I used to make the most beautiful chili dogs. If you had seen such a chili dog, you would have had tears in your eyes — it was that beautiful. All this ended when one day the plate seemed a little heavy. I took the plate, which had a quarter-pound hot dog, a can full of chili, and a generous scattering of shredded cheese, to the scale and weighed it. It was over a pound of deliciousness.

After that, the chili dogs became less beautiful and more portion-reasonable. But, occasionally, I’ll still find myself filled with desire for those chili dogs.