The Food Corner: The Glory of Trader Joe’s Organic Hot Dogs

Who loves a good hot dog? Everyone! In fact, I love them so much that I never eat them. The reason is because if I eat one, then I have to eat a second one, which quickly turns into a third. The same can probably be said for most lovers of hot dogs, because they just taste so amazing—they taste American. There’s just something about stuffing your face with your daily supply of fat and cholesterol that just reeks of Americana. Oh, and do you want to know the other reason why I never eat them? Well, obvious nutrition fact reasons aside, the chemicals and preservatives that manufacturers pump into the dogs, nitrates and nitrites to name a few, reportedly give a hot dog the same effect on your body as smoking a pack of cigarettes. There just became no way for me to trick myself into eating one, especially after reading that, which combined with these little pieces of smoked goodness running an upwards of 20 fat grams per piece, and some beyond, because I was dieting and trying to lose weight at the time. Now that I have lost some weight and am probably in the best shape I have been in for quite some time, I still could not get myself to chow down on a hot dog, no matter what the occasion. That was until I met Trader Joe, a specialty store of organic and natural foods.

Interview with TV Show Host Bobby Bognar

Have you ever wondered what kind of technology goes into making our favorite foods? What about the ingredients included, or where it is shipped from? Enter Bobby Bognar, the host of the fast-paced and informative program on the History Channel called Food Tech. Airing back in 2010, the show was given a lot of air time once more a few weeks ago for a food-related week of specials on the network’s sister station H2. It was here that I first got a chance to see the show, and I must admit, I was hooked. This is a fantastic show that answers all of the questions asked above. Though it has the format of a Modern Marvels episode, it is a lot more personable because of its host, who does everything involved with the certain food’s production, from operating machinery and tasting the product in various stages of development, to detailing the complete history behind what ever food is being featured.

During the show’s run, Bobby did episodes on more than 60 different items, ranging from Italian, Chinese, and Mexican food, as well as more specifically, hamburgers, hot dogs, cheeses, and seafood, and even some condiments like ketchup, mustard, and horseradish sauce—as you can see, no stone was left unturned; if you sat down and watched them one at a time, you would find yourself addicted to the fun nature of the program. It is not often that I stumble upon a show and automatically get hooked, which was why I contacted Bobby for an interview, who also happens to be a musician, and has a band called The Piper Downs.  Below is our conversation: