Coma, space or hyphen

Monday night my wife, our youngest and I went to a Tex-Mex restaurant for supper. The place does not advertise itself as Tex-Mex, but it’s the nearest thing in this part of Florida. 

I ordered Chili Colorado. The item was advertised as “tender pieces of steak and chorizo in red hot sauce” with beans and rice. I took “red hot sauce” to mean a sauce that was red, as means the title, but of no more chili heat than an ordinary menu item. As in “red (space) hot sauce” or “red (comma) hot sauce.

Not so, not so.

 

The item should have been defined as “red-hot sauce,” as in, “Senor, this is gonna burn.” And it did, especially aggravated by diagnosed Burning Mouth Syndrome, which increases the effect of chili-hot or fire-hot foods. As in, “Can’t eat that.” The doctor who several years ago diagnosed the symptom said, “We don’t know what causes it, so there is no treatment.” He also said, “I can give you a cortisone injection, but that will destroy your sense of taste.” No, thanks; I can give up eating hot spicy foods rather than not taste anything.”

Our son Casey, who ordered a pork menu item with a yellow-green sauce, likes hot-hot food. He insisted I take his plate, and he took mine. The pork was okay.