PRINTGet your fair food fix
Six cookbooks offer treats from pretzels to pie
July 10, 2008 | 12:00 a.m. CST
The 2008 Boone County Fair runs July 21-27, and many look forward to the rides, games and food. Cotton candy, corn dogs and funnel cakes are all county-fair staples, but other favorites exist. If you are anxious to start your eatin’, indulge in one of these books. By making each snack at home, there’ll be no question of quality — an added bonus to the mouth-watering treats.
The Pretzel Cookbook: A New Twist on Everyone’s Favorite Snack $14.95
When: July 21-27 starting at 4 p.m. daily
Where: Boone County Fairgrounds, 5212 Oakland Gravel Road
Call: 474-9435
Cost: $5
By Priscilla Warren
The soft pretzel is definitely a crowd-pleaser at county fairs, especially when it’s sprinkled with rock salt and comes with cheese. The Pretzel Cookbook shows how to make these classic favorites and offers other recipes for unconventional spiraled dough. Chapters include sweet-filled pretzels, savory-filled pretzels and also “pretzels of a different flavor.” Finally are fan favorites such as the cinnamon pretzel. All you need is that soft-baked pretzel with a sprinkle of cinnamon and brown sugar.
Chili Nation: The Ultimate Chili Cookbook with Recipes from Every State in the Nation $12.95
By Jane and Michael Stern
For something a little more filling, indulge in America’s favorite meal in a bowl: chili. Every state has its signature taste, and you can find all 50 in this four-star cookbook. Recipes range from Wisconsin’s Green Bay Chili to New Hampshire’s Yankee Bean Pot Chili. Missouri adds a special ingredient to its standard Italian sausage, onion and cloves recipe. In this Mule-Kicking Hot Chili, a can of Budweiser is added.
Pie: 300 Tried-and-True Recipes for Delicious Homemade Pie $27.95
By Ken Haedrich
A county fair isn’t a county fair without pie, but these recipes aren’t just for cute old ladies. Pie has a 54-page chapter devoted to apple pie alone. It also includes recipes for summer fruit pies, rich and sweet pies, and personal-sized pies for those not in the mood to share. Look into the Jack Daniel’s Chocolate Chip Pecan Pie if you have a sweet tooth and like “a little kick in your pecan pie.”
The Ice Cream Bible $23.95
By Marilyn and Tanya Linton
What’s pie without ice cream? This book leads any home chef through the steps to create luscious frozen desserts. The reader can find an assortment throughout the chapters: chocolaty, fruity, beverage-inspired, kids’ favorites such as rainbow and cotton candy ice cream, and even European-inspired gelato. And if you are feeling a bit more adventurous than plain old chocolate or vanilla, dive into the chili honey lime sorbet.
Raichlen on Ribs, Ribs, Outrageous Ribs $12.95
By Steve Raichlen
The Boone County Fair prides itself on the BBQ contest, especially the pork ribs. This book is a celebration of meaty, smoky, fall-off-the-bone-tender ribs. “The rib is surely the most perfect morsel of meat known to man,” Raichlen writes. It even explores more unusual recipes, such as Peanut Butter Ribs. Don’t let the main ingredient throw you, these ribs are a crowd-pleaser and are inspired by the Asian tradition of using peanut flavoring and peanuts in dishes such as pad thai.
The Great American Hot Dog $12.95
By Becky Mercuri
The hot dog is somewhat of a national icon for America; Italy has its pizza, China its egg roll, and America its hot dog. This plump, juicy book features popular recipes from every state, including the classic Coney Island Dog from New York. Americans consume more than 20 billion franks a year, from the slaw dogs of the Northeast to the hot and spicy of the Southwest. If you’re looking for a twist on the classic Coney, look into Jersey’s Hot Texas Wieners, which gives spice to the term hot dog.
