Fried Twinkies! Taste like donuts!

Fried Twinkies?! I had heard of them but never gotten the guts to actually try them. My Railroad festival budget was shrinking and therefore I was getting picky about my food review choices. Still so much to try and "review". I am NOT a really quick decision maker anyway and my shrinking budget wasn't helping any. My sister Shelly, my brother Matthew and I walked around talking to friends and neighbors like a Smith family posse :) My sister says..."you havent reviewed the Fried Twinkies yet". I kinda shrugged and said, "I dont know if I will like them". My brother to the rescue, his food bravery knows no bounds. He offers to treat his sisters to a fried twinkie with a sly boyish grin on his face. Knowing that I am officially "reviewing" food he knows I cant refuse. We step up to the Twinkie table where the lovely Mrs Royer is battering and frying up twinkies non-stop with a smile and a pretty cool hat I might add. I snap a picture which she is pleased to pose for and chats for a moment while our twinkles bubble and bob in the fryer to a golden brown perfection. She says that they also offer hand battered deep friend oreos and that tomorrow there would be chocolate covered bacon! WOW...this is a strange booth indeed! Mrs. Royer says that the oreos are VERY sweet and VERY rich and that the crispy chocolate covered bacon is a great combination of sweet and salty. I am really interested in trying that bacon...because I love the sweet salty combination in so many other forms. Today we are trying Deep fried Twinkies and she hands us the corn dog looking confections I smell donuts. I take a very small bite off the top and get a small mouthful of fried batter forcing me to go all out, be brave and take a woman sized bite to get the full effect of the friend Twinkie! The creamy and very sweet filling oozed out into my mouth along with the yummy taste of the warm cake and donut tasting batter together bringing music to my mouth. I had another bite and it seemed to taste even lighter and fluffier than the first (not counting my first cowardly baby bite). It was really good. I was surprised because I dont really like twinkies much but this fried Twinkie was more like a donut. I would be interested in trying a fried Ding dong Mrs Royer *laughing* I think anything hand battered and fried had potential at a festival....I mean isn't that where fried dill pickles come from :) I will be going back to try the chocolate covered bacon....if anyone tries the fried oreos...I want to hear your review :)

UPDATE: Tried the chocolate covered bacon tonight and LOVED it! Perfect blend of sweet and salty and economical for a festival food at only $1 a strip! YUMMY! I will be back to Royers rest next year for sure :)

Buttery Fried Wisconsin cheese....gooey cheesy goodness!

CHEESE! Who doesn't like cheese? When I saw an entire booth dedicated to nothing but buttery hand battered and deep friend cheese I KNEW it was a must try! I had spoken to several people who were as tempted by the idea as I was but nobody who had actually taken the plunge so I knew I had to do it....for the good of the people *laughing* and I have to admit I was really looking forward to it. There wasn't much of a line when I got there but a line formed soon after my arrival. Decisions, decisions...there were 4 kinds of Wisconsin cheese to choose from and many different variety's of dipping sauce. At $6.50 my budget only allowed for me to try 1 kind but I wanted them ALL *laughing*. There was the traditional mozzarella sticks, Cheddar nuggets Jalapeño cheese sticks and last but not least a big chunk of swiss and rye. I stepped aside to ponder the list and the DeQuincy elementary school principal, DQ Shriner and all around good guy "Claude Lacompte" stepped up and ordered the Cheddar nuggets. I was delighted that he let me try his cheddar nuggets allowing me the freedom to try a different variety :) The Cheddar nuggets were incredible. Their all natural cheese flavor and gooey meltyness (is that a word LOL) satisfied the cheese craving that I had all day! The crispy light brown batter was just the right thickness to encase all the melted cheddar inside. A long string of melted cheese hung in the air between my mouth and my fingers bringing a childish smile to my face and making everyone in lines mouth water with anticipation! I got back in line and ordered the jalapeño cheese sticks and while i waited I talked with a woman who was getting the Mozzarella sticks with pizza sauce to go. I asked her if she would taste them and give me her opinion for my blog and she said, "sorry, I have to wait until I get home to eat them because I am lactose intolerant".WOW...thats how much people like cheese.....also a testament to how good these "REAL" Wisconsin cheese sticks are! When my order was up I chose the warm pizza dipping sauce and ended up eating the cheese sticks with minimal sauce because the flavor of the cheese alone was fantastic all by itself. If you like cheese....this is the booth for you! Hands down the best hand battered deep fried cheese I have ever had! If you like your cheese with dipping sauce there are several available, German mustard, pizza sauce, Ranch as well as jalapeño ranch. Dipping sauce is served warm on the side. Im going back for some Mozzarella sticks tonight :)
   I got a tip from Bo Brown of the DeQuincy police department. He recommends multi-grain cheerios the week following a cheese indulgence. Just to make sure all systems remain on GO. :)

UPDATE: Went back to the Railroad festival tonight and tried the Mozzarella cheese sticks this time with the jalapeño ranch dipping sauce and LOVED them. The cheese sticks were mild and buttery with that perfect thin crisp friend batter around them and the Jalapeño ranch dip was everything you would expect it to be, just enough heat with that ranch flavor zing, wonderful combination and the flavor blended perfectly with the smooth and buttery mozzarella cheese. Look for the Wisconsin hand battered deep fried cheese booth at this years Contraband days festival.....I certainly will be :)

Alligator Sausage Po boys and Gyros

I had passed the booth several times with curiosity. I was impressed with the beautiful display of the various dishes the booth had to offer and when my brother Matthew announced that he wanted to try the "Alligator sausage" I grabbed him and scampered over to the curious booth with excitement! The family who owned the booth were busy as bees serving up everything from Gyros, to Eggplant Seafood Volcano :) 5 lovely dishes were on display including the Alligator sausage po boy, Shrimp pasta, and Philly cheese steak po boy. My brother was pleased to see that you could also get plain ol Alligator sausage on a stick and thats what he ordered. I spoke with the lady taking orders with her little sister I assumed, worked right beside her taking orders and handing out color coded tickets matching each display dishes colored sign. WOW they were organized! I found out that their booth was indeed family owned and operated. The Cook and Father of the family, known as big Will manned the hot grill and "The Warden" also known as Mom handled all the fixins. Their booth ran like a well oiled machine. I was hoping that the food would be just as good as it looked :) As big Will turned the alligator sausage on the grill I asked how they kept the sausage from being dry making the comment that I had tasted alligator before and it was very dry and slightly bland. Big Will smiled as the Warden bragged on her husbands special recipe of 75% alligator and 25% pork, which added flavor and moisture to the mix as well as a few choice seasonings making it the best alligator sausage around.  Now I was intrigued. As the Warden handed my brother his Alligator sausage on a stick I watched my brothers face for a sign and indeed a look of delight took the place of curiosity within a few seconds of his first bite. He moaned MMMMM as he chewed the mouthful of manly sausage and held out the stick offering me a taste. Having seen my big brother bravely try it with delight I was not nearly as cautious now and bit off a chunk myself. IT WAS DELICIOUS! Very moist and flavorful and seasoned to perfection. I LOVED it. Later in the evening when my husband showed up after a long day of work, I took him strait to the Alligator sausage booth. He Ate a Gyro AND then went back for an alligator sausage po boy :) Both of them were enjoyed to the fullest (no pun intended however he did admit later that he had eaten FAR to much but only because it was SOOOO delicious)!
If you are looking for something savory and hearty at this years Railroad festival then stop by the Alligator sausage/Volcano booth and get Big Will and the Warden to hook you up with something a little strange but oh so wonderful! The prices range from $6- $7 (for the friend eggplant seafood volcano). This is sure to be a festival favorite :)

DeQuincy Shriners Cajun chips

100% all natural cajun potato chips made to order before your very eyes and served by handsome and good hearted Shriners.....OH YEA! I love to support a good cause and when good food is involved its always a BONUS! :) It was a pleasure doing business with Claude and his buddies who were serving up piles of cajun fries with a smile and a few warm hearted laughs. It was quite a change from the mini motorcycle riding guys I see in the parade. These guys can cook! 100% natural Idaho potatoes thinly spiral cut and fried to a golden crispy perfection.....no additives, no preservatives, just 100% goodness! :) By themselves these Cajun fries melt in your mouth but if you prefer a little salt and pepper they have that to. Here in Louisiana we have a condiment that sits along side salt and pepper on most tables in homes as well in restaurants called Tony Chachere's seasoning (otherwise known as simply "Tony's") and the Shriners Cajun chips are especially good with a little "Tony's" on them (which they also have available right next to the salt and pepper because they are good Louisiana boys and their mama's taught them right ;) These crispy cajun fries are piled high on a paper plate and ready to eat, however if you feel the need to indulge a bit you can add warm nacho cheese or Chile to your Cajun fries. If you are really going for the gusto you can add them both but any way you serve em the Shriners cajun fries are just plain good and the proceeds go to serve a good cause. I enjoyed mine all natural with a little sprinkle of Tony's and they didn't disappointed! They tasted as fresh and as good as they looked. Claude and his band of merry Shriners from DeQuincy and the surrounding area served up their Cajun fries with personality and a side of laughter. Their mama's would be proud!

Hand battered Corn Dogs! :) YUM!

  As I walked through the crowd at the festival I spotted several people eating the most wonderful looking corn dogs. They weren't your generic mass produced looking corn dogs that you generally see at fairs and festivals they were the kind grandma used to make. My mouth watered as I saw person after person eating the golden deep fried masterpieces. I HAD to have one....I circled the festival grounds in search of the homemade corn dog booth and began scratching my head on my 3rd pass through with no luck. Finally, after stopping someone who was delightfully eating one and carrying several more, I was directed to a small booth without a sign near the festival entrance. There I saw Wendy Smith busily hand battering and deep frying those beautiful corn dogs right there on the premises. As I approached the table I saw an inconspicuous sign taped to the table top that said "Curtis' Corn Dogs" I smiled and said, "You need a bigger sign" and Wendy informed me that she had made a bigger sign but it had blown off earlier. She looked as if she was FAR to busy to worry about making another and when I saw that the price of these golden jewels I knew why. They were only $2 each. What a deal, considering everything most everything else seemed to start at $4 and $5. Home made, easy to eat and economical to. I consider them to be the deal of the festival! That wasnt all! Wendy informed me that the recipe was her fathers, Curtis Smith" who had passed away but that he had began a family tradition of making the home made corn dogs back when the Railroad days festival was simply known as, "The country fair" in the small town of DeQuincy, Louisiana and that she was there to continue the tradition. A smile spread over her face as she told me the delightful story. I looked over at the variety of home made sweets such as banana bread loaves, chunks of chocolate cake, chocolate fudge, peanut butter fudge and divinity candy that sat on the table. Wendy told me that her mother "Virginia" made all the sweets and that she had always made them and sold them alongside her fathers famous corn dogs. She told me that her mom was making some of her special "Strawberry cake with cream cheese" icing for tomorrow. I was already impressed (and very hungry) but absolutely delighted when she told me that even though the sweets were marked $1.50 she only sells them for $1 :) WOW...what a deal! I ordered and ate 2 hand battered corn dogs while watching the Railroad days festival pageant from my lawn chair on the outdoor stage. Great weather, good friends, free entertainment, and good food...what more could you ask for :)
The Corn Dogs were all that I had expected! Heavier and a LOT more filling than your average mass produced modern corn dogs. The batter was rich and tasty. The texture and taste of real corn meal in a rich buttery batter surrounding a hot dog on a stick then deep fried to a golden brown perfection....mmmmm. I eat mine with a side of Ketchup and mustard for dipping. Mayonnaise was also available. I have to admit they were wonderful and served with Wendy's charming story I felt as if I was enjoying a piece of DeQuincy history itself. Im going back tomorrow for some of Virginia's Homemade Banana bread....and maybe a piece of that Strawberry cake with cream cheese icing. ;)

FESTIVAL FOOD! :) Yum

  The minute I stepped onto the DeQuincy Railroad Festival grounds, the familiar sights and smells of festivals past filled my senses with delight and brought back memories of the home town country fair I had experienced as a child. The sound of music in the air mixed with children's laughter and the low hum of friends and neighbors catching up on the latest "goings on" made me feel right at home. I took in a deep breath and savored the scene around me as I tried to decide what to do first. I decided to follow my nose through the vast array of food booths to see this years festival offerings. I walked around the fair grounds with great anticipation and I wasn't disappointed! The familiar tastes of my childhood were all there as well as quite a few new additions that sounded strange and wonderful to me. I wondered if my own daughter would come to think of the things I consider new to be her "old" childhood favorites in the years to come. The festival staple foods were all there much to my delight. Corn dogs, caramel and candy apples, cotton candy, kettle corn, funnel cakes and fresh squeezed lemonade were all on tap and ready to be enjoyed. The newer additions drew my interest as well although they did cause me to be a bit more cautious with my festival funds considering the "unknown factor". The hand battered and deep friend Wisconsin cheese stand immediately drew my attention along with the alligator sausage po boy. The Deep friend Twinkies and Oreos made me raise an eyebrow but from what I had heard they were a must try. I had made the rounds, took in the sights and smells and I was ready to dive in! I would go as far as my DQ Railroad festival budget would take me and hopefully enjoy every bite!