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Festival of Cheese preview

Sunday, July 21st, 2013

Photo credit: Marisa L. Chioini-TLG Inc.

I am astonished that the annual Festival of Cheese, taking place from 7-9:30 p.m. Aug. 3 at the Monona Terrace, will have more than 1,700 cheeses for attendees to try. That’s in addition to the crackers, charcuterie, preserves, honeys and yes, craft beer.

The festival follows the 30th annual American Cheese Society Conference, which starts July 31. Approximately 900 attendees from all over the United States and countries such as France and Australia are expected to descend upon Madison.

“We are excited to bring our event back to Wisconsin, a state with a rich cheesemaking history and home to many exciting young cheesemakers,” Nora Weiser, ACS executive director, said.  “We know we’ll have a great turnout from local cheese lovers, and we look forward to welcoming them at our public events, (including) Saturday night’s Festival of Cheese.”

The cheeses at the festival will be from the 2013 ACS Competition, with the winners highlighted. I looked through photos of last year’s Festival of Cheese in Raleigh, N.C., and they showed an ungodly amount of cheese. I may have to bring a glass of wine with me as I work through the endless displays. I love gruyere and aged cheddar, so I’m looking forward to trying all the varieties.

Tickets cost $55. Assuming I don’t get sick of cheese that evening, I’ll be sure to purchase a grab bag of cheese on my way out.

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ACS is seeking volunteers (age 18 or older) to support the conference. All volunteers receive an official volunteer T-shirt and a complimentary ticket to the Festival of Cheese.

Memorial Day Events

Sunday, May 19th, 2013

I find it amusing when I ask people if they have any plans for Memorial Day weekend, and they reply that they’ll be going to Bratfest. In other words, they have zero plans, but they don’t feel like they’re completely wasting their weekend if they at least go to Bratfest.

Granted, it’s a great event, with the live music, carnival, Friday morning drive-thru and run/walk, but there’s so much more happening in the area, especially if you prefer day trips.

For example, the annual ChocolateFest in Burlington runs Friday-Monday. You can take part in the chocolate eating contest, visit the petting zoo and check out the Nascar exhibit.

While we’re still on the subject of festivals, the New Glarus Music Fest runs Saturday-Monday. Bands include Little Vito and the Torpedoes and The Jimmys.

The Mad City Ski Team starts its season on Sunday. Will it win yet another national championship this year?

On Monday, Monona will have its 58th annual Memorial Day parade, starting at 10 a.m. on Monona Drive. And while you’re in town, Monona’s community pool will be open for the season.

Finally, if you’re looking for overnight trips, here’s my previous post on where to stay and dine.

7 tips for your Super Bowl party

Sunday, January 27th, 2013

Next Sunday marks the annual tradition of gathering with friends to sit in front of a TV for eight-straight hours, watch two teams most people in the room don’t care about and eagerly anticipate commercials like teen girls camping out to see a “Twilight” movie.

To make the most of your Super Bowl experience, here are seven tips for a memorable and enjoyable party:

  1. Get a TV at least 60″ in size, 100″ to be safe. Doesn’t it always seem like the person with the smallest TV always hosts the party? It makes watching a game like sitting in the nose bleeds.
  2. CBS will promote its shows unmercifully. Why not turn the annoyance into a drinking game? For example, every time you see a commercial for “How I Met Your Mother” or “Elementary,” take a shot of tequila. By the end of the first quarter, you’ll have passed out, saving you from watching any more of those crappy promos.
  3. If there’s ever a lull in conversation, start a discussion on how the recently deceased Pauline Phillips (Dear Abby) would have advised Manti Te’o on his imaginary-girlfriend problems.
  4. Gambling is an excellent way to motivate people into caring about this game. I like Football Squares, in which you pay out every quarter based on the last digit of either team’s score. Or, if you want to steal your guests’ money, just run a Keno board (house edge is a whopping 25-29 percent).
  5. Don’t invite kids. Otherwise, you won’t be able to yell things like, “Holy sh*t! How can that f*cking ref be so goddamned blind? F***********ck!”
  6. What you serve depends on how many bathrooms your guests have access to. One bathroom = safe items like pizza, chicken wings and pulled pork. Two = riskier items like bean dip, spicy chili and chips made with Olestra. Three = I’m-getting-you-back-for-making-a-pass-at-my-wife items like laxatives in a drink or malaria.
  7. To make sure your guests have enough time to sober up for the drive home, stop serving drinks when the game is over. Because of course, everyone’s going to stay to watch an all-new episode of “Elementary” that immediately follows.
    Madison Symphony Orchestra Urban Air

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