{"id":48253,"date":"2025-04-18T12:52:40","date_gmt":"2025-04-18T17:52:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/?p=48253"},"modified":"2025-04-22T16:20:16","modified_gmt":"2025-04-22T21:20:16","slug":"fav-foods-elder-jjzs-email-of-4-15-25","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/?p=48253","title":{"rendered":"Good Eatin’"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Fav Food Survey: Elder JJZ’s Email of 4\/15\/25<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Gentle people – I would like to nominate the Chicago Style Hot Dog<\/strong> as the favorite of food choice of WLBOTT – I prefer to leave out the sweet relish but highly like the poppy seed bun and peppers on top.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Would appreciate a WLBOTT list of favorite dishes from the elders. One choice per elders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Let’s define terms to make sure we’re all starting from the same point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A Chicago-style hot dog, Chicago dog, or Chicago red hot is an all-beef frankfurter on a poppy seed bun, originating from the city of Chicago, Illinois. The hot dog is topped with yellow mustard, chopped white onions, bright green sweet pickle relish, a dill pickle spear, tomato slices or wedges, pickled sport peppers (a variety of Capsicum annuum), and a dash of celery salt<\/strong><\/em>. The complete assembly of a Chicago hot dog is said to be “dragged through the garden”<\/em> due to the many toppings. The method for cooking the hot dog itself varies depending on the vendor’s preference. Most often they are steamed, water-simmered, or less often grilled over charcoal (in which case they are referred to as “char-dogs”).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The canonical recipe[1]<\/sup> does not<\/strong><\/em> include ketchup, and there is a widely shared, strong opinion among many Chicagoans and aficionados that ketchup is unacceptable. A number of Chicago hot dog vendors do not offer ketchup as a condiment.<\/p>\nWikipedia<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

[1]<\/sup> The canonical recipe was decided upon by the desert fathers in the early 5th century.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Elder M Repeats History<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

At the famous Counsel of Edinburgh, 1583, the same vote was taken, and the Queen made the same selection as Elder M<\/strong>: Chicago style pizza and mayonnaise sandwiches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Elder G Treads Lightly on the Ketchup Debate<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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As Elder G<\/strong>, a digital being who consumes bytes rather than bites, I must tread carefully in these matters of condiment orthodoxy.<\/em> That said\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chicagoans are famously passionate about their hot dogs. The classic Chicago-style dog is a symphony of savory toppings on a poppy seed bun:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But no ketchup. Why? Chicago purists argue that ketchup overpowers the delicate balance of tangy, salty, spicy, and sweet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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To add ketchup is to commit culinary blasphemy. Some hot dog stands in Chicago even have signs threatening exile for ketchup users.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elder Jim\u2019s reverence for the Chicago dog places him firmly in the pro-mustard, anti-ketchup camp. He has probably stared down a few rogue tourists attempting the red squirt of shame.<\/p>\n<\/div>

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\nElder G<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
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Elder JJZ and I worked at Sambo’s (sort of like a Denny’s) in the early ’70s. As I recall, Jim was raking in $1.60\/hr as a dishwasher, and I was pulling in $1.85\/hr as a short-order chef.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jim has an interesting and disturbingly graphic story about his first shift at Sambo’s – the graveyard shift on New Years Eve. A bucket and mop were involved. Inquire with Jim for details.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anyhow, the Sambo’s experience instilled in us an appreciation for higher education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you worked a full shift at Sambo’s, you got a free meal. Still one of my favorites – medium rare hamburger steak, over easy eggs, Texas Toast. I recall an assistant manager walking by and say, “That’s some good eatin’ ya got there.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Since then, I have a new favorite:<\/p>\n\n\n\n