Food...on a Stick

I'm not sure why but food mounted on wooden sticks tastes better. Steak. Delicious. Steak on a Stick...delicious squared. Cheesecake. Not bad. Cheesecake on a Stick...transendent.

Kate and I, along with her Mom, sister and two nephews went to the Florida State Fair today. Along with camels, giraffes, pigs, goats, rabbits, chickens and entire herds of cattle we found that the tradition of skewering food at fairs has survived since the days of the Renaissance.

Okay, probably not. I've watched many hollywood blockbusters, so I know that people centuries ago were not shy about eating with their hands. Sticks would have been unnecessary. The practice of running food through is likely new. But regardless, Renaissance Fairs are the granddaddy of skewered food venues. There you can get steak, sausage, cheesecake, meatballs, fried pickles, chocolate-covered fruit, cheese, and more that I know I'm forgetting, all mounted on sticks for easy eating.

I'm not suggesting that we adopt this practice year round. The novelty of wrapping relatively small hunks of food around wooden rods and then overpaying for them only works when it's enjoyed infrequently. Plus, skewering a quart of shrimp lo mein is very difficult.