Special Guest: Zach Berg's Friendseder Sandwich
Zach Berg is a co-owner and Head Cheesemonger at Mongers’ Provisions, and one of our most favorite Friendseder partners! Continue reading below to see how Zach reflected on this year’s Friendseder Sandwich questions to create the Friendseder Dog, available at Mongers’ Provisions in Berkley and Detroit until April 9th.
1. What is a story you love to tell that is important to who you are? Who are the friends in this story?
I learned to cook from my Hungarian grandmother (paternal side). I loved visiting them in Florida for winter break. When I was 10 or so, my best friend Danny and I went to visit. My great uncle and aunt lived in an apartment just below my grandparents. One night for dinner my aunt and grandma both made hotdog goulash (my father's favorite childhood dish). Danny and I got to try the two different recipes and judge which one we liked best. This was before the food network and cooking shows. It was so special and exciting. The friends in this story are Danny and also I would say my grandparents and Aunt Ceal who knew me enough to do something special for me that would be impactful.
2. Is there a food element in your story? If not, what food or flavor would represent the story?
Hotdog goulash is a central piece of this story. The flavors to me are the story of my father's family's immigration. My father, a 2nd generation American, did not want goulash, he wanted hotdogs. My grandmother was cooking what she knew and what connected her to her mother. You can taste the tension of the generations, lots of paprika and lots of ketchup.
3. In your story, what is the freedom that you’re pursuing?
I think this story is about freedom of expression. We all want to put our spin on something while nodding to the past. It's easy to get bogged down in words like 'traditional' or 'classic'. My grandmother made a dish that made her son (and subsequent grandson) very happy. Would her mother love that dish let alone her grandmother, probably not. But we are always moving forward, we have no choice in this. We should allow people the freedom to express their experience. That does not mean we get to ignore our past though.
4. If this story were a sandwich, what would the ingredients be?
To make this story a sandwich we would deconstruct hotdog goulash. We would start with a nice brioche bun, a wagyu hotdog (because why not), I would sear the hotdog to get more flavor from the dog itself. Then I would top it with a potato goulash relish. Diced potatoes cooked down with lots of: paprika, onions, tomato, garlic, and of course ketchup. I would then serve this at Mongers' Provisions because I am blessed to have a store where I get to share these things with people as an adult.
Bonus Question: When you eat this sandwich, what do you feel free from?
I feel freedom from adulthood as well as freedom from refinement. As an adult my career has centered around food. Generally that path has been on the fancier end of food. As a fine dining line cook or a cheesemonger, I have been part of the adulation and fetishization of food. It is nice to just eat something and enjoy it for what it is. Yes there is still a story but it is hard to put a hotdog on a pedestal.