Iwanskifest. Day 2.
According to Mr. Iwanski, a classic Chicago-style hot dog involves relish, onions, mustard, thin slices of tomato and my new friend, the "sport pepper", which tastes like a pepperocini but hotter. He also said that celery salt (which was included with the kit) could be added but absolutely no more than a pinch or the dog was ruined. Likewise, one must NOT use ketchup or why even bother. (Those Chi-town folks...a tad dogmatic about the dog, wouldn't you say?)
Right.
Please observe the condiments as lovingly prepared by The Spouse. Please note the color of the relish. That is a green not found in nature, my friends. It is, however, a color found in fruit cake.
Again, the festal grace and a toast to Himself. And then the ritual digging in.
When I described the "rules" to The Child this morning, she admitted that she wasn't sure she could eat a hot dog without ketchup. I wasn't sure either. We like our ketchup. But we committed to at least trying it without first. And it was fine. Just fine, thank you very much.
And then, because today is the actual day, we also lit the Eli's cheesecake and sang our good wishes to Mr. Iwanski. Because even though we haven't met him (but we have spoken to his wife and a good friend) we feel like we know him and we most certainly love and esteem him, as much as one can love and esteem someone they've never met. (I do that a lot, actually).
Happy birthday, Mr. Iwanski...happy birthday do you.
(Damn...that is some fine cheesecake).
Right.
Please observe the condiments as lovingly prepared by The Spouse. Please note the color of the relish. That is a green not found in nature, my friends. It is, however, a color found in fruit cake.
Again, the festal grace and a toast to Himself. And then the ritual digging in.
When I described the "rules" to The Child this morning, she admitted that she wasn't sure she could eat a hot dog without ketchup. I wasn't sure either. We like our ketchup. But we committed to at least trying it without first. And it was fine. Just fine, thank you very much.
And then, because today is the actual day, we also lit the Eli's cheesecake and sang our good wishes to Mr. Iwanski. Because even though we haven't met him (but we have spoken to his wife and a good friend) we feel like we know him and we most certainly love and esteem him, as much as one can love and esteem someone they've never met. (I do that a lot, actually). Happy birthday, Mr. Iwanski...happy birthday do you.
(Damn...that is some fine cheesecake).
Labels: The Dog
cobbled together by Moi at 6:50 PM
11 Comments:
You guys ROCK.
ROCK. ROCK. ROCK!
Glad the meal worked out.
No, you do. And we still have ribs to eat. And then you can start writing the eulogy you have to give when we collapse.
That's one of the finest birthday tributes I've ever heard of.
(Sshh - I'm actually not very fond of Chicago style hot dogs!)
Yes, you guys definitely Rock.
Jon, I will not rat you out. So...when's your birthday? And do we have to eat armadillo?
gout onset?
Stacy, Not yet, thanks for asking...although I'm thinking of eating celery and drinking water all day...
I had to go to Chicago once, in 1998, to check out some library software we were considering buying. I chose Chicago as the site for this adventure because one product I was looking at was only in use in Nappanee, Indiana, and two libraries in Chicago were using the other product. So, in I flew. I had never been east of Colorado, so this was a big deal. I decided I had to have a Chicago hot dog, so I went to some hot dog place (don't recall the name), and got the scoop on the proper way to eat one (just like Iwanski describes) and I have to say, I loved it! I never put ketchup on hot dogs, so going without was not a problem. I do love mustard and relish on them, and onions, so the addition of the tomato slices, peppers, and pinch of celery salt - well, it was to dies for. I've been craving one ever since. Now I crave one even more. I think I know what's for dinner one night this week. I have got to check out that website. This all looks so delish!
On the topic of hot dogs, NY dogs are good too.
A proper New York dog has sauerkraut and brown mustard. For extra excitment, get one by Central park in the summer, when a few gnats in the kraut are common. They're not intended, but they are there.
Seriously, I have eaten gnats in New York without complaining. But a NY dog is good thing even with the added protein.
Lorraine, I don't think I've ever seen anyone eat a hot dog with such relish! (oh my, what a bad pun that is!) Cheers from Canada.
Thanks so much for the compliment about our cheesecake.
Marc Schulman
Eli's President
OK, who's impersonating the President?
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