Posted on 03/30/2016 5:24:44 PM PDT by Jamestown1630
My husband grew up in Pennsylvania, and a generations-old tradition for his family is attending the Bloomsburg Fair, which has been going on since 1855 and was only interrupted for one year, due to Tropical Storm Lee in 2011.
My first visit to the Fair was basically my honeymoon - it was the first time that we were able to get away for an extended period in the year that we ran off to the Courthouse and got hitched.
I loved the fair, especially the giant prize-winning pumpkin, the trotting horses, the beautiful turkeys and other poultry, and all the 4H kids showing off their animals - but also the FOOD.
I tried a few things there that I had never had before, including funnel cakes; but my absolute favorite was: Beer-Battered Deep Fried Vegetables. And as soon as we came home, we searched for a way to make them ourselves.
This is the recipe we always use; and I've found that this can be done ahead, refrigerated, and then reheated in the oven almost without losing any quality whatsoever. We usually do mushrooms, onions, zucchini; but you can also use asparagus, eggplant, cauliflower:
Deep Fried Veggies
2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
1-1/2 C. Beer
1 tsp. Salt or to taste
1-1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder
1 tsp. Baking Powder
1/4 tsp. Paprika
Vegetables: Mushrooms, Zucchini, Onions, Cauliflower, etc., cut into bite-sized chunks.
Oil for deep frying (we use Peanut Oil).
Combine flour, salt, garlic, baking powder and paprika in a bowl. Add beer and whisk until smooth.
Cover and chill the batter for at least 30 minutes.
Heat oil to 375 degrees. Dip the veggies in batter, and fry in batches until golden brown.
Place on a rack to drain and sprinkle with salt as soon as taken from the oil. Allow the oil to return to 375 before frying the next batch.
The ones we got at the fair were accompanied by a dipping sauce; I don't remember it very much, but here is another recipe that includes a Mustard-Ranch sauce:
-JT
Fried Pickles
BATTER whisk ¾ c flour, cup dry buttermilk pancake mix, tsp b/powder,
2 tb dry dill, tsp Old Bay, cup ea buttermilk, pickle juice.
METHOD Dredge 12 dill spears in s/p'ed flour; then batter, drip-off excess,
coat spears completely. Gently lay into 350 deg oil; fry golden; drain.
SERVE w/ ramekins of ranch and Thousand Island dressings;
sides of carrot and celery sticks.
From his book about his fabulous residences
totaling 10 villas, mansions, penthouses and castles.
My logic was the opposite. Take the (your) dip items and put them on the platter as condiments. FWIW you want to lose the smoked fish while I want it front and center where I can add condiments (even modified mayonnaise) as I like and put it on some toast.
I will admit that smoked fish dips are big sellers so people must like them.
Fun. I might try it if hubby ever gets off his diet.
I make my own bread, and it would never work for this. I’m envisioning what my kids used to call “flannel bread” being about the only kind that would work for this.
yummmy
I thought it was an inspired use of pancake mix.
Has anyone used an airfryer? I’ve seen them advertised, but no reviews.
That IS fabulous - even the lamp is blue-white, LOL :-)
-JT
You’ve been added!
I’m looking forward - the asparagus sounds very nice.
-JT
I was thinking that they probably meant the squishy white bread sold in stores as average sandwich bread. But your mention of ‘Flannel Bread’ intrigued me, and I found this, a recipe from 1898; it’s from an interesting website by someone who has been experimenting with cooking from historic cookbooks:
https://thegaltcookbook.wordpress.com/tag/flannel-bread/
-JT
Ha ha. Yes. That squishy white bread is precisely what they meant. First time I knew that it was a real thing.
Thank you JT!
That jogged a memory for me. My grandmother called pancakes flannel cakes. My quick research turned up this. My grandmother was from Appalachia and Scots-Irish.
http://dare.wisc.edu/?q=node/83
We always called that bunny bread. Soft, white, squishy. A few years ago I discovered there is a Bunny Bread Company, although the brand where I grew up was Sunbeam.
In this pic, Valentino showcases his vases and urns w/ a few plates thrown in. But in his other residences he artfully assembled his larger b/w pieces at an entranceway....and another collection of smaller pieces is shown behind glass in one of his living rooms.
Wonder how much b/w he has?
Amaretto Soaked Pound Cake Chocolate Bars
Ingredients: Pound Cake: •1/3 cup + 1 Tbs butter, soft (no substitutes!) •1/2 cup granulated sugar •2 eggs •2/3 cup cake flour •1 Tbs finely grated lemon zest
Amaretto Syrup: While cake is baking, start the syrup. •1/2 cup granulated sugar •2 Tbs corn syrup •3 Tbs water •1/2 cup Amaretto
Pound Cake: Cream butter and sugar, light and fluffy. Add eggs singly, beating each well. When eggs are completely mixed in, gradually mix in flour. Finally, add grated lemon.
Pour batter into buttered 7x7" cake pan, spreading evenly into the corners. Bake 300 deg lightly golden at edges, (pick in middle comes out clean), approximately 15 minutes. Set on counter; gently run a butterknife at edges to make sure it separates from the pan; leave in pan. Take a fork of toothpick and poke holes all over the top. Lots and lots of 'em.
Liqueur Syrup: Stir over medium heat first 3 ing, til sugar is dissolved, mixture starts simmering. Increase heat slightly to bring to a boil, then stop stirring and cover. Let boil, undisturbed, 1-2 minutes. Now remove from heat, take off the lid, and let cool. After 10 minutes, stir in 1/2 c Amaretto. (Don't add it when the syrup is really hot, alcohol will evaporate.)
Now pour syrup over cake. It will come up and flood the top of your cake, but don't worry, the cake will soak up the syrup. Steep overnight. Lift the corner, when all the syrup is absorbed, you're ready to enrobe.
Turn cake out onto waxed paper or plastic cutting board. Trim the edges off, and then cut into 32 small pieces, each about 3/4" x 1.5".......should be 1" thick.
Chocolate Dip Melt milk chocolate in the top of your double boiler, making sure it is deep enough to dip and coat your cake pieces. You'll probably have to add more chocolate as you work your way through the batch. As you dip each one, set on waxed paper to cool and set.
OPTION While chocolate is still soft, garnish tops with sprinkles, crushed/sliced almonds, or garnish of choice.
Looks like he’s cornered the market ;-)
-JT
We happened to eat at Popeye’s today. We always get the spicy chicken, and we love it; but I think the thing they make best is the gravy on their mashed potatoes. I once tried a ‘copycat’ recipe for that, and it turned out awfully. I will have to try again - there’s a little, spicy ‘zing’ in that gravy that I can’t figure out.
-JT
Here’s a good site for buying Thai ingredients and cookware, finding recipes, and seeing a lot of interesting videos. I’ve purchased from them, and the items I’ve used have been very good (they also have a lot of nice b/w, Liz; which I think I’ve posted before:
-JT
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