Critiques, Cravings and Conundrums From the Madison Food and Dining Scene
Small DishesAugust 2010
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08/28/10Taste of Madison 2010More information on bands, restaurants, etc. can be found at http://www.tasteofmadison.com Posted at 03:58 PM | Permalink | Comments: 1 |
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08/22/10Dueling RibsI was invited by Shinji Muramoto to a rib tasting at his downtown restaurant, The Haze. His purpose was not to secure bragging rights for his own product, but to better understand what people look for in a good rack of ribs. His hope is that the tasters’ comments will help The Haze refine the art of barbecue. And, I personally know, it is an art that requires much trial and error before one achieves success. In Wisconsin, the word “barbecue” covers a multitude of sins. Properly speaking, it refers to meat that is slowly smoked over hardwood rather than grilled over a flame. These were the type of barbecued ribs we critiqued at The Haze, acquired as carryouts from seven of the top BBQ joints in town. All of the ribs were spareribs except for... |
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08/22/10CurdsThis is not a dissertation about my family tree, though I think it would be a reasonable assumption that I had distant ancestors who were cheese makers. Curds are produced when milk is curdled with rennet, the first step in cheese making. After being separated from the liquid portion— whey—curds are then used to make cheese. How they are handled and salted determines the type and shape of cheese they ultimately become. Cottage cheese is nothing more than curds and whey. However, any other form of fresh cheese curd is rarely found outside of regions where cheese is actually manufactured. Hence the popularity of this delicacy in the upper Midwest where deep frying is the most popular way to enjoy it. Cheese curds have to be the only food whose... |
I found my interest in writing by accident. My training and first job was as a graphic designer. Unemployed, the only employment I could find in advertising at that time was as a copywriter. Somehow, I convinced Richard Newman & Associates to hire me. Later I learned they were desperate. Madison has been my home off and on since 1957 (nonstop for the past 31 years). I write about food, which I love. – Dan Curd
