So how does one justify this post in a MAGICK website?
Well, as a Native Noo Yawka, I find the archetypal NYC Hot Dog cart quite magickal!
In New York City, we have the quintessential WALKING town, and when we urban hikers get hungry or thirsty, we need only look to the nearest intersection of street and avenue to find succor! ASK AND YE SHALL RECEIVE!
The brings us to the yellow and blue insignia of the world famous UMBRELLA ROOM… How famous? Note the reference to DINING AL FRESCO in The Producers…
I see this whole town as magickal! And the Sabrett cart stands out as something that all our guests – I NEVER refer to “tourists” – experience, savor, and remember.
Towering as one of the most magickal of all facets of these rolling restaurants we find their tangy, delectable, unique ONION SAUCE. For me, no hot dog nears authenticity without this piquant embellishment. I still remember with delight my first taste of it, way back in 1963! What anonymous, unheralded Escoffier of the Streets first whipped up this delight for the palate? S/he deserves a monument – and what monument of granite could outshine the ubiquitous NYC Hot Dog cart?
And I do not remain alone in my culinary admiration! This sauce has grown so popular, that even NYC supermarkets now carry it in jars.
Tradition #1:
SABRETT HOT DOG ONIONS!
Tradition #2:
NEVER BUY RETAIL!
Why spend the money when you can make this famous condiment easily and for pennies instead of buying it for dollars? In these record-setting inflationary times, that’s a big plus!
To get to this recipe, I examined and made several CLONE/DIY/COPYCAT recipes found in books and on-line. Many came close, but none of the clones gave the precise flavor I have known for well over 50 years. Trust me, that final determination takes an aged-in-the-wood New Yorker! So with missionary zeal, your humble Esoteric Practitioner went to work. Through repeated attempts, and many joyous hours of tasting, I managed to perfect an ALL-NATURAL version of the world famous NYC HOT DOG ONIONS with no extraneous ingredients (no doubt included by people who had never set foot in Baghdad on the Hudson. I mean… Cumin? Catsup? CINNAMON? Yikes!)
My own easy, delicious, and ECONOMICAL recipe will definitely score favor with friends, family, and neighbors – especially if you have among them transplanted New Yorkers (we’re everywhere!) so make plenty. This recipe makes about 1.5 to 2 cups. And your kitchen will smell wonderful! Well, better than NYC streets, that’s for sure…
Here we go!
Ingredients
1 1/2 teaspoons light olive oil
1 medium onion, sliced thin (I use a mandolin)
2 cups water
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon sugar
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper Flakes
2 tbs white vinegar
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over a medium low heat.
- Sauté the sliced onion in the oil for 5 minutes, until onions are soft but not browned.
- Dissolve cornstarch in water, then add it to the onions, followed by the sugar, tomato paste, salt, and red pepper flakes. Now stir.
- Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally
After 20 minutes, add the vinegar and stir again.
Simmer for another 10 minutes or until most of the liquid has reduced and the sauce grows thick.
THAT’S IT! Make this and you have earned the right to consider yourself AN HONORARY NEW YORKER! Tell everyone Rev. Eliot said so!
And after you have enjoyed your genuine NYC-Style hot dogs, complete with classic onion sauce, sip a world-class liquor such as anisette, amaretto, or Irish cream. Instructions Click on image:
Magick Works™ 