Summer shows go on, in novel ways
All the world’s a stage but COVID-19 compromises the traditional platforms and performers that we count on for entertainment this summer. For some troupes, that’s […]
Recipes
Winning recipes: grasshopper cheesecake, choco cheesecake bars
Two home bakers in Wisconsin have taken the top prizes in the Taste of Homes recipe contest, “Best-Ever Baking”. Sue Gronholz of Beaver Dam was […]
Greece: What makes Greek food authentic
Last of three parts. We all make presumptions based on our limited exposure to people whose culture, heritage or religion seem foreign to us. That […]
Ultimate Eats: Savoring food as culture
Food is an easy, on-target introduction to a location’s cultural roots, and a new book latches onto must-try dishes when traveling the world. “Ultimate Eats: […]
Native American cuisine: potential exists for sophisticated offerings
In my “in” box is no shortage of annual predictions that involve food trends. Native American ingredients, recipes and culinary traditions never seem to make […]
Two cookbooks that tantalize beyond their recipes
Someone occasionally approaches me about writing an endorsement for a new book, and it’s an invitation that I don’t take lightly. I politely decline unless […]
Grilled cheese: worthy of complex treatment, sandwich contests
If dressing up a grilled cheese means sneaking in a slice of tomato or bacon, or switching from wheat to sourdough, please take a moment […]
Great chili debates: sauce to seasoning, mac to meat
If you seriously doubt our nation’s ability to seriously but pleasantly debate anything, I have one word for you: Chili. After asking Facebook friends what […]
Old Fashioned products, recipes, nostalgia, roots
To you, an Old Fashioned is the unofficial cocktail of Wisconsin and a popular prelude to special meals, especially during end-of-year entertaining. To Bob Meyer, […]
Breakfast: an all-day meal whose variety grows
Remember what Mom used to say about breakfast? Most important meal of the day. Less predictable, as time goes on, is when and what is […]
Autumn’s bounty of food fests, hearty recipes, cooking contests
Hard to believe it’s October as I write this because forecast temps remain about 10 degrees higher than average for the month, but that hasn’t […]
Meet State Fair’s competitive bakers, recipe makers
In the world of competitive cooking, baking and recipe making, Patti Flaker of Wausau is a bit atypical. She had never attended the Wisconsin State […]
Biggest holiday cookie sale? Try St. Peter’s in little Lebanon
I saw a Lutheran school cafeteria with dozens of church mice a few days ago, but all will disappear by the time many of you […]
Kentucky bourbon trails big on distillery diversity
During a much younger life, I was introduced to horse race wagering, earthy bluegrass music and long-simmering stews called burgoo while living in western Kentucky. […]
National pie champs have rural roots
Twenty years ago, Caroline Imig’s world started crashing. Her husband was killed in a farm equipment accident, leaving her as a single mother with five […]
New Midwest cookbooks with wassail, apple, locavore recipes
With colder weather comes the inclination to cook more, if for no other reason than to add warmth to the kitchen. This new trio of […]
New cooking contest for Native American cuisine
Wild rice and cranberry dishes show up on many restaurant menus, especially in autumn, but rare is the restaurant that regularly serves fry bread or […]
Maple sap tapping: open houses, recipes
The quaint notion of sap dripping from tree to bucket is a quickly fading snapshot for some maple syrup producers, and this is the time […]
Mennonite Relief Sale: quilts, bakery, ‘Menno food’
Less than 200 miles separate Wisconsin from Bloomington, Ill., but what a potential difference in buffet lines: Red beet eggs. Ham loaf. Vareniky (stuffed dumplings). […]
Dream Dance chef wins pork recipe contest
Meat lovers crave thick and juicy steaks, right? Let’s say “part right,” because pork during the past two years has been the food-service industry’s fastest-growing […]