Edible Antics - Having Fun With Food

Traditional Cookies from Around the World Unite in Wisconsin

Traditional cookies from Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Scotland and Denmark are lovingly baked and decorated right here in Wisconsin. 

 

 

Springerle Cookies - Germany

Beautiful Springerle cookies are baked in molds and hand-painted with intricate designs.The history of Springerle cookies can be traced back to the 1400s to the areas of Europe that are now Germany and Switzerland.The bakers at Embossed Edibles here in Wisconsin take pride in continuing this artistic tradition.

Biscotti - Italy

Biscotti are crunchy Italian cookies designed for dunking in your coffee, so you have an excuse to have cookies for breakfast! The Wisconsin bakery K-Delights bakes them up and covers them with chocolate, nuts, berries and more.They are available online at Wisconsinmade.com.

Bratzeli - Switzerland

These buttery cookies are handmade in the town known as Wisconsin's "Little Swizterland" - New Glarus. The New Glarus Bakery bakes these thin, wafer-like cookies in an iron and flavor them with almond.

Shortbread - Scotland

The history of Shortbread cookies dates back to the middle ages in Scotland. They were considered a luxury and enjoyed at Christmas celebrations and weddings.Today, they are still a Christmas favorite but visitors to the Wisconsin Dells enjoy them by the thousands at Cheesecake Heaven Cafe. If you aren't near the Dells, you can still taste this famous cookie by shopping at Wisconsinmade.com.

Nut Horns - Denmark

A Danish tradition, light and flakey Nut Rolls are handmade in Racine, Wisconsin. Each roll is filled with ground walnuts, cream cheese and topped with icing.They have been a customer favorite for over 20 years and were even featured on the Food Network.

Madison Dining- Sample Cuisine from Lake to Lake with CityTins Restaurant Gift Cards

It may not be Chicago or New York City, but the Madison dining scene is pretty impressive considering the size of our city between the lakes.  From late night munchies like Ian's mac and cheese pizza to a cozy dinner for two in the mansion at Quivey's Grove, there's something for everyone here in Madison, Wisconsin.  Whether you're new to Madison dining or you've been here for years and love a good deal on dinner, check out CityTins- a retro tin filled with discounts to your favorite Madison restaurants. 

 

 

 

 

 

Cool features of CityTins:

• Retro Style. The artsy tin is filled with gift cards that should probably be called "gift coasters". Use them to protect your coffee table while you enjoy some pre-dinner drinks.
  
• The Dinner Spinner. Can't decide which Madison dining establishment to visit? Give the Dinner Spinner a whirl and it will point you in the the right direction.
  
• $200 in savings. $200 worthy of savings for only $25? That's a no brainer!  
• Keep It Local.  All of the restaurants included in the CityTin are local eateries- no chain restaurants.
•  Also available in a Milwaukee version. Same idea, different city.

Visit Wisconsinmade.com to stock up on CityTins for holiday gifts, but don't forget to get one for yourself.

 

What's your favorite Madison restaurant?

 

A Wisconsin Road Trip: New Glarus, Wisconsin

I'm trying to make the most of what's left of my Wisconsin summer, so I decided to go on a Wisconsin road trip. From Madison, Wisconsin, it's a 45 minute drive on scenic back roads to New Glarus, a charming town that is famous for tasty beer and embracing Swiss heritage.  If you live in Wisconsin and you're looking for a fun road trip or even a weekend stay-cation, New Glarus is the place to go.

According to the New Glarus Chamber of Commerce, the town was named by the Swiss immigrants from Glarus, Switzerland who first settled there.  The name isn't the only thing Swiss about this tiny town, the chalet-like buildings, cheesy food, and friendly locals will make you want to yodel with glee. I enjoyed a late lunch at the Glarner Stube, a rustic bar and restaurant that gives you the feeling of being transported to Switzerland.  My favorite dish was the roasti- crispy potatoes with a gooey cheese baked inside.  This starchy, cheesy delight comes in a generous portion, but don't worry, the left-overs are just as good the next day.

Oddly enough, the adorable Swiss village isn't New Glarus's biggest claim to fame.  That honor belongs to the New Glarus Brewery.  Nestled on a hilltop that overlooks rolling hills and farmland, the brewery offers free self-guided tours and inexpensive beer tasting to the tourists, cyclists and bikers that visit each day.  The building outside reminds me of a European castle and contrasts nicely with the state of the art, clean and shiny brewing equipment in the facility built in 2007.  For $3.50 you get to sample three of your favorite brews. New Glarus beers are only available in Wisconsin, and they have no plans to expand- it's their way of getting you to come visit Wisconsin, and of course, New Glarus. 

We only get a few nice days a year in Wisconsin, and a day spent exploring New Glarus won't be wasted! Don't worry, even if you live outside of Wisconsin you can still get a taste of New Glarus- the town at least, you still need to visit Wisconsin to try the beer.  Get cooking with recipes for sauerbraten and beer cheese soup right here on my blog.  If cooking's not your thing, you can shop for New Glarus goodies at Wisconsinmade.com. The New Glarus Bakery ships bread, cookies and Swiss pastries nationwide.  Another food New Glarus seems to love is landjager, a slightly spicy dried sausage. The pairs of sausages are attached with a string and hang in their own little Swiss chalets on the counters of New Glarus bars and shops, ready to fill the bellies of hungry visitors, you can get yours here.  A day spent in New Glarus or a taste of the town's ethnic food will make you realize Wisconsin is so much more than cows and cheese.

What's your favorite Wisconsin town to visit?

Top 5 Biker Foods

Conquering the open road can sure make a biker hungry! Check out my top 5 favorite biker foods.

 

Biker Popcorn Tin- Harley Davidson and Knight's Gourmet Popcorn both had their start in Milwaukee so it makes sense that Knights packages some of their corny snacks in an all-American biker tin for a yummy biker food snack.  Biker dudes and chicks can choose from traditional white popcorn, kettle corn, caramel corn or double cheddar.

 

Biker Cookie- Harley logos and pictures of motorcycles seem to be on everything these days- from t-shirts to bottle openers to stickers and more.  One place you probably haven't seen a motorcycle is on a hand-painted,  cake-like lemon flavored cookie.  If you can't bring yourself to munch this work of art, you can leave it out to dry and use it as a decoration.

Biker Bar Snacks- Bikers are tough guys and gals so skip the cocktail peanuts and pass the pickled sausage.  Pickled sausage lovers claim that after trying the rest, these Bay View sausages are the best. The sausages are firm (not mushy like other brands), and have just the right amount of flavor and spice. 

 
Biker Gift Basket- How do you make a gift basket a biker will love? Ditch the basket and stuff a tin with a Harley logo full of yummy Wisconsin treats and Harley gifts, and top it with a black bow.  This basket includes a Harley drink koozie, Harley playing cards, and a variety of biker foods and snacks like cheese, crackers, Sprecher root beer and more.  The Harley gift basket makes a unique gift for birthdays, anniversaries or just for fun.

Nueske Sausage- So I've mentioned biker food gifts, biker popcorn, biker cookies and biker bar snacks, but I've saved the most important biker food for last- snacks for the road! This combination of smoked beef sticks, summer sausage and landjager by Nueske meats make great highway snacks.  The meats are full of energizing proteins and since they are fully cooked, don't require refrigeration until after opening. 

Memorial Day Weekend Fun in Madison, Wisconsin

Looking for fun things to do in Madison on Memorial Day weekend ? Here are some brat-tastic events going on around Mad-town.
 
Take Your Brat to Work Day -  Kick off the weekend by taking your brat (as in bratwurst, leave the naughty kids at home) to the office.   Take Your Brat to Work Day serves as the opening event to not only Memorial Day weekend in Madison but to The World's Largest Brat Fest. The 5,000 Bratfest volunteers, working for the charity of their choice, set up a special bratwurst drive-thru from 6am to 9am on Friday, May 27th so hungry workers can grab brats for themselves and coworkers. 

The World's Largest Brat Fest- Brat Fest has everything you and your family needs for Memorial Day weekend fun: rides, music, the Budweiser Clydesdales, the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile, the world's largest grill, and of course BRATWURST, over 200,000 were sold last year. The fun lasts from 10pm to 9pm Friday- Sunday and 10pm to 6pm on Monday. Did I mention entry is FREE? Brats are only $1.50. 

Alt-Bratfest -  The World's Largest Brat Fest is buns of fun, but the brats are from Johnsonville, and you can get those anywhere in the USA.  For a more local selection of tasty food, take a trip to Orton Park on Sunday, May 29th from 11am to 6pm for Alt-Bratfest.  Enjoy the music and dishes from local restaurants (more than just brats).  Proceeds go to several charities including local food supporters REAP. 

Now turn off the computer and go have a fun and safe Memorial Day weekend!

Ice Cream Shops - or should I say Shoppes?

My Dad is coming from Virginia to visit me in Madison this weekend and I can't wait to take him to one of my favorite ice cream shops, or should I say Shoppe? I am a huge fan of the Chocolate Shoppe.  In fact, on more than one occasion I have entered my favorite ice cream shop on a snowy, below-zero day. 

I sometimes wonder if I am the only person in Madison who craves ice cream during the 4+ months a year when our state turns into a frozen tundra.  My favorite flavor of Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream is Mint Avalanche, which is like mint chocolate chip kicked up a notch- instead of chocolate chips it has pieces of mint-chocolate candy and mint-chocolate cookies swirled inside. YUM!  I have contemplated stocking up a few pints-no need to worry about freezer space, I can store them on my porch this time of year- but the poor employees of the Chocolate Shoppe need my visits because they seem a bit bored. I think this snowman with a Chocolate Shoppe hat and cone eyes is evidence of that.  If I didn't stop in they probably wouldn't speak to anyone all day, which is a shame because they have a great sense of humor, which is evident by the nutrition facts on the side of the pint:

"Don't even ask. This is the best ice cream made in Wisconsin, and it tastes so good because it has gobs of rich Wisconsin cream, tons of real ingredients for boat-loads of luscious flavors. That means it's not low-fat, low-calorie or low-anything, and that's why everyone loves it. You want nutrition, eat carrots. "

So if you live in Madison, don't forget about how lucky you are to have the Chocolate Shoppe near by.  If you don't live in Mad-town, you can click on this link to have Chocolate Shoppe ice cream delivered right to your door.  Ice cream also makes an awesome gift. Let's face it, who expects to open a box to find ICE CREAM! Just don't send it to anyone on a diet.  

Ice Cream Tip: Put a scoop of vanilla ice cream in your coffee in the morning in place of cream and sugar. It will sweeten your cup of joe while cooling it down at the same time.

Holiday Humor

 You Might Be Spending The Holidays In Wisconsin If...

 1. Someone wishes you a Merry Cheesemas.

2. You think the "Christmas colors" are green (GO PACK GO!) and red (ON WISCONSIN!).

3.  You know you're going to have a white Christmas, so instead you're singing "I'm dreaming of a NOT white Easter". 

4. You think the real meaning of Christmas is to celebrate the birth of the baby cheeses.

5. Instead of leaving cookies, you leave a kringle for Kris Kringle.

Local Food

Local food pride runs high in Wisconsin. 

As the newest member of the Wisconsinmade.com family, I am excited to join Edible Antics, and I'll be working with Cristie to bring you twice the food fun! My name is Amanda, and even though I spent the first 23 years of my life in other states (mostly Virginia), I am making up for lost time by eating as much cheese and bratwurst as I can.

This weekend I attended one of the hottest Wisconsin local food events of the year: REAP's Pie Palooza.  If you haven't heard of REAP, it's a non-profit organization here in Madison that promotes eating locally.  Pie Palooza ticket holders get a tasty meal of pie baked in Wisconsin with Wisconsin made ingredients. In true Wisconsin fashion, all four pies I sampled contained cheese (two types of quiche, apple cobbler cheesecake and apple pie with cheese crust).

 The apple pie with cheese baked into the crust stands out as my favorite.  I munched away thinking, "Where IS that cheese?" it finally hit me- CHEDDAR! Yum!

I feel inspired to eat some fabulous Wisconsin pies this holiday season.  Maybe pecan? Or apple cherry?  I should probably join a Gourmet Pie of the Month club so I can try them all!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bratwurst

Bratwurst! Some say beer, but bratwurst are the main attraction at Oktoberfest parties in Wisconsin.

Bratwurst and polka dancing, to be fair. While the bratwursts sizzle, the accordion bands fire up the festival-goers. Everybody twirls, skips, and wiggles. They work up a gigantic thirst, which they wash down with Oktoberfest beer, and a humongous appetite which they satisfy with German-style BRATWURSTS. 

Bratwurst, beer, and polka - they're our Oktoberfest trio of fun.

We Wisconsinites used to polka dance like the pros, back a century or so ago. Polka rhythm and steps were passed down through the German families who first settled in Wisconsin. But somehow over the years, our polka dancing became less authentic, less true to its origins, - unlike our bratwursts. Wisconsin chefs still make bratwurst with traditional seasonings and methods. Unfortunately  our polka dancing didn't fare so well.

Eventually, our traditional polka, which began as a variation of the waltz, transmuted into The Wisconsin Chicken Dance. How? Maybe it was all the beer. We lost our inhibitions and began dancing like barn animals. Or, more likely, it was all the bratwurst. Keep reading watch us dance, and check out the Wisconsin Oktoberfest schedule.

Tailgating

Tailgating - Unusual places where Wisconsin Badgers parties 'happen'

If you thought tailgating parties happen only on the back of a truck, you haven't been to Wisconsin. Or maybe you have yet to experience the heady rush of tailgating with Wisconsin Badger fans.

Wisconsin folk, especially Wisconsin football fans, are misunderstood. If we're given a thought beyond "the fly-over zone people who fish through the ice" that thought is about how absolutely ordinary (subtext: dull), decent (subtext: staid), and traditional (subtext: unoriginal) we are.

But on the contrary, just this passed Saturday, I witnessed  -in Wisconsin - Wisconsin Badgers fans engaged in a spontaneous activity reminiscent of 1960's-era partying. It was a free-love frenzy, and it happened in COSTCO.

That discount chain-store was the happening place where Badgers fans, deprived of Camp Randall tickets, gathered.

Keep reading for more of the tailgating tale and find out what those Bucky fans ate.