Culinary creations remain a major Big E attraction

Date: 8/25/2016

WEST SPRINGFIELD – An essential part of the Big E experience is the food offered by the dozens of vendors and there is always something new.

This year is certainly no exception as seen at this year’s preview event. Area media gathered at the Storrowton Tavern to see what new dishes will be offered this year by restaurateurs. The old rule is true: offer reporters free food and they will come.

Sometimes the items not only present new flavor, but a bit of a challenge: consider “The German Giant,” an 18-inch bratwurst on a bun smothered with sauerkraut. The Student Prince will be making its first Big E appearance with its “Wurst Haus” booth. The centerpiece is the massive bratwurst, but also on the menu will be the “Munich Corn Dog,” a Germanic twist on a fair favorite, fried Camembert cheese and naturally, beer, served in a 28-ounce glass boot.

This reporter tried a slice of the bratwurst and found it to be delicious.

Also delicious was the Blueberry Pierogi Sundae. Joe Deedy of Moolicious in Southwick explained his shop had wanted to do something with the blueberry pierogis made by Millie’s Pierogis in Chicopee. The engineering challenge was how to create a fair dish that allowed a customer to eat a pierogi without trying to cut it with a spoon.

Deedy said the answer was taking a blueberry pierogi, placing it in an ice cream cone, putting on layers of vanilla ice cream, blueberries and whipped cream. He explained as the fair goer eats the cone, the pierogi could be consumed without a utensil.

EB’s of Agawam had a winning offering in its fried Shepard’s pie and hopes lightning will strike with its fried bacon mac and cheese. Courtney Bussiere explained balls of macaroni and cheese are coated with panko breadcrumbs, fried and then topped with melted American cheese. The result? How could you go wrong with mac and cheese, bacon and then more cheese?

Storrowton Tavern is offering its “dessert ball,” a puff pastry filled with ice cream and topped with chocolate sauce and whipped cream. Donald Calvanese of Storrowton Tavern said the dish reflect the taverns’ effort to present simple but delicious food.

Kris Barletta of Poutine Gourmet said this was his first appearance at the fair and that he would be brining the authentic French Canadian food to it. For the uninitiated, Poutine is French fries covered in cheese curds and topped with light brown gravy.  Barletta explained he keeps it as genuine as possible as the fries are hand-cut from fresh potatoes and the cheese curds and gravy are brought in from Canada.

He said using the original type of cheese curds “give it the texture and flavor.” The brown gray may have a beef taste, but is actually meat-free and the Poutine he serves is actually a vegetarian dish.

I’ve never tried the French-Canadian favorite and found it to be quite tasty and obviously an example of old school comfort food.

New to the Big E will be The Deep South Company offering fried chicken and waffles and muffuletta sandwiches, a favorite in New Orleans, LA.