Fair Play: 2011 NC State Fair

It’s here! It’s here! Ask anyone in Raleigh what they are doing from 10/13-10/23 and you’ll get one answer: I’m going to the fair! Matt and I look forward to the fair every year. We have our favorite haunts (Oddities tent, anyone?) and always find something new to discover.

Everything’s Better Deep-fried: NC State Fair 2011

Make Us the Deep Fried Ambassadors – My Fair Ladies: Kamikaze Edition

If one Deep Fried Ambassador is good, imagine how tasty 3 would be! Introducing the blogging trio “My Fair Ladies”.

Giving you three unique perspectives on the 2011 NC State Fair, we three fabulous ladies will cover the full gamut of food, rides, entertainment, competitions, exhibits and fun “only at the Fair” odd bits. Telling the story through photos, videos and, of course, wildly entertaining words, this gaggle of gals is sure to make everyone want to come out to the Fair.

• Kamikaze – aka Becca – “Julia” of RDUGonnaEatthat – Nothing stops this Fair enthusiast. No food will be left uneaten, no ride unridden. Put a plate before her and she will devour it. Beat: Food & Rides
• Fairly Odd – aka Dawn A Crawford– Fun just got a little funky at the State Fair. Get a backstage look at the music, the best of our state’s produce and livestock and side-shows. Exploring the entertaining, wacky and downright odd parts of the Fair. Beat: Competitions & Entertainment
• The Wrangler – aka Valentina Garcia-Gerdes – Armed with sunscreen, family meet-up points and a purse of non-sugary snacks, this mom knows how to make the Fair fun for all ages. Beat: Family Activities & Exhibits

And here is my story of why I want to be a Deep Fried Ambassador:

It’s that time of year; I’ve been spinning in my desk chair for hours to prepare for the Gravitron, pouring powdered sugar on everything I eat, and studying about the differences between a Charolais and a Red Angus. It must be State Fair time.

The State Fair is like the leaves changing color, when I see the ads for it, I know that Fall is here. It’s a great way to start the season; walking in the crisp air, seeing the sights, snacking on an oversized turkey leg….or two. Ever since I moved to North Carolina, the State Fair has been one of the things I look forward to the most out of the year. It’s been great to see a whole community come out and experience something together.

What grabbed my attention the most when I started going to the Fair was of course, the food. I am a sucker for anything deep-fried, sugary, meaty, and bacony. Really, only at the Fair would I be able to find something to snack on that incorporates all of that (Krispe Kreme burgers and chocolate covered bacon, anyone?) Even when the crazy experiments don’t work out (*cough*redKool-Aidpickles) I know there’s something awesome around the next corner.

What goes better with a stomach full of snacks than a few roller coasters? I’ve always been a bit of a ride-freak and the State Fair is my favorite time to let loose. The faster, the higher, the dizzier, the better.  I try to hit everything, from the fun houses to the classic Ferris Wheel. That scream you hear from the top of every ride? It’s probably me.

Even better than the food and the rides though is the time I get to spend with my friends and family there. One of the highlights of the Fair one year for me was simply playing ping-pong bingo with my parents until we ran out of quarters. There always something to talk or laugh about and going over my pictures of years past brings back a ton of happy memories. Going through my pictures and seeing the sometimes crazy sights again is already getting me revved up for this year.

As the “Kamikaze” member of my trio of adventuring ladies, I pledge to leave no Ferris Wheel un-ridden, no Oreo un-fried, no Ghost House un-screamed! I embrace the State Fair experience and can’t wait to see everyone there.

Out to the Market

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When it comes to Brunch, it’s almost like a contact sport trying to beat the crowds in Raleigh (I must have sports on the brain, it is Super Bowl Sunday after all). If you don’t make that golden hour between church crowds and late Sunday risers, you could be waiting a long, long time for your pancakes. Add a hip little restaurant opening its doors for Brunch for the first time and you can see the dilemma. Luckily for Market (938 N. Blount Street, Raleigh, NC 27604), the food is so good, I would have waited a whole day for it.

Lucky 32, Hooray!

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Last Thursday was the Triangle Tweet-up at Cary’s Lucky 32 (7307 Tryon Road
Cary, NC 27518).  As always, the event was hosted by the lovely ladies @andreaweigl and @durhamfoodie. Tony and I thought that the Moldy Peaches’ song “Lucky Number Nine” should have been co-opted for the event, but I guess we wouldn’t have been able to get the rights in time. Luckily, the food there was so good, it didn’t need fanfare.

TV in the Kitchen: Top Chef Season 7 – Episode 1

Some people were looking forward to the World Cup, others were excited about the NBA finals. The only competitive sport that was on my mind this week involved knives, fire, and bacon froth. That’s right, Top Chef is back for another season!

Food Truckapalooza in Durham

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In theory, the Bull City Food Truck Fiesta should have been an awesome day. Foodies, loads of good food, and a great selection of beers at Sam’s Quik Shop, which was hosting. While the day was good for introducing the growing food truck scene in the Triangle, the heat and the massive amount of people turned a good time into a sunstroke-inducing afternoon.

Making Mojoe’s Hall of Fame

As I get closer and closer to the big 3-0, I’m trying to check more things off my “Things to do before I leave my twenties behind” list. I still haven’t traveled to a lot of exotic locales, haven’t gotten my crazy tattoo (yet), or ran a marathon (I’ll get to the treadmill…tomorrow). But one thing I knew I could check off on my birthday was a fun challenge, win a food-eating challenge.

RDU actually ate that?: KFC Double Down

Yes, your eyes are not lying to you.

There are some things that you just shouldn’t eat, breathe around, or even see a picture of. The very idea will clog your arteries, stall your breathing, and leave you a greasy mess. So, why, oh why did Tony and I try the KFC Double Down?

Finding some peace at Cafe Harmony

There’s a lot that makes me happy about the expanding organic movement; the focus on the source of our food, attention back to local, non-corporate farming, raising the questions of ethics into what we eat. But, I’ve also seen a lot of bad with the movement when it comes to the food it prepares. Food can be healthy and ethical, but it should also taste good and a lot of restaurants I’ve been to focusing on the organic lost the focus on imagination and basic seasoning. When I heard that my local organic food store Harmony Farms had opened up a small brunch/lunch cafe, I was hoping that they’d be able to jump that hurdle and offer something really surprising…

Adventures in Home Cooking: Tony’s Birthday edition

My typical birthday dinner is a night out, but I wanted to do something for Tony’s 31st birthday (yep, he’s getting to be an old man). I decided to tackle two of his favorite things; carrot cake and Spaghetti alla Carbonara. My attempts were both disappointing and delicious.