Please read this...Does a funnel cake taste like chicken, too?
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<p class="p1">Ssssssssssooooo...I'm guessing that you, like yours truly, have made approximately 12,324 trips to the Union County Fair, which is underway this week in Anna.</p><p class="p1">And, if you have been to the fair, I am also guessing that you indulged in some of the many delicacies which can only be found at the fair.</p><p class="p1">You know. Taffy. Lemon shake ups. Barbeque. Funnel cakes. Oh, in another life, I truly did like funnel cakes. Alas, no more. And, to steal a thought from The Bard, parting has, indeed, been such sweet sorrow.</p><p class="p1">One item which I have yet to see on any of the menus at the fair would be snake. Snake on stick. Deep fried snake. Snake shake up. Funnel snake. Nope. Not yet.</p><p class="p1">You may be asking yourself at this point why such a thing would even come up for consideration. Well, let me tell you.</p><p class="p1">Last week, one of the folks who plies her craft at The Paragraph Factory received a message that a rattlesnake had been spotted in her yard. She lives in one of our neighboring counties, in a community which, apparently, is popular among rattlesnakes.</p><p class="p1">My first thought, when I heard about the presence of a venomous reptile, was – Gosh, are you going to get a picture?</p><p class="p1">She thought I was nuts. Why would an otherwise sane and rational person want to attempt to shoot a photograph of a creature which, potentially, could inflict life-ending damage to one's person, therefore putting an end to any plans which said person might have for the upcoming weekend. </p><p class="p1">I suppose she was right. Rational thought would not come into consideration for such a proposal. I suppose that was why I was ready to go straight to the yard in question.</p><p class="p1">Over the years, I've had a couple of opportunities to take pictures of some rather spectacular rattlesnakes. One fine looking specimen was even brought to my doorstep. If I remember correctly, the creature was still quivering when it arrived for a photo opportunity.</p><p class="p1">While I have taken pictures of dead rattlesnakes, I have never cooked one. Just out of curiosity, over the weekend, in between trips to the fair, I decided to look up recipes for rattlesnakes. </p><p class="p1">In honor of fair food, I thought I would share one of the recipes with you. You, just in case somebody happens to give you a pound or two of deceased, legless reptile. Here we go, with a recipe for:</p><p class="p2">SOUTHERN FRIED RATTLESNAKE </p><p class="p2">1 egg</p><p class="p2">salt to taste</p><p class="p2">1 tsp. minced garlic</p><p class="p2">1 tsp. seasoning salt mix</p><p class="p2">3/4 cup milk</p><p class="p2">1 tsp. pepper</p><p class="p2">flour</p><p class="p2">1 rattlesnake</p><p class="p1">Cut snake meat into 4 inch lengths. Beat egg and milk. Mix spices with flour in a separate bowl. Preheat deep fat fryer with cooking oil. Dip snake into egg mixture and then in flour mixture and place it in hot oil. Cook until golden brown and crispy like fried fish. Serve with french fries. Tastes like chicken.</p><p class="p1">To make Southern Fried Rattlesnake Official Fair Food, just put it on a stick. Serve with a deep fried pickle, a deep fried Snickers bar and a lemon shake up.</p><p class="p1">By the way, I added "Tastes like chicken." And, just so you know, I have consumed rattlesnake. I really have. Once or twice. And, guess what – It tastes like chicken. Really. Then again, everything tastes like chicken. Well, except maybe for funnel cakes.</p><p class="p1">(By the way, again, the picture which accompanies this column features garter snakes. I think. I have never eaten garter snake meat. I can only assume that it also tastes like...a funnel cake.)</p><p class="p1">(By the way, yet again – Just for the record, I like snakes. I am not endorsing rattlesnakes as fair fare. Like that cow on TV suggests – eat more chik'n.)</p><p class="p3"> </p>