September 1. Fall is in the air. Crows caw. It must be time to ponder what sort of strange and wondrous fried-food-ery is going down at county fairs around the nation, and our own, which is set to open on Saturday, Sept. 4
Yes, we read all about the Texas State Fair's deep-fried beer over at Newser (if you're under 21, you can't buy it). But our own rumbling stomachs are asking what's new at the Los Angeles County Fair, and specifically at that famous nexus of all things battered and bubbling, Chicken Charlie's, which has a deep-fried peanut butter and jelly sandwich lined up for 2010. But more on that one in a second.
Here's the fried food 2010 headliner: an Oreo, plunged into chocolate, and then wreathed in a salty wrap made of bacon. We had to go a bit flowery with the description there because this calls for a bit of ceremony, right? An Oreo? Wrapped in bacon? If there's some sort of ribbon cutting on day one, and people making speeches at a podium in front of the booth, we won't be surprised. (Mike Petersen of Sippers & More is the genius creator of this one. Mmm.)
Now about that deep-fried PB&J sandwich, a Chicken Charlie's creation. Peanut butter is a friend to anything fried, we imagine, and sticky jammy things work well, too. Sold.
The other usual fried things will be available, of course. Deep-fried artichoke hearts are still in our hearts, even though we may cast a wandering eye at salty-meat-laden cookies.