The Great State of Texas Fair

  God I love the fair. I’ve been going since I was a little squirt and I probably haven’t missed 10 since then. I made a joke when I was speaking to the folks at my demo that I missed the 10 because I was in jail for a food poisoning incident. I don’t think they got it.

I dig Fletcher’s corny

dogs, dump that spicy jalapeno thing they started a few years ago, the BBQ thick sliced bologna on white bread old school sandwich upon which I pile past their prime white onion slices and most of the fried death items offered each year. I couldn’t find the chicken fried bacon surely instant death offering this year or perhaps this keyboard would be silent now. I went on the Fairs web site and found the food locator under the General Info tab. Next year could be deadly.

For about the last 4 or 5 years I have had the honor of working with Mr. Chad Cain, director of the IKEA Celebrity Kitchen in the Creative Arts Building. It’s his job to find chefs to demonstrate and serve samples of their fare four times a day, every day of the Fair. He not only does a great job of finding them he treats us like a King or Queen!

This guy knows how to make you feel special! You get a packet about a week before your appearance with a pass and map to a great parking spot with a sign saying “Celebrity Chefs Only” and  4 tickets for another visit. You call Chad before you get there and he meets you with a golf cart. Did I say you can bring your wife, kids etc.? He or his cohorts, all as gracious as Chad, won’t let you touch a thing, they haul all your stuff to the cart and into the Ikea Kitchen. You do your demo, they clean everything up and take you back to your car or you hang out at the Fair and they take you later. It’s awesome!

I did some pork tenderloin with my special cranberry chutney on top. I focused on trying to get people to not OVERCOOK the pork! The dish rocked and I think I converted some folks to eating pork cooked medium not well done.