Here's our weekly round-up of all good things, good advice, good feelings. It’s the happy hour of blog posts! This week: Cake for Breakfast, Baking Tennis Shoes, and Cooking with Kids!

1 Prepare your grill for direct medium high heat.

2 Slice open the hot dogs: Mix together the ketchup and mustard in a small bowl. In a separate bowl, mix the sauerkraut with the chopped onion, set aside.

Slice open the hot dogs, down the center, lengthwise, forming a deep pocket in each, but not cutting all the way through.

Coat the inside of each hot dog with the mustard ketchup mixture.

3 Stuff the hot dogs: Place a strip of cheese deep within the pocket of each hot dog. Top with sauerkraut and onions.

Encapsulate the cheese at the ends with the sauerkraut mixture as well, so that no cheese is exposed (otherwise it will drip out when cooking).

4 Wrap bacon around each hot dog: Wrap a strip of bacon around each stuffed hot dog, securing with toothpicks at each end.

Make sure you wrap tight enough so that the stuffing stays in, but not so tight so that when the hot dog expands will cooking the bacon would tear.

5 Grill the hot dogs: Brush the grates of your grill with vegetable oil so that the hot dogs don't stick. If you have a grill screen (a screen with smaller holes so that small pieces of whatever you're cooking don't fall through the grill), you can use it, just coat it with vegetable oil first and pre-heat for a couple of minutes.

Place the stuffed hot dogs on the grill, stuffing side down. Grill for 2 minutes, until the bacon on that side is cooked, turn the hot dogs a quarter turn and grill for a couple more minutes.

Continue to grill for a few minutes each on all sides until the bacon is cooked. Cover the grill in between turnings to help with the cooking.

6 Grill the buns: During the last minute of cooking, open up the hot dog buns and place them open-side down on the grill to lightly toast.

7 Serve: Remove the hot dogs and buns from the grill. Remove the toothpicks from the hot dogs. Place the hot dogs in the buns and serve.

Nothing beats freshly ground pepper! Learn a few tricks and tips, and you’ll never take pepper for granted again.

Pepper is yang to salt’s yin. When we think of one, we think of the other. Seasoning with pepper may be a conscious choice we make, but the act is so ingrained in our behavior we don’t always stop to consider its function.

Salt is an essential nutrient; our bodies need it to survive. Pepper, by contrast, is a preference, there to add flavor and texture to our foods.

WHERE IS PEPPER GROWN?

Pepper is a fruit. It’s the berry of the perennial vine Piper nigrum, native to equatorial India. It needs hot, humid weather and lots of sun to thrive. The berries grow in long, dangling clusters.

Black, white, and green peppercorns are the same berry. They are simply harvested and processed in different ways, and at different times, which accounts for the color variation. Each kind of pepper has its own flavor profile and role to play in our cooking.

Black pepper has been used in Indian cooking since 2000 BC. The spice trade between India and the Roman Empire, where pepper was a luxury ingredient, became a lucrative business. The culinary and monetary allure of pepper was a huge reason European powers sought new trades routes, helping spawn the Age of Exploration.

Today, black pepper still dominates the global spice market. Vietnam, Indonesia, India, and Brazil are the top-producing countries. According to the International Trade Centre, it accounted for one-fifth of the world’s imported spices in 2016.

Not all pepper is the same! We call a few spices “peppercorns” (pink peppercorns among them) but they aren’t even botanically related to pepper; more on those later.

WHAT DOES PEPPER TASTE LIKE?

If you have pepper around, go get it. Grind it or shake some out of a shaker. Smell it. Is it bright or musty? Earthy or sharp? Sprinkle some on your tongue.

If you are feeling brave, bite into a whole peppercorn. There’s a prickly sensation initially, then a spreading warmth that’s invigorating.

Different grinds also give you different sensations. There’s a powerful and enlivening hit of heat when you have big chunks of ground pepper versus a dusting of finely ground pepper.

Now that you’re in a peppery frame of mind, let’s take a look at different varieties of pepper and what they have to offer you.

HOW TO SELECT GOOD PEPPER

If you cook a lot, buy peppercorns in bulk. You’ll save money and likely get a fresher product. (Who knows how long those little jars have been on the shelf?)

When choosing peppercorns, look for uniform color and darkness (signs of quality). I love The Spice House, Zingerman’s, Penzeys, and Kalustyan’s, which offer peppercorns from many regions with distinct qualities. Closer to you, natural foods stores or many grocery stores with good bulk food sections may carry bulk spices.

BLACK PEPPER

Black pepper is probably what’s in your grinder or shaker right now.

The berries for what becomes black pepper are harvested as they turn from green to yellow. Then they’re dried in the sun for three to seven days. After this curing, they become the tiny, wrinkly black pellets we know so well.

Black pepper is an ace solo player, but also a fine ensemble actor. It’s a vital part in many global spice blends, including berbere, garam masala, ras al hanout, and dukkah. And don’t forget lemon pepper!

WHITE PEPPER

Alas, white pepper—the neglected peppercorn! It’s way different from black pepper, and not just in color.

White pepper comes from the same plant as black pepper, but the berries are harvested ripe, and then soaked so their outer skins strip away, leaving an inner seed that’s creamy white.

White pepper is not as fruity as black pepper, but it is spicy-hotter than black pepper. It also has a musty, fermented character that offsets rich foods and spices that have a lot of resinous, citrusy notes (like juniper).

In classical French cooking, white pepper is preferred for seasoning white cream sauces and stews because it doesn’t interrupt the monochrome look—it’s not necessarily a flavor preference. (To be honest, I like the speckled look of black pepper in cream sauces.)

I love white pepper in dry rubs as a foil for fatty meats like lamb. The French seasoning quatre-épices, used in pâtés and sausages, employs white pepper along with nutmeg, cloves, and ginger to this effect. Chinese cuisine is notable for its use of white pepper. The “hot” in hot and sour soup comes from white pepper.

Grind white pepper and black pepper side by side and notice their distinct aromas. One at a time, put some on your tongue and consider their flavors. There’s no rule about when it’s appropriate to use white or black pepper. It’s up to you!

GREEN PEPPER

In its purest form, green pepper is simply fresh, unripe pepper berries. Because it’s pretty impossible to transport fresh pepper halfway around the world, what we see on the market comes in two forms: freeze-dried or bottled in brine.

The flavor is sweeter and fruitier, but still peppery. Try it with fish, chicken, or even chèvre cheese.

PINK PEPPER

Pink peppercorns come from an entirely different plant. Schinus molle (a.k.a. pepper tree, pepper plant, or pepperberry) is native to the Andes and is an evergreen in the cashew family. (Knowing such, if you have tree nut allergies avoid pink peppercorns.) Fun fact: florists use fresh branches of pepper plant in arrangements.

Pink peppercorns are the same size as black peppercorns, and they have some of the same punch, but not quite as much. In their dried form, the berries are more delicate than black pepper, and when ground, they are like fine, cheerfully red-pink confetti.

Try them in cream sauces, with lighter seafoods, over eggs, and with poached poultry.

SZECHUAN PEPPER

Also not from Piper nigrum, it’s the dried fruit of a species of prickly ash tree in the Zanthoxylum genus. Its flavor is mostly in the outer husks, and the small, hard seeds are not usually included in the spice.

Szechuan pepper delivers a tongue-numbing sensation that is said to enable diners to better taste the flavors of spicy chilis. It’s a vital component of Chinese five-spice. It’s often dry-toasted and ground right before using.

PEPPERCORN BLENDS

Spice companies often offer combinations of black, white, green, and pink peppercorns because they look striking in clear acrylic pepper mills.

Spice purists may poo-poo these blends, as it dilutes the individual qualities of each variety of peppercorn. I don’t really have a position here. If you use it and like it, keep doing so.

HOW TO SEASON FOODS WITH PEPPER

Unless I’m testing a recipe, I hardly ever measure pepper or grind it in advance. I just grind some with my pepper mill over the pot (or pan, or salad, or what have you) until it seems like enough. Then I taste it and add more if needed.

If you need to measure an exact amount of ground pepper for your recipe, grind it into a small dish or onto your cutting board and then scoop up what you need with measuring spoons. Another trick is to grind it on a sheet of paper—pick up the sheet, bend it to make a spout, and funnel it into your measuring spoon.

Savvy recipes call for seasoning with pepper at the end of a recipe. This is because you’ll mute some of the volatile oils in the pepper if you add it too early to a long-cooked dish like soup or stew. You can always hit it with some pepper early in the process, then finish with more fresh pepper for a one-two punch. But you do get the most mileage out of freshly ground pepper when you add it at the very end of cooking.

I’ve not yet resorted to keeping a small grinder in my purse to deploy when dining out or visiting relatives, but I’m considering it. (Wink.)

HOW TO STORE PEPPER

For optimal flavor, store whole peppercorns in a dark, dry place for up to a year. After that point, they won’t go bad, but they will start to lose their flavor. If we still haven’t convinced you that grinding fresh is best read our post on Why You Should Use Freshly Ground Pepper.

PUMPED ABOUT PEPPER? TRY THESE RECIPES!

Is freshly-ground black pepper really best? Should you ditch the pre-ground stuff? Let’s discuss!

The Case for Freshly Ground Pepper

The “pepperiness” of pepper comes from the compound piperine, which is a stimulant. Sure, pepper packs heat, but when it’s freshly ground, it’s also fruity and bright, and its interplay with different foods and textures is varied and nuanced.

Besides, grinding fresh pepper is satisfying. You can adjust the coarseness so it’s chunky and irregular or consistent and fine. You see those peppery specks trickling out of the grinder onto your food. Best of all, you can smell it. Everything about freshly ground pepper pops.

The Case Against Pre-Ground Pepper

If you think you don’t like black pepper, then what you truly dislike might be the dusty vibe of months-old, pre-ground pepper. Tinned pre-ground pepper is like a dub of a dub of a dub of a cassette tape—a vague echo of its original glory.

Grind fresh peppercorns, and the flavor will be like listening to your favorite band from 1992 digitally remastered and on a very nice stereo. In other words, wow.

The Best Way to Grind Fresh Pepper

You can enjoy freshly ground pepper without buying a fancy pepper mill. To be honest, those disposable pepper grinders you can buy pre-filled in the spice aisle do an acceptable job. If you’d like to dip a toe in grinding pepper fresh, try one of those.

Grinding more than a teaspoon of pepper with a hand-cranked mill gets tiresome quickly. If a recipe calls for a lot of ground pepper, you can grind a small batch quickly in an electric spice mill or inexpensive blade coffee grinder. (Run some dry rice or breadcrumbs through afterwards to clean out any residue.)

Some cooks grind a few tablespoons of pepper in an electric mill every week, so they can have it ready to go in a small dish by the stove. If you have joint pain or simply don’t care to grind pepper very often, consider doing that.

HOW TO MAKE CHUNKY, CRACKED PEPPERCORNS

For a pepper-crusted steak, big shards of peppercorns are what you want. If your grinder isn’t giving you that consistency, spread peppercorns on a large cutting board. Lay a sturdy skillet over them, pressing and rocking the outer edge until they crack into pieces. Or try a rolling pin.

Shopping for Pepper Mills

The best way to buy a pepper mill is to test-drive a bunch of them. A good cookware store should have plenty of mills loaded with peppercorns for you to grind.

The mill that feels right to one person won’t to another. Just mess around with different ones and think about what fits in your hand, is easy to adjust for a coarse or fine grind, and cranks in a manner that feels natural. Keep the receipt, and make sure they have a good return policy.

In my experience, a high price does not necessarily translate to great performance. Look for a metal grinding mechanism (as opposed to ceramic). Mills with an acrylic or glass body allow light to penetrate the peppercorns, which can dull their flavor, but you can see at a glance if you need a refill.

If you plan on shopping online, Fletchers’ Mill and Cole & Mason both have good reputations.

Once you start using freshly ground pepper, you’ll realize the tiny bit of extra work and time is worth it. To learn more about the nuances of pepper in all of its wonders check out the Simply Recipes Guide to Pepper.

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Here's a classic coleslaw recipe made with thinly sliced cabbage, carrots and green onion, seasoned with mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar dressing. It's what you want for picnics, backyard BBQs, and summer potlucks!

Photography Credit: Elise Bauer

What is Coleslaw

The word “coleslaw” comes from the Dutch word, “koolsla”, “kool” meaning cabbage and “sla” meaning lettuce or salad. The word entered our English language from the Dutch in New York in the late 1700s. Since then it has been a featured side dish at almost every picnic or barbecue in America.

How to Make Coleslaw

We have homemade coleslaw at least once a week, usually with fish, and often with burgers or hot dogs. This coleslaw recipe (our way of preparing it) is ridiculously easy with cabbage, carrot, and onions gently mixed and coated with mayonnaise, a dab of yellow mustard (which by the way is just Dijon mustard with some added turmeric), vinegar, and black pepper.

Coleslaw Recipe Modifications

We also often make this coleslaw recipe without mayonnaise. Sometimes we dress it simply with seasoned rice vinegar. Sometimes we add some shredded green apple to the mix. You can easily adjust these coleslaw ingredients for your taste. (See links at the bottom of the recipe for more coleslaw ideas.)

Are you a coleslaw eater? If so, what’s your favorite way of preparing it?

More Easy Summer Side Dishes

Updated May 29, 2019 : We spiffed up this post to make it sparkle. No changes were made to the original recipe.

The classic Italian sub is one of my favorite sandwiches, but a good one is huge and could probably use a little restraint when adapting it to grilled cheese form! It’s a rare day that I get to present a grilled cheese sandwich as a lighter option, but that’s definitely the case with these Italian Grilled Cheeses.

Also, Italian subs are SO big that my kids are overwhelmed by them. So, by downsizing the layers a bit and making it into a gooey, crispy-on-the-outside grilled cheese, you kind of get the best of both worlds.

For serving kids, I cut the sandwiches into wedges for even easier eating.

WHAT KIND OF MEAT AND CHEESE GOES ON AN ITALIAN?

A classic Italian sub has at least three kinds of cured meats in it. I like a mix of pepperoni, salami, and prosciutto—but there is no hard and fast rule here. If you want something spicy, add some soppressata. If you want something a little creamier, add a thin slice of mortadella!

As far as cheese goes though, I’m a purist. Provolone only, please! It melts really well, has a nice mild flavor, and is just the perfect cheese to complement these cured meats.

BREAD OPTIONS FOR GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICHES 

The bread I use for grilled cheeses depends on one thing: what I have in my pantry. Sure, there are some people that say you need to use fancy, crusty bread to make a good grilled cheese, but those people need to chill out.

When I’m cooking for my family, I use pretty much any and all breads for this sandwich. On the particular day I served these, I made it with plain white sandwich bread, and you know what? It was delicious!

MY FAVORITE METHOD FOR MAKING GRILLED CHEESE

As far as I know, there are three classic ways to make grilled cheese. I’ve used them all, and they all work.

1. Mayo all the way! Some people are mayo people, where they smear mayo on the outside of the sandwiches before toasting, and I like that method for a simple grilled cheese.
2. Nope, gimme butter! Some other people like to smear on butter. That works well also.
3. Butter, but melt it in the pan! I actually find it easier to melt a little butter in the skillet over medium-low heat, and then quickly flip the sandwich in the butter to coat all sides. Not only is this easier, but it also helps you gauge how hot your skillet is. If your skillet is too hot, it’ll just burn the bread before your grilled cheese is cooked through.

Once your sandwiches are coated with butter on both sides, just cook them for three to four minutes per side until they are golden brown, and the cheese has melted!

The DAD ADD

On a normal Italian sub, you will typically find a salty pickled veggie mix called giardiniera. I don’t really like to add this to the grilled cheese, because it makes it too watery, but I LOVE serving it on the side. Its acidic nature really cuts through the richness of the grilled cheese.

The olives I use for this recipe, Castelvetrano, are one of my favorite olives for recipes like this, but also just for snacking. They are buttery and creamy and have less bite than, say, Kalamatas. If you can’t find them, then you can substitute standard green pimento olives without too much worry.

REPORT CARD

Meanwhile, her older brother revolted against the idea of all these things in one sandwich. He insisted that I deconstruct it on his plate so he could eat all the pieces separately. Then he wanted buttered bread. Basically, he ate all the elements, just in an annoying four-year old method.

Except the provolone. He didn’t touch the cheese, because he insists that he doesn’t like cheese, which calls into question our entire relationship!

GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICHES ARE THE BEST! HERE ARE 5 MORE TO TRY!

This post may contain links to Amazon or other partners; your purchases via these links can benefit Simply Recipes. Read more about our affiliate linking policy.