midwest refugee

As seen at Eddie’s Soul Food Cafe in SF.

Wisconsin’s Tim Anderson wins Britain’s MasterChef

Congratulations are in order for Racine’s Tim Anderson who won Britain’s cooking competition show MasterChef.

At age 26, he’s the youngest to have ever won. He also has no formal culinary training, and has only been cooking for four years.

Way to go, buddy.

Blue Moon ice cream remains a mystery

Hey. What the FUCK is in Blue Moon ice cream? You know, that random flavor only found in Wisconsin, Michigan, and sometimes Minnesota.

I love that shit, and I forgot it existed until it popped up in my Google Alerts the other day.

Anyone know what Blue Moon is supposed to taste like?

Deep-fried butter FINALLY makes its state fair debut in Wisconsin

Acording to Jaunted.com, “Balls of butter are dipped in batter and deep fried to make goodies that supposedly taste like buttered hot buns.”

Jesus, it took us long enough. Didn’t we, like, invent butter?

Full disclosure: I couldn’t find deep-fried butter on the official state fair website. Can anyone confirm that it’s actually available?

Green Bay’s Everman in the running for next ‘Food Network Star’

Hey! We’ve got a Wisconsinite in the mix for the Food Network’s competition to become their next celebrity chef.

Her name is Jyll Lucas-Everman and she’s cute as a button — Wisconsin all the way.

“I’m so proud of where I’m from. I hope I do Wisconsin justice,” she says in an interview with the Green Bay Hub.

The 7th season premier airs on June 5 on the Food Network.

You can check out her audition tape here. It’s precious.

MIDGET pickles?? Can you SAY that?

Sorry, FailBlog, but this is in no way a FAIL where I come from.

On the contrary, a well-executed deep-fried butter w/ gravy dish has the potential to be the ultimate success story in my homeland of - where else - Wisconsin.

Minnesota’s state fair boasts Camel-on-a-Stick

Safari Express is a restaurant normally found in Minneapolis’ Midtown Global Market. But through Labor Day at their Minnesota State Fair location, this Somali food stand has - and I’m pretty sure this is the proper terminology - gone balls to the wall with their menu selection. That’s because they’re serving up camel meat to adventurous fairgoers ready to take the gastronomical plunge.

“It’s the food of kings,” insists the food stand’s owner and native Somali Jamal Hashi. According to Hashi, camel meat is a cherished delicacy in Somalia.

The East African eatery, which has been dishing up Somali cuisine for hungry Minnesotans at state fair all week long, also advertises mangoes and a traditional filled pastry called sambusa. But let’s be honest - the real draw to this food stand is, the undeniable shining star of the menu, the Julia Roberts of ethnic carnival food, without a doubt, the camel. Served on - what else? - a stick.

And although this guy, Minnesota Public Radio’s Tim Nelson, thinks that it looks a bit like meatloaf, Hashi assures the skeptical customer that the meat really just tastes like bison. 

“It’s a very, very lean meat…it’s high in protein, and it doesn’t have any of the gamey taste you would imagine from other game meats.” 

So head on down to the Minnesota State Fair this weekend before it’s too late! Because when else are you going to have an opportunity like this to grab a mouthful of steaming hot camel?

Exactly.

~

P.S. I’m not sure if you can fully grasp just how much restraint it took for me to NOT type the word camel-toe anywhere up there. That was not easy. And…I just wanted you to know that. Camel-toe. 

Resident badass Will Allen leads nation’s urban farming movement

The concept of ‘urban farming’ has begun to pop up more and more since Milwaukee’s Will Allen was put on the map for positive achievements he, along with his nonprofit organization Growing Power, have made strengthening neighborhoods the inner city with, well…food.

Allen knows that human beings have an inherent desire to sow the food we serve to ourselves and our loved ones. It’s human nature to take pride in nourishing another; and everyone knows that food tastes best when it’s shared with a friend or two. (Or ten.)

Allen, along with Growing Power, examines these basic traits in humanity to better help Milwaukee’s toughest neighborhoods unify, rather than disassociate or faction off in anger or fear. At Growing Power, he’s teaching people life skills to decrease hunger, disease, and dependence on government welfare programs in the community.

Apparently it’s been working, because Allen was awarded the MacArthur Genius Grant to help support Growing Power’s work.

And guess what? They’re not the only ones who’ve noticed. Because of Allen’s hard work, First Lady Michelle Obama has even invited him to the White House (twice, nbd), most recently in May 2010 for a state dinner.

La-tee-frickin’-da.

So if you wanna take a closer look at this forward-thinking social food movement that’s even caught the eye of the First Lady, drop by Growing Power’s International Conference on Urban Farming at Milwaukee’s State Fair Park NEXT weekend, Sept. 10-12.

This is the Krispy Kreme Cheeseburger. Try to contain yourself.

It first appeared on the state fair circuit at a Massachusetts fair in 2009 and is a feature at this year’s Wisconsin State Fair, which just ended Sunday.

The Machine Shed concession stand at the Wisconsin State Fair told the Milwaukee Journal it expected to sell about 3,500 Krispy Kreme cheeseburgers over the first three days of the fair. And what’s more, about a quarter of its customers were pitching in an extra buck for the side order of chocolate-covered bacon.

That reminds me! I really need to get that prescription for Lipitor refilled.

MILWAUKEE — For the first time, fairgoers this year will be able to buy the Cream Puff treat in a box of three.

…And apparently that was newsworthy enough for WISN and, well, ME to talk about this morning. A 3-pack of Wisconsin Cream Puffs.

The new 3-pack comes in a convenient carrier and costs $10. A 6-pack comes at the low, low price of $18.

In case you forgot, here’s a modified list of what foods are being served on a stick at the Wisconsin State Fair this year. Based on the ones I give a shit about, obviously.

And please keep in mind that everything listed below is served on a stick.

• Apple pie (deep fried) - Because apple pie wasn’t American enough until it was deep fried and put on a stick.
• Cheesecake - For the health conscious fair-goer
• Cheesesteak (deep fried) - Because if you aren’t deep frying it, you haven’t really lived. Yeah I’m talkin to you, Philly.
• Chili cheese dog - Because it’s funny seeing fat people walking around with chili dripping down their sausage arms.
• Chipstix - Because it sounds kinda like an episode of South Park.
• Chocolate-covered bacon - Because it looks like a big poop on a stick.
• Cow pops - Because this is Wisconsin, goddammit, and if we’re not eating what I assume to be a distant cousin to cow chips on a stick then I don’t even want to live anymore.
• Cream cheese (deep fried) - Because I’m not ashamed of who I am.
• Cream cheese with bacon - Because now I’m ashamed of who I’ve become.
• Crueller (chocolate dipped) - Because they weren’t already portable enough.
• Deep-fried PB & J - Because we gotta hook the kiddies young.
• Irish stew - Because who doesn’t want thick gravy and huge chunks of beef on a hot, humid summer day on the West Allis, Wis. pavement?
• Lamb medallions - Because sometimes rich people like to eat food on a stick, too.
• Macaroni & cheese  - Because it’s so ridiculous, it just might work!
• Meatballs - Because everyone loves a couple of balls on a stick.
• Scallops (hand-battered) - Because you know what screams ‘fresh, gourmet seafood’ to me? Wisconsin State Fair.