Some holiday customs are so old and established that, as a culture, we've lost sight of their origins and the journey they made to land a spot on our exclusive list of cherished traditions. Eggnog's seasonal sojourn to the dairy cases of American grocery stores usually begins in early November and ends shortly after New Year's. The rich drink is typically made with eggs, milk, sugar and/or cream. It can be homemade or store bought, made with skim or soy milk, found with or without alcohol, served hot or cold and garnished with all sorts of culinary accoutrements, from ground nutmeg and cinnamon to peppermint sticks, whipped...

During the countless hours Chef Michael Feker spent cooking in the kitchens of the finest restaurants, some of which have been his own, he was creating a mental blueprint of the perfect kitchen. That plan was made manifest when the renowned chef designed the kitchen for his culinary school, Chef Michael Feker’s School...

Standing before a looming wall of wine at the local wine shop or liquor store, you wouldn’t be alone if you felt overwhelmed when faced with the task of picking a bottle. How do you choose which one to buy? Do you base your decision on the type of grape used, the wine’s region of origin or the winery where it was...

In an era rife with corporate fast-food franchises, a zeitgeist within the culinary world has emerged that encourages and favors all things specialty and artisanal. Meaning, the smaller the batch, the better the food. In this spirit, there is a tendency among foodies to dismiss cuisine that is made in the kitchen of a fast-food...

Have you ever had one of those horizon-widening moments when you learn that something you’ve been enjoying for years, your whole life maybe, is comparatively inferior to what you could be enjoying. For example, drinking Sanka, and liking it, for 20 years before tasting your first cup of...

Ask someone from rural Wisconsin if he likes apple pie and a likely response will be, “Which kind?” The distinction lies in whether the apple pie was made in an oven or over the stove. Here in the Badger State there is a long-standing tradition of making homemade batches of "Apple Pie," a potent...

Maybe in its last life Wisconsin was a province in Asia. Our unassuming Midwestern state, which is famously known for its cheese and beer, is a major producer of Asian staples like ginseng and soy sauce. Wisconsin’s relationship with Kikkoman Foods, the world’s largest producer of naturally brewed soy sauce...

You’ve seen them before. The uberwaiters and waitresses who manage to provide stellar service to seven tables simultaneously, all the while balancing a 10-pound tray on their shoulders. Waiting tables is a job based on reciprocity. These hardworking food servers have to command a very specific set of skills...

As the days grow shorter and the cold weather sets in, grills and patio furniture are stored for the winter and social lives are mostly relegated to the indoors. If your billiards game is unaligned and bowling just isn’t your sport, you can always engage in more cerebral pleasures during the colder months.

Although beer, brats and cheese are three commodities we Wisconsinites are skilled at producing and happy to consume, the stereotype derived from them has eclipsed our state’s overall depth and diversity. Not only do we produce some of the country’s best cranberries, cherries and honey, Wisconsin grows nearly 95%...