Fun Food For A Cinco de Mayo Party! In Wisconsin?

Yes, Wisconsin! Wisconsin is the place to find delicious, fun food for a Cinco de Mayo party!
Come May 5th, Cinco de Mayo parties will be thrown throughout Wisconsin and not just by Wisconsin's Mexican-Americans. In fact, many Mexican-Americans chuckle at Wisconsin's enthusiasm for Cinco de Mayo parties because September, not May, is when Mexico celebrates its independence from Spain!
So why all the fuss over Cinco de Mayo in Wisconsin?

Well, the answer is not that a decisive battle was won by the Mexican rebels over the Spanish. The real answer is that Wisconsinites have a growing love of Mexican food. Mexican-American chefs have introduced Wisconsin to the delectable flavors of roasted chilies, slow-cooked pork, and complexly-flavored sauces such as mole, adobe, and green-chili.

Wisconsin is a natural adopter of gourmet Mexican cooking because Wisconsinites already have a cultured appreciation of gourmet sausage and cheeses. Chorizo, a famous Mexican, spiced sausage, is very similar to Wisconsin's own spicy bratwursts.

Two of the gourmet cheeses used in fine, Mexican cooking are asadero and queso para fundir. Last month, Wisconsin cheese-masters Dennis Schliem and Brian Zimmerman, both of Zimmerman Cheese Dairy won 1st and 2nd place for creating the world's finest asadero cheese. Steve Stettler, of Decatur Dairy, took 3rd place for his queso para fundir which competed in the same class as the asaderos. Fine cheeses and meats give Wisconsin chefs the special ingredients required to create gourmet-Mexican cuisine. Our Wisconsin gourmets take Cinco de Mayo way beyond guacamole and margaritas.

And Wisconsin loves heat. You know we crave it in the winter, and what we can't get outside we put in our food! Wisconsin is home to Stump's Hot Olives, - the absolute hottest olive ever devised. Serve the little devils on a condiment tray, in a spicy appetizer of taco roll-ups, or pop a few in your next batch of chili. Then watch your guests turn red. If they really love spicy food, then make and serve Stump's own chili recipe. That chili will be the talk of the evening!

But if you're not so adventurous and just desire gourmet, spicy salsa that adds tremendous flavor to chips and nachos, then garden fresh, smoky tomato and corn salsa is the best buy. Wisconsin is the state famous for its cranberries and Door County cherries, and Wisconsin chefs have concocted many delicious salsas from these native fruits.

So roast or grill that pork tenderloin, baste it in salsa, serve over seasoned, Wisconsin rice and you've got yourself the main features of a gourmet meal. For gourmet Mexican recipes, look to the cookbook compiled by chefs at Madison, Wisconsin's Eldorado Grill restaurant. These Mexican-American chefs offer wonderful ideas, tips, and recipes for creating fun food to serve at your Cinco de Mayo party.

Pack Picnic Foods For A Party On National Picnic Day

National Picnic Day is April 23rd. Are you ready to party?
Throw a picnic party on a Wednesday?
Why wait until a Saturday? If you have a great picnic party on Wednesday, throw it again with more friends on Saturday. Our Wisconsin weather is at last warm enough for outside parties. We can't waste these warm days. We're stepping outside to party and taking our picnic foods with us!
But it's been so long since I thought about outdoor eating. What to make? What to pack? My mashed-potato comfort food doesn't travel well.
Not to worry. So many fun foods DO travel well. Get travel foods that are easy to pack like summer sausages and crackers. Pack some Wisconsin cheese and you've nearly got yourself a meal. For something more hearty, go ahead and pack a ham. Fully-cooked, boneless sliced ham is an excellent picnic food. It's ready to eat. Just pack some great bread, and a couple of jars of mustard, and you've got gourmet sandwiches ready for the picnic table.
Or if your picnic table has a grill next to it, then bring along some bratwursts. They are always picnic food winners. Wisconsin bratwursts say, "It's party time!" Bratwursts say, "It's Summer!" Bratwursts scream, "We're having fun!" Yes, our Wisconsin bratwursts are very bold and loud when it comes to great flavor. Can't keep them quiet. And they'll get your party guests raving too.
But don't I need more than brats, bread, and cheese for my picnic?
Well yes, beer too.
"I'm not asking about beer. I want to know about veggies!" some nutrition-conscious voice might insist. So answer that concern with the delectable flavors packed in pickled vegetables. Pickled asparagus, mushrooms, green beans, and olives make tasty, healthy snacks.
Popcorn is also an excellent picnic food snack. It's light to carry, and doesn't crumble like crackers or chips. Plus it's healthier too. Popcorn comes with different seasonings so everybody can snack happily. Mixed nuts are also great picnic snack foods. They're easy to pack, and easy to munch on the bench or on the trail.
But back to the beer. Some Wisconsin parks don't allow beer. However, they do allow root beer! And you can get premium Sprecher root beer made in Wisconsin's own Sprecher brewery. Or try Blumer's old fashioned sodas for a sweet pop better than ordinary colas.
The easiest dessert on a picnic is cookies. Packed in a tin, cookies won't crumble.
Sugar cookies delight kids and adults when they're decorated with special themes. Say, get cookies with a picnic theme. They're fun.
So I think you're all set. Here are so many ideas and choices for great picnic foods that you can celebrate National Picnic Day once a week and never run out of delicious picnic party foods. So go ahead, throw the picnic party. Inspire the neighbors to throw one too and let the outdoor-party season begin!

C the Sweet Foods That Are Healthy Too!

Holidays are over but I'm still craving sweet treats. How can I wean my tongue away from Christmas cookies, cakes and candies? And why do these now-forbidden foods all start with C? Do I C a Conspiracy? There must be a sweet food that starts with C and is healthy too?!
Yes, I found one! Cranberries! Cranberries are the number one healthiest food that starts with C. At least I've read that they are. Cranberries have been found to aid the immune system, the digestive system, the circulatory system, and have been linked to lowering cancer risks. However, cranberries alone are awfully tart. These round berries are hard to pop into the mouth as is. So how will I get their healthy goodness inside my body? I'll bribe my tongue. What does my tongue want? And now we're back to sugar. Well, sweetened dried cranberries are spiked with just enough sugar to get my tongue to turn its cravings from deadly foods to healthy ones. Sweetened dried cranberries are my training wheels to healthy eating.
But what other sweet and healthy options do I have? Does chocolate count? It starts with C. Yes, chocolate counts if it's dark. I've heard that doctors recommend a serving of dark chocolate per day. How much in a serving? I'd hate to miss out on any healthy omega-3's. I'd better eat two servings to make sure I'm covered. And maybe I should cover those cranberries in chocolate.
And of course cheese starts with C. It's not sweet, but great-tasting food doesn't have to be sweet. Plus cheese is full of protein which reduces cravings and keeps me feeling full longer. Cheese is highly nutritious. Cheddar cheese curds are a triple dose of C, so they must be the best. What other healthy C foods are out there?
Chicken! Free-range, all-natural chicken is high-protein and low-fat. Plus, chicken tastes great roasted, fried, baked, sauteed, basically any way but raw. I will add lots of chicken to my new healthy C diet. Who knows, if I keep this up, I may soon be craving cauliflower and cabbage!

Gourmet Wisconsin Foods At Green Bay Packer Football Parties - Support In Style!

Where in the rule book does it say that football parties must be bowserly? ("Bowserly"? - It's an old college term meaning "uncouth".) Most Wisconsinites don't measure the success of a football party by how much beer was drunk and spilled, how many cheese curds consumed, or how much popcorn exploded from bowls during cheers for the Packers. Rather, Wisconsin gourmets measure success in guests' laughter, camaraderie and full, happy bellies.
When watching the Green Bay Packers play, Wisconsin gourmets match pride in our team with pride in our state's artisan foods. Their popcorn is a Firework's heritage variety, the cheese curds come from a championship-winning WI dairy, and the beer is a local micro-brew.
Gourmet party packs are filled with fine Wisconsin cheeses and summer sausages. The pretzels and mustard are made on WI's east shore. The crackers are original to Madison. Cookies, candies, and chocolates are made by specialty confectioners throughout our state. Party baskets combine the best gourmet foods from across Wisconsin!
For a loyal Wisconsinite to serve out-of-state food during such critical contests for our state's national standing would be a lapse in support. Our reputation for being dedicated fans is nationally-recognized and must be upheld. True, we are cheeseheads, and our cheese is artisanal!

New Year's Party Foods That Bring Good Luck As Well As Great Taste

New Year's foods that bring good luck will be in demand next week. 2009 was a rough year for so many people that folks will want to begin 2010 with as much good luck as possible. Here are some extra-lucky foods from Wisconsin.
Let's start with fish. Fish is a traditional New Year's food lucky for people, although unlucky for fish. Herring is especially lucky. Whether the herring be in cream sauce or wine sauce changes only the taste, not the fish's future prosperity benefits. Some people are squeamish about eating herring, but if they've suffered misfortune in 2009, they need those nutritious little critters now more than ever. Tell them not to worry about the flavor, one bite and they'll find out how delicious herring actually are. Herring just have a PR problem, that's all.
Another lucky food is pork or ham. European tradition has it that eating a pig on New Year's Day brings good luck because pigs are good at rooting out good things from the earth (i.e. truffles). So, perhaps the delicious smells and flavors of ham, bacon, or pork chops will bring good things to people also.
Other traditionally lucky New Year's foods are round or ring-shaped. Round foods symbolize that the seasons have come full circle. The old year is complete, - on with the new. Black-eye peas are supposedly good luck because they're round. Although people who think black-eyed peas are round have likely been sipping a little too much spiked eggnog. Last time I looked, those peas were oval. But perhaps that shape is appropriate for 2009; our troubled economy did seem to make 2009 last overly long. But better times are ahead. Everything cycles. So let's all eat well and ring in the new year with Wisconsin gourmet food!

Christmas-giving Mishaps Fixed At Wisconsinmade.com

Christmas gift-giving cheer has us giddy at Wisconsinmade.com. Customer service is busy phone-calling, emailing, typing, and chuckling as we fix customers' ordering mishaps. We'll share the best with you.
First off is the woman who called to cancel the order her cat had placed on Amazon for Wisconsinmade.com's ice cream toppings. The keyboard-dancing kitty did her own web-surfing and landed on the toppings. Thanks to the order confirmation email, her human companion got wind of the cat's shopping spree. The woman canceled the cat's order saying she did not think it healthy for cats to consume chocolate, no matter how gourmet it may be. We suggested that she could substitute the kitty treats gift basket, but the woman said no, her cat is in the dog house and will not be receiving any gifts at this time.
Another woman called to say she'd ordered a gift on Amazon, but instead of receiving our popcorn, her friend had gotten a rocket ship. "We're so sorry," we answered, "but we don't sell rocket ships so she can't return the rocket to us. But we would be happy to send the friend a gift set of popcorn." So we did. I guess that friend is going to enjoy a very explosive Christmas.
This afternoon a man called to say he has a freezer full of ducks and asked why Wisconsinmade.com is sending him another duck. He had wanted pheasant. Unfortunately he had ordered the duck. It's an understandable error, once the feathers are off, those game birds look alike. We told him, "We'd be happy to send the pheasant instead".
Yes, it's a busy holiday time here at Wisconsinmade.com. We're nibbling on stollen and drinking lots of coffee as we answer customers' calls for gifts shipped quick. And we're making sure we laugh a lot too. Hope you're feeling just as jolly. Happy holidays.

How Wisconsin Gourmets Cook Venison: New Venison Recipes By Gourmet Chef, Henry Sinkus

Tomorrow gun hunting season for deer starts in Wisconsin. If the hunter is skilled and lucky, he or she will return home with approximately 70 pounds of venison. But should venison be cooked like beef or chicken? Well, would you cook fish as you do pork? Gourmet chef Henry Sinkus, owner of the Pine Baron's Restaurant in Manitowish, WI, answers a definitive "No!" Venison is a very lean, heart-healthy meat rich in texture with its own unique flavor. To bring out the best in flavor, always follow recipes specially created for venison.
Sinkus has written two cookbooks devoted to cooking venison. His newest is 100 Venison Recipes: From down home to uptown. The cookbook contains easy, family-favorite recipes such as venison meatloaf, mostaciolli, and venison stroganoff that call for ground venison. And the book also contains elegantly-gourmet venison recipes Sinkus prepares at his restaurant. These include coriander and honey glazed venison chops, venison medallions with port wine and lingonberries, and rheinischer stuffed venison roast. Sinkus gives his twists on classic recipes for venison stew, chili, and soup, but shows how a little creative cooking can transform these standards into Moroccan stew, venison and wild rice gumbo, and Thai venison shank soup.
Sinkus organizes his recipes into two sections: Down Home and Uptown. He writes, "The Down Home recipes are traditional comfort foods, dishes that you would most likely prepare for your family. The Uptown recipes are for those special evenings when you want to impress business associates, the new neighbors, or old friends." There's something for everyone in this new cookbook, and with it open on your counter, you'll never hear someone say, "I don't like venison."
If you won't be stocking your freezer with venison this hunting season, but still want heart-healthy meat, delicious venison summer sausage can be delivered to you from Terry Diedrich of Navarino Valley. Diedrich raises free-roaming deer, elk, and bison on his large, Wisconsin ranch, and is committed to rearing animals in the most humane, natural ways possible. He believes that the quality of life of the animal transmits directly into the quality of its meat. One taste and you'll likely agree.

Special Deals On Gourmet Food At Wisconsinmade.com

Wisconsinmade.com is celebrating its 10-year anniversary with two very special deals. First, receive $10.00 off the purchase price of any product(s) costing $75.00 or more by typing tenyrs75 into the the promotion-code field during checkout. This $10-off promotion ends Nov. 15th. Second, Wisconsinmade.com is giving away a $100 gift certificate to a Wisconsinmade.com newsletter recipient chosen at random. Sign up for the newsletter by November 20th to enter the drawing. No purchase is necessary. Then afterword, receive a $5.00-off promotion code in every monthly e-newsletter.
Wisconsinmade.com has been delivering gourmet food and gifts made by Wisconsin artisans since 1999. Ten years ago, the specialty webstore launched with 20 Wisconsin artists selling 100 products. Today over 250 Wisconsin artisans offer over 2000 products.
We're adding new artisans all the time, and two of our newest are Madison, WI's Clare and Matt Stoner-Fehsenfeld, founders of Quince and Apple. Their out-of-the-ordinary selection of uniquely-flavored, organic preserves contains shallot confit with red wine, figs and black tea preserves, and orange marmalade with lemon. Their newest creation is a pear with honey and ginger preserve made with locally-grown, organic pears, apples and honey. Quince and Apple created this preserve especially for the holiday season and is offering it on sale.
Other deals at Wisconsinmade.com are gourmet foods with free shipping. All Wisconsinmade.com month clubs come with free shipping. Send artisanal cheese, gourmet desserts, meats, chocolates, coffee, ice cream, kringles, or pies once a month to a special friend or family member. Some non-food products also come with free shipping such as select artisan jewelry.
Not on sale, but always a good deal is the whole, smoked turkey by Nueskes. Already cooked to perfection, just gently warm the turkey before serving. This Thanksgiving's turkey could be the easiest and best-tasting you've ever made.

Ordering In The Thanksgiving Dinner - Easy, Delicious Gourmet Food Can Be Delivered To Your Door

November is near and families begin to plan for Thanksgiving. While some in the family grow excited about turkeys and pilgrims and days off from school, others anticipate non-stop football, and still others of us take a deep breathe and prepare to cook ALL DAY. Many of us even cook the day before Thanksgiving as well. For those of us responsible for delivering the Thanksgiving meal to the table, Thanksgiving can become a holiday to endure rather than relish. Perhaps you have suggested in the past that the family enjoy the Thanksgiving meal at one of the many restaurants hosting the holiday feast. But your suggestions have been met with scorn and horror by your loved ones. No, they seek tradition in all things, which unfortunately means the tradition of you spending hours working in the kitchen while they lounge and play. How did you ever get yourself into this bind you wonder.
Well, there is a way out, -a compromise of tradition and leisure. Because of the internet, highways and planes, and dedicated gourmet Wisconsin chefs, a Thanksgiving feast can be delivered to your door. Upon the food's arrival you'll need only to either refrigerate it until serving or warm it in the oven.
Let's start with the Thanksgiving turkey. A whole smoked turkey can arrive fully cooked and ready to be gently warmed and enjoyed. It will look as classically festive as any bird you've prepared in the past. Your family won't even guess you hadn't cooked it yourself unless their discerning taste buds recognize the turkey's gourmet smoky flavor. And if you are really rebelling against Thanksgiving toil, a boneless Thanksgiving turkey breast can arrive that will equally please the family. In these modern times, wrestling meat off a bone is no longer mandatory, - it's an option to consider.
Similarly easy and gourmet with a flare are Wisconsin wild rice medleys which are a delicious compliment to the taste of poultry. And don't forget the cranberries. Sweetened dried cranberries decorate Thanksgiving plates with their deep red color while bites of turkey and rice are dipped into sweet and tart cranberry topping.

Vegetables and appetizers are simultaneously attractive and simple to serve. A tray of gourmet, pickled beans, asparagus, Brussels sprouts, and mushrooms offer new taste treats for guests. Cheese balls, sausage, nuts, and sweet nibbles can arrive ready to open and enjoy. Even artisanal crackers can be delivered to you.
Last, and what the children in the family look forward to most, are the Thanksgiving desserts. Cranapple pie and pecan pie made in a chef's kitchen can adorn your table. And the most decadent of treats, pumpkin truffles, enjoyed with gourmet coffee will top off your feast.
Yes, a Thanksgiving dinner delivered by Wisconsin chefs can be a meal your family will fondly remember for its scrumptious taste and one you'll remember for its ease. Enjoy the holiday this year, order in.

Gettin' In The Mood For Holiday Food - Taste-Testing The Gifts

Fall is a great time to eat. Healthy but bitter, green vegetables faded with summer's heat. Scrumptious, whole-grain breads, pumpkins, apples, cranberries, and cheese replace them on the table. These hearty foods, cooked into soups, stews, casseroles, and pastries, warm us against autumn's chill. Swimsuit season is 9 months away. No worries now. Time to celebrate the return of carbohydrates! Let's party.
Of course, autumn is also the start of the gift-giving season. We're full circle back to last year's holiday question of what gifts to give relatives, co-workers, and special friends. And here is where gourmet food can help. It's not okay to repeat last year's gift, unless that gift was excellent food. In fact, if the person you care about liked the cake, or cheese, or breakfast basket you sent last year, good chance s/he'll like it again. Maybe that friend is even hoping you will re-send it. Or maybe not.
Now that you think about it, perhaps you should try that gift you sent. Is it really as good as you thought? Your friends raved about it last year, but were they sincere? Hmmm... maybe you should taste it yourself. How were those pumpkin truffles? And those hand-decorated sugar cookies? That pecan kringle? What about that Fall Harvest Bakery Basket? True those muffins look delicious, but hmm.... maybe you should taste them. You wonder.
Yes, perhaps you need to be the judge of those world championship cheeses. It would be a mistake to send Aunt Pickles something she won't like. You'll hear about 'til next fall. Sigh, yes, better be safe than sorry. There's still time to taste the gifts before you send them. Oh, but you won't be able to eat a whole Smoked Meat Delights Sampler Gift Box yourself. And this is exactly the reason why fall is party time. What a delicious season as we get in the mood for holiday gourmet food!

Today Children...AND Adults...Celebrate Halloween With Gifts of Treats

Children love Halloween...and more and more adults are celebrating it too. Spooky decorations, costumes, and Halloween parties are becoming increasingly elaborate. One sign of Halloween's acceptance as a 'Not-for-children-only holiday' is the growing practice of giving Halloween gifts. For the grandparent, aunt, uncle, or family friend who wants to say, "I care about you," Halloween offers a fun theme for gift-giving. Common gifts of food, clothing, and home-decor accessories become unique and festive when crafted in the Halloween spirit.
And while children love Halloween decorations, they love Halloween treats the most! A ghost-shaped cookie, a white-chocolate skeleton, caramel corn, and a caramel apple with black and orange sprinkles make children grin with Halloween glee. No ordinary cookie, chocolate or apple would be as fun.
Adults with gourmet palettes enjoy Halloween treats too, but the traditional corn syrup candy corn is out of fashion. Today's adult, gourmet ghosts and goblins crave gifts of pumpkin truffles and their caramel apples are dipped in Belgian chocolate and coated in pecans. Even serious adults smile like children when they open gift baskets brimming with gourmet bakery treats. Yes, Halloween is a very easy holiday for gift-giving. The possibilities are out-of-this-world.

Food For Thought in WI: Restoring prairies, bison, and the people who care for them

This Saturday, Sep. 26, 2009, in Madison, WI, the Food For Thought festival will host Michael Pollan, award-winning author of The Omnivore's Dilemma: A natural history of four meals and In Defense of Food: An eater's manifesto. The emphasis will be on eating food in an ecologically-sustainable way. Some may think that a vegetarian diet is the only ecologically-responsible diet for our planet. However, this view can be short-sighted when it ignores the role that herbivores play in ecosystems.
Just as healthy prairies depend on fire for regeneration, they also depend on the animals that graze them. The dung of bison, elk, and deer fertilize the soil and provide specialized niches for soil-maintaining insects and plant pollinators. Without these plants and insects, no vertebrates would exist.
But today, most of our Midwest prairie has been replaced by human development. In efforts to preserve whole prairie ecosystems, conservationists are advocating the restoration of key herbivores as well as endemic plant species. But where will these expensive animals come from and who will manage their care? The economic costs of ecosystem restoration hit home.
Some Wisconsin farmers are taking an active role in restoration efforts. Instead of selling their valuable land to developers, they are turning it over to herds of bison, elk, and deer. But they do more for the animals than simply give them a place to live. The farmers watch over their animals, supplementing their feed, and providing them with veterinary care.
But these farmers must put food on their own tables. And with this, the rest of us can help. When we choose food to buy, we can choose their venison, and their bison and elk meats. Buying their meat means that native prairie herbivores will continue to roam Wisconsin land.
If you prefer chicken to red meat, then consider buying Wisconsin, free-range chickens. These birds fill the niche vacated by the nearly-extinct prairie chicken. Free-range chickens stir up packed soil, fertilize the soil with their dung, and eat grubs that damage important plants.
We who live in towns and cities help with conservation when we economically sustain the farmers who care for vital herbivores. When we buy from these farmers, we are thinking about all of the different kinds of foods on our plates, not just the vegetables.

Wisconsin Beer And Wine: Fine Drinking With Gourmet Artisan Cheeses And Bratwursts

Wisconsin has a well-deserved reputation for superior-tasting beers. A thirsty traveler can find a great Wisconsin beer on any off-beaten path. If you need directions, a helpful guide book is Breweries of Wisconsin by Jerry Apps The guide was so popular that Jerry had to write an updated 2nd edition. Another excellent travel guide for the beer enthusiast is Wisconsin's Best Breweries and Brewpubs, authored by UW-Madison life sciences professor and beer-connoisseur, Robin Shepard. Beer is one of the classics studied at UW. And following years of conscientious tasting, graduating Wisconsin gourmets can effortlessly recommend the perfect beers to pair with Wisconsin's artisan cheeses and bratwursts.
Sadly, in the bright light of excellent beers, our Wisconsin wines are over-shadowed. Yes, some of us grow grapes in addition to corn and soybeans. And some WI horticulturists transform the fruit of the vine into sensational wines. In fact, WI has 21 wineries, less than half the number of beer-brewing establishments, but still a respectable number. And fall is grape-harvesting season, - time to go to a WI winery to sample different wines. Nibble your favorite artisanal cheese as you sip. When the warming glow of good wine and flavorful cheeses elevate your mood, you'll consider throwing your own wine and cheese party.
Inviting friends to enjoy a Wisconsin selection of wines and cheeses is an easy, relaxing, and wonderfully fun way to celebrate the fall harvest. With enough gourmet food and spirits, we won't be cold in Wisconsin for a long time.

Wisconsin Chefs Celebrate Labor Day With An Outdoor Cookout

At Labor Day parties friends and family gather to celebrate the beginning of fall, the resumption of football, and kids going back to school. To mark the season's change, gourmet chefs look for signature foods for summer's last cookout. Here are some culinary choices that Wisconsin gourmets are considering.
First, chefs are deciding whether to serve brats or steaks. Their choice depends on the crowd. Who's coming to the party? Will it be casual or fancy? Are kids coming too? If so, it's best to serve some applewood-smoked wieners beside the fancier meats. The flavor of the sausage buns matters more than their shape. In Sheboygan, Wisconsinites serve brats and wieners on fresh Sheboygan hard rolls. Only to outsiders does a Sheboygan brat look funny sticking out of a Sheboygan hard roll.
Next, the chefs match the meats to complimentary side dishes and salads. Some good choices are German potato salad, or an endive salad with smoked ham, or an out-of-the ordinary, lentil salad. Use fresh peppers and spinach in a cheesy spinach and roasted peppers gratin for a true Wisconsin taste treat.
For dessert, the options are nearly endless. Ice cream is always a favorite summer send-off, especially if the extra creamy, Wisconsin ice cream is loaded on top of fresh fruit pies or cakes. Special-occasion cookies mark the season's change. Out go the day-at-the-beach cookies, in come the Green Bay Packers. Yes, this Labor Day Weekend, everyone will kick off the fall season with great, gourmet, Wisconsin food.

National Mustard Day is August 1st! Mt. Horeb, WI - The World's Mustard Capital, Celebrates With Mustard Festival

August 1st is National Mustard Day! The festival begins in the streets of Mt. Horeb, Wisconsin - World Mustard Capital. The Poupon U Accordion Band sets the tone for raucous mustard games, face painting, a kids' rock-n'-roll show, and random wanderings through a cheese maze. A futile attempt at seriousness will be made by representatives from the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board who will recommend proper pairings of cheeses and mustards. The Mustard Museum will be open for mustard tastings, film-viewing about the world history of mustards, and a look at over 4800 jars of mustards on display. At noon on the street, the winner of the best-screen-play-starring-mustard writing contest will be awarded a $1000 check with appropriate fanfare and hot dogs. The Oscar Mayer jumbo beef franks are free if slathered with mustard (or eaten plain). Diners over the age of 10 who squirt ketchup will be considered iconoclasts and may be booted from Mt. Horeb. But better to behave because all mustard-festival proceeds and donations will benefit the Mt. Horeb Food Pantry. Sad but true, man does not live by mustard alone. So stock the food pantry shelves by going to Mt. Horeb's National Mustard Day Festival.

What? You live out of state and can't get to Mt. Horeb by Saturday? You'll miss hearing the live bands Staff Infection and the Red Hot Horn Dawgs?!! Holy horseradish! Well, if your town is not as progressively seasoned as Mt. Horeb and sadly lacks a mustard festival, you'll have honor National Mustard Day on your own. Seize the festival spirit and throw a mustard party. Dress in shades of yellows and browns. Serve friends brats, beer, and a whole variety of exceptionally spicy, sweet, mild, and hot mustards. If your guests aren't mustard connoisseurs already, they will be after you let them savor the sensational spices in gourmet mustards.

Let's not let this mustard festival end when the sun goes down Saturday. Life is too short to return to kiddie-sweet ketchup. We must keep the mustard motion going! Spearhead the revolution. Send mustards to distant places. Let's slather the country in spice.

Elk and Buffalo Summer Sausage - "Best I've Ever Eaten!"

Recently, Herb ordered the Navarino Valley Elk and Buffalo Summer Sausage from Wisconsinmade.com then rapidly wrote back to Wisconsinmade.com, "LOVE THE SAUSAGE. IT'S THE BEST I'VE EVER EATEN!" Herb's enthusiastic comment suggests that he has tried various kinds of elk and buffalo summer sausage and was highly impressed by this one. Being new to the elk and buffalo scene myself, I wondered how many options Herb had for ordering elk and buffalo meat. A quick Google search revealed several brands available. So then I wondered what makes Navarino Valley elk and buffalo summer sausage the favorite.
For the answer I went to the source. I called Terry Diedrich at his ranch and asked him what gives his summer sausage a fan following. Terry replied, "The animals are roaming the pristine green grass valleys and woods in our ranch in Navarino, Wisconsin." His answer wasn't a surprise. Numerous Wisconsin gourmet food enthusiasts insist that the particular mix of species of grasses and forbes growing in Wisconsin are responsible for the extra creamy texture and flavor of Wisconsin milk. It's logical that this mix of dietary plants also improves the flavor of an animal's meat. Terry's elk, buffalo and deer are living the open-range life similar to their ancestors', except that Terry's animals are luckier and get grain and fresh alfalfa to supplement their diet. They also get to come into the barn and away from the rain when they choose. Terry raises the animals with concern for the quality of their lives, not just the quality of their meat. Terry assured me, "No hormones or chemicals are used in our farming operation assuring our customers of the cleanest, healthiest products in the world."
Terry enjoys selling his elk, buffalo, and venison sausages at the Appleton and Green Bay, Wisconsin farmers' markets. He explains, "It's a great way to reach out and explain the great taste, low fat and cholesterol qualities of grass-fed, all-natural elk and bison." So here I'm sharing Terry's passion with you. Next time you want to serve an easy, healthy, and delicious appetizer or snack, put some Wisconsin summer sausage on that cracker. Like Herb, your family will taste the difference.

The Chocolate-Covered-Bacon Buzz: A New Wisconsin Delicacy At County Fairs? Move Over Popcorn

We may not be reading the same papers, but the news I'm getting is all about the new, decadent delicacy: chocolate-covered bacon. Numerous gourmet recipes buzzing about the Internet insist that only the highest quality bacon and chocolate by used, lest the snack taste, well... 'yuk'. Some Wisconsinites are now suggesting that because Wisconsin excels at producing high-quality bacon and gourmet chocolate, Wisconsin should adopt this new taste treat as a state food. But move over brats, cheese, and beer? I'm reluctant to endorse this cry. 'At least,' supporters urge, 'all Wisconsin county fairs this summer should feature chocolate-covered bacon at their concession stands.'
But health-conscious Wisconsinites are mounting a backlash. They argue that this delicacy is too decadent. They insist Wisconsinites cut back on animal fat and sugar. These nay-sayers say fair-goers should consume popcorn, preferentially unsalted. Of course popcorn is a traditional Wisconsin fair food. It's health benefit resides in its high fiber content (just what you want at an outdoor fair). Popcorn's attraction is its great flavor. And Wisconsin produces some of the country's absolute BEST popcorn, -in multiple varieties too. So yes, by all means Wisconsin popcorn should be consumed in bold quantities at our local fairs. But back to bacon.
Bacon is no longer the absolute cardiac-death food as it was once demonized. Pigs have been successfully bred to be far leaner than they were decades ago. Today's high-quality bacon has more meat and less fat. But let's keep the record straight - it still has enough fat to keep it tasty. But why worry about bacon fat if you cover that fat in high-quality dark chocolate? We've all heard that dark chocolate is the new health food because it promotes the body's production of HDL's, - the GOOD cholesterol. And that good cholesterol circulates through the arteries cleaning them out of the bad cholesterol that causes heart attacks. So there is a chance that covered in enough chocolate, any bacon fat that dares to clog an artery will be intercepted by the HDL's created by the chocolate. So how can any health-conscious Wisconsinite not eat chocolate covered bacon? Isn't its consumption a matter of state pride and good health? Just more food for thought....

Giving Original Father's Day Gifts - Creative Food Twists On Those Traditional Gifts

Father's Day is coming fast, -what gift to give Dad this year? I'm resisting the traditional Father's Day gifts. One more dress shirt and tie are not only not original, they are boring to give and to receive. They are also impractical because Dad already has all of the dress shirts he needs, and he rarely wears a tie anymore. Traditional gifts would only communicate my lack of creativity, not my affection. No, my Father's Day gift must show thoughtfulness and fun. Terrific. So now what to give?
Frustration naturally leads to thoughts of food. Challenged to stay focus, I focus on food gifts for Dad. Multi-tasking on the web, I'm cruising around and find a creative twist on the traditional shirt and tie: sugar cookies dressed up to look like shirts and ties. It's kind of a comic, tongue-in-cheek Father's Day gift. I like the humor; it's one possibility for Dad. The baker also makes sugar cookies that look like grilling implements. Grilling tools are another one of those traditional Father's Day gifts which most dads already have a full supply of. But the cookies look tasty enough that there's little chance they'll be stored in a cupboard until next Father's Day. The golf bag and ball cookies are a creative gift alternative, especially since offspring of avid golfers find it too expensive to buy dads golf clubs, and know that dads buy new golf balls whenever they need them. But they probably don't buy golfing cookies for themselves. Dad would like these and he could share them with his golfing buddies.
But what would he share with me? Or share at least with Mom? After all, without Mom he wouldn't be Dad. Mom likes pie and ice cream and so does Dad, and so do I. Cherry pie a la mode is definitely in the running as a Father's Day gift.
But after further thought, I realize that sugar does not excite Dad as much as meat does. Dad craves all those delicious meats like bacon, steaks, bratwursts, and ribs, - all those red meats which Mom worries are too high in fat and cholesterol. When Mom buys Dad bacon she gets turkey bacon. I mean, what's the point in that? Dad eats it of course, -the man's hungry.
Yes, now I'm recognizing a real need Dad has. My father is deprived. My father doesn't get enough of the meat he loves. If I send him a gift basket of bacon and sausages, Dad will love it and Mom won't complain too loudly because, after all, it's a Father's Day gift. The gift shows I love my father and I want to make him happy. He's my dad after all, and without him she knows, she wouldn't be my mom.
Want to know the life stages of Father's Day gifts and get more Father's Day gift ideas? Go to my other blog, Edible Antics.

Pet the Cows and Eat Breakfast on the Farm during Wisconsin's June Dairy Month

In Wisconsin, June is Dairy Month. On June 6, cows and dairy farmers arrive on the state capital square to entertain children and educate adults about the vital role dairy farms play in our state's economy. Free t-shirts and cheese samples, animals, kids' games, and music entice passer-bys to this annual Cows on the Concourse event. As children pet the sweet-tempered cows, "moo experts" from the University of Wisconsin and Wisconsin's dairy industry answer questions about cows, milk, cheese, and Wisconsin's dairy industry.
One of the goals of the event is to teach urban children about how their food originates on farms, and not in grocery stores. To make this point fun and remembered, dairy farms across Wisconsin host "Breakfast on the Farm" events throughout the month of June. Farmers invite the public to their dairy farms and serve up a farm-cooked breakfast of scrambled eggs, Wisconsin sausages, coffee cake, fresh cheeses, and strawberry sundaes. Most farms also offer hay rides for the children, games, musical entertainment, and tours of the dairy farm.
If you can't join the fun on the farm, enjoying a Wisconsin-farm breakfast at home is still a good time... and easy. Begin heating up some Wisconsin breakfast link sausages and you're on your way to a memorable meal. Skillet-cooked or microwaved slices of applewood-smoked, thick-sliced bacon are always crowd-pleasers. Throw in grated Wisconsin cheese as you scramble the eggs and the kids will eat every bite. Serve bakery-fresh coffee cake with hot coffee and fresh milk to complete the meal. Or maybe you'll choose pancakes instead of coffee cake. If so, remember a true-Wisconsin breakfast pancake is smothered in real butter and pure maple syrup. Accept no imitations, and everybody will come back for seconds.
Maybe you're home-cooked Wisconsin breakfast will be so good that you'll want to share it with your loved ones far away. Well, that's easy too. A few web clicks, a few days, and a Wisconsin gourmet's farm-fresh breakfast arrives. Amazing, yes. Will this "breakfast on the farm" gift confuse the kids? Will they now think that breakfast comes from UPS? Possibly, but send it to your dad for Father's Day and he'll be happy. Dad's understand that great breakfasts are made in Wisconsin.

Hosting a Summer Party for Graduations, Memorial Day Picnics, and Family Reunions

Memorial Day's almost here and it's time to plan summer parties. Grab the grill, grab the brats, and head for the park. Cooking for a crowd can be as fun as it is easy with the right food. Making the party food easy means nixing the sauces, gravies, and hot casseroles. Instead pack up the fresh fruit salads, and colorful veggie and pasta salads. Serve chips and dips beside the brats, dogs, and buns. Pass out the sodas and beer and everybody has fun!
Sounds too easy? Worried that simplicity means compromising quality? Well in some places that may be so. Some places are burdened with mediocre food, but not here in Wisconsin. America's dairy land is known for its farm-fresh food. Wisconsinites know where to get high-quality meats and how to grill them. Wisconsin micro-breweries keep the beer fresh and flowing. And no dessert is easier to serve a summer party crowd than sweet and colorful, Wisconsin-bakery cookies.
Wisconsinites have been enjoying their gourmet food at outdoor parties long before either it or they started showing up in chic, 5-star restaurants. Wisconsin brats, wieners, burgers, and chicken breasts are perfect grilling food. Rounds of prize-winning, Wisconsin cheese, fruit, wine, sliced summer sausage on crackers, and a homemade fruit pie define the classic summer picnic. Our Wisconsin food may not look fancy, but neither do we. Spend a little time with both of us and you'll recognize the fine-qualities shining through our unassuming appearance. Enjoy the best of Wisconsin and relax in the summer fun.