This is Alpha, the first-born, when he was 2YO.
This is Beta, the second-born, when he was about 2YO.
This is Gamma, the third-born, when he was about 18MO.
Son of Hot Dogtopus
Feb
2
2010
A few months ago, I unveiled the masterpiece that was the hot-dogtopus. Now it is time for the sequel: Son of Hot-Dogtopus.
My wife found a food tip in Family Fun magazine: people stuck spaghetti into hot dogs sections to make sea creatures. I forget what they called them – the only thing I remember is thinking that I had yet another weapon to add to my culinary arsenal.
I’m up to four now, I think.
The article showed that you are supposed to stick uncooked spaghetti noodles into the end of a section of hot dog. The noodles go right into the soft hot dog with no problem. Then you boil the whole thing and the meat and noodles get cooked at the same time.
Do not, I repeat, do not, try to cook the spaghetti first and then push it into the hot dog.
Also note: the part of the noodle that is in the hot dog does not cook very quickly. So when the visible noodles are done, the hidden noodles are still crunchy. And if you cook the concoction long enough so that the noodle roots are done, the rest of the noodle is mushy. It may take practice to get the right balance.
We tried two methods. The first was not the method prescribed by the magazine – my wife kept the noodles in the plane perpendicular to the axis of the hot dog. (She stuck them in sideways)
The second method was the official one – noodles parallel with the hot dog.
The first method was tricky to cook. That’s a vote for the second method right there. Plus some of the method-one noodles broke during the cooking process. Some shattered due to just being fragile and having to awkwardly support the weight of the hot dog. Others were sheared somehow, leaving hints of noodle at the skin of the hot dog.
For visual presentation, assuming all the noodles stayed intact, I preferred the first method. Spacing the noodles allowed them to remain separate. The method-two noodles just clumped together and reminded me of hair in the shower drain. Appetizing, I know.
As far as the kids were concerned…they didn’t care or even notice the difference between the two methods. They were too busy eating them.
Even Gamma knew that they were yummy. Even though we hadn’t cooked them yet, he somehow knew they were food and kept trying to get them. It wouldn’t have been a problem except I was holding him while I was trying to take pictures. Perhaps the following explains why I settled for blurry/shadowy pictures for this post:
We still haven’t decided what exactly they are. The choices so far are
- scrawny octopi,
- two-tone squid, or
- nervous jellyfish
(I opted for plain “jellyfish” but Alpha settled on “nervous jellyfish”. I don’t know why it’s nervous, other than it knows it’s about to be eaten)
Side note: In case you’re wondering about today’s verse – yes they were venison hot dogs.
Just as a gazelle or a deer is eaten, so you will eat it; the unclean and the clean alike may eat of it.
Deuteronomy 12:22
This little article thingy was written by Some Guy sometime around 12:00 am and has been carefully placed in the Food category.
February 2nd, 2010 at 7:04 am
I’m not huge on seafood to begin with. Maybe there’s a reason these were marketed for children.
February 2nd, 2010 at 8:44 am
I saw that “recipe” in the magazine and thought it’d be fun to try. And I’ll try hard not to think of them as hair in the shower drain – thanks.
February 3rd, 2010 at 11:53 pm
LOL!
February 4th, 2010 at 10:23 am
This is incredible. I’m going to try this right away. In fact, I’m leaving work now, even though it’s only 10:22 am, so I can go home and get started.
Thanks for stopping by my blog and leaving the comment. Based on what I see here, you and I are going to get along really well.
February 4th, 2010 at 10:12 pm
Thank you for stoppi… Maybe I should break this cycle before it gets too involved.
Let me know how your noodledogs turn out.