OT - Eating Healthy at Houston Rodeo

Texican · Post by **Texican** » Mon Mar 10, 2008 12:25 pm

I snapped this shot at the fairgrounds of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo this year. The booth reads: "Fresh Fried Veggies by Dr. Vegetable".

Well, that certainly helps balance out my meal after eating brisket, deep fried Oreos and a funnel cake... Thanks, Doc!

JerryB · Post by **JerryB** » Mon Mar 10, 2008 12:53 pm

Has Texas quit selling my favorite food, HOT GREASY SALTY MEAT? I sure hope not.

Texican · Post by **Texican** » Mon Mar 10, 2008 12:55 pm

Yes, we still have bacon. In Snook, Texas you can get it Chicken Fried with Cream Gravy. It's usually reserved for special occasions though.

chuckles · Post by **chuckles** » Mon Mar 10, 2008 1:32 pm

This post reminds me to reorder my Zocor prescription. Thanks!

chuckles · Post by **chuckles** » Mon Mar 10, 2008 1:33 pm

This post reminds me to reorder my Zocor prescription. Thanks!

bigbore442001 · Post by **bigbore442001** » Mon Mar 10, 2008 2:37 pm

Do they ever sell fried tofu at these fairs?

Nate Kiowa Jones · Post by **Nate Kiowa Jones** » Mon Mar 10, 2008 5:16 pm

bigbore442001 wrote:Do they ever sell fried tofu at these fairs?

In Texas????, not even fried.

Scott64A · Post by **Scott64A** » Mon Mar 10, 2008 7:09 pm

We don't have any dubiously titled "Dr. Vegetable" here in GA but they do fry everything at fairs. Fried dill pickles, fried onions, fried veggies, funnel cake, and of course, deep fried cheese.

Yuck.

I usually go for the turley leg though, and follow it with some sasparilla and some boiled peanuts.

NOW, you're talking.

I can't get enough bolled pnuts.

horsesoldier03 · Post by **horsesoldier03** » Mon Mar 10, 2008 7:52 pm

I bet they didnt do much buisness. Let us know if they show back up next year.

Scott64A · Post by **Scott64A** » Mon Mar 10, 2008 9:09 pm

bloomin onions, fried cheese sticks and french fries, including sweet potato fries all sell really well.
The flashy signage helps, too.
I bet this guy makes a killing.

Imagine if you will that the people go to these fairs/rodeos to spend a little money. They wander like sheep grazing and wait to be fleeced.

I used to work for a carnival back when I was a young man of 18-19. The same little speech was shared with me by a Scotsman who managed the games my friends and I worked the counters at.

"Dr. Vegetable" will be back as often as he can, you can bet on that if the rodeo is busy.
He probably works every weekend.

Rusty · Post by **Rusty** » Tue Mar 11, 2008 4:57 am

I didn't go to the state fair this year... again as I just didn't have time. The Plant City Strawberry Festival is usually better anyway, but I heard they had raised the admission prices to $10 a head now so I just deceided it wasn't worth it. A girl my wife works with said she went to the festival and paid $8 for an order of onion rings. All that's just too rich for my blood.

awp101 · Post by **awp101** » Tue Mar 11, 2008 10:18 pm

bigbore442001 wrote:Do they ever sell fried tofu at these fairs?

No, but you CAN get:
fried Twinkees
fried Oreos
fried Coca-Cola (yes, you read that right)

Every year there's a news story about what new and diff'ernt fries thing there is at the fair.

I'm waiting for them to master fried fried myself...

Tycer · Post by **Tycer** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 5:06 am

WHAT?!!! IN TEXAS, AND NO MENTION OF A FLETCHER'S CORN DOG?

Heresy.

big bear · Post by **big bear** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 8:33 am

What is funnel cake??

Tycer · Post by **Tycer** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 8:46 am

From Wikipedia:

Funnel cake or funnelcake is a regional specialty food originally associated with the Pennsylvania Dutch region of the United States. Funnel cakes are quite popular around the United States at ballparks, fairs and festivals. Funnel cakes are made by pouring batter through a funnel into hot oil in a circular pattern and deep frying it until golden-brown. They are often served with powdered sugar, jam, or other toppings.

Texican · Post by **Texican** » Sun Mar 16, 2008 11:01 pm

Tycer wrote:WHAT?!!! IN TEXAS, AND NO MENTION OF A FLETCHER'S CORN DOG?

Good call, but that's really a specialty of the Texas State Fair (Dallas)

bigbore442001 · Post by **bigbore442001** » Mon Mar 17, 2008 5:30 am

I know what a corn dog but is there something special about the Fletcher's brand?

Post by **Ysabel Kid** » Mon Mar 17, 2008 6:32 am

awp101 wrote: No, but you CAN get:
fried Twinkees
fried Oreos
fried Coca-Cola (yes, you read that right)

Every year there's a news story about what new and diff'ernt fries thing there is at the fair.

I'm waiting for them to master fried fried myself...

How does one fry Coca-Cola?!?

Texican · Post by **Texican** » Mon Mar 17, 2008 12:44 pm

bigbore442001 wrote:I know what a corn dog but is there something special about the Fletcher's brand?

They're the Best! (and about the size of a turkey leg)

Texican · Post by **Texican** » Mon Mar 17, 2008 12:56 pm

Ysabel Kid wrote:How does one fry Coca-Cola?!?

Fried Coke
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Fried Coke is a new American snack created in 2006. It consists of balls of batter mixed with Coca-Cola syrup, which are fried and then topped with more Coca-Cola syrup, whipped cream, cinnamon sugar, and a cherry. It was introduced by inventor Abel Gonzales, Jr., at the 2006 State Fair of Texas, where it won the title of "Most Creative" in the second annual judged competition among food vendors.[1][2] It proved very popular in Texas, selling 16,000 cups in the first two weeks, and is now being adopted as a snack by fairs in North Carolina as well as Arizona. It is also very popular in California.

Fried Coke is estimated to have 830 calories (3,500KJ).[3]

update:
DALLAS, Oct. 16 (UPI) -- A Dallas concessionaire says despite sudden national recognition of his Fried Coke confection, he's improved the batter to hold even more sugar.

Fame came to Abel Gonzales Jr., on Labor Day near Dallas when his concoction won the "most creative" title for his deep-fried Coke batter nuggets topped with cola syrup at the Big Tex Choice Awards Contest at the Texas State Fair. There already are copy-cats hawking the recipe in North Carolina and Arizona.

Gonzales told the Dallas Morning News his brush with fame -- that included an appearance on NBC's "Today" show -- has driven him to take the formula to a higher level of carbohydrates and sugar.

He has since reworked the recipe and ditched the pre-made batter, replacing it with a more spongy consistency batter in order to hold more cola syrup, the newspaper said.

"They were good before, but they are even better now," Gonzales said. "I wanted it to be the best product out there."

This one makes me cringe a little...

awp101 · Post by **awp101** » Mon Mar 17, 2008 6:04 pm

I avoid the Fair like the plague but I'd be willing to go to try that...