Well that name get her voted in by the S. Texas folks cuz there is a town down there near the S. River named Donna...or similar. I been there. This might just work
My left wing big brudder sent me this write up about a deal in Throckmorton. TX. Real small little town down sorta Southwest of here. That is where Bob Lilly is from if you ever heard of him. This started out with pics but they got lost in the shuffle. Give you a little taste o Texas. Sorry its so largish.
bigwheel
(copied and pasted)
From calf fries to armadillo
Friday, May 22, 2009
By Cherry Young
Geniva Hudson serves up a bowl of Hawaiian jambalaya in the “Tastes Like Chicken” contest.
Come for the calf fries but stay for the armadillo.
Last weekend, Throckmorton’s World Championship Rocky Mountain Oyster Fest featured a number of more traditional cook offs including one for which it is named. But to find even more exotic fare, one should try the "Tastes Like Chicken" competition.
Friday, preceding the battles for the best brisket, spare ribs, cobbler and calf fries, contestants are challenged to serve judges with a unique dish for more adventurous foodies.
Atalie McCarthy samples a slaw-covered, open-faced pork sandwich in the “Tastes Like Chicken” contest.
The award for the best is considered a "spirit" award and by spirits they mean those consumed. Of course, each entry has something to eat, but most have a signature cocktail to go with it.
A group of about four judges and eight to 10 others who just wanted to come along for the ride walked from cooking station to cooking station sampling the entries.
The first stop for me was the Great Balls of Fire tent serving grilled rabbit tacos complete with corn tortilla, avocado and pico di gallo. It was the perfect start to the competition and tasted remarkably like chicken.
Next up, Geniva Hudson served Hawaiian Jambalaya. Very tasty, though she chose not to share what was in it. I saw shrimp, sausage and another unidentifiable meat. I’m not sure why it was called Hawaiian, could have been the leis she adorned everyone with before serving.
Shortly after, we came to one of my favorite stops — the tent for team Who’s Your Daddy and Friends. Mike Weaver served up only the second to ever have been seen by man elusive, boneless, swamp turkey.
Mike Weaver carves up his entry, a smoked and stuffed boneless swamp turkey. (Photos by Cherry Young)
It was smoked to perfection and filled with a stuffing made of crawfish and rice and oozing with roux.
Next up was team Praise the Lard serving swine butt and swine fluid in the swinery. Team members were adorned with pig noses and protective masks while filling test tubes with a nearly fluorescent green liquid.
I think actor Barry Corbin best summed up swine fluid with, "It tastes like medicine."
The next team served up battered and fried Canadian moose. It tasted absolutely nothing like chicken, more like beef, but was excellently prepared.
One of my favorite dishes was a green chili venison stew accompanied by fresh squeezed grapefruit marguaritas. Several asked for seconds at that stop.
I even had real frog legs. These were not the farm-raised frog legs that you buy in the store that do, well, taste like chicken. We were told these were actual Throckmorton wild frog legs, and they seemed to have more of a catfish taste than those I’ve had in restaurants.
For the first time ever, I finally got to try pheasant. It was grilled and wonderful. I can’t believe those haven’t been hunted to extinction.
The Caddo Cookers had a sure-fire way to please the bunch with flaming chicken served with flaming Dr. Peppers. A flaming Dr. Pepper is set on fire and drunk quickly, and several in the group said it did taste remarkably like Dr. Pepper except for the burn, and I don’t believe they were talking about the fire.
When I asked, "What is the flaming chicken?" One of the Caddo Cookers took me to the side and whispered, "It is chicken." Pretty clever for a "Tastes Like Chicken" contest.
The most unusual thing I ate and also one of the tastiest was ribeye, rooter and rattlesnake wrap. I’m not sure I was even able to taste the rattlesnake amongst the steak and wild hog, but if it was in there, it was delicious.
And just when I thought I had tried bologna every way possible, I was humbled by the Pot Belly Pigs team and their chicken-fried baloney.
One gentleman presented the judges with grilled armadillo shaped like baby chicks. I abstained from the leprosy on the half-shell mostly because I was getting very full but overheard one judge say it tasted like salmon.
It seems our trek around the rodeo grounds saved the best for last, or next to last. The winning entry was armadillo balls prepared by the Corona Broads team. They were deep-fried balls that seemed like crab or some other rich meat mixed with cheese and spices.
In all, it was a great time. In fact, I had so much fun, I’m considering having my own entry next year. How does panko fried possum sound?
