What a day at the Indiana State Fair! After a quick stop at the downtown Farmer's Market (no love in the sour cherry department), it was off to the Indiana State Fair for a guided tour of fair food! It's no secret I love a good corn dog and my dining companion knew exactly the stand to take me for the best. Delish! And after corn dogs, we had deep fried vegetables (the fried green tomatoes were tangy and good), lamb BBQ (who knew there was pulled lamb), honey ice cream, then deep fried sauerkraut balls, deep fried corn fritters, and deep fried Pepsi nuggets (funnel cake dough mixed with Pepsi, then battered and fried.) I still wanted the deep fried peanut butter cups, but after the fry-tavaganza, I was done. We skipped the cheezy beef sticks (although that was the stand that marked where we parked the car), cream puffs, spiral cut potato chips, and I didn't get an apple dumpling.
Food does vary from vendor to vendor. Apparently, they use a common commissary, but each can modify their batter for corn dogs, combos of ingredients, and cooking times -- and cooking skill does make a difference. It sounds a little like a Top Chef challenge, but it explains why a few stands have wacky offerings and others have wildly varying versions of the same things. If you're looking for the best corn dogs, they're on the main street across from the back of the grandstand, right across from the
In Shape Indiana booth (ironic, actually.)
Here's what I learned today at the fair:
*In one building, there is woman carving a 1360 pound block of mild cheddar.
*I now know what the inside of a horse's nose and esophagus look like thanks to the live horse gastro-endoscopy on display.
*The giant hog is only 900+ pounds this year. What is the year of corn coming to if we can't get a 1000 pound award winning hog?
*Did you know that it's bad to smell your food cooking? We learned at a cookware demo booth that the smell is all the nutrients leaking out. Of course, their cookware solved that. Who knew?
*Those water sprayers with fans are gifts from the gods.
*Watch your step so you don't get run down by the bio-diesel tractor pulling the fair train! *
*No one looks good eating one of those huge turkey legs.
Our best food of the day? The award-winning cajun corn fritters right in front of the administration buidling. Get them without the sauce. That's the cajun part. Sweet corn goodness -- which, by the way, is the theme of this year's fair. I did miss the pork tent and the famous Hoosier Ribeye. Ahh, something for next time.
What a day at the Indiana State Fair! After a quick stop at the downtown Farmer's Market (no love in the sour cherry department), it was off to the Indiana State Fair for a guided tour of fair food! It's no secret I love a good corn dog and my dining companion knew exactly the stand to take me for the best. Delish! And after corn dogs, we had deep fried vegetables (the fried green tomatoes were tangy and good), lamb BBQ (who knew there was pulled lamb), honey ice cream, then deep fried sauerkraut balls, deep fried corn fritters, and deep fried Pepsi nuggets (funnel cake dough mixed with Pepsi, then battered and fried.) I still wanted the deep fried peanut butter cups, but after the fry-tavaganza, I was done. We skipped the cheezy beef sticks (although that was the stand that marked where we parked the car), cream puffs, spiral cut potato chips, and I didn't get an apple dumpling.
