Sausage and peppers heroes are big in New York.  Really big.  Not just in New York City, but all over the state, and especially at the New York State Fair.  When Rick Lazio was running for the senate, he professed a lack of enthusiasm for sausage and peppers sandwiches at the state fair.  As soon as word got out, his opponent Hillary Clinton rushed up to the fair to eat sausage and peppers heroes.  Some people think this was key to his losing the election.  Whether that’s true or not is certainly debatable, but nonetheless no statewide candidate since has dared pass up the opportunity to be photographed enthusiastically stuffing sausage and peppers into her or his maw.

The 162nd (!) Great New York State Fair (that’s what they call it) takes place in Syracuse beginning Thursday, August 21st, and running through Labor Day, September 1st.  Besides the obligatory Italian sausage, other fair favorites include that local upstate delicacy Cornell chicken, which is marinated in an eggy and herbed vinaigrette and then cooked over a fire (so named because a Cornell University professor devised the recipe).  A common side dish is salt potatoes, which are small potatoes boiled in heavily salted water and served in a pool of melted butter.  You can also find the Binghamton specialty called spiedies, which are skewered, marinated, highly seasoned meat chunks cooked over charcoal.  Dinosaur Barbecue always has a stand, and it’s a fair favorite.  There’s New York State wine available at the fair too.

There are two other choice items for many fair visitors: milk and baked potatoes.  The dairy cows at the fair are milked twice daily.  That milk is sent out to be processed, and then returned to the fair to be sold for 25 cents a cup as white or chocolate milk in the dairy building.  There’s always a long line.  The baked potatoes from the state potato or dairy marketing something-or-other used to be given out for free, if we remember correctly.  They now run a dollar a piece, with butter, sour cream, or cheese, and there’s always a line.

The concert lineup is headed by Rascal Flatts and Toby Keith.  For lovers of 70’s and 80’s rock, you can also check out Journey, Heart, Cheap Trick, Def Leppard, ZZ Top, Boston, Styx, Asleep at the Wheel, The Spinners, Joan Jett, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Eddie Money, Poco, and Ted Nugent!  See the fair website for details.