Texas State Fair

The State Fair. We have only been once since we moved to Texas. It is pretty expensive, but the kids get a free ticket at school. I think it's a trick because the kids have a free ticket, which gets the paying parents there.

In addition to the corn dogs, turkey drumsticks, funnel cakes, and other common fair food, each year they have a contest to come up with new fried foods. In the past it has been: twinkies, snickers, Coca-Cola, cookie dough, etc. This article was in the paper telling about the winners for this year. CAUTION: Just reading this might clog your arteries!!

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CHICKEN-FRIED BACON-- Really, are you going to go to the fair and not try it? It is what it is: a wide slice of bacon, breaded and fried, with a side of ranch (yes!) or honey mustard. It won the best-taste award. Bonus points for being easy to share, which is good because something bad might happen if you eat a whole order

FRIED BANANA SPLIT--Oh, man. Tell your compadres it's too messy to share, then eat the whole thing yourself. The fried element here is balls of banana and honey peanut butter, all buried under caramel and chocolate syrups, peanuts and more. It was named most creative.

TEXAS FRIED JELLY BELLYS --Imagine, if you can or want to, fluffy balls of funnel cake batter hiding a scoop of Jelly Bellys. Each ball contains a different flavor. Buy an order for the kids – they're not too messy and are easy to share.

FERNIE'S ALL-AMERICAN FRIED GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICH-- Panko coating adds crunch to this basic grilled cheese. Tomato soup stands in as dip. It's good but lacks the outrageousness factor.

DEEP FRIED S'MORES --The original is stunning in its simplicity. Battered and fried, it becomes transcendent, the flavors melding into a fabulous, gooey whole. Don't burn your tongue.

FIRE & ICE --The buzz here is the topper of whipped cream frozen in liquid nitrogen. But do you really want hard chunks of smoking whipped cream on top of your dessert? The fried pineapple ring is a yummy base for strawberries, syrup and the curious banana-flavored cream.

FRIED CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES --These are more like chocolate-filled donuts. The filling is made with dark chocolate, which seems oddly sophisticated in this setting.

CHOCOLATE-COVERED STRAWBERRY WAFFLE BALLS --Big strawberries, dipped in chocolate, battered and fried? I could eat a lot of these – given a plate and fork. But they're served on a tiny stick. Mine went spinning after each bite. Proceed with cautious abandon.
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If you want to know all the food that's available, here's a link to a list of even more, including "Crispy Fried Cantaloupe Pie" http://www.bigtex.com/foodlocator/

It was fun the year we went, but we will not be attending the fair this year. My bank account and arteries have already thanked me.