By now, you must know! The annual What the Fluff? Festival is this Saturday, September 22nd, in Union Square. It is always inspiring how creative and whimsical local businesses and cooking contest participants get with their marshmallow fluff creations. So come on down and buy some fluff-themed eats! Also check out the cooking contest, along with lots of other sticky tomfoolery, like Blind Man’s Fluff, a Fluff Lick Off (!), and a Fluff hairdo contest. All the details and schedule are here. Fluff is curated and produced by our great friends at the Union Square Main Streets, by the way, with support from the Arts Council.
At 5:15, Mayor Curtatone will crown this year’s Fluff Cooking Contest victor!
This will be the 13th year of What the Fluff? and that means, in addition to musical performances, cooking contests, and Fluff-themed games, there will be lucky 13 imagery that conjures black cats, turning luck, ironic horror, illusion, fantasy, and the magical. Also new this year will be a ‘Nutter Stage’ at Union Square’s new Bow Market.
Nibble’s Fluffified Menu
If you aren’t salivating yet, here’s a sneak peak of what our Nibble Entrepreneurs will be serving at white goo showdown. (Look for us just in front of the Independent.)
Carolina Garcia (left) and Carolina Salinas (right) rocking arepas at ArtBeat Festival 2018
“Las Carolinas” (from Venezuela) will be making traditional arepas with savory options such as pulled pork, black beans, and plantains with shredded cheese. But they are also offering a Fluff arepa served with Nutella and fresh strawberries on top!
An arepa is made of a specific ground maize (corn flour) that is precooked and then dried. This flour is used to makes a dough that is formed into round disks and then pan fried, deep fried, or baked. The arepa can either be sliced open, and filled like a sandwich or topped with meat, beans, cheese, sauces, plantains, and other delicious fillings. Arepas are very popular in both Columbia and Venezuela- learn about the difference between Columbian and Venezuelan arepas in our Arepa Showdown post. But, I’m pretty sure no one in Columbia OR Venezuela is filling arepas with Fluff.
Miguel and Balbina (from Mexico) are making a Fluff, cinnamon and oats horchata, a fresh strawberry horchata, and a cactus pineapple agua fresca. Talk about beverages you don’t see around town every day!
Not familiar with horchata? It’s a delicious Mexican drink made with ground rice, sugar, water, spices, and sometimes other nuts, seeds and oats, fruits, etc. and served cold. This creamy—yet dairy free!— beverage will definitely pair well with Marshmallow Fluff! Want to know more?- Read our Ode to Horchata post.
Nibble entrepreneurs Miguel (left) and Balbina (right), and an agua fresca fan!
By Gabi Mendick
