Eat in All 50 States Without Leaving the Valley of the Sun: Wisconsin

Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States, in the Midwest and Great Lakes regions. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. The state capital is Madison, and its largest city is Milwaukee. The state is divided into 72 counties.

Wisconsin is known as "America's Dairyland" because it is one of the nation's leading dairy producers, particularly famous for cheese. Wisconsin produces about a quarter of America's cheese, leading the nation in cheese production. It is second in milk production, after California. Wisconsin is second in butter production, producing about one-quarter of the nation's butter. The state ranks the first nationally in the production of corn for silage, cranberries, ginseng, and snap beans for processing. It grows over half the national crop of cranberries and 97% of the nation's ginseng.Wisconsin is also a leading producer of oats, potatoes, carrots, tart cherries, maple syrup, and sweet corn for processing.

A large part of the state's manufacturing sector includes commercial food processing, including well-known brands such as Oscar Mayer, Tombstone frozen pizza, Johnsonville brats, and Usinger's sausage. Kraft Foods alone employs over 5,000 people in the state. Milwaukee is a major producer of beer and was formerly headquarters for Miller Brewing Company — the nation's second-largest brewer – until it merged with Coors Brewing Company. Formerly, Schlitz, Blatz, and Pabst were cornerstone breweries in Milwaukee.

Say "Cheeeeesee"!

The "America's Dairyland," Wisconsin is the home to numerous frozen custard stands, particularly around Milwaukee and along the Lake Michigan corridor, as well as many cheese makers, ranging from artisans who hand-craft their product from the milk of their own dairy herds to large factories. Cheese curds are common as a snack when they are fresh or fried as an appetizer.

Cheese curds in cuisine, or cooking, are the solid parts of soured milk either eaten alone or used in various regional dishes. Cheese curds when they are fresh are sometimes referred to as "squeaky cheese". Cheese curds start off with fresh milk. The milk is pasteurized, much like in the process of creating cheese. During this process, rennet is added to clot the milk. Rennet is a complex of enzymes produced in the stomachs of ruminant mammals. After the milk has been pasteurized, the result is a mixture of whey and the early stages of the curd. This mixture is then cooked. Next, it is pressed to release the whey from the curd, thus creating the final product of cheese curd.

Cheese curds are so very Wisconsin, with a mild flavor, rubbery texture, however to fully capture the soul of Wisconsin, those little dairy nuggets must be breaded or battered and deep fried, then served with ranch or marinara or both for dipping. They are Wisconsin's answer to the mozzarella sticks and if one wants to eat fried cheese curds in Arizona, Casey Jones Grill is the place to do it.

Casey Jones Grill has been in neighborhood in the North Phoenix, AZ Since 1993. Their vision has always been to bring a great food, good times, and family fun. With a home town taste of Arizona and a little flair of the Midwest, they have been know as the Home of the Green Bay Packers in AZ. The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin, that competes in the National Football League (NFL). They have been Super Bowl champions a few times. The owner of the Casey Jones Grill are one Native from Arizona & the other a Die Hard Packer Fan from Wisconsin! The restaurant is a homey hangout spot for Green Bay Packers fans with global pub grub & many TVs showing football while enjoying those cheese curds.