OK, the Fair takes a lot of knocks at this time of year—I should know, I've doled out my share. But there are many reasons why this annual twelve-day parade of toothless carnies, drunken hooligans, unscrupulous vendors, mediocre musical acts, snake oil salesmen, hucksters, and tackily clad auslanders is the most wonderful time of the year. Just avoid the leery eye of the Ginsu salesman in the Horticulture building and you'll be OK.

1) The food: Say what you like, but the foot-longs, cheese curds, donuts, gyros, brats, cinnamon rolls, etc., all taste best devoured au pleine aire at the Fair. The gelato at the Pizza Palace alone is worth the hassle it takes to get one. Best bites all week for me are the lamb gyros in the food building, the jerk pork at West Indies Soul, the Cinnie Smith mini-cini-buns and Carl's Gizmo Sandwich.

2) Being a dad at the Fair is new for me . . . see the pic—that's Noah in the front with his buddy August in the back. This was their first time at the Little Farm Hands and Rishia and I kvelled with parental pleasure the whole time (as did Karla and Eric, August's parents). Watching Noah and August eat dirt, and put their hands into the gloves that 10,000 other kids also put on yesterday, fills us up with the kind of joy and germaphobia that only parents can understand.

3) The pols: From the T-paw to Stormin' Norman, from the Hatch-et Man to the kinder, gentler Amy K., all the candidates are at the Fair, and bless their hearts, they are accessible in a way that makes you think democracy still may work in this country.

4) After staring at some of the most frightening examples of humankind on the planet, and sitting in the Fox and KTLK booths watching the strolling hordes of oversized Minnesotans, I came home and Rishia and I watched Super Size Me, the Morgan Spurlock movie about a guy who eats Mc-D's for a month. A doctor from an elite university, an ethicist in fact, poses the question, and I paraphrase here: "Why do we hector smokers, and think that it is socially acceptable to chide them, but we never tell any fat people to go easy on the cheese curds?" As someone who is technically obese, and is trying to watch his weight and exercise more, I am sensitive to the issues, but I agree with him. Overeating is suicide, but it's like being kicked to death by rabbits—it seems harmless day to day.

As a native New Englander, nothing says “eat me” quite like a good bowl of lobster-corn chowder. This recipe may seem like a lot of work, but trust me, it goes fast and you will soon add this to your regular rotation of ‘impressive’ dinners. Serve it as an entrée, with some local farmstead cheeses, a crisp salad, and lots of crusty bread.

Lobster and Corn Chowder
2 qt. fresh fish stock (or chicken stock)
3 lobsters, 2 lbs. each
3 T. clarified butter
3 c. mixed fine-diced celery, rutabaga, leek, and onion
1 T. chopped garlic
bouquet garni of fresh tarragon, thyme, and parsley
3 T. tomato paste
1 t. Old Bay seasoning
1 c. brandy
1/2 c. white wine
6 corn cobs, peeled and kerneled, plus the kernels from those ears
1 lb. diced new potatoes
3 c. heavy cream

Bring a large pot filled with the fish stock in the bottom to a boil and steam the lobsters for 6 minutes. The meats will only be halfway cooked in some places. Cool for 15 minutes. Extract all meat from shells. Remove lungs from lobster body, reserving the bodies. Cut or break all shells into small pieces using a utility shears and a shellfish cracker. Dice all lobster meat and save all the tomalley and roe. Refrigerate meat, roe, etc. in bowl. Strain broth and reserve.

Place a large soup pot over medium heat. Add 2 T. of the clarified butter, half the mixed, diced vegetables, garlic, herbs, tomato paste, Old Bay seasoning, and lobster shells. Sauté until vegetables wilt and tomato paste begins to caramelize but not burn. Keep stirring to prevent scorching of the shells. Add brandy. When nearly evaporated, add wine. When nearly evaporated, add broth and corn cobs. When soup begins to boil, reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 1 hour. Remove cover and continue simmering for 20 minutes. Strain soup, pressing down on all the solids. Place empty soup pot back on the stove over medium heat. Add remaining butter and vegetables,the corn kernels, lobster meat and roe/tomalley products, and potatoes. Sauté until vegetables are wilted. Add the strained lobster-corn broth. Bring to a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes. Add the cream. Bring to a simmer. Cook for 5 minutes, season, and serve. Garnish with minced parsley and snipped chives. Serves 4-6.

Driving back from the State Fair after our Wednesday news shoot, I was salivating for a cheese curd. I spent all morning out at the Fair Grounds, but sadly no food booths were open. Crushing. I wanted a preview of the Tater Tot Hot Dish on Stick at Ole and Lena's down by the Horse Barn. Trust me, it will be the first thing I eat today when I get out there. I'll let you know how it is.

Here are some fun snaps from Palawan.

There is the beach we shot our closing scenes on.

The Monitor lizards that will guard your towel for a buck. Just kidding. These things are the size of magazine editors and twice as fearsome in person.

The beach we shot on is called Sabang Beach, and if you need to get away and enjoy some R and R this is the place . . . you are looking at it during the busiest time of day. My pics don't do it justice.

The shot of me in the boat is from our trip across the South China Sea to the world's longest underground river, about three miles down the coast from Sabang. The boats we took are incredibly small, stable, and thrilling to sail in, especially when you ride the surf into the hidden coves as the captain spins the craft down the faces of the swells. Almost as exciting as the smell of a mini donut on a fine August morn, the dew still on the grass in Carousel Park and the crazy throngs all angling for a chance to meet Princess Kay . . . Chacun en son gout!

With the Minnesota State Fair right around the corner, here is my final listing of all the new foods to be eaten at the fair, along with a list of my top five favorite State Fair foods.

Please come by the Fox booth in Carousel Park and say hi to me. I will be there every day shooting the news. I will also be there every Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon at the KTLK booth doing Chowhounds live from the new booth on Machinery Hill (1545 Underwood Avenue). Drop me a line, or stop by and let me know what you think of the new foods. I think the big winner will be the Tater Tot Hot Dish on a Stick—can you believe no one ever did this one before? Big loser: Hot dogs with egg and cheese—my lord, who will eat that beyond the novelty food seekers? Oh yeah, that’s me. I will try to avoid any contempt prior to investigation—it’ll be the first thing I try. See you at the Fair.

Lee Ann Chin . . . Buffalo Chix Wontons, in the Food Building
Sausage Sistazz . . . Nacho Tex Mex Sausage, in the Food Building
Marinated Lamb on a Stick . . . Lamb Shoppe, in the Food Building
Nitro Ice Cream . . . pretzel and cookie cones, in the Food Building
O’Garas . . . deep-fried, beer-battered brats, in the Food Building
West Indies Soul . . . jerk pork chop drummy, in the Food Building
Wild Rice Specialties . . . wild rice corn dog, in the Food Building
Axel's . . . deep-fried cookies on a stick, outside the Food Building
Blue Moon Diner . . . Egg bake, bug juice, popcorn bowl, Carnes and Chambers
Chicago Dogs . . . hot dog with eggs and cheese, in the Garden building
Political popsicles . . . DFL booth on Dan Patch and Cooper
Ole and Lena’s . . . Tater Tot Hot Dish on a Stick, in front of horse barn on Liggett
Sabino’s . . . pizza, in the Coliseum
Chinatown Minn . . . coconut shrimp wontons, next to Giant Slide
Custards Last Stand . . . waffle cones, under Grandstand ramp
Famous Dave's . . . Brisket Hash, east of Grandstand
Ultimate Confections . . . hot chocolate–dipped marshmallows on a stick, Grandstand
Golden’s Bagel . . . egg bagel sandwich, Dan Patch and Ligget
Jurassic Dogs . . . pizza burgers, Murphy Avenue across from pet center
Farmer’s Union . . . espresso on a stick

Corn. Not the best season for local corn from a local economic standpoint as far as farmers are concerned. Early season rains, spring chills, and the late summer drought have wreaked havoc on much of the state’s corn production. But small family vegetable farms with irrigation systems, as well as out-of-state production, have yielded fantastic sweet corn for eating. Try these recipes with your next dozen ears, and I encourage you to cut and freeze as much corn as you can this summer for enjoyment all through the winter—raw kernels freeze very well.

Roasted Corn a la Puebla

1 stick organic butter, room temperature
1 bunch organic cilantro, minced
Juice of 1 organic lime
1 organic serrano chili pepper, minced
1 t. ground organic cumin
1 t. sea salt
1/2 t. ground white pepper
1 t. dried organic oregano
1 small white organic onion, minced fine
1 clove organic garlic, minced
6 ears organic corn, leaves peeled back gently, silk removed, and leaves pulled back up to cover cobs and kernels

Combine the butter and all the ingredients except the corn in a small food processor. Pulse to combine. Lacking a food processor, you can always blend by hand. Roast corn over medium direct heat on a natural charcoal fire or gas grill until leaves have begun to blacken and the corn kernels are becoming tender. Remove corn from grill and peel back the leaves. Let cool for 5 minutes and begin basting generously with about half the butter mixture. Pull leaves back up, roast for 4-5 minutes more, and serve, passing remaining herb butter at the table.
Note: this herb butter is superb over grilled meats, poultry, fish, and other vegetables.

Summer Corn Succotash

1/2 stick butter
1 c. fresh breadcrumbs
1 c. diced onion
Several sprigs marjoram
Several pinches thyme
Several pinches chili flakes
1 c. diced carrots
1 c. diced celery
1 c. fresh fava beans or green peas, blanched
Salt and pepper
3 c. corn cut from the cob
1/4 c. heavy cream

Place the butter over high heat in a large sauté pan. When melted, pull out 2 T. and toss with the breadcrumbs. Spread on a baking tray and toast in a 350-degree oven for 6-10 minutes, until nicely toasted. Reserve. Meanwhile . . .

When butter in pan is foaming, add the onions, herbs and carrots. When caramelized, add the celery and corn, cook for several minutes, and add the cream. Cook for a few minutes more and add the beans or peas, heating them through. Season with salt and pepper. Serve, garnishing with the fresh toasted breadcrumbs.

I am barely alive today. Just back from the Philippines and grateful to be in one piece. The State Fair starts next week and it may kill me—twelve days of mad hysteria, punctuated with just enough cheese curds to keep me sane.

So here are some highlights from my in-box yesterday. I try every once in a while to let everyone in on some unique events around town or fun websites I stumble across.

Cool new website I found: jamaicatravelandculture.com, some fun recipes for food and drink.

Fugaise is celebrating its one-year anniversary and chef Don Saunders will be preparing a tasting menu on Wednesday, September 20 at 6 p.m., featuring some of the more popular dishes from the past year. There is also a giveaway for a chance to win a privately catered dinner for six, prepared by Don at a location of your choice. Nice idea.

The cost of the tasting menu is $75 with an optional wine pairing for an additional $40. See menu below and call 612-436-0777 if you are in need of a reservation. Should be a fun night.

Fugaise First Anniversary Dinner

Amuse

Scallops
Black Risotto, Black Olive Oil, Sauce Antiboise

Blue Marlin
Coriander Crusted, Fennel-Apple Ragout, Curried Mussels

Squab
“Lobster Bisque” Custard, Potato Macaire, Natural Jus

Beef Striploin
Chanterelles, Prunes, Stilton Cream

Panna Cotta
Rhubarb Consomme, Honey Tuile, Lemon Oil

Also, if you love good food and nature photography, check out the University of Minnesota's Bell Museum of Natural History is hosting a special prairie-inspired dinner by chef Michael Phillips with special guest Jim Brandenburg at the Craftsman Restaurant and Bar on Thursday, September 28, at 7 p.m. The event is part of a suite of events tied to the museum's upcoming exhibit, "Touch the Sky: Prairie Photographs by Jim Brandenburg." Guests will also receive complimentary tickets to the “Touch the Sky” exhibit premiere event on Saturday, September 30, at 7 p.m. at the Bell Museum. Tickets for the dinner $100 per person; $85 with museum membership. For tickets and more information, please call 612-626-9603.

I have a theory. The world is a schizophrenic place—there are always several realities in each country, and none are mutually exclusive. From the filth, traffic jams, and decaying urban sprawl of Manila, we finally land in the remote island province Palawan, flying right into the capital of the province, Puerto Princessa. It feels like the Philippines are supposed to feel . . . and look and sound and taste. In fact the vibe here is straight out of Somerset Maugham’s South Pacific short stories . . . ever read "Rain"? After years of searching for the sensation that civilization has really ended, I think I found it. And the best part is that modern life, and some of the comforts we associate with it (like running water), are in Puerto, but you can drive ten minutes and be in the middle of wilderness, real tropical
wilderness. I mean prowling-Monitor-lizards-and-Macaque-monkeys-following-you-around wilderness.

It has rained here for a week straight, the effect of Siaopao, the worst typhoon to come through these parts in fifty years. Palawan, sitting in the South China Sea, got the side swipe. Mainland China took the direct hit, so we feel lucky. It is still raining when we land (after two approaches), pouring, in a way that the rain only falls in the equatorial climes of southeast Asia during the rainy season. We are welcomed into this teeny town by a delegation from the local tourism ministry and driven to our hotel. We wash up, get back in the car, and head up the coast to the Badjao Seafront Restaurant.

I would rather eat a meal in a restaurant at the end of the road than at any other type of eatery I can think of. Whether it’s a Maine lobster shack, like Five Islands Lobster Company, or a beachfront oyster bar in Brittany, or at a Montauk Point fish house, or a seafood restaurant like the BSR, I am in heaven. The BSR is a mahogany and teak raft floating a quarter mile out in the South China Sea on the edge of a mangrove forest, dripping with wild orchids. The owner, Mrs. Mendoza, knows she has the best joint in town, but works doubly hard keeping it that way. We ate sautéed chicken with lemongrass and banana flower, chili crabs, grilled prawns, roasted tangigue (a mackerel local to the seas here), grilled eggplant in coconut milk with onions and lime, grilled tuna, ceviche, steamed clams, and several seaweed salads. We sucked down banana and mango purées made from fruit that was hanging from trees on the property. We grabbed dessert at a local jungle market that caters to the banana pickers and farmers in the town. The ripest fingerling bananas are rolled in coarse, locally made brown sugar and wok fried for about forty-five seconds, taken out, rolled again, and dunked back in the oil for thirty seconds more. The result is bananas Foster without the snooty waiter and tableside flambé gimmickry.

Check out the pix from the meal, the banana snack, and the views from the Baojan Seafront Restaurant. More on Palawan in later posts.

Looking for something to do with all your tomatoes? This sorbet is off the charts and can be enjoyed for dessert, or put a scoop in a large bowl of cucumber soup, gazpacho, or chilled avocado soup. And I have included my favorite tomato soup recipe as well.

Valencia Tomato Sorbet

The Sorbet
1 yellow or red bell pepper
5 lbs. farmstand tomatoes (if you can find Valencia tomatoes use those—the orange color is striking; if not, use Green Zebras)
zest of 1 lime
1 T. herbes de Provence
3/4 c. water
1 c. Sorbet Syrup (see below)

Roast bell pepper. Purée tomatoes with the pepper in a food processor, and strain through a sieve. Place purée in a large (8-quart) pot along with the lime zest and herbes de Provence. Reduce by 50 percent, or until you have 1 quart of purée. Season with sea salt and white pepper. Cool.

Take the purée and place in a large mixing bowl. Add water and Sorbet Syrup. Process in your ice cream or sorbet machine according to manufacturer's suggestion. Freeze for use.

Sorbet Syrup
4 oz. sugar
1 oz. corn syrup
4 oz. water

Bring all ingredients to a boil and let cool.

The Best Tomato Soup

* I make gallons of this stuff in the summer, and then in winter it can be creamed when you reheat it with great success.

6 lbs. mixed farmstand tomatoes, cored and halved
4 T. olive oil
1 T. fresh thyme leaves
5 basil leaves
Leaves from one 6-inch stem of tarragon
4 cloves garlic, sliced
1 jumbo yellow onion, minced fine
32 oz. chicken or vegetable stock
4 oz. Pernod

Place the halved, mixed tomatoes in a bowl and coat gently with half the olive oil. Season with some black pepper and sea salt and place cut side up in a baking tray. Roast in a 325-degree oven for 90 minutes.

Place a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the remaining oil, herbs, garlic, and onion. Sweat until onions begin to color. Add Pernod. When liquids are almost evaporated, add roasted tomatoes and stock. When mixture simmers, lower heat to maintain simmer and cook slowly for 45-60 minutes. Cool for 30 minutes. Taste for seasoning. Purée, season, and freeze or serve.

Where to begin . . . do you want to hear about the version of Manila where there is more sadness, poverty, pollution, and traffic than almost any other place in the world that I have ever visited? Or do you want to hear about the Manila where the privileged elites live behind walled compounds with private mercenaries guarding them and spend their days working in high-rise office towers and their afternoons shopping at Prada? Amazing world we live in. I cannot wait to get to Palawan this weekend, an island paradise where rich and poor all share the same realities of daily life. Manila has beaten the pants out of my high spirits. But I digress.

Here are some random snaps and some thoughts for each:

Jeepneys are the most popular form of transportation in the Philippines. You hop on, pay the driver based on the distance you will travel and hop off. Every Jeepney driver tricks out his ride in their own way. (My cameraman Mike suggested a new reality show that we could do here, Un-Pimp My Ride.) The style and name are a holdover from the American occupation and the surfeit of Army jeeps that we left behind. Funny, but the Spanish were here for 500 years and you can't find a trace of their footprint anywhere except for a few oddball recipe holdovers and the crumbling walls of Intramuros. The Americans have been here for sixty years and we there are more KFCs per capita than there are back home. Go figure.

Mayors are a dime a dozen, there are more office-holding politicians in this country than there are potable water sources, and every town and village we go to insists that the Dept of Tourism honchos bring us by to get the key to the city, and kiss some babies, so that is how we start each day. The guy in the red shirt is the mayor of Agnonon.