Deep-fried…what?
I recently read an article that truly disturbed me. Now, before I tell you what it is, let me confess that I am no health nut. I suffer from a mild cheeseburger addiction, I can’t say no to a slice of pizza, and I’ve been known to put away more than my fair share of tacos al pastor. I especially love anything fried –well, almost anything, which leads me into that disturbing article. It was a feature from a Dallas/Fort Worth news site talking about the finalists for the Big Tex Choice Award at this year’s State Fair of Texas. Topping the list, and I kid you not, was deep-fried butter. Yes, take a moment if you need one. Deep-fried butter. Here’s the “tantalizing” description:
“100 percent pure butter is whipped ’til light and fluffy, then specially sweetened with a choice of several flavors. It is then surrounded by a ‘special dough’ and quick-fried.”
Listen, I know that state fairs aren’t exactly a bastion of healthy eating. I know very few people, myself included, who would be satisfied to wander the midway gnawing on a celery stick and handful of goji berries, but this seems ridiculous to me: gluttonous simply for gluttony’s sake. Is this the dietary path we’re on? Have we reached the point where we’re so beyond caring about what goes into our bodies that we’re ingesting the most decadent, non-nutritional, artery clogging thing we can think of? I find it somewhat unconscionable that something so grotesque and unquestionably destructive could be considered for any award (other than, perhaps, “The Best Foods You Should Never Put into Your Body” award), especially in a state (not to mention an entire country) facing a huge obesity problem.
In the interest of balancing out the scales, so to speak, I’ve scouted out some delicious suggestions from Answers users on alternative methods for preparing some of our favorite fried foods, including chicken, fish, French fries, and falafel. Here’s hoping that next year’s entries are a little more creative and a little less deadly.
What is your opinion of the latest food fad–deep-fried butter? And what healthier alternatives can you suggest for preparing your favorite fried concoctions?
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