Katie Stew

A rich, simmering blend of my favorite things

Fair food

| 1,021 Comments

No, this is not a post about food being local and fair to farmers and consumers, although I certainly agree that it should. This, my friends, is an ode to the food that is fried, covered in powdered sugar, or grilled before your eyes and served to you in little paper to go containers, or wrapped in paper towels, or my personal favorite, on a stick. This is a shout out to food that you find at festivals, street fairs, county fairs, or anywhere else that someone is serving you from a stand.

I love fair food.

Saturday, I went to Seattle’s Folklife Festival. I go every year, mostly for the food. Sure, there are tons and tons of performers and bands doing crazy things and occupying every inch of space possible and filling the whole Seattle Center with whimsy and weirdness, but I like the food. In fact, generally a group of us friends get together and just make a gluttonous afternoon of it. We were there for 3 hours Saturday, getting our munch on.

My favorite place was an African stand and they sold sambusas. What is a sambusa? As far as I can tell, it is like an Indian samosa, except they are flatter and spiced differently. You all know how much I like things wrapped in pastry. These are spicy and flaky and wonderful. Last year we went two days so that we could have them again. I was a repeat of that this year.

Now that doesn’t sound much like fair food does it? Well, I also indulged in the more general fair. Spicy polish sausage, beniets covered in powdered sugar, and one of my all time favorites, roasted corn. I don’t know why it always tastes so good at the stands. It must be the butter that it is dipped in. Then I give it a healthy dose of seasoned salt and dig right in. It is so heavenly. The sweetness of the corn, the butter, the saltiness. It is the perfect treat.

Now, when I first moved to the NW, I was sadly disappointed by the fair food of this region. I am from the South, where the fair food is mostly fried and generally served on a stick. And here, for starters, there was not a fried Twinkie to be found. Instead, there were elephant ears. What? Where are the funnel cakes? And the biggest attraction was scones.

um… what? Scones? Well this is weird.

When I mentioned to friends and coworkers that I would be going to the Puyallup fair, they immediately would tell me, you have to get the scones! It sounded weird, but I’m all about taking food tips from locals. When I arrived at the fair, the line for the scone stand was really long. People were walking away with boxes of them by the dozen. I became really curious. What was the big deal with these scones? So, I finally make my way to the front and I order one, and what do I get? Well, it was essentially a white biscuit that had been cut in half and given a generous helping of butter and jam.

Now, this was a pretty good biscuit, but a biscuit all the same. People waited all year and got excited over biscuits and jam. Apparently they don’t get them enough here in Seattle. I find the incident hilarious.

But, I love fair food wherever I find it. Even if I can’t get the fried insanity of southern fairs up here, I can get a more interesting variety of foods. No sambusas at southern fairs. Here you can get phad thai, curry, and Jamaican kabobs. Also, yesterday on my second visit to the Folklife festival, after my sambusa and obligatory corn dog, I decided to give one of these elephant ear things a try, and I have to say, it was pretty darn awesome.

So, in the end. It doesn’t matter where you are, as long as someone is serving you from a stand, you’re going to find something good.

1,021 Comments

  1. I just need to inform you the fact that I’m really fresh to writing a blog and thoroughly adored your webpage. More than likely I am most likely to save your site post . You literally have lovely article writing. Acknowledge it for sharing with us your internet information.

  2. My programmer is trying to convince me to move to .net from PHP. I have always disliked the idea because of the costs. But he’s tryiong none the less. I’ve been using Movable-type on numerous websites for about a year and am concerned about switching to another platform. I have heard fantastic things about blogengine.net. Is there a way I can import all my wordpress content into it? Any help would be greatly appreciated!|

  3. Hello friends, its wonderful paragraph on the topic of cultureand entirely defined, keep it up all the time.|

  4. Hi, I check your new stuff like every week. Your story-telling style is awesome, keep up the good work!

  5. It’s near unattainable to come across well-updated women and men on this subject, and yet you appear like you understand which you’re preaching about! Bless You

  6. I am not sure where you’re getting your info, but great topic. I needs to spend some time learning more or understanding more. Thanks for great information I was looking for this information for my mission.

  7. My Partner And I merely hope to inform you which I’m really raw to writing a blog and really loved your site. Probably I am inclined to save your web post . You certainly have wonderful article writing. Be Thankful For it for expressing with us your site document.

  8. It truly is almost extremely difficult to encounter well-advised individuals on this niche, in addition you look like you fully grasp what you’re covering! Many Thanks

  9. Hi there, I read your new stuff like every week. Your story-telling style is awesome, keep it up!

  10. We’re a group of volunteers and starting a new scheme in our community. Your site offered us with valuable information to work on. You have done a formidable job and our entire community will be thankful to you.

  11. magnificent submit, very informative. I wonder why the opposite experts of this sector do not notice this. You must proceed your writing. I’m confident, you have a huge readers’ base already!

  12. Hey There. I found your blog using msn. This is an extremely well written article. I’ll be sure to bookmark it and return to read more of your useful info. Thanks for the post. I will definitely comeback.

  13. I really want to show you that I am fresh to putting up a blog and really loved your review. Probably I am likely to save your web post . You really have fabulous article reports. Like it for telling with us your site webpage.

  14. You actually make it seem so easy with your presentation but I find this matter to be really something which I think I would never understand. It seems too complicated and very broad for me. I’m looking forward for your next post, I’ll try to get the hang of it!

  15. Nice blog here! Additionally your site so much up very fast! What web host are you the use of? Can I get your associate hyperlink in your host? I wish my website loaded up as fast as yours lol

  16. Great amazing things here. I¡¦m very happy to peer your article. Thanks a lot and i am looking ahead to contact you. Will you kindly drop me a mail?

  17. Valuable info. Lucky me I discovered your site by accident, and I’m stunned why this twist of fate didn’t happened in advance! I bookmarked it.|

  18. As I website possessor I believe the content matter here is rattling excellent , appreciate it for your efforts. You should keep it up forever! Good Luck.

  19. Its like you read my mind! You appear to know so much about this, like you wrote the book in it or something. I think that you could do with a few pics to drive the message home a little bit, but instead of that, this is magnificent blog. An excellent read. I will definitely be back.

  20. Great ¡V I should certainly pronounce, impressed with your web site. I had no trouble navigating through all the tabs and related info ended up being truly easy to do to access. I recently found what I hoped for before you know it at all. Reasonably unusual. Is likely to appreciate it for those who add forums or anything, web site theme . a tones way for your customer to communicate. Excellent task..

  21. It really is mostly extremely difficult to encounter well-qualified men and women on this area, however , you look like you fully understand the things you’re talking about! Gratitude

  22. I simply wish to notify you the fact that I am fresh to online blogging and incredibly adored your webpage. Probably I am going to bookmark your post post . You certainly have magnificent article writing. Get Pleasure From it for share-out with us your internet site report.

  23. naturally like your web-site but you have to take a look at the spelling on several of your posts. A number of them are rife with spelling issues and I find it very bothersome to tell the truth nevertheless I will definitely come again again.

  24. I used to be able to find good info from your blog posts.|

  25. Good article and right to the point. I don’t know if this is in fact the best place to ask but do you people have any thoughts on where to employ some professional writers? Thanks in advance 🙂

  26. You need to be a part of a contest for one of the greatest sites on the internet. I am going to recommend this site!|

  27. Hey there, You have done an excellent job. I’ll definitely digg it and personally recommend to my friends. I am confident they will be benefited from this website.

  28. You made some good points there. I did a search on the issue and found most guys will consent with your site.

  29. Hello, i think that i saw you visited my weblog thus i came to “return the favor”.I am attempting to find things to improve my web site!I suppose its ok to use some of your ideas!!|

  30. great points altogether, you just gained a new reader. What may you recommend about your post that you just made a few days ago? Any positive?

  31. Excellent post. I was checking constantly this blog and I’m impressed! Very helpful information particularly the last part 🙂 I care for such information a lot. I was looking for this certain information for a very long time. Thank you and good luck.

  32. You made some decent points there. I looked on the internet for the issue and found most guys will approve with your website.

  33. It certainly is practically extremely difficult to come across well-advised americans on this area, unfortunately you come across as like you understand exactly what you’re preaching about! Thanks A Lot

  34. Hey There. I found your blog using msn. This is a really well written article. I’ll be sure to bookmark it and return to read more of your useful information. Thanks for the post. I will certainly comeback.

  35. You made some fine points there. I did a search on the matter and found the majority of persons will agree with your blog.

  36. Definitely believe that which you said. Your favorite justification appeared to be on the web the simplest thing to be aware of. I say to you, I definitely get annoyed while people think about worries that they plainly do not know about. You managed to hit the nail upon the top and defined out the whole thing without having side-effects , people can take a signal. Will probably be back to get more. Thanks

  37. Hey there! I just wanted to ask if you ever have any trouble with hackers? My last blog (wordpress) was hacked and I ended up losing several weeks of hard work due to no data backup. Do you have any solutions to protect against hackers?|

  38. Helpful info. Lucky me I found your site by chance, and I’m stunned why this accident did not came about earlier! I bookmarked it.

  39. great submit, very informative. I wonder why the other experts of this sector do not understand this. You should proceed your writing. I’m confident, you have a huge readers’ base already!

  40. Simply want to say your article is as astounding. The clearness in your post is just nice and i can assume you’re an expert on this subject. Well with your permission allow me to grab your feed to keep up to date with forthcoming post. Thanks a million and please keep up the gratifying work.

  41. I have not checked in here for a while as I thought it was getting boring, but the last several posts are good quality so I guess I will add you back to my daily bloglist. You deserve it my friend 🙂

  42. Someone necessarily lend a hand to make severely articles I might state. This is the very first time I frequented your website page and to this point? I surprised with the research you made to create this actual submit incredible. Great activity!

  43. I have not checked in here for a while since I thought it was getting boring, but the last several posts are good quality so I guess I will add you back to my everyday bloglist. You deserve it my friend 🙂

  44. Wow, wonderful blog layout! How long have you been blogging for? you make blogging look easy. The overall look of your website is great, let alone the content!

  45. Asking questions are genuinely fastidious thing if you are not understanding anything fully, except this post provides fastidious understanding yet.|

  46. I am commenting to make you know what a magnificent experience my wife’s daughter encountered reading your web site. She came to understand several things, with the inclusion of what it’s like to have an excellent teaching style to make other folks without problems master specified advanced issues. You undoubtedly did more than people’s expectations. I appreciate you for displaying the effective, dependable, explanatory not to mention cool tips about your topic to Julie.

  47. It¡¦s actually a nice and helpful piece of info. I am happy that you simply shared this helpful info with us. Please keep us informed like this. Thank you for sharing.

  48. I am very happy to read this. This is the type of manual that needs to be given and not the accidental misinformation that’s at the other blogs. Appreciate your sharing this greatest doc.

  49. Thank you so much for giving everyone an extraordinarily splendid opportunity to discover important secrets from this website. It is always very good and jam-packed with a great time for me and my office co-workers to visit your blog not less than thrice in one week to read the latest items you will have. Not to mention, I am also actually contented with your great methods served by you. Certain 4 areas in this article are indeed the simplest we’ve ever had.

  50. Wow, amazing weblog layout! How long have you ever been running a blog for? you make blogging glance easy. The total glance of your web site is magnificent, let alone the content material!

Leave a Reply