Fletcher’s sells 550,000 corny dogs at Texas fair

American food traditions have been shaped by both early home cooking and entrepreneurial food businesses. Amelia Simmons’s 1796 American Cookery helped establish a distinctly American cookbook tradition, with recipes that influenced foods associated with Thanksgiving. A new guidebook traces the beginnings of 50 fast-food and fast-casual chains, spotlighting the modest locations and persistence behind brands such as McDonald’s, Pizza Hut and KFC. At the State Fair of Texas, vendors continue to develop inventive new treats for the Big Tex Choice Awards, while Fletcher’s Original Corny Dogs exemplifies the enduring appeal of tradition: the family says it has kept its original recipe and handmade preparation since introducing the food at the fair in 1942.