Texas Tried and True

I have noticed that people are flocking to Texas. Could it be the fabulous weather? Could it be the hill-less landscape? Could it be the big hair? Nah!!!! What about all the bling we wear? Or those snake skinned boots the cowboys wear? Or that down home country music that plays in all of the local honky tonks. Nope. It is none of these. I have been here now for 16 years and after doing much research I have found the answer to why people move here and why people stay here. It's the deep fried food !!!!

Each year at the Texas State Fair there is a contest to see who will come up with the best and most creative culinary fare. People from far and wide come and stroll around the fair grounds sampling all of the goodies that these fine folks come up with. Thousands of people walking around in a Homer Simpson daze as they sample the different treats. I have never seen so many happy contented people in one area. Texans love their food and by gosh they love it done right. And that means "deep fried". Oh yeah!!!

Back in California, we would go to Disneyland and the treat of the day would be a funnel cake. Can't you just smell it as you read this? After it was fried just right and placed on a paper plate, they would sprinkle, no pour, the powdered sugar all over it. We would take it and sit down on one of the benches and pull it apart and eat it while it was still so warm it almost burned your mouth. It had just the right amount of crunch to it, yet the grease made it moist. Your fingers would be covered in this ooey gooey sugary mess. Those were the good old days.

I really thought that no one would be able to top that. There couldn't possibly be anything better on a cool autumn night that the delectable funnel cake. But I was a foreigner in the land of deep frier's. I had no earthly idea how many "things" could be deep fried to make them on the cutting edge of the cuisine. I am in Texas now, and it became my quest to seek all that this beautiful state had to offer. I traveled through the cities and tasted the foods that Texas so love. Fried catfish, Chicken Fried Steak. They even have Chicken Fried Chicken for those opposed to red meat. Aren't we thoughtful. I even had to join O. A. after we had been here for a few months. I am sure that you know someone who is a member as well? Okra Eaters Anonymous. I had never even had that in California. I was so hooked on it. Every restaurant we went to had to be a buffet so that I could get fried okra. It took months of therapy to finally kick the habit.

A couple years ago, we went to the State Fair with some friends. NEVER go anywhere with friends who can eat like there is no tomorrow. It is sooooo bad for your waistline. We visited every vendor to investigate what their magical deep friers were putting out. The choices were unbelievable. Deep fried Twinkies (come on now), deep fried cookie dough (saints be praised) and the winner of the prize..........deep fried peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Good night Agnes. They had me. It didn't even matter what kind of jelly they were using. A PB&J dipped in a sweet pancake batter and then gingerly dropped into the scalding hot grease and fried to a delicate yet crispy crunch?????? Oh Puh leese. What is there not to love about this state? If you are looking for a warm place to live, where the countryside is nice and level and the music makes you want to tap you toes.......have I got a town for you. But leave your Wii Mii at home.