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Alaska State Fair in pictures

August 26, 2014 11 Comments Filed Under: Uncategorized

The State Fair is the equivalent of the British agricultural show or county fair. Most US states have them, generally in late August or in the autumn. It’s a mix of fun fair, country fair, and food festival. In Britain fun fairs tend to have very limited food, maybe a candy floss stall, some toffee apples, a pedestrian burger and hot dog stall. Country/county fairs may have cakes and jams to add to that mix. The US State Fair has a glorious selection of food stalls, enough to shame any food truck/street food festival in Britain. This state fair in Palmer, Alaska, an hour north of Anchorage, is visited by virtually the entire population of Alaska, all 750,000 of them. You may even get to see Sarah Palin, she makes an annual visit. (But she’s mostly resident in Arizona nowadays). As well as at least 100 different food stalls, there are crafts and music, dog trials, a carousel powered by real horses and things that look odd to the British eye. For instance, the anti-abortion stall, sometimes with graphic pictures, political candidates stalls, and a stand hosted by the NRA, the National Rifle Association where I could have entered a ten dollar lottery to win a gun. But if any state remains true to the original pioneering American grit, it’s Alaska. Hunting, shooting and fishing is a way of life. Alaskans are outliers.

Giant Alaskan vegetables such as a 100 pound cabbage
Although the Alaskan growing season is short, about three months, the long summer days, with the midnight sun, means that the growing is intense. Sometimes the vegetables are enormous, such as this prize winning giant 100 pound cabbage.
Alaskan berries, State Fair, Alaska

 Alaskan berries. Like Scandinavia, they have a huge variety of berries; blueberries, salmon berries, cranberries, huckleberries, blackberries, cloudberries, rose hips.

Different varieties of Alaskan apples
 Different varieties of Alaskan apples
Geese breeders, Alaska, Muslims in Alaska
 This couple breed geese. I stroked them, so soft. I also found out that the word for ‘duvet’ in American is ‘comforter’.
Judging the Alaskan seafood competition, Alaska state fair
 Judging the Alaskan seafood competition with Alaskan Olympic cross country skier Kikkan Randall next to me, chef Naomi Everett, chef Jason Porter of the 7 Glaciers restaurant. Chef Kevin Lane won with his incredible skill with Alaskan seafood, particularly the outstanding Black cod with black garlic aoili. 
Birch syrup, Alaska State Fair
 Birch syrup comes in different grades. It is even rarer and more costly than Maple syrup.
Rhubarb lemonade and peanut potato fries, Alaska State Fair
 Tart but sweet rhubarb lemonade and ‘peanut’ potato fries. One of the best things I ate.
Elephants ear, Alaska State Fair
 Elephants ear snack, a crispy sopalilla type fried dough, sprinkled with sugar. 
Funnel cake, Alaska State Fair
 Funnel cake.
Funnel cake, Alaska State Fair
 Funnel cake, sprinkled with sugar.
White rat roulette, Alaska State Fair
 White rat roulette; a white rat is underneath the cushion. The table is spun. You place your your bets on the colour down which hole the rat will run down. 
White rat roulette, Alaska State Fair
 Here’s the rat! The rat wouldn’t move so they cheated a bit by tapping on a colour, which the rat responded to. Still, people are only betting a quarter.
Deep fried prawns, popcorn shrimps, Alaska State Fair
Popcorn shrimp, deep fried battered prawns
Popcorn shrimp stall, Alaska State Fair

chowder in a bread bowl, Alaska State Fair
 Clam chowder in a bread bowl.
Fried halibut, halibut sandwich stall, Alaska State Fair
 One of the most popular foods is the halibut sandwich, at this stall.
Halibut and chips, Alaska State Fair
Halibut and chips. So fresh, so crisp.
Corn dogs, Alaska State Fair
 Corn dogs, hotdogs covered with a cornmeal batter, eaten on a stick. A typical State Fair food.
Baked potatoes with icecream scoops of cream cheese and whipped butter, Alaska State Fair
 Baked potatoes with icecream scoops of cream cheese and whipped butter. Moan.
Dog trials, Alaska State Fair
Sheep dog trials, they also had huskies.
Right to life stand, Alaska State Fair
 Right to life stand.
Blacksmiths, Alaska State Fair
 Blacksmiths stall.
Cowgirl, Alaska State Fair
 Alaskan Cowgirl.
Cream puffs, Alaska State Fair
 Outrageous cream puffs. 
Shucking oysters, Alaska State Fair
 Shucking oysters. 
Oysters, Alaska State Fair
 Oysters with hot sauce, jalapeños. 
Reindeer sausage stall, Alaska State Fair
 Reindeer sausages, Reindeer hot dog, Buffalo bratwurst.
Huskie training, Alaska State Fair
 Huskie training.
Pork chop on a stick, Alaska State Fair
 This was one of the most popular food stands, pork chop on a stick. I don’t eat meat, but I appreciate any food on a stick. I did a whole supper club called ‘On a stick’.
Fried cheese curds, Alaska State Fair
 Fried cheese curds. This is very popular in Canada too.
Corn on a cob, Alaska State Fair
Food signs, Alaska State Fair
Wild hair, girl with pink hair, Alaska State Fair
There were stalls where you could get ‘wild hair’, sprayed into shapes and coloured. 
Funnel cake stall, Alaska State Fair
 Funnel cakes, root beer floats.
Waffle fries, Alaska State Fair
 Waffle fries.
Horse drawn carousel, Alaska State Fair
 A carousel drawn by actual horses.
Guns for charity sign, NRA stand, Alaska State Fair
Donate your gun to a good cause! NRA stand.
wine bar in a chapel, Alaska State Fair
 Wine bar in a chapel.
Donut burger, Alaska State Fair
 Donut burger! 
Cheese fries, Alaska State Fair
 I come here every year for the cheese fries, said this guy.
wax hands, Alaska State Fair
 Couples have their clasped hands enrobed in wax for posterity.
Dipping a wax hand in coloured wax, Alaska State Fair
 Dipping the wax hands in coloured wax.
Wax hand stand, Alaska State Fair
Child with 'wild hair', Alaska State Fair
Wild hair and face painting, Alaska State Fair
Wild hair and face painting. All the fun of the fair.

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Comments

  1. Tansy'sKitchen

    August 26, 2014 at 4:58 am

    I love this tour of the state fair . As a cook and a food lover this is exactly what I want to see when I travel. So much more exciting than a gallery or museum for me . Your pictures and your lovely way of seeing bring it to life. I have had elephant ear from a truck in the middle of a dusty road in Arizona . Birch syrup i have never heard of what is it? Are you bringing any home .

    Reply
  2. theundergroundrestaurant

    August 26, 2014 at 5:47 am

    Birch syrup is similar to Maple syrup.They tap the tree and evaporate the sap. It's delicious.
    thanks for commenting Tansy

    Reply
  3. Cate Lawrence

    August 26, 2014 at 8:30 am

    What a fascinating fair, such interesting food, if heart attack on a plate 😉

    Reply
    • theundergroundrestaurant

      August 26, 2014 at 2:41 pm

      Yes the emphasis was on fried foods. However in Alaska you need your fat!

      Reply
  4. Elinor Hill

    August 26, 2014 at 11:00 am

    Oh my word Kerstin, I would happily eat the lot and be moaning and groaning about a full tummy! Great food tour. Love it. Elinor x

    Reply
    • theundergroundrestaurant

      August 26, 2014 at 2:41 pm

      You need days to eat it all. The fair lasts 10 days but I only had one. The peanut fried potatoes were a thing of beauty.

      Reply
  5. Puss N Boots

    August 27, 2014 at 9:24 am

    Will you publish your version of peanut potatoes when you come back? Xx

    Reply
    • theundergroundrestaurant

      August 28, 2014 at 11:31 pm

      Peanut potatoes seem to be a bit like pink fir potatoes, peanut shaped rather than flavoured. They were soft inside with crispy flavoursome skins, yummy.

      Reply
  6. hroodgar

    August 28, 2014 at 9:08 am

    Fascinating photographic account of your Alaskan journey. I learnt that huckleberry is not just a name made up by Mark Twain. What does it look like and how do you eat it? Wild Hair and Wax Hands could be features in themselves. Try to get published in a colour supplement. Post some pix on Facebook.

    Reply
    • theundergroundrestaurant

      August 28, 2014 at 11:30 pm

      A huckleberry, something I tasted and saw for the first time a couple of days ago, is a small red berry. It's very sweet. I guess you just eat it like any other berry! I will find out.
      Thanks for your comment, would love to be published in a colour supplement!

      Reply
  7. Judy Thorssin

    September 3, 2019 at 7:05 am

    What are we going to do now the fair is over? Best 10 days ever!!!

    Reply

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MsMarmiteLover aka Kerstin Rodgers.

Chef, photographer, author, journalist, blogger. Pioneer of the supperclub movement.

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My next supper club 17th June london tickets £50 My next supper club 17th June london tickets £50 BYO book here: https://msmarmitelover.com/product/midsummer-supper-club-tickets-june-17th #london #supperclub #msmarmitelover #midsummer
For tonight’s event I had to push the boundaries For tonight’s event I had to push the boundaries. Here is how to prepare goose neck barnacles or percebes which are a very expensive and rare delicacy, hunted down from cliffs. It’s quite dangerous to forage them. #canapes #eventcatering #satanicfood #percebes #grossfood #seafood #devilsfood
Midsummer supperclub 17th June book tickets here h Midsummer supperclub 17th June book tickets here https://msmarmitelover.com/product/midsummer-supper-club-tickets-june-17th at London’s pioneering supper club. Tickets £50 BYO. Scandinavian inspired summery food. #supperclub #msmarmitelover #midsummer #northwestlondon #londonevents #popups
Tina sweating through a gig at Brixton academy cir Tina sweating through a gig at Brixton academy circa 1987 pic: kerstin Rodgers #rip #tinaturner #rockphotographer #kerstinrodgers #teenagephotographer
Attended an incredible talk with @frenchpete_1 on Attended an incredible talk with @frenchpete_1 on war photography in the Ukraine . Go to the exhibition @thebppa @thebargehouse in SE1 last few days 
Had to stop filming cos I was told off. The photographers would be less forthcoming if they were filmed I was told. 
Anyway @frenchpete_1 should be followed by a camera crew cos he’s a star.
For yesterdays lunch I made a blue cheese puff pas For yesterdays lunch I made a blue cheese puff pastry quiche and a little one with less blue cheese & no salt for my 7 month old granddaughter. She absolutely loved it. I’m enjoying seeing her experience and explore new foods with baby led weaning. Avocado, strawberries, kiwi & buttered crumpets are a hit. Pasta less so. Who is this child? Are we even related? #babyledweaning #quiche #homemadepuffpastry
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My terrace on a sunny May morning. The builders @l My terrace on a sunny May morning. The builders @lk.general.building left yesterday. They’ve been working since January. I had the awning installed, the encaustic Minton tiles removed and put back with green grout. The terrace was causing damp so this had to be done. My calamondin plant is looking lovely. The benches which I repaired with hard wood & I repainted using a mix of 2 colours. The marble table I bought in Suffolk at a car boot. Everything is still dusty & I’m waiting for the window cleaner to arrive.
Last but very heartfelt thankyou to @cideriswine f Last but very heartfelt thankyou to @cideriswine for their contribution of these beautiful dry ciders for the coronation street lunch. Gorgeously illustrated labels. #stcuthbertsrd #kilburn #london #cider #artisanaldrinks
When it comes to vodka I much prefer potato vodka. When it comes to vodka I much prefer potato vodka. It’s smoother. Artisanal distillery @devoncovevodka contributed some bottles to my coronation lunch which gave everyone a feeling of being at a classy party. Thanks so much. And also @rawfoodanddrink for arranging. If you want to read my blog post about how and why I organised this event, copy and paste this link: https://t.co/GWNNW2XKba #coronationstreetparty #biglunch #community #kilburn #london #forthepeoplebythepeople
I’ve been a fan of @luscombedrinks for years now I’ve been a fan of @luscombedrinks for years now. They sent a selection: elderflower bubbly, st. Clements orange 🍊 Sicilian lemonade, @belvoirfarm_uk lemonade, which were all delicious and just the tickets for the fortuitous mini-heatwave that occurred on the Sunday coronation lunch. #thankyou #community #coronation #streetparty #biglunch
Our street party. Double page spread in The Sun! T Our street party. Double page spread in The Sun! Tiny bit in the guardian. Decent pic in the Mail and The Star credit @asproider #coronationlunch #kilburn #stcuthbertsrd #kingscroftrd #fordwychrd #templarhouse
My coronation quiche with Broad beans, tarragon, s My coronation quiche with Broad beans, tarragon, spinach, cheddar. I used crème fraiche and blind baked puff pastry shells. I was up at 11 last night making these for todays street party, which featured in the mail, telegraph, mirror, metro courtesy of photographer Gavin Rodgers @asproider
Seaweed foraging at Spring tides in the Outer Hebr Seaweed foraging at Spring tides in the Outer Hebrides with @outerhebrideanforager Fi bird. She’s cutting sea spaghetti. I drove my campervan @camperdays.international from london to the Hebrides- using my gas stove to cook foraged and local ingredients. A real food safari. With the sea spaghetti I made a sea spag vongole with giant parlourdes picked up from the sand at the same time. Great fun, beautiful weather and, the day of the full moon, a wonderfully low tide. This was on south Uist.
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