Sunday, July 25, 2010

Fried Foods




It’s Fair time and one truth that state and county fairs have taught us is this:
If you fry it, they will buy it.

How else do you explain the popularity of State Fair fried foods like deep fried Twinkies, fried Snickers, fried Oreos, fried Coke, fried pickles, fried Peanut Butter, Jelly and Banana Sandwiches and fried Cookie Dough?

And can you guess this year’s contender for top prize at the Texas State Fair? I bet you can’t.

Deep Fried Butter!

Which reminds me; a friend told me about something called the “Shame Stick”. It’s a stick of butter rolled in sugar with a Popsicle stick shoved in one end to give it a handle. You eat it and feel ashamed at how good it is.

So, in honor to all the creative culinary delights that deep fried chefs have concocted I offer a variation on fascinating fried food options. My son in law recently came back from a trip to Thailand where he found fried Scorpions. Really, fried scorpions. And here’s a photo he took.

Around the world, in every land it seems, this one truth holds firm; if you fry it, they will buy it.

Hey, if you are ever in the vicinity of Bangkok sometime, stop and try a couple of these sizzling arthropods and let me know what you think.

I wouldn’t be surprised if they tasted a little like chicken.

Now go explore.

6 comments:

Chris Barcellos said...

My favorite recollection of fair food was at the Santa Clara County Fair, in about 1970. The fair had all that linguica, candied popcorn, and other delicious smell wafting through it. But what really stuck with me, is I remember walking by a Carnival booth and seeing the proprietress (weighing somewhere around 400 pounds, sitting on a stool and eating a whole chunk of Spam (gelatin and all) dangling of the end of a fork. Quite a carnival treat....

rachel said...

my favorite fried food at the fair is the funnel cake...simple with a dusting of powdered sugar. pure bliss.

mangiawithmario said...

This has got to be one of the best spam stories I've heard!

Unknown said...

Do you take requests? There is a 5 Guys Burgers and Fries in Natomas now. If you have not tried it yet I think we should take a road trip there for "research". I also just found out that the Parker's Hot Dogs in Roseville just finished shooting an episode of Man Vs. Food with their 5 lb Chili Dog. I dare you to try it! Or their bacon wrapped hotdog called "The Heart Attack"

mangiawithmario said...

Okay I'm all for a research road trip to the Hamburger Joint. All 5 of them. However many guys there are. But I've got to pass on the Hot Dogs. A 5 pound chili dog would be my Heasrt Attack. Can I get extra bacon? I can barely finish a Costco Polish (with mayo if you ask). And then it sits around and visits uninvited.
My wife calls me a whimppy eater but I like to think of myself as a, let's say moder-ate eater.

Craig said...

I love fried food, not so sure about pickles and such though. My arteries hardened just a bit from reading this.