Search Results for: blog dont hold the mustard at this summer festival

Make Your Own Mustard

Mustard-makers may guard their recipes jealously… but it really isn’t all that hard to make your own mustard. Ancient Romans made a quick and easy precursor to today’s mustard by pounding mustard seeds into powder, then mixing them with wine. This recipe is a little more involved than that! What you need: 1/3 cup of apple cider vinegar 2/3 cup of apple cider 2 tablespoons of honey 1 tablespoon roasted red peppers, chopped 1/8 teaspoon turmeric 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup yellow mustard seeds (the kind used to make common yellow mustard, plus English and German style mustard) 1/4 cup … Continue reading →

Mustard

Mustard isn’t just for hot dogs — it has a long history as a healing herb. Ancient Greeks and Romans used mustard seeds in cooking and in the sickroom. Romans pounded the seeds and mixed them with wine to make an early version of today’s popular condiment. The seeds were taken internally to relieve digestive problems and used externally to promote blood flow. Some English herbalists recommended mustard seeds as a treatment for epilepsy; one seventeenth century herbalist used mustard seed to sooth toothaches. In North America, both settlers and natives used the seeds for both food and medicine. Mustard … Continue reading →

Fall Food Festivals—-Celebrating Okra

I grew up in Hilo, Hawaii… a place far removed from the region of the country where okra thrives. Yet, I love the fuzzy green veggie. All thanks to my Texas-born best friend. My pal Erika was born and raised in Lubbock, Texas, but moved to Hawaii when she was 12 and her professor parents accepted jobs teaching at our local university. Erika’s family moved in down the street from me and we became fast friends. Which means I shared many meals at her home. Hence, my introduction to okra. The slimy green pod vegetable was a staple in Erika’s … Continue reading →

Traveling To A Taro Festival

In previous blogs I’ve detailed my adventures traveling around the nation to various food festivals. Right now, on the island of Maui, locals are gearing up for one of Hawaii’s most popular food festivals—the East Maui Taro Festival. (I’ve even considered petitioning the Food Network to send a crew to cover it as an episode on their show “All-American Food Festivals.”) On the last weekend in April, the tight-knit community of Hana hosts this down home bash that attracts more than 5,000 visitors and residents each year. This year marks the 15th anniversary of the festival, which features a number … Continue reading →

Affordable Family-Friendly Festivals

You’ve heard it echoed in neighborhoods, playgroups, offices, grocery stores, even in the doctor’s waiting room. Seems like you just can’t escape “it.” “It” is the insanely high price of gas and nowadays, it’s the topic of conversation wherever you go. Ironically, it was a topic brought up last weekend during a mini-road trip my family took to attend a local Kite Festival. Ironic, because like many families, the skyrocketing price of gas has forced us to eliminate our “big” summer road trip. Instead, we have opted to save gas (and money) by attending a variety of area festivals that … Continue reading →

Wisconsin’s Newest Tourist Hot Spot—Drained Lake

In a previous blog I told you about the unthinkable events that recently took place at tourist hot spot Lake Delton, Wisconsin. Earlier this month the area was deluged with several inches of rain in a 3-hour period. The rain caused flooding that broke through the banks of the 267-acre lake causing the entire lake to drain into the nearby Wisconsin River. The video shot of the chasm that broke massive homes in half and sent them toppling into raging waters was broadcast around the world. One scene of an entire home tumbling into the water and being carried by … Continue reading →

Going Hog Wild in Milwaukee and Revving it up in Philly

The city known for its beer and brats is going hog wild next month when it opens a new Harley-Davidson Museum. The iconic company’s hometown of Milwaukee is the site of a massive building that will house more than 400 bikes. The grand opening takes place on July 12th and will include a slew of festivities that highlight Harleys that once belonged to celebrities like Evel Knievel and Elvis Presley. Also scheduled to be on display is a motorcycle built in 1903. That was the year that two young friends from Milwaukee, William S. Harley and Arthur Davidson, first made … Continue reading →

Family Fun At The State Fair—A Day Of Pig Races And Deep Fried Pickles

There aren’t too many places on the planet where you can watch a retired NASCAR announcer provide color commentary on a race between four pot-bellied pigs speeding around a sawdust track, and then 2 hours later gnaw unforgivably on a deep fried pork chop-on-a-stick. It happens daily at the Wisconsin State Fair. The annual 10-day event is famous around these parts for deep-fried everything, food-on-a-stick, a giant slide and world-class agricultural venues. What more could you ask for, right? That was my thought when I decided to brave the crowds (more than 800,000 descend on State Fair Park in Milwaukee … Continue reading →

Going (Coco) NUTS In Hawaii

It’s the only food festival in the world where I don’t walk away 5 pounds heavier. If it were not for the fact that I am allergic to the hearty fruit I would eat everything in sight at Kauai’s Coconut Festival. Believe me (I was born and raised in Hawaii); if you find yourself in the “Aloha State” during the month of October this is one event you don’t want to miss. The 11th annual Kauai Coconut Festival takes place this year on October 6th and 7th at Kapaa Beach Park on the lush eastern portion of the Hawaiian Island … Continue reading →

Exploring The Great State of Wisconsin

I’ll be honest; it took me a while to embrace the state of Wisconsin. Can you blame me? I moved to the Dairy State from sun-kissed shores of Hawaii to attend school. I eventually settled in the northeast portion of the state when I accepted a job there and later made it my “home” when I married a Wisconsin native. Whereas, I have blogged about Wisconsin’s many natural attributes I realize I’ve only scratched the surface. My current home state has a ton to offer visitors (many of whom come in droves during the fall and winter to watch their … Continue reading →