Zach LarkinsSUMMERTIME - And The Livin' Is Easy
It's summertime and life slows down a bit to allow us to catch our collective breaths and prepare again for the upcoming winter. It is a time for fairs and carnivals and swimming and basking in the sun. BBQ's and drinking beer. Strolls along a beach at sunset. Rides out in the county to rediscover small towns and out of the way restaurants. Shopping for antiques, stopping beside a waterfall to take in its majesty. Having a salad for dinner instead of a heavy 4 course, hot meal. Sitting outside on the patio, watching a sunset instead of the drek that is summer re-runs on TV.
We start the summer off here with various food festivals. The major one is our Carrousel of Nations. All over the city, different ethnic groups gather at their clubs and cook up a storm and then invite the public in to taste their wares. Thai, Japanese, Chinese, Slovakian, Macedonian, Greek, Italian, German, Hungarian, English, Scottish, Irish, West Indian, Native Canadian/American, you can easily gain more than a couple of pounds if you make the grand circuit.
They provide some entertainment while you eat and a good time is had by all. But you have to plan your routes. The Slovakian pavilion always causes us grief. They have the best pastries anywhere, bar none, and we always walk away with a scoff of food that will last us well into next month. Trouble is, a lot of their stuff has cream in it and you don't want that sitting in your hot car all day as you make your journey. On the other hand, if you're not there first thing in the morning, you've snoozed and thus losed. I know that's not a real word, but I had to make it rhyme, didn't I? Anyway, we'll go down, get our swag bag of goodies and then go straight back home to put it in the fridge before heading out again.
The Polish hall has great sausage and sauerkraut and their club has a plethora of historical items that would qualify it to be a museum. It's interesting to learn of different cultures, see the history of what these people endured when they first set foot here. To see their native costumes and folk dances. To taste their food the way it should be prepared, not the way the recipe in your cookbook tells you to do it.
The German club has a great beef stew that really is a bit heavy for summertime, but it is to die for. And you can always pick up some authentic apple strudel on your way out. The English club is not confined to fish and chips. It boasts some fine roast beef, with Yorkshire pudding and mushy peas (my wife loves mushy peas) and beers you've never heard of. Get an authentic Hungarian goulash at the Hungarian centre and it comes with the biggest piece of bread for dipping that you've ever laid your eyes on. The Macedonians have some grilled goat meat sausages that are great and their pastries rival those of Slovakia. The Italians will top spaghetti with just about anything and it's fun to look for weird and different toppings. A word of caution here. Get one plate and share it with your significant other. It is way too much for one person to eat a serving alone. The Asians will show you what fun spring rolls are (and not greasy, either), what steak kew is all about, and how to truly enjoy Peking duck. The Native Canadian/American booths will serve you game meat, moose, buffalo, deer and sometimes bear. It may take a brave person to try these dishes, but I love them all.
After the Carrousel of Nations, we move onto the long weekend carnivals. These are mainly to separate parents from their money as the kiddies clamour for rides on the roller coaster or dodge- 'em cars. But you can find some pretty good, greasy hamburgers, smothered in onions here. Hot dogs are a favourite and who can resist the cotton candy? Still hungry? Get an ice cream cone. These things are so big, you need at least two napkins to wipe the spills off your hands. You just can't eat one fast enough to avoid drips.
Next we have the classic car shows. They are usually parked along the main drag of a small town and you stroll along, looking at them, taking pictures, reminiscing about the cars you've owned in the past and finally settle down in the shade of a sidewalk cafe, sipping a beer and getting into some serious people watching.
Summertime comes to an unofficial end just before Labour Day. Our Corn Fest has been an ongoing concern since time immemorial and it is worth the drive to partake in this ritual. There are the obligatory booths set up to sell you everything from tie-dyed T-shirts, to tatoos to skirts, belts and jackets. There is always a band playing and you can sit and tap your toes in time to the music, or you can get up and dance. Nobody really cares. But the highlight of the Fest is the corn. Fresh corn on the cob. At $1.50 a cob, the wife and I pig out. I don't like butter on my corn, but she does and always makes a mess of herself by the time she's chowed down three cobs.
It's a wonderful time of year and we look forward to it every year. What's going on in your neck of the woods? What are some of the summer activities you look forward to? Let me know.
We start the summer off here with various food festivals. The major one is our Carrousel of Nations. All over the city, different ethnic groups gather at their clubs and cook up a storm and then invite the public in to taste their wares. Thai, Japanese, Chinese, Slovakian, Macedonian, Greek, Italian, German, Hungarian, English, Scottish, Irish, West Indian, Native Canadian/American, you can easily gain more than a couple of pounds if you make the grand circuit.
They provide some entertainment while you eat and a good time is had by all. But you have to plan your routes. The Slovakian pavilion always causes us grief. They have the best pastries anywhere, bar none, and we always walk away with a scoff of food that will last us well into next month. Trouble is, a lot of their stuff has cream in it and you don't want that sitting in your hot car all day as you make your journey. On the other hand, if you're not there first thing in the morning, you've snoozed and thus losed. I know that's not a real word, but I had to make it rhyme, didn't I? Anyway, we'll go down, get our swag bag of goodies and then go straight back home to put it in the fridge before heading out again.
The Polish hall has great sausage and sauerkraut and their club has a plethora of historical items that would qualify it to be a museum. It's interesting to learn of different cultures, see the history of what these people endured when they first set foot here. To see their native costumes and folk dances. To taste their food the way it should be prepared, not the way the recipe in your cookbook tells you to do it.
The German club has a great beef stew that really is a bit heavy for summertime, but it is to die for. And you can always pick up some authentic apple strudel on your way out. The English club is not confined to fish and chips. It boasts some fine roast beef, with Yorkshire pudding and mushy peas (my wife loves mushy peas) and beers you've never heard of. Get an authentic Hungarian goulash at the Hungarian centre and it comes with the biggest piece of bread for dipping that you've ever laid your eyes on. The Macedonians have some grilled goat meat sausages that are great and their pastries rival those of Slovakia. The Italians will top spaghetti with just about anything and it's fun to look for weird and different toppings. A word of caution here. Get one plate and share it with your significant other. It is way too much for one person to eat a serving alone. The Asians will show you what fun spring rolls are (and not greasy, either), what steak kew is all about, and how to truly enjoy Peking duck. The Native Canadian/American booths will serve you game meat, moose, buffalo, deer and sometimes bear. It may take a brave person to try these dishes, but I love them all.
After the Carrousel of Nations, we move onto the long weekend carnivals. These are mainly to separate parents from their money as the kiddies clamour for rides on the roller coaster or dodge- 'em cars. But you can find some pretty good, greasy hamburgers, smothered in onions here. Hot dogs are a favourite and who can resist the cotton candy? Still hungry? Get an ice cream cone. These things are so big, you need at least two napkins to wipe the spills off your hands. You just can't eat one fast enough to avoid drips.
Next we have the classic car shows. They are usually parked along the main drag of a small town and you stroll along, looking at them, taking pictures, reminiscing about the cars you've owned in the past and finally settle down in the shade of a sidewalk cafe, sipping a beer and getting into some serious people watching.
Summertime comes to an unofficial end just before Labour Day. Our Corn Fest has been an ongoing concern since time immemorial and it is worth the drive to partake in this ritual. There are the obligatory booths set up to sell you everything from tie-dyed T-shirts, to tatoos to skirts, belts and jackets. There is always a band playing and you can sit and tap your toes in time to the music, or you can get up and dance. Nobody really cares. But the highlight of the Fest is the corn. Fresh corn on the cob. At $1.50 a cob, the wife and I pig out. I don't like butter on my corn, but she does and always makes a mess of herself by the time she's chowed down three cobs.
It's a wonderful time of year and we look forward to it every year. What's going on in your neck of the woods? What are some of the summer activities you look forward to? Let me know.
we have an international horse show out here at The Del Mar Fairgrounds, and I'm looking forward to attending that!
But the Fair isn't all about horses, it has a livestock shows, dog shows, every kind of food imagainable and rides for the kids...
They also have live stages shows by some pretty good musicians, and lots and lots of serious fun to be had there...It's the biggest fair here in Southern Calif. and trust me buddy I'll be right in the thick of it...
LOL
They also have a great variety of things to do there, from flower gardens to bumper cars to you name it...
But of course I go for the Grand Prix equestrian events...they're world class venues and most everybody within driving or flying distance shows up...
Gotta be there at like 5am or ya won't get a seat...
*Snicker*
And yeah, the backyard bbq'ing always goes on at my house...lots of bad things to eat and ice cold beer to wash it down with...I'm sure by the time summer is over I'll have gained 10 pounds...
LOL
Sounds like there's a lot to see up there in canuck country too! May havta make a trip up there and see it someday...
Great read buddy!
Take care,
Nick
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Your Carousal of Nations description had me drooling down the front of my shirt.....
hey, don't be knockin tractor pulls and stuff there buddy, I'm from Iowa remember...and that's about all there is to do besides barn dances every now and again...
LOL
We have a corn festival every year and covered bridge days too so yeah...don't be knockin that small town stuff!
Take care my friend,
Nick
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