Let the movies lead the way.

I was not expecting much snacking inspiration to come from the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical State Fair (1945), though I have been to a couple of different state fairs and I know the food to be had at such an event is often excellent (anybody out there need me to judge a homemade pickle contest?).



The other food featured heavily in the plot was mincemeat, which is one of those dishes that (like blancmange) I always thought sounded like it would be delicious when I read the name in books growing up but didn't entice me when I was met with the real thing. In the case of mincemeat, I didn't know there would be all that fruit in there.

So, I don't always like fruit and meat (I used to have a rule disallowing the pairing, which I have relaxed in recent years), but I do like all kinds of fruit in different combinations with a meal or as a snack on their own. And I was excited and inspired by the emergency snacking possibilities of wearing bunches of fruit (tastefully, always) on your dress, as modeled (using cherries) by Margy Frake (Jeanne Crain)!



And on your hat!



This is a fashion-and-snacking statement I could get behind.