I pride myself on being open-minded, especially when it comes to fried foods.
The Huffington Post is not.
In fact, this weekend ‘Huff Post Comedy’ featured the slideshow “10 Things We Shouldn’t Be Frying.” It pictured an array of batter-dipped, fried foods you’ll find at state fairs and local gastro-pubs.
Some, I’ll admit, even made me cringe. Fried butter. Fried margaritas. Even fried guacamole. (Who knows? Maybe the batter hides the icky avocado texture and taste.)
But the Huff staff dissed fried pickles, comparing the taste to “a dirty bomb going off in your mouth.”
What the wha??
Clearly Huff Post needs to get their noses out of their laptops and their taste buds on top of some serious fried pickles, one of the yummiest appetizers to ever grace a paper towel-lined plate!
In New York City, I suggest visiting Ditch Plains. Their fried pickles are sliced super thin and have a light, almost tempura-like batter. They’re served with tartar sauce for dipping, but ask for ranch dressing….’cause everything’s better with a little ranch.
In Kansas City, head to Tomfooleries on the Country Club Plaza. That’s the first place I ever tried fried pickles — not in the South like you might imagine.
Their fried pickles are cut thick and have a heartier batter. You can see the spices and cheese sitting right on top. They’re served with seasoned waffle fries, too…so if someone in your group is a ‘pickle chicken,’ everybody’s happy. (Gotta love the bucket, too.)
If you live in the South, there are lots of great restaurants that serve this delicacy. Please share your suggestions in the comments section.
I doubt there will be a “dirty bomb” in the bunch!
Cultural confusion
Soft, warm pretzels with a side of spicy mustard.
And I’ve always attributed my taste for them to my German heritage.
But while working with some colleagues from Germany this past week, I learned a disturbing fact –
Germans don’t put mustard on their pretzels.
In fact, the big soft pretzels that we know and love are typically only served in the morning. With butter. If they do venture onto the lunch or dinner menu, they are paired with cheese or meat.
No mustard in sight.
And here I thought I was enjoying an offering from my homeland. But the majority of mustard, as it turns out, comes from Canada.
What’s that about?
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Posted in Commentary, Foods, Humor, Life, Restaurants, Travel
Tagged brown mustard, butter, Canada, cheese, cooking, countries, culture, Foods, German heritage, Germans, Germany, Humor, life, meats, mustard, pretzels, restaurants, Travel