Instructions: My husbands eating philosophy revolves around four major food groups: hot dogs, cold cereal, potato chips and Crystal Light. Hes been this way for several years, including the 10 weve been married and the two years he lived with a roommate who was a gourmet cook.

Although Im the cook, I cannot have the satisfaction of preparing any of these beloved foods for him. Hot dogs hold a special passion in his heart, and they are not to be tampered with by an amateur like me. The long, skinny ones with the tight skins that pop are a favorite.

In this arena, he is the chef, and he prepares his dogs precisely: nuked in the microwave, wrapped securely in a paper towel; lovingly removed into a heated bun; then reverentially adorned with regular mustard, sweet relish, chopped raw onion and chopped tomato.

Growing up, if he didnt like what appeared on the dinner table, his mother told him and his siblings they could "always make a hot dog." So he did. Today, he sometimes looks in the fridge, surveys various leftovers Ive made, and opts for a hot dog. I dont take it personally. I know that nothing Ive made delivers quite the same wallop of sodium, nitrates and fat. Plus, I like to see him enjoy himself. He always eats his dogs with relish.

A serious part of the appeal of the other three groups is their accessibility. They require little, if any, preparation. He can consume his varieties of sugar bomb cereals, for example, simply by opening the box.

The same is true of potato chips. Here, my trim husband is on a perpetual quest to find the perfect barbecue flavor. He even tried Olean (a fat substitute) and the baked versions, in a half-baked attempt at fat control. But in his heart, the original recipe is still the best.

Hes a purist, I suppose.

Crystal Light, the fourth of his continuing passions, is actually the adult version of Kool Aid, he philosophizes. He even takes the powder with him on trips in his suitcase, so he can whip up a few glasses in our hotel room, and drink it with the inevitable bag of potato chips hes bought for a treat.

The other day I asked him about my food groups. After some thought, he announced: fruits, vegetables, herb tea and candy. He can see right through me.

I consume the first three to counterbalance my disproportionate interest in sweets. I may be wavering towards one of his food groups, I confess, as he has caught my hand in his cereal boxes more times than I like to admit.

I decided this food group thing had the potential to reveal things about a person. Over dinner, I asked a fashionable friend about her food groups. She coyly suggested - a la Audrey Hepburn - that hers were warm Diet Coke, cottage cheese, something orange and Vogue magazine. Whoa! Now, Im asking everyone I know.

If you would like to email yourself the recipe for later use, or share the recipe with your friends or family, enter the email addresses below and this recipe will be emailed to you and others as well.