MINNESOTA - Pie #23 of 50 - Rebecca Schneider
State Fruit: Honey Crisp Apple
State Grain: Wild Rice
State Muffin: Blueberry Muffin
State Mushroom: Morel Mushrooms
I have never been to Minnesota but I have big dreams about entering a pie into the Minnesota State Fair which is the second biggest in the country.
The state of Minnesota has given us many things like PRINCE (dearly beloved), Andrew Zimmern, masking & scotch tape, Wheaties, the bundt pan (this cake has a hole in it!), Bisquick and most importantly from Austin, MN the Hormel company gave us Spam in 1937. Praise be without them we wouldn't have one of my favorite foods spam musubi!
Minnesota is home to not only the Mall of America which is the size of 78 football fields but also 90,000 miles of shore line which is more than CA, FL & HI combined! It is also home to the Skyway system which connects 52 blocks of downtown Minneapolis. You can live, eat work and shop without going outside which must be a blessing during the states frigid winters. The image I get in my head is of people but as ants shuffling through endless endless tunnels.
So I went a little off the state foods and decided to make my ode to the fried foods of the state fair since MN is home to the second largest state fair in the country. Mainly the two main state fair staples corn dogs and funnel cake. This pie is a corn dog casserole pie with a corn meal crust and savory funnel cake topper! Served with mustard and ketchup of course!
This pie is for my design director at work and friend Rebecca Schneider. Rebecca was born and raised in Minneapolis, MN and goes back almost every year for the state fair which is the social event on every Minnesota natives calendar. Rebecca and I bonded on our love of all things food and our ability to drink and enjoy fine wines by the case. Our preferred unit of measure when drinking wine. I introduced Rebecca to the "team drink" while we were in Dallas so we drinks those too! I will hopefully get the chance to visit Minnesota and crash at her parents house so I can enter a pie in the state fair and get to meet Princess Kay of the Milky Way the Butter Queen of the state fair.
Honorable mention to Jak & Erin Horner and Billy French who all lived in MN. Jak and Billy in one tiny room together.
Minnesota I can't wait to explore your 10,000 lakes, eat everything on a stick and fulfilling my dream of winning a prize ribbon at the state fair!