My personal favorite is the food vendors or "fair-way foods"; burgers, barbecue, caramel apples, corndogs, those giant turkey legs (AKA- Fred Flinstone food), french fries, ice cream, funnel cakes, Greek food, and the list goes on and on. I think the only time we ever eat fried food is at the fair. In Texas we have the big huge state fair in Dallas, but it's always so hot that Jerry and I have never attended.
Did you know a man named Elkanah Watson, who happened to be a wealthy New England farmer and businessman is credited for the start of American state and county fairs? Mr. Watson showcased his sheep under the great elm tree in the public square in Pittsfield, Massachusetts in 1807. To attract attention, he clanged an old ship's bell with a piece of iron. He owned woolen mills and wanted to encourage the local farmers to raise Merino sheep because of the superior wool.
By the late 1800's most of the country's largest fairs were in full swing; from the New York State Fair in Syracuse to the San Diego County Fair in Del Mar, CA (what a great fair, located right next to the ocean) and other state fairs from Texas to Minnesota.
The deep fried phenomenon of fairs; I have been poking around and discovered at the Arizona State Fair they offer Fudge Covered Scorpions, Deep Fried Crickets and Lizard Deep Fried with Barbecue Sauce - we won't be eating there. In Minneapolis; Krispy Kreme Donut Hamburgers, yes, you heard me right, burgers stuck between two Krispy Kreme Donut buns! The Dallas State Fair offers Fried Butter and Fried Coke, YIKES!
"There's no state fair, like my state fair"
I hope you enjoy the Fair recipes listed below. You might have noticed lately, I'm not naming all my recipes, Julia's this or Julia's that. If they don't come from me, I will let you know where they came from.
French Fries - I like the skins on, but you can remove it you don't
5 to 6 large Russet baking potatoes
2 1/2 quarts fresh frying oil
salt, you can also add flavored salts if you would like
Wash potatoes and trim. Cut into nice wedges, then into thick julienne slices. Place in a ice water bath (big bowl, clean water and a few ice cubes) Heat oil to 325 degrees for first frying. Have paper towels ready to drain fries on and of course lots of salt. Remove some of the potatoes from water and pat dry with paper towels, you don't want any water residue left. Place some fries into oil and cook for about 5 minutes, potatoes will be soft, but not browned. Lift out and drain, place fries on paper towels, and continue frying remainder. For the second fry; heat oil to 400 degrees. Fry the cooked potatoes once again in batches for a few minutes until crisp and golden brown. Drain on paper towels and salt well. Continue frying all potatoes. Serve piping hot with your favorite condiment, mine is Ketchup and Jerry's is mustard. Our daughter, Brittany does not like fries, can you believe that?
Chocolate Raspberry Velvet Pie - this recipe comes from Ghirardelli Chocolate and is a fair recipe winning pie
Crust
1 (6 oz) package chocolate raspberry Milano cookies, finely ground
2 Tbl. butter, melted
Filling
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
6 oz. Ghiradelli 60% bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream, stiffly beaten
Ganache
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1/3 cup Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
2 Tbl. refrigerated chocolate coffee creamer
Garnish
sweetened whipped cream
chocolate shavings
fresh raspberries
Crust; Combine cookie crumbs and melted butter. Press into bottom and up sides of 9-inch pie dish. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 8 minutes. Remove to cooling rack. Filling; Beat cream cheese until light and fluffy. Beat in powdered sugar and vanilla until well blended. Blend in 60% bittersweet chocolate. Fold in whipped cream. Spread evenly over prepared crust. Refrigerate while preparing topping. Ganache; combine the cream, semi-sweet chocolate and coffee creamer in small saucepan over low heat. Stir continuously until chocolate is completely melted. Pour over top of filling. Refrigerate until set. Pipe a border of sweetened whipped cram around edge of cooled pie. Sprinkle with shaved chocolate. Place raspberries along inside edge of border.
My Favorite Falafel - Love, love, love
2 cups dried chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
6 cloves garlic, smashed
1 Tbl. cumin seeds, toasted and ground
1 tsp. baking powder
4 - 5 Tbl. all purpose flour
Vegetable oil for frying
Pita bread, warmed
Tahini sauce
Shredded lettuce, chopped ruby red tomatoes, chopped cucumbers - I also like a little crumbled feta cheese on mine even though it's not traditional
Place dried chickpeas in large bowl and add enough cold water to cover by at least 2-inches. Soak beans in frig for 24 hours. Drain and rinse thoroughly in cold water. In a food processor add chickpeas and pulse to coarsely grind. Add baking powder, onion, garlic, spices and herbs; process until mixture is pureed, scraping down sides. Add flour and pulse again, taste and season with salt and pepper. Transfer this mixture to bowl and place in frig while heating oil. Pour about 3-inches of oil in deep fryer or heavy pot and heat to 375 degrees. Roll the falafel into balls about size of golf balls. Add a few of them (4 or 5) to oil making sure they don't stick to bottom of pan. Fry until they are crusty and golden brown on all sides. Remove with slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. Continue frying the rest of falafel balls. Split open warmed pita bread, add some tahini sauce, 4 falafel balls, chopped tomatoes, chopped cucumbers and shredded lettuce, top with more tahini sauce. Serve right away and enjoy.
The ever so popular Funnel Cakes - I would not advise letting children make these because the use of hot oil. Anyone making them should be very careful and have precautions ready.
3 eggs
2 1/4 cups milk
1/2 tsp. pure lemon extract
4 cups all purpose flour
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 Tbl. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
oil for frying
Powdered sugar for dusting
lots of paper towels for draining cakes on
Preheat oil to 375 degrees. Get your paper towels ready. In mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, milk and lemon, whisking well. Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together. Fold the flour mixture into the egg mixture. Stir until smooth. Get a funnel. Hold your finger over the funnel opening and fill 3/4 full with filling. Place your hand carefully over hot oil and carefully remove your finger. Do drizzly crisscross patterns with the filling into hot oil. Fry until golden on both sides. Remove from oil and drain on paper towels. Continue until all batter is used up. Dust the funnel cakes with sifted powdered sugar and enjoy!
Corney Dogs - I don't normally ever eat a corn dog unless it's at the fair. Although, sometimes late in the evening Jerry and I will go to Sonic and order a corndog and smother it in mustard. When I was young my sister Sandy would make great homemade corndogs if my mom and dad had gone out for the evening, I especially enjoyed those times.
1/2 cup yellow corn meal, fine ground
1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 Tbl. sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
pinch salt
1/2 cup milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 Tbl. melted butter
6 wooden popsicle sticks
6 hot dogs (we use turkey dogs)
oil for frying
Mustard or Ketchup for dipping
In a bowl, mix the corn meal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Whisk in the milk, egg and melted butter, whisking until smooth. Place popsicle sticks into the hot dogs. Dip each dog into batter, coating evenly. Deep fry the dog in 375 degree hot oil until golden browned. Drain on paper towels. Smother each dog with your favorite condiment and enjoy.
Italian Sausage Sandwiches with Peppers and Onions - love these
2 lbs. Italian sweet sausage - 8-inch lengths
2 large green peppers, sliced
2 large red pepper, sliced
2 large onions, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
pinch red pepper flakes
1 tsp. dried oregano
8 Italian rolls (soft)
In a hot skillet, add a little olive oil and cook sausages until done, about 10 to 15 minutes. You can also grill them. Remove to plate to keep warm. Add a little more oil and add peppers, onions, garlic, If desired, warm rolls. Add sausage to rolls and top with cooked vegetables. I also like a little warmed marinara sauce on mine with provolone cheese melting all over.
Mom's Candied Apples - (my mom Dorothy's recipe) a fair favorite and one of the items I always look for at the fair, as well as caramel apples. Do you remember when Halloween rolled around and mom's would actually make candied and caramel apples to give out as treats?
2 cups sugar
2 cups corn syrup
1/3 cup cinnamon candy
1 cup water
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
pinch of ground cloves
1 tsp. red food coloring
6 to 8 apples (crisp)
popsicle sticks
Rinse apples in cold water, remove stems and pat dry with paper towels Insert wooden stick in each apple, making sure it goes most of the way through. In a large saucepan, add sugar, corn syrup, cinnamon candies and water. Cook until candies dissolve, stirring constantly. Do not boil this mixture. Add cinnamon, vanilla, cloves and food coloring, mixing thoroughly. Boil mixture to 300 degrees using a candy thermometer and DO NOT STIR. While mixture is boiling, spray a baking sheet with PAM. When sugar mixture reaches 300 degrees remove from heat and quickly dip each apple, one at a time into mixture and coat well. Place the apples, standing on their bottoms with skewer pointing up on baking sheet and let candy harden.
Chicken Fried Bacon - this is very popular at the State Fair in Dallas, TX or we could rename it "heart attack on a plate." My friend Lillian dips her fried bacon in chocolate!
8 slices good quality thick cut bacon
1 cup all purpose flour, add salt and pepper to flour
2 eggs, beaten with Tabasco sauce (to taste)
Cooking oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Cut bacon in half. Dip into flour, egg, back into flour. Heat a large Dutch oven with some oil to 375 degrees. Place dipped bacon into oil and fry until golden brown and crispy. Remove to paper towel lined plate and drain. Enjoy, but don't eat too much. These can also be served with gravy. To make you feel better about eating fried bacon, chop up some Italian parsley and sprinkle over for color and you'll feel like you're eating a vegetable with it!
Mom's Golden Caramel Popcorn With Nuts - (my mom Dorothy's recipe)
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup corn syrup
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
4 qts. popped corn
Peanuts or cashews (optional), but I love them on the corn
First, if you are using nuts, lightly toast in saute pan for a few minutes. In a large saucepan, combine, brown sugar, butter, corn syrup and salt, bring to boil and boil 5 minutes. Add baking soda to mixture and stir well. Place popped corn into a large bowl and pour sugar mixture over, stirring. Add nuts if desired. Spread corn on baking sheet and bake at 200 degrees for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Remove, cool and serve.
Peanut Butter Milk Shakes
2 cups whole milk
5 cups French vanilla ice cream
6 Tbl. Jiff peanut butter (do not use natural)
4 Tbl. Hershey's chocolate syrup (or your favorite brand)
4 regular size Reese's peanut butter cups
Freshly whipped cream (garnish)
Chocolate shavings (garnish)
straws
In a blender, combine milk, ice cream, peanut butter, syrup and peanut butter cups, whirl until well blended. Pour into tall glasses, top with freshly whipped cream, a few chocolate shavings, add the straw and drink up all that yummy goodness.
Grilled Bacon Cheeseburger
3 lbs. ground beef or ground turkey
1 onion, finely chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbl. Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp. garlic powder
12 good quality burger buns (lightly buttered & toasted if desired)
12 slices good quality thick cut bacon, cut in half
12 slices Tillamook sharp cheddar cheese (or cheese of your choice)
Crunchy lettuce
Ruby red tomatoes, sliced
Condiments; ketchup, mustard, relish, pickles, etc.
Heat your grill up. In a large bowl, add beef, onion, salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce and garlic powder. Mix well and shape into 12 patties about 3/4-to 1-inch thick. Place patties on grill and cook until done, turning only once. Brush buns with butter and place on grill last few seconds of cooking. While the burgers are cooking, cook your bacon in saute pan (on grill if desired) until nice and crisp, remove to paper towels. Place cooked bacon on burgers, then top with cheese to melt. Prepare your buns with condiments, top with burger and take that first juicy bite, bet you can't stop.
The next few recipes are award winning recipes from State Fairs around the U.S. using LAND O LAKES Butter and pork featuring "Pork, The Other White Meat." I've tried them all and they are good. I didn't have any of the LAND O LAKES products and they turned out just fine.
Strawberry Rhubarb Dessert Bars
Filling
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen unsweetened rhubarb, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 1/2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
1 Tbl. fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbl. cornstarch
Crust
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups uncooked quick cooking oats
1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
3/4 cup Land O Lakes butter, softened
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
Drizzle
3/4 cups powdered sugar
1 to 2 Tbl. milk
Combine rhubarb, strawberries and lemon juice in large saute pan. Cover and cook over medium stirring occasionally until fruit is tender (8 to 12 minutes.) Combine 1/2 cup sugar and cornstarch in bowl. Stir into cooked fruit mixture. Cook stirring constantly until mixture comes to a boil (about 1 minute) Continue boiling until thickened. Remove from heat, set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all crust ingredients in large bowl. Beat on low until mixture resembles coarse crumbs, scraping sides. Reserve 1 1/2 cups crumb mixture. Press remaining crumb mixture onto bottom of greased 13x9 baking pan, then spread filling over crust. Sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until golden. Cool completely. Combine all drizzle ingredients and whisk, drizzle over cooled bars and cut.
Cherry Coffee Cake
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup LAND O LAKES butter, softened
1 cup LAND O LAKES sour cream
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 (21 oz) can cherry pie filling
Topping
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup pecans, chopped (I lightly toasted)
1 tsp. cinnamon
3 Tbl. LAND O LAKES butter
Heat oven to 325. Combine 1 cup sugar and 1/2 cup butter in large bowl, beat until creamy. Add sour cream, eggs and vanilla; continue beating until well mixed. Reduce to low speed, add 2 cups flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Beat until well mixed. Spread half of batter into greased and floured 13x9 baking pan. Spoon cherry pie filling over batter. Spoon remaining batter over pie filling, spreading carefully. Stir together 1/4 cup flour, 1/4 cup sugar, pecans and cinnamon in a bowl. Cut in 3 Tb. butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle crumb mixture over batter. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes until done and topping is dark golden brown.
Sponsored by "The Other White Meat" - Pork winning recipes from State Fairs around the U.S.
This recipe is from Jennifer Asel of PA - Won at the Delaware State Fair
4 pork chops, bone in, about 1-inch thick
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 cup apricot preserves
1/4 cup dried sweetened cranberries
2 Tbl. prepared horseradish
Heat grill to high heat. Combine cream cheese and cumin in a small bowl. Cut opening in each chop, creating a pocket, being careful not to cut through the other side of the chop. Season each side with salt and pepper. Fill each pocket with equal amounts of cream cheese mixture. Secure with wooden toothpicks in several areas to help prevent cream cheese mixture from escaping during cooking process. Combine preserves and cranberries in small pan. Place on grill over direct heat until it begins to bubble. Place on indirect heat to keep warm. Place pork chops on grill and cook 3 minutes, turn and cook 3 minutes longer or until nicely browned, using a spatula to help prevent cheese mixture from leaking out. Move chops to indirect heat and continue cooking for additional 4 to 6 minutes per side or until done. Place chops on platter and stir in horseradish to sauce, stir well and spoon over chops. Remove picks from each chop. Note: What I did to each chop after initial browning was wrap a piece of foil around the area (edge) cream cheese could escape, it seemed to work well.
Next we have Islander Pork Roast, from Barbara Driscoll of West Allis who placed 1st place in the Wisconsin State Fair.
1 boneless pork loin roast (2 1/2 to 3 lbs)
4 whole cloves
1 whole orange, cut into 8 wedges
1 (8 oz) can crushed pineapple, packed in it's own juice
3 Tbl. soy sauce
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
1/2 tsp. black pepper
Stick cloves into pork loin; place in slow cooker. Arrange orange wedges around pork. (If cooking in 4 to 5 hours, use the whole orange. If cooking in 8 hours, use only half of the orange). I used the whole orange. In small bowl, combine remaining ingredients; pour over pork. Cook on high for 4 to 5 hours, or if you cook on low, 8 hours. If desired, juices may be thickened by mixing together 2 Tbl. cornstarch and 2 Tbl. water, then stirring it into the pineapple mixture during the last 30 minutes. Remove orange and whole cloves and slice pork, serve with sauce. I served mine with white rice and that I added chopped cilantro, orange zest and thinly sliced scallions too. I also made sauteed broccoli with garlic, onions, soy and sesame oil, sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds.
There are so many fair recipes, but so little space on this blog. Create you own fun memories and go to the fair, have fun, see the exhibits, take on one of those thrill rides, check out the food section and have FUN, FUN, FUN. You are never to old to enjoy the fair!
Bon Appetit
"God is our strength and shield. He'll either shield us from trouble,
or strengthen us in it. Our futures belong to Him."
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