Edible Antics - Having Fun With Food

Midwest Folklife Festival Celebrates Mulit-Cultural Art, Music and Food in Wisconsin!!

What fun we had at the Midwest Folklife Festival in Dodgeville, Wisconsin! The young-at-heart were dancing polkas, accompanied by three generations of musicians. 

Next the Southern Wisconsin Old Time Fiddlers' Association entertained the crowd. Inside the Farewell Hall we enjoyed Bosnian folk dancing.

Working up an appetite, we had our choice of the usual Wisconsin fare, brats, hot dogs, and pulled pork. But keeping to the festival's international theme, the treat of the afternoon was Italian ices loaded with fresh, pureed fruit!

Next we strolled through the Folk Village's fruit orchard, stopping to chat with artists under white, open-aired tents who were showing eager listeners how to create a variety of musical instruments and traditional crafts representing cultural heritages well-alive here in the Midwest. Tani Diakite played music from Mali for a young dancer and her family.  

Nearby, Ghana musician and instrument maker, Djam Vivie, gave impromptu drumming lessons.

We saw Ojibwe flute maker, Frank Montano, Norwegian hardanger fiddle-maker, Ron Poast, and Hmong instrument maker, Dang Yang. 

Capital K'9s Demo at the Duck Pond - Wisconsinites Bring Their Dogs To Watch The Madison Mallards Play Baseball

Yesterday afternoon two kinds of hot dogs were in abundance at the Madison Mallards baseball game. Wisconsin baseball fans brought their dogs to Madison's Warner Park to watch a different species of mallard. The dogs got a warm welcome with free bleacher seat tickets, plus free bandannas, biscuits, ice drinks, and water pools provided by local pet and veterinary organizations.

"Bring your dog to the duck pond!" day was part of a fund-raiser for Capital K9's, a non-profit organization which buys and trains dogs for the Madison Police Department. On the field between innings, Capital K'9 trainers demonstrated how their five police dogs could sniff out illegal drugs and apprehend fleeing criminals. The news reports of the dog's policing exploits are evidence of the dogs' positive community service. These highly trained dogs help find lost people, protect police officers in dangerous situations, and improve police efficiency in locating contraband.

To support this all-volunteer organization, Mallards fans participated in a silent auction held during the baseball game. Meanwhile, their own pooches aided park clean-up services by consuming dropped popcorn, hot dog bits, and fallen ice cream treats. When not on food patrol, the dogs watched the fans rather than the mallards, although most labs kept their eyes on the baseball. Of course, at any sporting event there are those who come to socialize rather than cheer - and their dogs do the same.

Dining in Madison, Wisconsin - A Capitol Lunch on the Square

Here's my dad sitting at the Brocah Irish restaurant on Main Street across from the Wisconsin state capitol building. Dad lunched on a salmon sandwich and fries, and I on a chicken breast sandwich and side salad, - our all-American food in an all-American city.

Down the block, men and women on their noon-hour breaks similarly dined at tables of restaurants that spilled outside on to the capitol-square sidewalks. Other folks bought their lunch from one of the numerous food carts .  Their choices of cuisine were diverse, - Asian, African, Indian, Mexican, Latin American, and of course, Chicago red hots. Food in hand, some returned to work, while others sat on benches to eat in the blue-sky air and sunshine.

Several times I watched passerbys pause to chat with seated diners. Old friends and acquaintances exchanged smiles and handshakes, tidbits of news, and then waves of good-bye as the passerbys continued on. The diners' smiles lingered as they returned their attention to their food. Friendliness lingered in the air. 

The mellow-scene took Dad by surprise. For the past 45 years, Dad's been practicing law in the downtown Chicago loop. The loop's outdoor-lunch scene is frenetic. Throngs of people dressed for air-conditioning not summer heat pour on to the handful of cement plazas. They stake out a 2-foot-square spot on a bench, stone wall or step and eat their lunch. On odd corners, street musicians entertain, but their personal music is drowned out by the cacophony of car horns, traffic-cop whistles, and bus engines. The dull rumble of stop-n-go traffic reverberates off densely-packed buildings.

But here Dad was in Mad-Town, - the seat of Wisconsin's government, home of one of the world's best universities. Yet the sidewalks and streets were congestion-free. People walked, cars and buses drove, but space permeated. Sunlight and breezes swept through the capitol square, connecting sky to lakes. Dad laughed in glee that just one street off the square no traffic light or police officer's hand directed our crossing. We were free to walk not just where we wanted, but when we wanted.

REAL Physical Therapy: Walleye Fishing and Vacationing with Rhinelander's Hodag in Wisconsin's Northwoods

A couple of days ago, the receptionist at the sports medicine/physical therapy clinic was telling me about her great weekend fishing on a northern Wisconsin lake. "I caught 18 walleye," she beamed. "And one of them was...." I don't remember the exact weight she said, but it was heavy enough that eyes widened and jaws dropped in the waiting room.

I asked her, "Did you get to fry it up that day? There's nothing better than fresh-cooked walleye."

"Oh no," she said, "We were fishing for (a charity benefit whose name I didn't catch and which her tone assumed I knew of). "All the fish went to the fund-raiser And we're going to go up next weekend and do it again!" I marveled. How cool was that! Anglers helping out their Wisconsin neighbors by doing what they love most, - fishing! "And it was so cheap!" she continued. "All it cost me was gas money plus $30 for the cabin rental. Can you believe it, - a weekend of fun for $66!" I was impressed too.

As the physical therapist greeted me, he asked me about the travel guide I was carrying, Wisconsin with Kids, by Kristin Visser and Jerry Minnich. I said I was looking for a vacation destination that would be fun for the kids and easy on the wallet. "Rhinelander, - in the northwoods," he said, emphatically. "It's Wisconsin's best kept secret. It has lakes for fishing and boating; great hiking trails through miles of woods. It's beautiful up there. The resorts are reasonably priced. A cabin on a lake won't set you back much. And if you want all the tourist stuff you can go a few miles down the road to Minocqua. Minocqua gets all the press, but resorts there are pricier. Better to stay in Rhinelander and just day-trip into Minocqua. Check out Rhinelander's Chamber of Commerce, - you'll see."

"Do you vacation up there?" I asked.

"Oh, I'm from Rhinelander." That explains the enthusiasm, I thought. "I grew up there. I'm an outdoors guy. I like to hunt and fish and camp."

"What brings you to Madison?" I asked.

"My wife's job. I could get a job in Rhinelander, no problem. But for now we're here...You've got to visit Rhinelander."

OK, I thought. Yesterday I started investigating Rhinelander. I learned Rhinelander is Hodag country. The Hodag is a large, red-eyed, white-spiked, tusked, and scary, but smiling, green monster that lurks about and of which residents report sightings. An outdoor, life-size hodag statue greets visitors. "You see kids! The monster's not under your bed - it's in Rhinelander!"

This weekend, the Holiday Acres resort in Rhinelander is having its Mother's Day Weekend of Jazz. Unfortunately we won't get up there for that. Nonetheless, Rhinelander stays on the short list of Wisconsin places to see.

But back to fish, - and cooking with walleye. Now, most Wisconsinites just lightly batter fish and quick fry it in a skillet. This ages-old, versatile method has been done on stoves, grills, and camp-fires, and suits this blog because I typically rave about fast, easy-to-cook family fare. For variety's sake however, it's time I reported an extra-fancy, for-entertaining-only, challenging-to-prepare, requiring-special-equipment, but well-worth-all the-effort recipe. It's an appetizer recipe that will be years before I make and looks extraordinarily yummy right now. Someone should make it and invite me over.

Click on 'continue reading...' for the recipe: Walleye and Crayfish Mousseline. It comes from the cookbook, The Northwoods Table: Natural Cuisine Featuring Native Foods.

Wisconsin Bratwursts, Chicago Hot Dogs, German Weisswursts - It's Time to Light the Grill and Slap on the Sausages!

It's spring break and the kids and I are visiting family in Chicagoland, which means we're not technically in the city, but we're minutes away from its border and absolutely everything we eat, drink, do, and read is influence by the city. This cultural wonderland has captivated my children: "Mom! There are SO MANY kid TV shows! You won't believe it! Arthur is on in the morning AND at night." I try to get them outside, but after one walk around the block they come back in. "There's nothing to do, Mom. There's no snow!"

No snow...I pause to appreciate this long-awaited news. I'm almost giddy. Perennials are poking up in Mom's garden. My dad is grilling. Last night I marinated chicken using Mom's recipe for Lemon Barbecued Chicken. It turned out fantastic! - moist with a nice lemon accent. I'll post the recipe on the side page: Everyday dinners easy enough to cook every day.

Will snow be past and perennials present when we return to Wisconsin tomorrow? Not likely. But folks may be grilling. Wisconsinites start lighting charcoal when temperatures approach 50 degrees. Yes, bratwurst season is dawning!

I like bratwursts - especially in a bun with mustard that's piled high with sauerkraut. I especially like sauerkraut. If you don't think you do, try a different brand - they are NOT all alike.

My husband, John, likes brats too, but the two years he lived in Chicago during his salad days left an indelible mark on him, - he prefers Chicago-style hot dogs. He makes them at home according to a very strict recipe. It's the same recipe adhered to by Chicago-style hot dog connoisseurs Mitch and Kevin of Hot Dog Chicago Style.com. John knows these hot dog guys and for a short time joined their quest for the BEST Madison Chicago dog. For a while, they most favored the Chicago dogs served off the cart at Home Depot - the Home Depot at the junction of the Beltline and Verona Rd. Passionate quests for the ultimate Chicago dog are common for Chicagoans transplanted to Wisconsin. Even our busy, former Madison mayor, Paul Soglin, has hit the streets searching for a true Chicago-style hot dog. Like most Chicagoans, he is a self-elected expert on the subject. You can read his favorable critique of one contender that he found on a Madison street-cart. 

Wisconsin Wonder Food! - Grown and Raised in Wisconsin, Cooked and Served at the Roxbury Tavern!

The Wonders of Wisconsin committee is asking folks to nominate the best small towns in our wonderful state of Wisconsin. A town can be nominated in one or more of 21 different categories. I nominated Roxbury, Wisconsin because it is home to one of our family's favorite restaurants, the Roxbury Tavern. (Roxbury is a town so small that its mail goes to Prairie du Sac.)

In a low-key, family-friendly atmosphere, The Roxbury Tavern serves up homemade, locally-produced food (and I mean local - the fresh meats, cheese, and beer are produced within and around Dane County). Owner Tom Gresser makes up his own garlic ketchup for the BEST HOMEMADE french fries. Homemade pickles garnish the tables. Read Jeanne Carpenter's interview with Tom for a taste of the tavern's history and community involvement.

We like to hear the local bands play on Sunday afternoons.  The kids color and eat their favorite grilled cheese sandwiches, while John and I sip Lake Louie beer on tap and eat Roxburgers. A relaxing place to hang out. We also go for their Sunday brunch because we love the pancakes. While we wait, the kids play with toys piled on shelves in a corner.

Searching for Wisconsin's BEST CHEESE, BEER and BRATS!!!

Hello Wisconsin!

"Go NORTH!" they said,"to the land of woods, lakes, and cows."

"Eat CHEESE!" "Devour BRATS!"

"And consume copious quantities of fresh, German-styled BEER!"                    Picture from the: Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board

So I packed up the car and waved goodbye to Chicagoland.  Speeding up I-94 with the rest of the Illinois tourists I wondered, "Could any beer really beat Old Style?" "Is there a sausage superior to a Vienna, all-beef hot dog laden with yellow mustard, chopped onion, tomato, a pickle spear, bright green relish, and sport peppers?"  I hear in Wisconsin they serve brats with saurkraut - I can't even spell 'saurkraut'.  "Should I really eat something I cant' spell?"  "And those Kurds...What are Iraqis doing in Wisconsin, and why are they fashioning images of themselves out of cheese?"

So here I've landed in America's #1 city, Middleton, Wisconsin.  The car's unloaded, and I'm looking for something to eat.  I head to State Street, that Madison thoroughfare that links the Wisconsin state capitol building to the University of Wisconsin.  Most of the people walking toward me are wearing red and white clothes that say 'Wisconsin'.  (I'm glad my purple sweats are still in the suitcase.  I'll ditch them after midnight in an empty back alley.)  Some folks wear these large, orange, triangular foam hats that resemble a wedge of cheese.  "Oh yea," I deduce, "those are the 'cheese-heads'."  It's not hard to find a bratwurst on State Street.  It's easy to find beer.  I try a couple.  Not bad.

With my belly pleasantly full, I'm feeling good.  I'm relaxed.  I'm thinking that I could fit in all right here.  And the people are friendly.  (Of course, I didn't say I'm from Illinois.  I'll throw that info out later and see just how friendly they are.)  So now I need to know,  What is

Wisconsin's best cheese, best brat, and best beer?

Which brand is the BEST Wisconsin has to offer? 

I put these questions to you, Wisconsin-lovers:

What are your favorites, and who makes them?