Danny Gurkin believes in his heart that the Sluggers are the best team in baseball. There's just the small matter of breaking a century-old curse involving a pretzel, a bubble-gum tycoon, and a missing shortstop. Danny also believes that the outcome of Sluggers' games depends on him and hot dogs. Because eating two hot dogs with everything before each game is the best kind of luck a fan can give his team. Danny Ghurkin has a date with baseball destiny; he just doesn't know it. Yet.

"The Great American Hot Dog Book" reveals the inside story of how the hot dog became one of America's favorite food icons. This collection is also loaded with frank recipes from across the nation as well as recipes for out-of-this-world fries, sauces, sides, and more.

In his history of the hot dog, Bruce Kraig examines the origins of the dish, with the arrival of European sausages in the 19th century, and its place in American culture today. He also explore's the US's numerous regional varieties, from New England examples served with Boston Baked Beans to Southern corn dogs.

The Chicago-style Hot Dog - fit for kings and commoners alike. In No Ketchup, you'll find Chicago's Top 50 hot dogs along with stories about the mom and pop owners who slap the mustard on your wiener. No matter where you're at in the Chicago area, this humorous guidebook will direct you to the nearest location for that tasty dog with plenty of snap. Get yours with everything or hold the relish. Whatever the case, stop in to one of these joints, grab a dog, and share a few words with these mom and pop owners as you knock down one of the greatest treats known to mankind. The book also includes Hot Tips from several other big hot dog eaters, as well as detours--places you can visit after eating your dog where you can get an even better feel for the neighborhood.

From awkward schoolgirl to Caterer to the Stars, Mary Giuliani weaves together a collection of hilarious memories, from professional growing pains to her long journey to motherhood, never losing her sense of humor and her love for everyone's favorite party food, pigs in a blanket. Mary's utterly unremarkable childhood was everything she didn't want: hailing from a deeply loving yet overprotective Italian family in an all-Jewish enclave on Long Island. All she wanted was to fit in (be Jewish) and become famous (specifically a cast member on Saturday Night Live). With an easy, natural storytelling sensibility, Mary shares her journey from a cosseted childhood home to the stage and finally to the party, accidentally landing what she now refers to as "the breakthrough role of a lifetime" catering to a glittery list of stars she once hoped to be part of herself. Fresh, personal, and full of Mary's humorous, self-deprecating, and can-do attitude against all odds, you'll want to see where each shiny silver tray of hors d'oeuvres takes her next. You never know when the humble hot dog will be a crucial ingredient in the recipe for success, in building a business or simply making life more delicious.

Now in paperback, a fresh and funny contemporary YA rom-com about teens working as costumed characters in a local amusement park. Elouise (Lou) Parker is determined to have the absolute best, most impossibly epic summer of her life. There are just a few things standing in her way: She's landed a job at Magic Castle Playland . . . as a giant dancing hot dog. Her crush, the dreamy diving pirate Nick, already has a girlfriend, who is literally the princess of the park. But Lou's never liked anyone, guy or otherwise, this much before, and now she wants a chance at her own happily ever after. Her best friend, Seeley, the carousel operator, has always been up for anything, but she's decidedly not on board when it comes to Lou's quest to set her up with the perfect girl or Lou's scheme to get close to Nick. And it turns out that this will be their last summer at Magic Castle Playland--ever--unless she can find a way to stop it from closing. Jennifer Dugan's sparkling debut coming-of-age queer romance stars a princess, a pirate, a hot dog, and a carousel operator who find love--and themselves--in unexpected people and unforgettable places.