I grew up in Delaware, spent many a year in NYC and now live in Maine. Needless to say I have been to my fair share of state fairs, street festivals and carnivals in my lifetime, and no outdoor massive gathering is complete without fried pastries. But if you find yourself surrounded by red and white canopies and glass fronted food trucks, but can’t seem to find that glorious neon sign, fear not it may just be called something else.

Funnel cake is what I grew up with. Made by pouring the dough directly into the fryer using, what else, a funnel. This gives the crispy gooey delight its wacky twisty shape. Once out of the fryer, it is put on a paper plate and coated in powdered sugar. It’s unique design makes this cake perfect for tearing off a piece and sharing with friends.

Fried dough on the other hand is exactly what you would expect. A mound of dough that is flattened a bit and put into the fryer without manipulation. Also served on a paper plate, and this is where it gets tricky, it can be covered in various toppings of chocolate, sugar, or even a savory tomato sauce. It’s also not an easy sharing dish, and pretty far down on my list of fair treats.

Last up is zeppoles! Now I have only had these little guys in the 5 boroughs, if you have had the pleasure of seeing these elsewhere please let me know! Zeppoles are little miniature mounds of dough that are fried, of course, put into a paper bag, and surrounded with powdered sugar. A quick shake of the bag and you have the perfect walking around treat. Perfect for sharing and keeping you and all your friends on a sugar high. But beware, the oil can be too much for some of the more delicate bags and you could just loose your zeppoles to the local critters.

And just in case your in the mood for a little carnival fever, but your state fair isn’t until August… check out this cute set of state fair food cards by Lisa Orgler. Send a little bit of festivities to your friends near and far!

Photo credits: Michelle Vu, My so called food blog, tara’s fried dough

I’m happy to say we Matt and I just returned from a very relaxing vacation. I am also very pleased to report that while we were enjoying the sun and blue water, the sun also came out here in Maine and melted quite a bit of the snow. While it’s not quite as warm here as it was in Mexico, I know spring is right around the corner!

There is a program airing tonight on PBS that “explores the growing reach of homeland security, fusion centers, battlefield technologies, and data collecting into the lives of ordinary Americans.” I heard a few snippets this afternoon regarding people who have been put on terrorist watch lists because they took pictures of a ferry, or a bridge, or a landmark building. Why we may think to ourselves, this is crazy, or there is something missing in these stories, in truth this really does happen more often then we think.

The photo above got me put onto a terrorist watch list in New York City in  2004. I love exploring, especially roads that seem less traveled. I ended up down a side road in Staten Island and came across some very large power structures. The clouds that day were beautiful and the juxtaposition of the elements really stood out to me. I snapped a few pictures and we on my way. The next day my father called me and gave me the phone number to a NYPD officer that had called him inquiring about suspicious activity linked to my car. Long story short I had to provide written referrals from my current employer, 3 phone interviews, and provide them of copies of all photos taken that day. I was informed that I was no longer under investigation. I understand that “we can’t take chances” but I also wonder about the lengths we go through to protect America. I look forward to watching this frontline program tonight.