Fat and Happy in Lancaster County, PA

President Buchanan: Cabbage Connoisseur

President Buchanan may not have been the world's best president. But he is Lancaster County's most celebrated connoisseur of pork and sauerkraut.

His favorite dish was "that simple German dish of sauerkraut," as he described it.

So each year our county celebrates our resident President's exquisite culinary sensibilites with a sauerkraut festival at Wheatland, his home near Lancaster.

It's like an arts festival with an iron-chef sauerkraut cook-off contest.  Steve Drake won last year, with a sauerkraut-spiked cake baked in a Dutch oven over a charcoal grill. 

The Kraut Fesitval is Here.  (We're allowed to say Kraut, the K word, because lots of us are Pennsylvania German.  We reclaim the name. )

Pink and Red Desserts at the Rhubarb Festival

Above: It's the 25th Annual Rhubarb Festival, today, at Kitchen Kettle Village.

Lots of people are wearing pink and red.  Because rhubarb is sort-of pink and red.

Lots of food in the rhubarb dessert contest is pink and red.  Because the Grand Prize winner gets $250.00.

Meanwhile, Lloyd Stoltzfus is helping with the horse-and-buggy rides near the dessert-judging tent.  He's a pro at posing for pictures.  I ask if he is Old Order Amish, and he is.  Must be a New-Fangled-Old-Order Amishman who doesn't mind photos.

Lloyd and I try to figure out if we are related.  We are. 

Meanwhile, Steven Fisher is busy selling lucky horseshoes for $3.00.  His sign says "They were worn by real horses." 

Steven is making a fortune with his horseshoes.  I bought one, because I need the good luck.  It seems to be working.  Nothing bad happened to me all day so far.