike the Yankees, this dog is a winner and you don't have to brave the subway to enjoy one at home. And if you think you can give me any grief over dissing the Yankees....fugetaboutit.
Beer pairing: Try a Saranac Adirondack Lager if you can get your hands on one. It is brewed upstate in Utica but embodies the freshness of the Adirondack mountains and washes down a knish on a bun like no other.