Deep-fried heaven

The end of summer is almost here. It's sad, in a way, but I love fall.

Although the departure of summer and the arrival of fall leads into a time change that makes it pitch dark by 5 p.m., and cooler then just-plain-cold weather, I still love fall. Even though I complain about it being hot and humid in the summer, and cold and snowy and slippery in the winter, I like living in a part of the U.S.A. that has changing seasons.

Fall is my favorite time of year. There are still some warm days that sneak in before the first frost. I love watching leaves start to change, and then fall. As trees become bare I am reminded there is a certain beauty in the growth of a tree and the size snd shape of its branches that can only be seen when a tree is bare. I love harvest season and pumpkins and stalks of field corn. I love listening to children as they make the big decision of the season: what they will "be" for Halloween.

One of the best parts of summer and fall in the Heartland is county fairs -- and, more importantly, fair food. THE fair in the area is this week, the Canfield Fair. There's lots to see and do there, from tractor pulls and amusement rides to horse and dog shows and judging of quilts, clothes, fruits and vegetables. As far as fair food at the Canfield Fair is concerned, let's just say if they don't have it there, no one makes it. It's deep-fried heaven. There's the usual french fries and assorted deep-fried veggies, and apple dumplings with ice cream and kettle corn and corn dogs and sausage sandwiches and gyros, and . . .

Then there are the novelty deep-fried items like fried Twinkies and Oreos and dill pckles. Last year's new taste sensation -- I'm not kidding -- was chocolate-covered bacon. Yes, I said chocolate covered bacon. In theory, it sounded wrong, but in reality, it is surprisingly good. I forgot what we paid for about three strips of bacon dipped in chocolate, but it was worth a try. My sweetie, Don, and I decided to invest in what amounted to a sample of chocolate-covered bacon simply because it was a combination of two of his four primary food groups: chocolate, cheesecake, coffee and any well-cooked part of a swine. (His motto is 'no swine left behind')

The chocolate-covered bacon was good, it took care of that sweet-salt craving thing all at one time. But just due to the cost of such a small portion, we decided we probably wouldn't buy it at a fair again. We toyed with the idea of trying it at home, but never have. Besides, I have to save my fair food money until I ffind the food trailer I seek out each year -- the Johnson's Corn Dog stand.

Now, there are many fair vendors who make corn dogs, most are pretty good. None, however, can match the Johnson's corn dog. It has been a family tradition for the past several years to get only a Johnson's corn dog, ever since a friend pointed out the difference. The breading is thicker and sweeter than other corn dog brands, and -- amazingly -- actually tastes like cornbread. Corn dog: a hot dog on a stick covered in cornbread batter and deep fried to a golden brown. That's my definition, not Webster's. I like a Johnson's corn dog decorated with alternating lines of ketchup and mustard -- not mixed! It is also crucial that the Johnson's corn dog be piping hot. I've never had a cold one.

Besides the county fairs in the area, and THE county fair in the area, I also love street fairs. Two of my favorite ones in the area are in September, and Johnson's corn dog vendors come to both. So far as I know, the Columbiana Street Fair (Sept. 8, 9 and 10) and Lisbon's Johnny Appleseed Festival (Sept. 17 and 18) are my two chances to get the last Johnson's corn dogs of the fair season. After that, unless someone out there has more information, I'll get my last Johnson's corn dogs of the year, and then wait -- very impatiently -- for fair season next year. I suppose Johnson's corn dogs are like Christmas. They wouldn't be so enjoyable and worth the wait if I could have them all the time.

Corn dogs aside, I can't write a love story about fair food without mentioning some must-haves at the Columbiana Street Fair and the Johnny Appleseed Festival. Unlike the Johnson's corn dogs, there are street fair favorites only found at these two fairs. I think it is impossible to set foot in Columbiana during the street fair without buying a Legion burger or two, or three, or ten. I cannot adequately describe the Legion burger here. It must be experienced. I can only simply say it is a real burger, smothered in grilled onions. Sometimes I add a little mustard or a pickle or two, sometimes I eat it plain so I don't destroy the effect of the marriage of perfectly cooked beef and grilled onions.

At the Johnny Appleseed Festival, one can, of course buy apples and just about anything made from apples. There's apple butter -- cooked outdoors during the festival -- apple pie and apple fritters, and my personal favorite, homemade apple ice cream. Planning my trip to Lisbon during the Johnny Appleseed Festival, I'll have to plan carefully for the maximum food experience. It's football seaon, so I'll have to celebrate the start of the Steelers' season with a Polamalu burger (it has special seasonings, secret Troy sauce, and a slice of pineapple) from Ryan and Jackie and the gang at the Steel Trolley Diner. Then I'll have to walk around the festival for awhile to make room for my Johnson's corn dog (the last one of the season) and the apple ice cream -- a once a year treat.

I hope my doctor isn't reading this. I think my arteries clogged a bit while I've been writing this blog. Oh well. Once fair season is over, I'll have several months to recover before the Leetonia Fireman's Festival in May. I'll walk the dog, eat yogurt, lots of fruit and celery and carrot sticks. Once the snow flies I'll eat a lot of oatmeal. Then it will be spring, and time to return to deep-fried heaven.