Edible Antics - Having Fun With Food

Wisconsin Rose Bowl - 5 Must-Have Party Snacks

Time for another Wisconsin Rose Bowl! On January 2nd the Badgers will head to Pasadena, California to take on the Oregon Ducks. For those of us who can't make it to the game in person, it's time to start planning our Wisconsin Rose Bowl parties. I've come up with a flavorful and fun party spread that will make the 2012 Rose Bowl one to remember. 

 

Cheese and Sausage Spread - It's not a Wisconsin party without cheese! This is one of several Bucky snack assortments that ships nationwide at Wisconsinmade.com, so even if Bucky doesn't grace the snack food packages in your town like he does here in Madison, you can still enjoy your favorite Bucky snacks no matter where in the USA you live. This one includes cheddar, horseradish, port wine and garlic cheese spread, plus two summer sausages, beef sticks and red Wisconsin plastic cheese spreaders.

 

 

 

Wisconsin Rose Bowl Veggie Tray- Do you think making tomato roses for a veggie tray is only for Martha Stewart? It's actually easier than you think. Visit my Wisconsin Rose Bowl blog post from last year to see step-by-step photo instructions about how to make lovely tomato roses.  

 

 

 

 

Bratwurst - I recently went to a football game in my home state of Virginia, and when hunger struck I went over to the concession stand. My heart sank when I realized that the stand did not serve bratwurst! Wisconsin sports fans should take a lesson from my sad story and appreciate the fact that bratwurst are always available in Wisconsin! Enjoy State Street's famous bratwurst no matter where you live when you order from Wisconsinmade.com. 

 

 

 

 

Smoked Duck- The Oregon Ducks are about to get smoked by the Wisconsin Badgers, so serve a smoked duck at your Wisconsin Rose Bowl Party. This delectable pre-cooked bird can be warmed in the oven or sliced and served with crackers (quackers?!). I wonder if the Oregon fans will be snacking on Badger during the game? I doubt it!

 

 

 

 

 

Babcock Hall Ice Cream No Badger celebration is complete without the sweet finish of some Babcock Hall Ice Cream. Select from classic flavors from your college days like Union Utopia (vanilla with fudge swirl), Peanut Butter Cup and Orange Custard Chocolate Chip. 

Have a Healthy Holiday with Wisconsin Food Gifts

For the most part, I'm all for pigging out around the holidays, but sometimes it's better to give a healthy holiday treat.  Maybe you have a family member that is trying to stay healthy and you don't want to derail them with a box of cookies, or maybe giving a cheese and sausage gift basket to your running buddy seems counter productive.  Whatever the reason, there are plenty of healthy yet delicious holiday food gifts around.  Believe it or not, some of them even come from Wisconsin.  The state that is famous for cheese and bratwurst is also known for cranberries, cherries and other healthy holiday treats.

 

 

No Sugar Added Tart Dried Cherries - Tart dried cherries are hard to find outside of Wisconsin so they are a popular gift on Wisconsinmade.com.  A nutritious topping for salad or cereal, tart dried cherries also have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, according to the Wisconsin Cherry Growers Association. Other cherry goodies that make sweet gifts: cherry salsa and cherry jam.  

 

 

 

 

 

Cranberries- Cranberries are a ruby in the Wisconsin agricultural crown. Studies suggest that cranberry rich diets have the potential to prevent heart disease, ulcers and certain types of cancer. If you enjoy dried cranberries, try Curbanies. This sweet snack is similar to a dried cranberry, but goes through a special drying process so they retain some moisture. For an even sweeter cranberry treat try some dark chocolate covered cranberries.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Popcorn- An extra large bag of movie popcorn can contain thousands of calories, but it's the butter that's to blame, not the popcorn.  The gourmet popcorn varieties grown in Wisconsin have plenty of flavor without all the extra toppings.  You can even taste the difference between the types of kernels.  Dieters love popcorn for the satisfying crunch without the calories and fat of other salty snacks. Not sure how to pop kernels without the bag? Check out this blog post with stove-top popping instructions. 

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: Be the Cheesemonger

Cheesemongers have one of the coolest jobs in the world.  What's a cheesemonger you ask? A Cheesemonger works at a cheese shop and learns everything there is to know about cheese- how it tastes, how it is made, what foods and drinks go well with each cheese- everything and anything to help cheese lovers enjoy the best possible cheese experience.  Recently I helped gather in-depth cheese information for Wisconsinmade.com and I discovered how much fun it is to learn about the wonderful world of cheese.  I enjoyed playing Cheesemonger so much, I thought I would give my Edible Antics readers a turn!

The information I gathered is for a Cheese Information page which was added to Wisconsinmade.com's Cheese Department to make it even cheesier! The new addition includes descriptions of the different cheese varieties, tips for buying and storing cheese, bios of cheesemakers, answers to you frequently asked cheese questions and more. Only one element is missing- our cheese pairings section is completely blank.  I look at it as a blank canvas and YOU are holding the paint brush.  Comment on this post with YOUR favorite cheese pairings (food or drink) and we will list them on Wisconsinmade.com.  The cheese pairings can be fancy and specific like Ader Kase Blue Cheese and a glass of Cabernet, or it can be simple and general like apples and cheddar. You can visit my previous blog post on cheese pairings for more examples, but get creative and don't be shy, today you're the Cheesemonger.

Post your favorite cheese pairings below or "Like" Wisconsinmade.com on Facebook where we will be discussing a new cheese each week.

Photo courtesy of the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board.

 

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. 

5 Things To Do With Juusto

Now that you know all about Juusto , you need ideas for how to eat it.  Between the suggestions I received from Facebook and Twitter  friends to the ideas from the cheesemakers at Pasture Pride Cheese, I have more ideas than I can fit in just one post.  So here is a list - you know how I love my top five lists- of ways to enjoy Juusto with minimal cooking. I'll test out some of the more cooking intensive (but still easy of course) recipes at home and report back in future posts, but for now enjoy these simple preparations. All of these ideas taste best with warmed Juusto- to warm it, place it in a skillet, microwave or oven for a few minutes. 

 

1. Breakfast- Drizzle warmed Juusto with honey, maple syrup, or jam- you get bonus points if your drizzle is made in Wisconsin! Enjoy the Juusto with your morning coffee.  Some cheeselovers even dip it in the coffee, yum!

2. Appetizer- Cut the warmed Jalapeno Juusto in to strips and serve with salsa- no one will miss the chips!

3. Pizza Lover's Delight- Cut warmed Juusto into strips. Dunk the strips in pizza sauce.  Kids will love this one, especially with Italian flavored Juusto.

4. Go Vegetarian- This is probably my favorite Juusto tip! Use in the place of meat for a real cheeseburger.  Warm up a burger sized hunk of Juusto then put it on a bun with your favorite burger toppings. 

5.Go Low-Carb- Take a full piece of Juusto and carefully slice it in half so you have two thin peices that are the same size as the original piece. Use the cheese as your bread- add mustard and ham for a low-carb ham sandwich. 

What is Juusto?

                                                                             Juusto is a versatile cheese that cheeselovers enjoy as a snack, an appetizer, and even for breakfast. Juusto originated in Finland, but cheesemakers in Wisconsin -the land of all foods awesome and cheesy- make an excellent Juusto as well.  Cheesemakers pre-bake slice-like slabs of cheese in an oven until they develop a golden brown color.  The sliced shape earned Juusto the nickname bread cheese. 

    Pasture Pride Dairy in Chaston, Wisconsin produces several flavors of bread cheese including Jalapeno, Chipotle, and Italian. The diary also makes a Juusto variety with goat's milk which they call - get ready!- Guusto. Whether the milk is from a goat or a cow, you can be sure that your Juusto is made with the best quality milk available.  Amish farmers supply Pasture Pride with the finest milk- cow's milk contains no BGH, and the milk is shipped to the dairy daily for the freshest possible cheese.  How do you eat Juusto? Well...I'll save that for another blog post, but let's just say, you don't want to eat this cheese cold.  Juusto is made to be warmed until melted and delicious.  Check back soon for a post with tips on how to best enjoy Juusto. 

Wisconsin Basketball Food

As the Wisconsin Badgers basketball team continues down the road to the Final Four, you will need some snacks to properly enjoy the trip to victory.  Here is a countdown of the best Wisconsin basketball snacks.

5. Badger Snack Sticks- Nothing says "On Wisconsin!" like cheese and sausage packaged together for perfectly cheesy and meaty bites.

 

4. Wisconsin Popcorn Tin- Pre-popped popcorn is the perfect Wisconsin basketball snack- no preparation required, just open tin, shovel into your mouth, and keep your eyes on the action.

3. Bucky's Favorites from Babcock Hall Dairy-  This cheese is made at the University of Wisconsin.  They say it is Bucky's favorite varieties and I believe it- he definitely strikes me as a Cheddar and Monteray Jack type of guy.  Can you imagine Bucky eating Brie? No way!

2. State Street Brats- You can't talk about Wisconsin food without mentioning bratwurst.  No matter where you live, you can make your street into State Street.

1. Babcock Hall Ice Cream- This is the ultimate Wisconsin fan favorite. Beleive it or not, all of the foods mentioned, including the ice cream ship all over the United States, so you can enjoy a taste of Wisconsin no matter where you live.  Order today so goodies can arrive in time for the next big game.

5 Things to Do With A Cheese Curd

Whether you grew up eating Wisconsin cheese curds or you just received your cheese curd education from my What is a Cheese Curd? blog post, you may still need some ideas for what to do with a cheese curd.  Curds are great straight from the bag, but why stop there?

 1. Zap 'Em:  Here's a trick my coworkers and I love to share- put some curds on a plate and zap them in the microwave for 5 to 10 seconds.  This makes your curds soft, gooey, and extra squeaky!

2. Deep Fry 'Em: You can't talk about cheese curds without mentioning deep fried cheese curds! Outside of Wisconsin, you can usually find these as a novelty item at fairs and festivals where they fry everything.  In Wisconsin, fried cheese curds are a staple. We eat them as an appetizer, bar snack, and some fast food restaurants even let you replace your fries with fried cheese curds! Check out Edible Antic's favorite fried cheese curd recipe here.

3. Put 'Em in Poutine: As if cheese curds weren't already decadant enough, try this Canadian dish.  Smother french fries in gravy, top with cheese curds, chow down! If you would like a more detailed recipe, click here.  Cooking Light Magazine even featured a recipe for a lighter version of Poutine in a recent issue, although I don't think anything related to cheese curds is "light".  

4. Flavor 'Em: This is an easy one since it's already been done for you.  Cheese curds come in more flavors than just plain. Try them in Cajun, Garlic Dill, or (get this!) Pizza! Yum! If your local grocery store doesn't carry cheese curds in fun flavors, order some online here.

5. Gift 'Em: Whether you are in Wisconsin or not, you can send curds to your friends in the contiental United States.  Don't forget to include some batter for frying! Your friends will love this delicious taste of Wisconsin no matter what state they live in.

 

What's A Cheese Curd?

  I had never heard of a cheese curd until I was on my way to Wisconsin for the first time.  When my friend Theresa heard I was making a trip to the Badger State, she asked me to bring her back some cheese curds.  This brought up many questions.  What's a cheese curd? Does it come in a box? Where do I shop for them? Theresa laughed at my lack of cheese curd knowledge, and told me you can get them in the cheese section at most groceries stores in Wisconsin, or even at the airport, and  the curds come in plastic bags. 

Yet she couldn't really explain to me what a cheese curd is.  The answer to my next question, "What do they taste like?" caused even more confusion- "They squeak!" she replied. 

Now that I work for a website that ships cheese curds nationwide, I have had some practice at explaining what a cheese curd is.  At one point in the cheese making process, cheese makers have "curds" the solid part of the cheese, and "whey" the liquid part of the cheese.   When you eat cottage cheese, you are eating the curds AND the whey, like Little Ms Muffet (although I still have no idea what a tuffet is....that's another blog post.)  The cheese curds you get in the grocery store are those solid parts of the cottage cheese, just bigger, bite size chunks. 

The squeakiness is a bit harder to explain.  A fresh cheese curd should squeak when you chew it.  It sounds like you are chewing on a ballon, but tastes much, MUCH better.  I promise.

Next blog post: 5 Things to Do With a Cheese Curd.