Beignets, Donuts, Zeppoles and Fried Dough

[rlibkind]

Who amongst us doesn't, at least occasionally, crave hot fried dough?

It's even a religious tradition. Tonight being the first night of Hanukah, it's time to indulge in sufganiot, one of the traditional fried foods of this festival, basically a jelly doughnut. And we're only a little more than two months away from Fat Tuesday when the Pennsylvania Dutch enjoy their fastnachts.

So, who does a good job of frying dough in the Philadelphia area?

Now that he's got his heavy duty stand mixer, Bill Beck is finally making them at his eponymous Cajun Café at the Reading Terminal Market. (Photo up top.)

I've never been to New Orleans so I won't presume to make comparisons to what's offered by the finer establishments of the Crescent City at 2 a.m. to local and foreign drunkards looking to put something in their stomachs to hold down the liquor. But Bill's rendition is among the lightest hot fried dough I've ever had, which seems like an oxymoron. Not that these are low-caloric! He drowns them in confectioners' sugar, as you can see in the photo. Order them with a cup of Community Coffee (with chicory) imported from New Orleans.

For those fastnachts, I'll be making a trip to Haegele's up in the Northeast, just around the corner from Chickie and Pete's original location.

Do you have any favs for hot fried dough?

Edited December 11, 2009 by rlibkind (log)