Edible Antics - Having Fun With Food

Restaurants in Madison with Outdoor Seating

The weather forecast says it might get up to the 70s this weekend in Madison, and I saw a photo on Facebook of workers putting the chairs out on the Union Terrace, so spring must be close! I'm looking forward to eating outside again, and in honor of al fresco dining, I'd like to share some of my favorite restaurants in Madison that have outdoor seating.

The Great Dane Brewpub - The Great Dane in Madison is one of my favorites because it has it all when it comes to food and atmosphere. The menu has everything from brats to burritos and you can dine at a lively bar, a festive but sightly quieter dining room or outside on a comfortable deck. There are even multiple locations around Madison so if you live in the capital city, chances are there's a Great Dane near you. 

The Union Terrace- This isn't exactly a restaurant, but there's no better place to enjoy a brat and a beer than on the breezy terrace. The terrace is part of the University of Wisconsin-Madison's student union, but students and townies alike can't get enough of the lake view and relaxed atmosphere. The Wisconsin State Journal says that this year the terrace will see some changes including a new brat stand and an Alumni Pier.  

Paisan's- The inside of Paisan's is warm and cozy, but when it's warm outside, you'll definitely want to sit outside and enjoy the view of Lake Monona. Paisan's convenient location to downtown offices and generous drink specials make it a popular spot for happy hour, but don't miss dinner because they serve up Italian classics like spicy cheese bread and homemade pasta. 

Porta Bella- Lake-view dining isn't the only outdoor scenery in Madison. Visit Porta Bella for a charming garden atmosphere. A stone wall and shady trees surround the outdoor dining area at Porta Bella, so bring a date and enjoy the surroundings and fill your belly with Italian favorites like spaghetti and meatballs or chicken marsala. 

To have your own outdoor dining experience, visit Wisconsinmade.com for outdoor eating essentials like bratwursts, grilling sauces and more. 

 

The Beer and Cheese Festival: Wisconsin Winter Fun with Pretzel Necklaces!

The Isthmus Beer and Cheese Festival happens every January in Madison, Wisconsin. I'm a little late, but I had such a fun time I absolutely must write about it! I'll also share my tips for what to do before, during, and after the beer cheese fest!

Before

Make pretzel necklaces. This was my first visit to the beer and cheese festival, but my friend and Wisconsinmade.com coworker Hannah had been before. She insisted that we make pretzel necklaces. Serious beer and cheese fest attendees know that pretzel necklaces are convenient for cleansing your pallet in between beer samples, but more importantly, a salty snack.  A warning from an experienced pretzel necklace wearer- don't try to hug anyone while wearing your pretzel necklace or your pretzels will end up in pieces on the floor!

Eat something! Yes, there are plenty of cheese samples, and even a few food vendors to buy snacks from, but there is even more beer to taste, so don't leave the house unless you've had enough to eat.

 

Best Wisconsin Recipes from Edible Antics in 2012

The year is almost over and I'm reminiscing about the best Wisconsin recipes from Edible Antics in 2012. Here are four of my favorites: Grammy's Beet Pickled Eggs, Breakfast Bratritos, Buffalo Chicken Sandwich and the Discount Double Chicken Quesadilla. 

Grammy's Beet Pickled Eggs- Pickled eggs in a clear brine are a popular food item on Wisconsinmade.com, but I'm used to seeing the red tinted beet pickled eggs made by my grandma. Growing up I didn't like them but she always made them for my Dad. I recently gave them another chance with my grown up taste buds and wow! They are amazing! Now Dad and I fight over them, and I often make them at home. Check out the recipe so you can too. 

Breakfast Bratritos- I'm proud of this one since it is an original recipe with a fun name. I used to be a cereal for breakfast kind of girl, but once my friend told me eggs for breakfast give her a big energy boost I decided to try it, and now I can't start my day without the incredible egg. Since I don't always have time to make omelets from scratch I'm always looking for easy ways to get in my eggs, and making these burritos ahead of time gives me the perfect grab and go breakfast! 

Buffalo Chicken Sandwich - I have tried recipes for buffalo chicken tacos, pizza, chili... but 2012 was the year of teh buffalo chicken sandwich. This creation involves chicken breast, buffalo sauce, butter and ranch dressing mix. Dump the ingredients in the crockpot and forget it. After several hours you can shred the chicken and use it to make sandwiches. Get creative with the toppings- try red onion, avocado, and plenty of Wisconsin blue cheese! 

Discount Double Chicken Quesadilla - This video was sent to me by a Packer fan and I thought it was so hilarious I had to share. Don't take my word for it, here is the video: 

Food Trends of 2013

We dodged the apocalypse! What a relief! Now I can stop stock piling supplies and go back to doing what I normally do around this time every year; thinking about what food trends might be in store for the year ahead. Last year I predicted that pie and hot dogs would be the popular foods of 2012. I nailed it on the hot dog guess (Christmas hot dogs anyone?) and the fact that I attended a pie party proves that I was on the right track with that one too. With the success of last year's predictions under my belt, I shall gaze into the foodie crystal ball and share with you my predictions for 2013. 

Alternative Meats - Raise your hand if you're bored of chicken, beef and pork! No one? Well ok, I'll never be bored of those meats either but I do like to try something different occasionally. I'm a frequent diner at the Great Dane Brewpub in Madison and lately I've been ordering the buffalo burger. It's leaner than beef and more flavorful. I also happen to know a buffalo farmer, and he says that people are becoming more and more curious about the buffalo and elk meats that he sells. Find out more about Terri's Elk and Bison Ranch in this blog post from a couple of weeks ago. 

Food That Tastes Like Cocktails- I love cocktails, I love food, so why don't we put them together more often? I've been seeing more and more of this, and I think it will blow up in 2013. A local business in Madison called Spirit of Wisconsin makes candies, salsas, jams and more using spirits from Yahara Bay Distillery. These make fabulous gifts for your foodie or drinkie friends! I also recently found a recipe for Old Fashioned bread pudding. No, not old fashioned like your grandma, Old Fashioned like Wisconsin's favorite drink!  

Oreo Truffles and Variations- How long have Oreo Truffles been around? They first came into my life when I got some in the office cookie exchange last year and I think I've eaten about 1,000 of them since then. I've also created a Pinterest board where I collect all the truffle recipes I can find since I am that obsessed. My enthusiam for truffles alone will ensure truffles become a popular food trend in 2013. 

 Pickled Foods-  The New York Times recently reported about the trend of pickled foods in Brooklyn. That's been going on here in Wisconsin for awhile now. In fact, as you know I work for a gourmet food store and pickled foods are insanely popular! Pickled eggs, pickled herring, and pickled sausages fly off the shelf year round. Find out more about the artisan pickled food trend in my blog post from last year. I think this trend will spread to the rest of the USA in 2013.

What foods do you think will be popular in 2013?  

Throwback Thursday: Christmas Food The Old Fashioned Way

A new trend in the world of the Internet is Throwback Thursday. This has me reminiscing about Christmases of yore*.  More specifically, Wisconsin Christmases of yore.  I've noticed Wisconsinites seem to  carry around a healthy dose of nostalgia, heck, our state's favorite cocktail is the Old Fashioned, it doesn't get more old school than that! If you're looking to bring a little Christmas past to your Christmas presents, here are a few old fashioned Christmas foods and the story behind them in honor of Throwback Thursday.

* "Of yore" is how they said "a long time ago" a long time ago. 

The tradition of fruit cake came about in medieval times when cooks would save up their best spices and dried fruit and bake a special cake on Christmas day.  Many cultures have their own version of a Christmas cake that is tied to the symbolism of Christmas. The Germans for example make a fruit cake called a stollen, it's formed in to a folded over round shape and dusted with powdered sugar to resemble the baby Jesus swaddled in a cloth. A bakery here in Wisconsin, the New Glarus bakery, carries on the tradition with a fabulous stollen that puts other fruit cakes to shame.

 

 

Eggnog doesn't date back as far as fruit cake, but it counts as a throwback since it became popular in the 1760s. The standard recipe for eggnog contains milk, eggs, rum and sugar and can be served hot or cold.  In Wisconsin and Minnesota, an eggnog like drink called the Tom and Jerry is a popular choice.  This hot tasty treat contains eggs, sugar, and brandy, plus a little bit of freshly grated nutmeg.  Tom and Jerry Mix is available in the freezer section at many Wisconsin grocery stores and online at Wisconsinmade.com for those of you who can't get it locally.

 

Gingerbread can be traced back to the Grimm's fairytale Hannsel and Grettel, when the two curious kids get lurred into a witch's elaborate gingerbread house, but historians aren't sure which came first- the story or the house.  The gingerbread man however, is credited to Queen Elizabeth the 1st, who supposively had her cooks create gingerbread likenesses of her guests.  American kids have loved gingerbread since the USA's infancy, so baking gingerbread cookies is a great way to celebrate the same way early Americans did. 

 

What throwback Christmas traditions will you be celebrating this year?

 

 Source:

FoodTimeline.org

 

Top 5 Places to Shop on Small Business Saturday for Wisconsin Food Lovers

There's been talk in the news lately about the ridiculousness of Black Friday. Many stores have let Black Friday cast a shadow of Thanksgiving. When did a day of thanks turn in to a day where we trample each other for new TVs and smart phones? It's a sad situation, but I see a glimmer of hope as my Facebook and Twitter news feeds fill with mentions of Small Business Saturday, the day when shoppers descend on local shops to buy Christmas gifts. If you're not sure where to go, I've listed a few of my favorite Wisconsin small businesses for food gifts and the place online where you can find it all in one spot.

 

National Mustard Museum- You may have heard of this quirky museum in  downtown Middleton, Wisconsin that features 5,400 jars of mustard and other kitschy mustard memorabilia, but did you know they have a fabulous gift shop where you can purchase mustards from all over the USA and beyond? The knowledgeable staff will even let you taste any mustard you want.

 

 

Cheesecake Heaven- When I was first introduced to Cheesecake Heaven I thought they chose quite the a lofty name, but I took one bite and realized yes, their cheesecakes indeed transports you to a sweet and creamy heaven-like state of cheesecake bliss. Visit their store in the Wisconsin Dells for cheesecake, shortbread cookies, and other delightful treats.

 

 

 

Clock Shadow Creamery- When you think of cheese plants you usually think of cows on the country side, but Clock Shadow Creamy is in downtown Milwaukee. They specialize in cheese curds and quark- a spreadable cheese that resembles cream cheese.

 

 

 

 

Embossed Edibles- The artists at Embossed Edibles use cookie molds that they have collected over the years to create exquisite handpainted cookies. If you can't bare to eat them, you can let them dry and attach a ribbon and use the cookies as decorations. The cookies come in several Christmas designs including snow flakes and nativity scenes.

 

 

 

 

Knight's Gourmet Popcorn- I like Knight's Gourmet Popcorn for two reasons, first, there's something fun about eating popcorn out of a giant tin, and second, they have a fun story about how they got started. Ted Knight had a popcorn machine in his living room, and neighbors would knock on his window and he would serve them some popcorn. Now Knight's Gourmet has their own store in Milwaukee where they sell gourmet popcorn filled tins.

 

 

If you can't make it to Wisconsin to shop with these small businesses, shop online at Wisconsinmade.com in the comfort of your jammies. All of the gifts mentioned above and hundreds more ship nationwide from Wisconsinmade.com. The Wisconsinmade.com website might seem big, but it's a nine woman operation, so it's the perfect place for Small Business Saturday! See you then! 

Sharp Cheddar Versus Mild Cheddar: Is Older Better When It Comes to Cheddar?

A Wisconsin cheesemaker just discovered a forgotten 40 year old block of cheddar cheese. That's one old cheese! To give you an idea, a mild cheddar is generally aged two to three months, and your average grocery store sharp cheddar is aged about one year, and extra sharp cheddars are aged three to five years. Specialty cheese shops might have 13-15 year old cheddars, but 40 year old cheese might be a new record. The cheese is included in a collection of some of the oldest cheese ever sold according to the Wisconsin State Journal.

What's so special about old cheese, really?  

As cheddar cheese matures a few things happen. First, it gets sharper, a sharp cheese is the kind of cheese that when you bite in to it, it bites back. The flavor is prominent and assertive, unlike mild cheeses that have a more subtle flavor.

In addition to the flavor change, the texture also changes. Some aged cheeses develop tiny calcium deposits that form crunchy crystals in the cheese. I like this added texture, but some people don’t. This particular 40 year old cheddar reportedly had an inch worth of calcium deposits on the outside, but the inside was still fairly creamy. Aged cheddar develops a crumbly texture as it gets older, while mild cheddar is on the creamier side.

Taste Test

Sharper isn't necessarily better, it all depends on what you like. The best way to find out what you like is to taste a variety of cheddars of different ages side by side. Stick with cheese from one dairy so you have a fair base for comparison. I recommend Hook's cheddar because they have cheddars that are aged five years or more, and if you’re not  near a place that carries Hook's cheddar, you can order it online here.

I used to think the sharper the better, but after preforming this taste test I discovered I prefer cheddars in the three to five year range. I don’t enjoy the older cheddars as much, some of them are so sharp I need to get out the tongue band-aids!

A Note About Cooking with Cheese

If you’re cooking with cheese, like baking it in a casserole or making a pizza, don’t use the expensive artisan cheddar. Artisan cheeses are meant to be savored on their own or maybe with a cracker, some jam or a little fruit. The cooking process changes the texture and you can’t taste the subtleties in the flavor when the cheese is combined with other ingredients. Plus if you walk into a fancy cheese shop and ask for a cheese to put on a pizza they will look at you funny, I know from experience.

 

What kind of cheddar do you prefer? Mild? Sharp? Extra Sharp?

National Bratwurst Day - Celebrate with Wisconsin Bratwurst

In honor of National Bratwurst Day (August 16th) fire up the grill and cook some Wisconsin bratwurst. Be sure to throw a few extras on the grill so you can use the leftovers to make some of the tasty bratwurst recipes found here on Edible Antics. I'll even let you in on a little secret: in most recipes you can use bratwurst instead of whatever type of sausage is listed. Here are some examples of my original bratwurst creations:

Wisconsin Gumbo. Wisconsin meets Louisanna in this easy crockpot dish. I made it Wisconsin-y by adding bratwurst instead of the usual adouille sausage. My friend Patti tells me she uses duck broth and fish (instead of the shrimp broth and shrimp) in her Wisconsin-style gumbo. That's why I love cooking, you can take the concept (a gumbo) and make it to fit the food that's available (bratwurst).

 

 

 

 

 

Breakfast Bratritos. I am a breakfast fanatic, especially when it comes eggs. I also like to grab my breakfast and run out the door, so one Sunday I made a big patch of breakfast burritos with bratwurst instead of sausage and froze them to eat throughout the week. This also makes the perfect food for an early morning tailgate at Packer, Badger and Brewer games.

 

 

 

 

 

Looking for more Bratwurst recipes? Check out some of the creative bratwurst dishes I've found on Pinterest:

Bratwurst Pizza - Mark's family is from Wisconsin, and apparently he passed the "put bratwurst on everything" theory on to his wife, Ana. They post on a blog called A Plus M.

Bratwurst, Jalapeno and Caramelized Onion Potstickers - This if from a blogger who calls herself the Foodette, be warned, her blog is just as sassy as her cooking.

Cupcakewurst - This one doesn't involve any actual bratwurst, but it's a pretty impressive resemblence. This recipe is from the Cupcake Project blog.

You can also enter to win bratwurst in Wisconsinmade.com Bratwurst giveaway. Click here to enter.

What's your favorite way to eat bratwurst?

 

Food On A Stick: Blogger Successfully Predicts Stick Food Future

The Wisconsin State Fair is going on right now, and I was looking back at past blog posts and I found this one from 2009 by my fellow blogger Cristie. She contemplated the future of food on the stick at the WIsconsin State Fair:

Food on a Stick at the Wisconsin State Fair: What's the Stick Food of the Future?

Food on a stick is all the rage at the Wisconsin State Fair outside Milwaukee. New to the stick-food line-up is chocolate covered bacon, reuben sandwiches, and even cherry pie. Of course the traditional favorites of corn dogs, caramel apples, and ice cream on a stick will still be spotted. But I'm just curious, are these newest stick foods a fad or do they have staying power? In 2050, will our grandchildren roam the State Fair nibbling cherry pie on a stick? Or perhaps by then lasagna sticks will be the popular fair food, or even kim-chi on a stick. How about soup sticks, granted it would have to be a hearty soup, say a chili , - chili beans on a stick with salsa? I think the possibilities are nearly infinite when imagination is ingeniously applied to food science. After all, look how far we've come from the original food on a stick: the poultry drumstick first enjoyed by our cave-dwelling ancestors. Our fair food future is wide open!

So what future food on a stick would you like to eat at the State Fair in 2050? And why is cotton candy no longer on a stick and now in a bag?

 

 

 

 

 

So it's not 2050 but it is three whole years later and the food on a stick phenomenon that surrounds the Wisconsin State Fair is stronger than ever. Here are some crazy stick foods on the list for this year's fair:

Chili Cheese Dog- When Cristie wrote this post she wasn't too far off with her prediction of chili on a stick. This year Saz Rib's is serving up a chili cheese dog on a stick. Who knew that Cristie is a culinary psychic?

Deep Fried Cream Cheese with Bacon - Leave it to Wisconsin to find yet another way to deep fry cheese.

Chicken Courdon Bleu - I wonder how the French would feel if they knew we were deep frying their culinary classic and putting it on a stick? 

In other food on a stick news, check out this crazy concoction my boyfriend Phil and I tried at a farm picnic I attended: tempura fried, bacon wrapped cheese curds on a stick!

What's the craziest food on a stick that you've ever tried?

 

 

 

 

Wisconsin Artist Marcia Sparks Gets Frank About Art

 

Can you spot the Wienermobile and Wisconsin's favorite Badger?

You might have heard that I'm a big fan of the Wienermobile, and I noticed my favorite hot dog is often the subject of artwork from Wisconsin artist Marcia Sparks. Her whimsical style made me smile and wonder how she became a fan of the mobile. Well, she happens to be an artisan at Wisconsinmade.com so I called her up and grilled her about hot dogs, the Dane County Farmers' Market, and Wisconsin pride.

 

A: Why do you think people are so proud to live in Wisconsin?

M: I’ve lived in the Madison area for about 14 years now, and you’ve got the city, but you’ve also got camping nearby. The cities in Wisconsin aren’t huge but they are nice and have plenty to do. I also like the icons like the Wienermobile.

A: I spent a year driving the Wienermobile and everyone has a Wienermobile memory. When was the first time you saw the Wienermobile? What do you like about painting it? 

M: I grew up with the Wienermobile commercials, the songs on TV, the contests, and the Wienerwhistles, it was always around. Spotting the Wienermobile driving around town is like being blessed! I like using the Wienermobile in my art because it’s so versatile, I can picture it doing so many things, plus it’s comical and makes people smile.

The Mayor of Madison wanted to get some trolleys in the city, and I sent him a Wienermobile print and said that we need Wienermobiles instead of trolleys! How cool would it be to have a Wienermobile pick you up from the airport? He wrote back and thanked me.

A: Too bad he didn’t follow through with that. So do you like hot dogs? What toppings do you like on your hot dog?

M: I like mine Chicago-style, with everything!

A: What are some of your favorite spots around Madison either for art inspiration or just to hang out?

M: The State Capital building, the Capital Square, and State Street- where ever things are going on. I frequent the Old Fashioned after the farmers market. It’s a great place to beat the heat.

A: You sell your art at the Dane County Farmers' Market. What’s your favorite food at the Farmers' Market?

M: I like a food cart called Ingrid’s Lunchbox, it’s usually parked in front of the Veterans' Museum during the Farmers' Market, they make fabulous breakfast crepes. Ernie’s kettle corn is another favorite.

  You can find Marcia's art at the Dane County Farmers' Market or online at Wisconsinmade.com.

 Note: Images are published here with Marcia's permission, please respect her work and ask before using.