Quick MN State Fair Update
G. Grod and I had a date at the MN State Fair last night. We parked and rode, which was free and not too time consuming. Since we entered near the creative arts building, we checked that out first. There were some cool quilts, like one with Ugly-Doll looking beasties. The sock monkey corner has expanded, but I think the geek pleasure maxed out last year, and this year the monkeys have jumped the shark. (Thanks, Jon Hein, for that term, by the way.)
I found my four baking entries on display among the hundreds of others. I was proud of myself (and G. Grod) for spotting them. I felt like I’d found my kids in a big crowd. The winning entries must have tasted better, because their appearance wasn’t exceptional. The winning brownies looked rather pale and were probably made with Hershey’s cocoa, which doesn’t provide enough chocolate punch for my taste. The winning scones were wedge shaped and denser than mine. The winning banana breads looked very plain–just bananas, or bananas and walnuts. Perhaps my bittersweet shaved chocolate was too risque for the judges in that category. I think I’ll bake again next year, as long as I can have fun with it, try not to care if I win, and minimize my “one more thing” stress-y tendencies.
We went to see Greg Brown, but decided to wander rather than see the whole show. We caught a few songs, which reminded us that he’s a great songwriter with a low voice that draws us in.
Foodwise, the new things we tried were mostly disappointing, while the old faves held up:
Corn fritters and fried green tomatoes with honey butter: the former were savory and sweet, the latter were tangy. The honey butter complemented both. Yum; highly recommended.
1919 root beer: nicely spicy and smooth; highly recommended
New: Uff-da Brat from Sausage Sister N Me: Disappointing. Dry lefse around a decent brat. Perhaps it would be better with the works (mashed potatoes and kraut), but they sounded awfully heavy. The lingonberry ketchup was sweet and bland. Not recommended. Try some of their past winners instead: Puff Daddy on a Stick, or Nacho Sistaaz.
Mouth Trap fried cheese curds: the must-have; greasy, gooey, and a whopping $5 (is that more expensive than last year?) Still, highly recommended.
New: Sundae with Minnesota strawberries: unremarkable. Soft-serve ice cream was stiff and not very flavorful, strawberries were macerated and good, but nothing more. Recommended with reservations.
New: Spam burger (for G. Grod, but I took a bite when he swore it was good): Surprisingly good, in a “I can’t believe I’m eating this, yet I crave another bite” way. Soft bun, salty slab of Spam, gooey cheese=remarkably simple yet tasty combination. Recommended, in spite of myself.
New: Frozen Key Lime Pie on a Stick: Not good. The lime pie was simultaneously bitter and over-sugared. The sweetness did not offset the bitterness, and overwhelmed the chocolate coating, rendering it tasteless. Not recommended.
[I'll try to add links later.]
August 28th, 2007 at 1:31 pm
I love reading about all your strange american food. Have to admit that I never thought that that sundae would be such a revelation. But can’t wait at some point in my life to eat cheese curds. Very bucolic sounding. Read someone else’s blog who’d been to the fair - did you try any of this stuff?
http://desertculinary.blogspot.com/2007/05/state-fair-trip-report.html
August 28th, 2007 at 5:05 pm
The Uffda Brat with the works was no better. I took one bite and pitched it. Lamb on a stick was really good, though. Fried green tomatoes, delicious; cheese curds, delicious; my favorite of the day, cream-cheese-stuffed deep-fried pickles. So good.
August 28th, 2007 at 5:44 pm
I think the curds were 5 bucks last year, but I might be way off.
I still admire your ability to eat your way through the state fair.
August 29th, 2007 at 2:05 pm
Amy, glad to know I didn’t miss anything on the Uff Da with works. That lefse didn’t work at all. And my kids are going to love those pickles.
Thalia, there are cheese curds and there are fried cheese curds. Fresh cheese curds are brand new cheddar before it’s cut into blocks. They are ragged and smaller than a quarter, and squeak when you bite into them. At the fair, cheese curds are dipped into batter then fried, They become gooey inside, and should be eaten hot.
I did have the donuts from that blog entry, and plan to have the french fries and cookies on the next trip, and possibly that pork chop on a stick.
And L, somebody’s got to do it, and if I save someone the couple bucks they’d unwittingly spend on a key lime on a stick or Uff Da brat, then it will all be worth it.