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Fried dough has been enjoyed for centuries in various forms, from the celebratory zeppole of St. Joseph’s Day to the doughnuts the Salvation Army distributed to soldiers during World War I. So important were doughnuts for boosting troop morale that when World War II came around, the Red Cross followed closely behind the US Army as it advanced across Europe, offering doughnuts from trucks specially outfitted with vats for deep-frying.

The post Down the doughnut hole: fried dough in art appeared first on OUPblog.

    

photo by red-head-bed-head


Go ahead, take a bite.

Yeah, I know. They're so not good for you. They're deep-fried balls of dough coated with an obscene amount of sugar, averaging at least 300 calories each. And that's not counting colored sprinkles or a dip into a luscious, velvety chocolate bath, or being shot in the middle with custard, cream, or jam.

But, OH! Who can resist a friendly doughnut? What's that? You'd prefer a honey glaze?

Okay, here then:

photo by PinkCupcake

And if you like yours filled, here's one with strawberry:

photo by GeeIJane

Oh, what the heck. Just pick what you want from the menu!



There's nothing like a warm, fresh doughnut with a cup of coffee. As soon as you bite into that soft, moist piece of heaven, it melts in your mouth, and your taste buds go into overdrive. Surely, whatever else has been troubling you disappears. There is only you, at that moment, and the delicious depth of sweet, I wanna-marry-you dough. Don't you envy policemen?

Though I've dallied with the likes of apple cinnamon, lemon-filled, and chocolate, my strongest emotional connections are with the simple, glazed doughnut. They're what I first had as a child. Whenever company came to our house, they brought along a box of yummy doughnuts with their lively talk and laughter, so I've always associated them with safe, happy times. I think the best glazed doughnuts I've ever eaten in my life were the ones from a busy little mall kiosk near my former workplace in Honolulu. They only made that one variety, but they were very large, always fresh and absolutely scrumptious.

Since living on the mainland, it's been mostly Dunkin' Donuts. Who doesn't love going into a shop on a Sunday morning and picking out a dozen favorites? Visiting in-laws in New Hampshire usually involves doughnuts, too. In fact, the very first munchkins I ever had came from a DD in Bedford. I had to grab one quick before my niece and nephews devoured them all. Those little doughnut holes are just so dang cute. Did you know they're called timbits in Canada?

But now, I need your advice. (Brace yourselves.) Though I'm a jam tart king and soup gourmand, I have never eaten a Krispy Kreme doughnut (gasp). I only first heard of them after seeing John Travolta go into that shop in "Primary Colors." It's not my fault. No Krispy Kreme shops anywhere near where I've lived. I think some of the grocery stores around here might carry them, but I want my first KK to come from a real shop -- I've been told there is something called the "Krispy Kreme experience," where you get to watch them baking those suckers, and I don't want to miss that.

       

So, are they that good? Are they worth driving a ways to the nearest shop? Or do you think Dunkin' Donuts are better, so I should be satisfied with them? Doughnut lovers, weigh in!

Dunkin' Donuts,

photo by QFamily

or Krispy Kreme?

photo by Jana Mills

This inquiring mind really wants to know.

And while we're at it, what's your favorite kind of doughnut? 

                                
Oh, and for delicious, calorie-free doughnuts, check out these picture books:

1. The Donut Chef by Bob Staake (Golden Books, 2008). A battle of the bakers is finally resolved when a little girl asks for a simple glazed doughnut. Retro/art deco illos featuring a rotund baker serve up tasty nibbles with every page turn. See Jen Robinson's review here.

   

2. The Great Doughnut Parade by Rebecca Bond (Houghton Mifflin, 2007). Truly marvelous things can happen when a doughnut is tied with a string. All the fun and cacaphony of an ever expanding parade is depicted in vibrant ink and watercolor illos, reminding us that a small thing can grow into something really big and amazing.



3. Arnie the Doughnut by Laurie Keller (Henry Holt, 2003). Delve into the depths of doughnutty-ness in this zany frenzy of a book. Hilarious asides, captions, and irresistible talking pastries rendered in trademark Keller style will make you think twice about eating your next doughnut. (Cool interview with Laurie at 7-Imp is here.)



**Hey, why not make someone's day, and surprise them with a doughnut?