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.

Triangle Tweet-up: Six Plates

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There’s a ton of reasons Tony and I loved the semi-monthly Triangle Tweet-up. We get to see friends, make some new ones, and get to try food at new and interesting places around the area. This month’s tweet-up was no exception, I’ve been dying to go to Six Plates (2812 Erwin Road, Durham, NC 27705) and the combination of food and friends made it a great night and a very much needed break from all of the holiday prep.

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.

Top Chef Season 7, Episode 11: Take me away from the ballgame

First things first, I sadly could not get a post up for last week’s episode due to major sinus issues and an overall week from hell. Long story short, our national nightmare is over and Alex is out of the running. Now, let’s focus on cutting the fat from the rest of this season…

Another foray into veggiedom: Homemade Eggplant Parmesan

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So, I got a little inspired by our last meatless Monday, so I started looking into Vegetarian recipes that were still homey and classic. Veal or Chicken Parmesan has always been one of my favorite dishes, but I’ve never tried the eggplant variety. I’ve had bad luck with eggplant dishes (like my failed attempt at ratatouille), but after a busy weekend, a nice filling Italian dish seemed like just the trick.

Going Meatless next Monday? Vegetarian Lime Orzo

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So, I know a few people who are now embracing Meatless Mondays (including our friends at Triangle Good Eats). Meatless Monday sounds like a good idea to me, but ever since my daliance with Vegetarianism (the hardest 12 months of my life), it’s still a little hard for me to imagine a filling, healthy, and satisfying meal without meat. Even my mushroom risotto needs chicken broth!

Top Chef: Season 7, episode 9- War and Peas

Restaurant Wars is the Top Chef episode that everyone waits for each season. Those who can survive the grueling challenge of opening a “restaurant” in less than 24 hours usually go on to the top 3, while those who fail do so miserably. This time around, it wasn’t exactly clear who’d get the ax and the contestant who did was the biggest shock of the 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.

Adventures in Home Cooking: Cheesy Meatloaf

I had been wanting to cook something new for a while; I’ve been trying to eat healthy lately and it’s meant a lot of skinless chicken breasts and salmon fillets. I scoured Julia Child’s recipes, consulted my Jacques Pepin, checked to see if we had brandy, artichokes, or swiss chard, and was this close to seeing how much a tank of liquid nitrogen for frozen tomato puree pellets would cost when Tony casually mentioned how much he loved meatloaf growing up. Huh, meatloaf? That sounds complicated.