YumSugar

Would You Eat Deep-Fried Butter?

YumSugar — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 16:15:08 -0700

The biggest buzz all over the blogosphere is deep-fried butter. Even though it's nothing new - apparently Paula Deen's sung the praises of it before - it's one of eight contenders vying for the Big Tex Choice Award at this year's State Fair of Texas. "Pure butter is whipped, then injected with different flavors, surrounded by dough and fried," described The Dallas Morning News.

I'll try anything once, but I'm pretty sure this invention has taken deep-fried food one step too far. At 810 calories per stick - and that's before it's been deep-fried - I'm pretty sure even the biggest butter lover, Julia Child, would find it a bit obscene. Would you eat it?

Source: Flickr User sfllaw

Fast & Easy Dinner: Pork Chops on a Stick

partysugar — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 10:30:57 -0700

Bring the flavor of the Summer-fair season into your kitchen with this fun recipe. The pork chops are quickly marinated in a store-bought salad dressing before being shallow fried.

The final result is crispy, slightly sweet, and scrumptious. Serving the pork on a stick makes for a delicious presentation that both kids and adults will enjoy.

To check out the recipe, read more.

Pork Chops on a Stick
From Better Homes and Garden magazine

Ingredients

8 6-ounce boneless pork loin chops, about 1 inch thick
1/2 cup bottled Italian salad dressing
Peanut oil
8 8 x 1/4-inch-thick wooden skewers or dowels
Honey mustard or bottled barbecue sauce
cooked corn on the cob, for serving

Directions

Place chops in a resealable plastic bag set in a shallow dish. Pour salad dressing over chops.; seal bag. Marinate in the refrigerator for 30 hours, turning bag occasionally.
Meanwhile, preheat oil to 350°F. Drain chops, discarding marinade.
Insert a wooden skewer into a short side of each chop. Fry the chops, half at a time, for 5 to 8 minutes or until 160°F. To test for doneness, carefully remove one chop from the hot oil. Insert an instant-read thermometer into side of chop. Be cautious of splattering oil. Maintain oil temperature around 350°F.
Remove chops from hot oil and drain on wire racks. Serve chops with honey mustard and corn on the cob.

Serves 4.

Print recipe with images | without images

Name That Dish!

partysugar — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 07:00:39 -0700

I find it hard to believe that so many of you were utterly disgusted by the bacon coated French fry on a stick. It's not that different from the fair favorite - which practically everyone consumed once in his or her life - pictured below. Do you know what it's called?

Name That Dish!

partysugar — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 08:03:31 -0700

Although only 24 percent of you were excited about deep fried pancakes, I'm pretty sure everyone would love to eat the dessert pictured below. Do you know what this state fair treat is called?

Yummy Links: From Creative Lunches to Wild Crabs

YumSugar — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 07:03:12 -0700

Bored of making your kids the same food each day? Check out these creative lunchtime ideas. - iVillage
I'm not really sure you want to know this, but just in case, here's a nutritional breakdown of fair food. 760 calories in a funnel cake?! - FitSugar
Do you know where the best pizza in America can be found? The field's been narrowed down to three finalists! - Serious Eats
Speaking of pizza, things just got a little bit crazier at Domino's. Now they're offering an Oreo Dessert Pizza. - Slashfood
I wish I had the space to collect cake stands. But since I don't, I'll just have to make my own for each party - Apartment Therapy: The Kitchen

How did we all miss an exhibition of artists using chocolate as their medium? - Will Work For Food
Don't let him order the Cosmo. Learn more about the 10 Drinks Men Should Never Order. - Chow
Specialty kiosks will allow you to get recipes while at the grocery store. - Baking Bites
Using a microwave will get you a lovely semolina-banana-coconut cake in under 15 minutes. Now if only I had a microwave... - Culinate
A moving tale about the noise a crab make when it dies. - Culinate

What Is Your Favorite Fair/Festival Food?

partysugar — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 09:01:18 -0700

Let's Dish: What Foods Do You Look For at The Fair?

YumSugar — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 12:50:54 -0700

Next month, some of my friends are making the trek out to Sacramento from the Bay Area to hit up the California State Fair, where a number artists - including one of my favorite country music stars - is performing. But the state fair doesn't have to put on an elaborate musical production to get me to show up; I'd be there for the food alone! After all, who can say no to mile-high strawberry daiquiris, elephant ears, garlic fries, and those giant smoked turkey legs?

My personal can't-miss item at any festival or fair is the funnel cake, which I always get because I'll never make it at home. What do you enjoy at Summer fairs?

Source: Flickr User Jamiesrabbits

Minnesota's 59 Foods-on-a-Stick

YumSugar — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 01:03:51 -0700

When I think of food on a stick, I think of state fairs, corn dogs and Summer. That's why I'm a bit confused on how an early day in Spring became Something-on-a-Stick Day. But hey, I like food-on-a-stick, so I'll play along.

To celebrate, I found this fantastic video from the 2006 Minnesota State Fair. From salmon steaks to key lime pie, the video features 59 different things-on-a-stick. It's really quite unbelievable and there's actually something for everyone. It doesn't take long to walk through them all, so watch the video now, just read more.

Say Cheese! Pimento Cheese

partysugar — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 10:30:50 -0700

I am not from the South, so before this week, I had never tasted the comforting spread native to the region that's known as pimento cheese. However, I was eager to experience this seemingly exotic food, so I decided to make it. Pimento cheese isn't a type of cheese, but rather, a seasoned cheese mixture. The main ingredients are sharp cheddar cheese, jarred pimentos (a type of sweet succulent aromatic red pepper), and mayonnaise. The history of pimento cheese is fairly unknown, although it appeared in grocery stores and home kitchens somewhere in the early 1900s. It's delicious simplicity made it a hit during the Depression, and since then, pimento cheese has remained popular in the South. The tasty spread can be enjoyed on crackers, celery or other veggies, toast, or plain, old crustless white bread. To look at the recipe I used - it's Paula Deen's - keep reading.

The Making of a Food Festival: A Behind-the-Scenes Look

YumSugar — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 09:00:20 -0700

This country sees scores of large-scale culinary events and food festivals each week, and from Taste of the Nation to Slow Food Nation, Party and I are always there. But while a culinary extravaganza merely requires several hours of our time, it takes months or sometimes years to bring all the elements of a production together.

During SF Chefs. Food. Wine., I walked the tents with Dominic Phillips, the namesake of Dominic Phillips Event Marketing and the brainchild producer behind the soirée, to get an idea of all the unseen work that goes into such a large event. Get his surprising strategies for a successful big bash after the jump