Minnesota State Fair - de gustibus non disputandum

There is no argument about tastes when it comes to the Minnesota State Fair -- you will find just about every expression of tastes known in every corner of the world.

Jan and I attended the Minnesota State Fair on September 4 and 5, 2009 and decided to try some favorite Fair foods and some new ones. Pictured above you will find us munching on deep fried pickle slices, one of the new tastes. We also enjoyed battered cheese curds (both white and yellow Cheddar), hot dogs on a stick (Pronto Pups with flour batter, beef and wild rice corn dogs with corn flour batter), gelato, apples and honey taffy. The foregoing are on-the-go foods; in addition we enjoyed hamburgers and chicken wraps with fries and chips at dinner with my sister, Barbara and her husband, Jim, and on Saturday, bratwurst and kraut.

We passed over a whole lexicon of other available tastes, from hot dish on a stick to deep-fried candy bars, from elk burgers to spaghetti to meat balls on a stick, from Spam curds to deep-fried banana splits. There is no way to sample all of these delights in just two days.

Beyond the fun we had with the culinary excursions, we visited almost every corner of the fairgrounds under beautiful blue skies with moderate temperatures. The highlight of Friday evening was the grandstand show featuring the taping of this week's edition of "The Prairie Home Companion" with Garrison Keillor and ensemble. The show was great (including an audience sing-along during intermission) and ended with always-appreciated fireworks display.

On Sunday, September 6 we will begin the trek back to New Jersey, celebrating Labor Day on the road. And who knows what new tastes await on the journey back?

Vacation 2009 - Part II

After two uneventful travel days from New Jersey to Minnesota, we headed north to our place on Hammal Lake in Aitkin County. With us were my brother, Leonard, and his wife, Jolene, and my daughter, Alissa, and her husband, Allen Streitz. (Pictured above on my brother's pontoon boat is Leonard, Jan, and Allen in the back seat) We spent 2 1/2 days fishing, feasting and just relaxing.

Fishing from a pontoon boat is luxurious. It is stable, so one can stand, walk around, or sit without any threat of it tipping. One can bring extra gear, tackle and clothing without feeling crowded. The general modus operendi was to troll -- moving slowly by motor around the lake with fishing lines attached to lures and trailing behind. As a fish takes the lure, one reels it in, shows it off, removes it from the lure and returns it to the lake. This "catch and release" method maximizes the fun and minimizes the work.

Jan and I had great success. We caught and released at least 30 fish each during the 2 1/2 day period. Most were pickerel, but I caught one bass and Jan caught one perch. My biggest thrill was hooking a small pickerel and discovering, as I reeled it in, that a much larger pickerel had grabbed it. Just as I was to lift both into the boat, the smaller one shed the hook and dropped back into the lake, still firmly in the jaws of the larger one.

That part of the vacation is complete. Tomorrow -- the Minnesota State Fair!