Ten Chili Dogs, Elegantly Served – Because It’s National Chili Dog Day
Nothing says “refined dining” quite like ten chili cheese dogs arranged on a cut‑glass platter. Today is National Chili Dog Day, and what better way to mark the occasion than with a full platter of Wienerschnitzel chili cheese dogs, photographed as if they belong at a formal banquet.
Lined up side by side, the hot dogs are topped with chili sauce and melted cheese, shot against my black background for a polished, commercial look.
Chili dogs have been part of American food culture for more than a century, found in diners, ballparks, and roadside stands. Wienerschnitzel has been serving its own version since 1961, making it one of the most recognizable names for chili dogs in the U.S.
📷 See more of my commercial food photography here:
https://www.secondfocus.com/index/G0000WFAqDJQOgKU
National Egg Roll Day – A Stack Worth Photographing
Today is National Egg Roll Day, which recognizes one of the most iconic—and uniquely American—adaptations of Chinese cuisine. The egg roll, with its thick wheat flour wrapper and fried exterior, has become a takeout staple across the country. While its origins are loosely tied to Chinese spring rolls, the American egg roll took on a life of its own in the 20th century, evolving into something crispier, heavier, and more filled with meat and cabbage than its traditional counterparts.
National Egg Roll Day was launched in 2019 by Van’s Kitchen, a Dallas-based food manufacturer, to honor the deep roots of egg rolls in American food culture and to recognize immigrant-founded food businesses. Since then, it has quietly earned a spot on the food holiday calendar each June 10.
For this photograph, I picked up 18 Panda Express chicken egg rolls—one of the most widely available fast food versions. Panda Express, with over 2,200 locations across the U.S., serves more egg rolls than any other chain of its kind. According to industry data, the brand sells millions of them annually, with egg rolls consistently listed among their top-selling sides. They come filled with cabbage, carrots, and chicken, wrapped in a thick fried shell. Here, I tore some of them open and piled them into a stack on my black background. Topped with their three most common condiments—sweet and sour sauce, hot mustard, and chili sauce—they’re shown as served. Nothing added, nothing styled.
This image is part of my From Bag to Background series, documenting fast food as it actually appears, without props or retouching. You can see the rest of the series at: https://www.secondfocus.com/index/G0000wQ3fbeEezF0/I0000nUG8tfk8Gdc
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