The Texas State Fair is an annual event held in Dallas during the Fall, usually held some time in September and October. The Texas State Fair is the largest state fair in the US with over 2 million attendees in2010. The fair has a number of things that people of all ages can do such as see new auto products, learn about wine, learn about farming, enjoy of few rides and of course sample some great food, not just anyfood but "Fried Food". One of the biggest things at the fair over the last few years has been the various types of fried foods. We had only heard about the various fried foods but were quite amazed to see thatthey fry anything. 

The fried food is available all over the place but if you want to sample something specific, you may have to figure out where exactly that is being sold. We took pictures of the food stands and came up with all thefried products we could find. Turns out, you can have a complete fried meal - from drinks to desserts. We found so many fried things but no Fried Rice. :-)

Warning - your cholesterol and blood sugar levels may go up just by reading the list below. 

 

Mate (pronounced Maa-tey) is a traditional South American infused drink that is very popular in Uruguay and neighboring countries, particularly in Argentina, Paraguay, southern states of Brazil, south of Chile and the Bolivian Chaco. During my stay in Uruguay, I have seen everyone drinking Mate. People have it at their homes, at the office and even walking around the city.

We are currently visiting Uruguay and will be sharing some of the popular recipes and dishes from this country. Uruguayan cuisine is traditionally based on its European roots, in particular, Mediterranean food from Italy, Spain, Portugal and France, but also from countries such as Germany and Britain, along with African and indigenous mixtures. The first dish we are featuring is a local sandwich-like dish called the Chivito.  

As you can see in the picture, the Chivito consists primarily of a thin slice of filet mignon (churrasco beef), with mayonnaise, black or green olives, mozzarella, tomatoes and commonly also bacon, fried or hardboiled eggs and ham. It is served in a bun, often with a side of French fries. Other ingredients might be added into the sandwich such as red beets, peas, grilled or pan-fried red peppers and slices of cucumber.

The Chivito I had was made of chicken and had lettuce and peppers as well. The chicken and bacon seemed to be grilled with the egg making the flavors quite interesting.