Just when I thought it was safe to go back to the
Illinois State Fair — the food extravaganza featuring all things
fried and served on a stick — comes a new concoction that will surely
blow any diet. The deep-fried cheesecake, offered by Michael’s
Concessions, is one of several new culinary entries at the fair this year.
In past years, I’ve eaten corn dogs, shrimp on a
stick, and a spring roll or two. I’ve even tried fried Oreos,
Twinkies, and s’mores. I thought those gooey, delicious concoctions
reached the caloric limit for fair food. They sounded outrageous, but, out
of pure duty and curiosity, I indulged — and enjoyed. There were also
samples of fried pickles and sweet-potato fries. So this year I thought
that because I had seen, and eaten, all of the fattening fair food one
could imagine, I would be able to maintain my willpower. There
couldn’t possibly be anything more indulgent than a fried cookie,
right? I was wrong.
Just listen to this description: “creamy
cheesecake smothered with rich chocolate and caramel, then loaded with
chocolate-covered peanuts and nutty candy-bar pieces, then rolled in a
sweet pastry shell and deep-fried until golden brown, then rolled in
cinnamon and sugar.”
Is your mouth watering? Has your heart stopped
beating?
Michael Ristick, who owns Michael’s Concessions
with his wife, Teresa, is the man who is bringing this new treat to the
fair. He also offers the Haug Daug, which is a cross between an eggroll and
a corn dog. A hot dog, wrapped in bacon and Cheddar cheese, is then wrapped
in pastry and — you guessed it — deep-fried.
In addition to the usual offerings of corn dogs,
funnel cakes, lemonade shake-ups and pork-chop sandwiches, fairgoers can
sample several new items this year, mostly aimed at those with a sweet
tooth. Coco Flow Chocolate Fountains will provide Belgian-chocolate-dipped
strawberries, bananas, and marshmallows in the Exposition Building. Country
Cobblers will sell
blackberry, apple, peach and pecan cobbler with ice cream, as well as
lactose-free ice cream, cappuccino, smoothies, and slushes, on the north
side of Central Avenue. Torrey Park Catering and Concessions will offer
pretzels stuffed with sweet cream cheese, apple cinnamon, jalapeno or pizza
flavoring, as well as Eli’s cheesecake, Jumer’s cinnamon rolls
à la mode, cream puffs, and éclairs on Brian Raney Avenue.
Other new vendors will be offering smoked turkey legs,
stuffed potatoes, minidoughnuts, chicken and beef fajitas, quesadillas,
skillet nachos, and ice-cream sundaes.
Though all of these items sound tempting, none sounds
as decadent as the chocolate- and caramel-laden cheesecake, covered in more
candy and pastry, fried, and then rolled in still more sugar. I believe
that it wins the contest for the most calories you can possibly get on one
meager, little stick. It sounds disgustingly rich and sweet.
I can’t wait to try one.
Grilled-cheese competition
If you’d like to stretch your stomach even more
at the Illinois State Fair, there’s an eating contest just for you.
A grilled cheese sandwich eating contest will be held
from 4:30-6 p.m. Aug. 13 on the Lincoln Stage at the fairgrounds. The
contest is a qualifying round for the 2005 World Grilled Cheese Eating
Competition, sponsored by GoldenPalace.com. The winner will receive $1,750
in prize money and a trip to the world championship in Los Angeles.
The current world record belongs to Sonya Thomas, who
devoured 25 grilled cheese sandwiches in 10 minutes earlier this year at
the inaugural championship.
To register, call 212-627-5766 or visit www.ifoce.com.
Largest horseshoe sandwich
The Red Coach Cattle Co. and Poe’s Catering will
offer “the largest horseshoe sandwich” at the Illinois State
Fair to raise money for local children. They will present the oversized
sandwich at 5 p.m. Aug. 16 on the Lincoln Stage, after which dinners will
be served, at a cost of $5 per person. Proceeds will benefit the Sangamon
and Menard County 4-H programs.
This article appears in Aug 11-17, 2005.
