Edible Antics - Having Fun With Food

Gumbo Recipe with a Wisconsin Twist

The quick and easy gumbo recipe had been sitting in my "bookmarks" folder for a long time now and I had almost everything on hand to make it except for the sausage. I was about to head to the grocery store when I decided to hunt in the freezer for my final ingredient. The recipe called for a spciy andouille sausage but when I came across a package of Bavaria Sausage Kitchen bratwurst I decided to try those instead. I enjoy the taste of spice but I am a big whimp so the brats would be a welcome subsitution. The best part about this recipe? You can set it and forget it in the slow cooker. 

 

Bacon Burger

When you serve a bacon burger at your Packer game day party or Badger tailgate, notice as your friends peek under the bun and say "where's the bacon?".  It tastes like applewood smoked bacon, but there are no bacon strips to be found.  The secret is the bacon hidden in the meat.

If you are a fan of the Nueske bacon burger like I am, you will be saddened to know Nueske will no longer be making the bacon burger.  Pork lovers of the world need not despair however, because I, your local Wisconsin food enthusiast, can tell you how to make your own bacon burgers at home. Click "continue reading" to see the shockingly simple recipe.

Basic Dishes for Wisconsin Cooks and a Gift Card Giveaway!

  

 

Contest Rules: Comment on this post between now and noon central time on 9/30/2011 and you will be entered in the drawing.  I will pick a winner at random and send them an electronic gift certificiate via e-mail. By commenting/entering the contest, you agree to receive the Wisconsinmade.com weekly e-mail newsletter.  You can unsubscribe at anytime.  Visit Wisconsinmade.com to view the privacy policy that also applies to all Wisconsinmade.com contests including those hosted here on the Edible Antics blog. Contact info@wisconsinmade.com with questions.

Even if spending time in the kitchen isn't your favorite, it is important to know how to prepare a few basic dishes. Most people know how to cook a burger, an omelet, a roasted chicken, but in Wisconsin, we have some additional favorites that most Wisconsin cooks can whip up on short notice. 

 

Beer Cheese Soup -  Warm up a cold night with this Wisconsin favorite.  Keep it simple with beer and cheese, or add veggies and bratwurst for a more complete meal. My favorite beer cheese soup recipe includes carrots, celery, and potatoes.

Tip: You can skip the beer and use chicken broth instead, but then you'll just have cheese soup!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bratwurst- There are as many ways to cook and serve bratwurst as their are Wisconsin cooks.  Pre-cooked brats can be just as good as fresh brats, but only require a quick sear on the grill.  Fresh brats need to be pre-boiled and Wisconsin cooks usually boil the brats in beer instead of water for some extra flavor. For some bratwurst serving inspiration, visit my blog post to find out how the Wisconsinmade.com staff likes their brats.  Also, be sure to check out the Bratwurst Pages for brat cooking instructions and more.

 

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Grilled Cheese-  The beginner's grilled cheese is two slices of white bread and some american cheese slices. Once a Wisconsin cook masters the basic grilled cheese, she can move on to more creative pursuits.  Test out different cheeses (mozzarella, cheddar, pepper jack), different breads (wheat, sour dough, ciabatta)  and add-ons (bacon, tomato, pesto) to discover the true wonders of the grilled cheese.  Visit this post to see my favorite grilled cheese recipe, or find inspiration at the Grilled Cheese Academy. 

Tip: Use shredded cheese instead of slices, this makes the cheese melt more evenly. 

 

 

 

Mac and Cheese-  This basic dish is another blank canvas for your Wisconsin culinary creativity to shine. Start with a basic recipe, then experiment with different cheeses, pasta shapes, and add-ins.

Tip: If you are baking your mac and cheese, boil your pasta a minute or two less than what the box recommends, it will cook some more in the oven.

 

 

Chewy Brownies: An Accidental Discovery

I accidentally discovered the secret to chewy brownies when I made  "bratwurst on the grill" brownies, an idea from Taste of Home Magazine. 

My coworker Marilyn pointed out to me that she loves chewy brownies, and mine were chewy all the way around.  You've probably heard of those "As Seen on TV", all-corners brownie pans. If you are a chewy brownie lover,  I'm here to tell you, don't buy the over-priced pan! There is a cheaper and easier way to make chewy brownies and you probably have the key piece of equipment in your kitchen right now: the muffin tin.  By putting my brownie batter in a muffin tin, I made chewy brownies without even meaning too.  Not to mention the grill decorations make this the perfect dessert for your next brat cookout. To make your own, just follow these simple steps:

• Take some brownie batter (from a box or from scratch- it's up to you) and fill greased muffin cups most of the way and bake as instructed on the box/in the recipe. 
• After the brownies have baked and cooled, top each brownie with red or orange sugar sprinkles (these are the glowing coals).
• Use black icing to make lines for the grill grate. I used the little tubes of gel you find in the baking section of the grocery store.
• Top each grill with three Hot Tamale candies.
• Make grill marks on your Hot Tamale bratwurst.  I found that using the icing straight out of the tube made the line too thick. Instead, squirt out a bit of icing on to a plate and run a toothpick through it, then run the toothpick over the candy three times to make the grill marks.

For a winter brownie decoration, visit my Snowy Wisconsin Brownies post. 

What brownie do you prefer? The edge, the middle, or the corner?

Cheese Pairings: 5 Wisconsin Cheeses and the Beverages to Match

Party hosts should decide on the perfect cheese pairing since Wisconsin gourmet cheeses deserve to be the star of the show.  To really appreciate cheese, serve it as an appetizer or cheese course (before dessert), and pair the cheese with an expertly matched beverage.  Here are a few of my favorite Wisconsin cheeses and the drink that each cheese gets along with the best.

1) Cheddar - Try this Wisconsin favorite with some sparkling cider- it's a grown up version of a childhood favorite: cheese and apples. Other tasty beverage options include, Bourbon, Merlot, Red Zinfandel, and Pinot Gris.

2) Blue Cheese -Blue cheese needs a bold beverage that can stand up to its assertive flavor like a chocolate stout.  A flavorful red wine (Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon) or a cocktail with Gin would also pair nicely. 

3) Gouda - A classy cheese needs a classy beverage and gouda pairs nicely with Champagne.  Gouda can also play it casual with most beers including pale ales, lagers, stouts, and  porters.

4) Baby Swiss- The delicate flavor of a baby swiss goes best with a white wine such as Zinfandel. For the beer drinkers, try a weiss beer or a lager.

5) Feta -A tangy feta pairs well with a sweet wine like a Riesling, and like baby swiss, its best beer options are a weiss beer, lager, or even a pilsner. 

To learn more about Wisconsin cheese varieities, check out Wisconsinmade.com's Cheese Information.  The pairing ideas came from the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board website, which is a helpful resource for cheese entertaining tips. 

Food Advice to the Graduate

It's that time of year where graduates begin the next chapter in their lives.  Don't worry parents, your baby won't starve, and with a few tidbits of food advice to the graduate, your kids might even have a healthy and enjoyable food experience. 

For the graduate with kitchen access: 

Call your parents for recipes and cooking tips. If you live away from home, your Mom and Dad are probably missing you anyway so don't be hesitant to call them for a tuna casserole recipe or instructions on how to bake a potato.

No need to buy cookbooks, take advantage of free recipes.   From the cooking impaired to the food obsessed, you are sure to find a recipe that fits your taste and skill level. Most of the recipes in the Edible Antics recipe section are easy enough to cook on a weeknight after class, or check the links on the right for other recipe resources.

Cook for your roommates.  Most cooks, myself included, are more likely to cook for a crowd than just one person, so make dinner for your roommates.  They probably miss home-cooked meals!

For the graduate with no kitchen access, a high school grad living in college dorms, for example:

Dining hall grub is actually pretty tasty these days. When my parents went to college, there was only one dining hall on the whole campus.  My alma mater, a medium-sized university, had enough dining halls for me to eat at a different one each day of the week.  The food was outstanding, one buffet style dining hall had fresh baked pita bread and hummus, another had Thanksgiving food all the time,  and we even had a sit down restaurant with waiters and menus!  With so much delicious food- please take into account the next tip.

Eat smart in the dining hall. At most universities the swipe of a meal card grants access to unlimited french fries, soda, soft serve ice cream and much more right at your finger tips, every meal of the day (even breakfast!).  Make the salad bar your first stop and practice portion control on the other goodies.

Explore the town.  Some campuses like little cities and students don't feel the need to venture out, but there are a ton of restaurants to explore.  Many of these restaurants will give ID carrying students a decent discount, so take advantage! 

Smoked Pork Chops

Check out this delicious dinner of smoked pork chops, veggies, and homemade macaroni and cheese.  Can you believe this took me less than 30 minutes including the time to cook the smoked pork chops and make the mac and cheese from scratch? With a few shortcuts a balanced family dinner is only half an hour away. 

Smoked Pork Chops- Pork can be difficult to cook since eating undercooked pork can be dangerous, but overcooking drys it out.  These smoked pork chops are precooked, so all you need to do is warm them up in a skillet or better yet, on the grill for about 5 minutes on each side. Can't get much easier than that. If you can't find them in your grocery store or just want to share the gift of delicious smoked meat, these smoked pork chops ship nationwide from Wisconsinmade.com.

Vegetables- Wondering what to serve with smoked pork chops? I am a big fan of frozen vegetables, in fact, I prefer them over fresh.  Usually when it comes to food fresh is best, but frozen vegetables are picked at their peak and frozen right away to lock in freshness.  Fresh grocery store vegetables have probably taken a long journey and lost some of their nutrients and tastiness.  Stick with frozen and you'll be surprised how tasty and easy adding a side of vegetables can be.

Mac and Cheese- You could always make this from the blue box, but I suggest trying this Stove Top Mac and Cheese recipe.  It only takes a tiny bit more effort than the boxed stuff, but the results are amazing! Besides, if you are from Wisconsin, don't you feel a little guilty using that mystery powder when you have so much real Wisconsin cheese available? 

Looking for more easy family friendly meals? Check out these blog posts:

Easy Barbeque Biscuit Cups

Curry Wurst

Pasta Carbonara

Beer Cheese Soup With Veggies

Beer in Food and Other Unexpected Places

It's no secret that in Wisconsin we like beer.  We like beer so much we put beer in food whenever possible- like beer brats and beer cheese soup.  We even like to come up with new ways to use beer- like in an unexpected recipe or even in soap! A beer gift makes a great Father's Day  surprise, so here's a list of my top 5 favorite Wisconsin beer related foods and gifts.

 

 

 

1. Beer Brats - A secret to delicious Wisconsin beer brats is a quick boil in some Wisconsin beer.  Save a step and send your brats straight to the grill with precooked red lager beer brats.  They are already boiled so all you have to do is seer them on the grill, pop them into a bun and top with your favorite brat toppings.  Perfect for a Father's Day cookout.

2. Beer Cheese Soup- On my previous post I wondered if beer cheese soup was Wisconsin's OFFICIAL soup, and according to my Twitter followers ( @Wisconsinmade ) it actually is! Who knew?

3. Beer Bread- Beer bread is a perfect accompaniment for soup and chili, but if you aren't much of a  baker, don't worry because there are plenty of tasty beer bread mixes out there. 

4. Beer Soap- No, that's not a typo, I do mean SOAP not SOUP.  Talk about an unexpected place to find beer!  This Wisconsin beer Soap Gift set is free of unnecessary chemicals and preservatives, but it does have beer from the Capital Brewery in Middleton, Wisconsin.

5. Drink Your Beer and Eat It Too Cookbook - When I first saw this beer cookbook I expected your standard beer recipes like beer brats and beer soup, and sure enough, this book has that! It also has some surprising uses for beer like in baked pork chops or desserts like gingerbread. A great gift for a Dad who likes to spend time in the kitchen.

 

Food and Coffee: Return of the Coffee Snob

Have you ever had a bite of chocolate cake, then a sip of coffee and noticed how the coffee tastes even better than usual?  Careful pairing will make you enjoy your coffee and food even more.  Not sure which coffees go with which foods? The coffee snob is here to help! Below are a few of the coffee varieties from the Wisconsinmade.com Coffee of the Month Club and some foods to try with your cup of joe.  

 

 

 

 

Columbian - The medium acidity, strong body and hints of caramel flavor make Columbia blend a perfect pair for zuchinni breads or carrot cake.

Coasta Rican - This full bodied coffee makes a great partner for lightly flavored baked goods, so try this with a fruity muffin instead of sugary Kringle.

Guatemalan- This richly flavored, heavy bodied brew can stand up to a chocolate Kringle or even a caramel apple.

Kona- An aromatic cup of Kona coffee goes well with oatmeal, but tastes even better along side oatmeal cookies or O&H Bakery's famous Seven Sister's Coffee Cake.

Visit my Coffee Tips post if you can't get enough of my ex-barista coffee snobbery, and for more tasty coffee and food pairings, check out this helpful chart.

Good Coffee: Tips from a Coffee Snob

For me, good coffee is hard to come by, I confess I am a big coffee snob. During the week I grab a quick cup on the way out the door but on the weekends the snobbery is in full force.  I grind my own beans, use a French press instead of a drip coffee maker and slowly slurp while I contemplate the acidity and earthiness of my coffee. See, I told you I was a snob! Coffee is a hobby for me. There are so many ways to make it, so many varieties to try and making a cup of good coffee is an adventure! If you want to discover the wonderful world of coffee, here are a few tips to get you started.  The tips get progressively harder and more time consuming so start with number 1and work your way up to 5!

1. Make sure you use the right amount of grounds.  Not enough grounds will make your coffee taste bitter. Make sure you use 2 heaping tablespoons for 6 ounces of water.  A coffee scoop that holds 2 tablespoons (like the one pictured above) will make it easy to get the right amount each time. 

2. Find the variety that you like. I didn't like coffee for the longest time and then I started to realize I enjoyed certain types of coffee. I prefer coffee with less acidity and an earthy flavor.  Many people prefer more acidic coffees and some people think that "earthy" coffee tastes like feet.  Everyone has a different preference so find the coffee that's right for you. Try a coffee sampler gift basket with many small bags of different varieties, or join a coffee of the month club to have different types of good coffee delivered to your door each month. You'll discover a favorite in no time.

3. Buy whole beans and grind your own. Once the coffee beans are ground they start to lose flavor so it is best to grind your coffee right before you start to brew. Coffee grinders come in many different sizes and price ranges, and you can usually find a small one that will do the job for $20 or less. Just make sure to use your grinder for coffee only! Grinding spices in your coffee grinder will change the flavor of the coffee. If you don't have a grinder, grind it at the grocery store or have a coffee shop do it for you.

4. Try using a French press.  A French  press is a carafe that you can make coffee in.  You just add the grounds, pour in boiling water, let the coffee sit for 4 minutes and then press down a plunger that holds the grounds at the bottom so they don't end up in your cup.  This takes more time than a drip coffee maker so it isn't very practical for the grab-and-go coffee drinker, but makes a great weekend treat.  The French press method allows for more of the oils in the grounds to get into the coffee, making it taste much better than the drip version. 

5. Roasting your own beans.  This is the next step in coffee snobbery for me. Wisconsinmade.com offers a  coffee roaster and bags of un-roasted beans for roasting your own coffee in your oven at home.  I haven't tried this yet, but so far the lesson I learned is the more time you put into your coffee the better it tastes! I will definitely be trying this soon so check back for more blog posts about coffee.