For three days each June the Village of Little Chute, Wisconsin (about 20 miles south of Green Bay) virtually shuts down as residents and visitors from across the Midwest converge on Doyle Park to celebrate one of the state’s largest exports–cheese. When my friends and family members heard I heading to The Great Wisconsin Cheese Festival they were shocked. After all, I am lactose intolerant. But, my attendance is a testament that you don’t have to love, like or even tolerate dairy to have an incredible time at the annual Cheese Fest.
The festival caters to families and features much more than just cheese. Okay, a cheese float-filled parade does kick off the festivities, but there is also live music, carnival rides, and a children’s area designed for kids 12 years and younger. I don’t eat cheese, yet I had a blast watching others compete in the cheese curd eating competition. (You haven’t lived until you’ve witnessed adults jam so much cheese into their mouths they resemble cheddar-cheese-cheeked chipmunks.) The cheese-carving contest is another crowd favorite. Local chefs and artisans compete to see who can turn a 40-pound block of mild cheddar into the ultimate cheese masterpiece. Winning entries included an Elvis Presley sculpture and a cheddar tribute to Green Bay Packer, Brett Favre. The 3-time NFL, MVP appropriately enough was clutching a cheese ball instead of a football.
If you think all the pomp and circumstance surrounding the festival is a bit cheesy, consider this: Food Network recently featured the Cheese Festival on its program, “All American Festivals.” It was an entire 30-minute show spotlighting The Great Wisconsin Cheese Festival and its loyal fans. In addition, a few years ago visitors to the festival were encouraged to dip their faces in whey for the “Model Your Own Milk Mustache Contest.” Winners appeared in a promotion for the National Dairy Council.
But, none of these contests and promotions compares to the real reason so many people flock to this festival. The Cheesecake Baking Contest is a feast for the eyes as well as the taste buds… and there is no shortage of volunteer testers in this culinary contest. Last year’s entries included a pink squirrel cheesecake (featuring crème De Noyaux and crème De Cacao), a tropical cheesecake (featuring pineapple, coconut and macadamia nuts), and a caramel apple cheesecake. All delicious in their own right, but the blue ribbon went to a woman who lives not far from me in Appleton, Wisconsin. Becky Dawson’s award winning Turtle Cheesecake recipe is included below:
Ingredients:
2 cups vanilla wafer crumbs
6 Tbsp. Parkay margarine, melted
1 – 14 oz. bag Kraft caramels
1 – 5-oz can evaporated milk
1 cup chopped pecans, toasted
2 – 8 oz. pkgs. Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened
½ cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
½ cup semi-sweet chocolate pieces, melted
Directions:
Combine crumbs and margarine; press onto bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake at 350º for 10 minutes.
In 1 ½ quart heavy saucepan, melt caramels with milk over low heat, stirring frequently, until smooth. Pour over crust. Top with pecans. Combine cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla, mixing at medium speed on electric mixer until well blended. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Blend in chocolate; pour over pecans. Bake at 350º for 40 minutes. Loosen cake from rim of pan; cool before removing rim of pan. Chill. Garnish with whipped cream, additional chopped nuts and cherries, if desired.
(I must admit that even with my condition I did indulge in a piece! YUM!)