An era has ended in American cuisine, as the final frontier for the ketchup bottle has been conquered. My dad reports that the Taylors Maid-rite in Marshalltown, Iowa, now has ketchup bottles on the counter. This is a shocking development, since the permissible set of condiments at the maid-rite (for use with their eponymous product, left) has always been tightly controlled, limited to salt, mustard, pickles, and chopped onions. When I sampled my first maid-rite at Taylor's some twenty years ago, I asked for ketchup and was told in no uncertain terms that no ketchup would be provided or permitted, but I was welcome to put some salt on it. When I tasted my maid-rite, I clearly understood how ketchup would destroy the subtle texture of this delicacy from the center of Iowa.
I'm sure one of the first questions the average person asks themselves when they hear this news is "What can I do?", shortly preceded by "What the #*$% is a maid-rite?" Both of those questions are answered in greater detail on the Taylor's maid-rite website, where you can answer their online poll with a resounding "NO! Keep America strong! Do not allow ketch-up in the Maid-rite!" This is far more important than tomorrow's election... America needs your vote.
Going up to Taylor's in a few days. I will not touch the ketchup.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite loose-meat sandwich is served at Canteen Lunch in the Alley in Ottumwa, 100 miles to the south. They do serve ketchup on theirs, but as far as I know the meat is not seasoned until it is put on the bun, and only with a sprinkle of salt to go with your condiments.