Wisconsin: America's Dairyland. The state certainly lives up to its nickname, with over 12,000 dairy farm families, together producing about one-fourth of US cheese, the most out of any state. So who are these cheese giants? The Daily Meal took a tour of Wisconsin's top cheesemakers to see how it's done.

Many of the cheesemakers in Wisconsin today are the descendants of immigrants who moved to the state from places like Germany, Switzerland, and Italy, and brought their cheesemaking heritage with them. Many of the cheeses made today were first created to appeal to the immigrants that settled in Wisconsin. Chalet Cheese Cooperatives’s Limburger and Widmer’s Cheese Cellars’ German Brick were made to appeal to the German immigrants that settled near the dairy farms.

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Photo by Sean Sullivan

Gougeres are melt-in-your-mouth French cheese puffs that make delicious and impressive hors d'oeuvres. And good news for soon-to-be-busy holiday entertainers: you can make them ahead of time, and freeze them for up to a month! Amanda Gold includes her recipe for a Fontina & Herb version in this article featuring several make-ahead party treats.

It's easy for me to fantasize about the person who bakes for last-minute company. This person keeps her home so squeaky clean that you can see your reflection in the kitchen windows. Her calendar is color-coded to reflect the family's numerous extracurricular activities and social plans.

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Photo by Craig Lee, special to The Chronicle / SF

Winter doesn't have to be all about stick-to-your-ribs dishes and earthy flavors. In fact, it's the perfect time for citrus. Brighten up your next holiday shindig with this fresh orange and greek yogurt tart, which gets a nice crunch and flavor from the homemade almond crust.

With a sharp paring knife, slice off ends of oranges. Following curve of fruit, cut away peel, removing as much white pith as possible. Slice oranges into 1/4-inch-thick rounds and remove any seeds. Just before serving, arrange orange slices on top of tart.

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Photo by Martha Stewart

The Good Food Awards, a celebration of tasty, authentic, and responsibly produced food and drink, have announced their 182 finalists in nine categories: beer, charcuterie, cheese, chocolate, coffee, confections, pickles, preserves and spirits. This year, they've received a record number of cheese entries! Who are you rooting for?

The desire to create a taste of place was mentioned as a driving force by many of the Finalists. As Tim Young, the producer of Nature’s Harmony Farm Fortsonia Gruyere explained: “It’s critical that our cows’ diet reflects our local terroir. That means they need access to a polyculture of grasses, weeds, forbs, herbs, legumes, etc. from which to choose … this will result in subtle flavors that give the cheese a sense of time and place that cannot be replicated elsewhere. After all, if all dairies are feeding grain to their cows, and if all grain is essentially the same, then how unique can the cheeses really be?”

The results of the prestigious 2012 World Cheese Awards have been announced! Here are the top sixteen -- with four super gold cheeses hailing from the US! Congrats to all!

World Champion: Manchego DO Gran Reserva
Dehesa de los Llanos S.L.
Spain

Spenwood Ewes
Village Maid Cheese
England

Le Gruyère AOC 1655 produced by Le Crêt
Fromage Gruyère
Switzerland

Soignon Chevre de Caractere produced by Eurial
Eurilait
France

Melkbus Boerenkaas
Uniekaas Nederland
The Netherlands

Harbison
Cellars at Jasper Hill
USA

Stärnächäs Extra Würzig
Walo von Mühlenen
Switzerland

Blu di Bufala

The thick and creamy texture of Greek yogurt can be made in one of two ways. Producers can add thickeners, such as powdered protein or starch, or through the traditional method of straining the liquid out. While consumers prefer their yogurt to use the traditional straining process, yogurt makers are stuck with gallons of leftover whey. So far, nobody's figured out a way to make money off it and some yogurt makers actually pay to have it trucked away.

The state of New York, which is anxious to keep this yogurt boom going, has asked researchers at Cornell University to look for a better alternative. That alternative might be building more digesters to turn whey into biogas. It might involve new methods for capturing valuable sugars and proteins from the whey.

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Photo by Dan Charles/NPR

Perfect for a modern Hannukah (or really any day of the year), these nontraditional latkes are full of flavor from yummy root vegetables, leeks, and salty, tangy Feta cheese. Sprinkle even more Feta on top as garnish if you'd like (which we would, of course).

No, they're not my grandma's latkes. But oh my are they good. They're sweet yet earthy, studded with delicious briny and savory accents. Happy Hannukah!

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Photo by deensiebat

Salty and sweet, this DIY condiment is the perfect accompaniment for any blue cheese, especially Point Reyes Blue. Whip up a batch, and see for yourself!

Packaged as a gift, this can be something special. Use old jam or mason jars, or gift it in a decorative bowl. It'll last well in a refrigerator for up to 3 weeks. Don't forget a blue cheese to present alongside. A fresh goat cheese would be nice, too.

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Photo by Nora Singley

Ever wondered the average cost of a slice of pizza? How about the number of pizzerias open in the US? Or what about the the number of pods of pepperoni consumed on pizzas each year? (It's 252 million pounds, by the way.) Learn these answers to these questions and more fun facts in this tasty infographic from Online College Courses.

Is there any sweeter sound than the pizza deliverer's knock on your door?

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In China, the growing influence of Western diet and lifestyle is leading to a changing palate. Cheese, once eaten by few Chinese, is experiencing somewhat of a boom, and the world's biggest cheese companies are in fierce competition for a share of its growing market.

China's cheese market is booming as more diners in the nation take their first bite of this still relative newcomer to their palates, offering golden opportunities to cheese producers across the globe. The nation's cheese imports totaled $139.26 million in 2011, up from $105.45 million in the previous year, and $69.77 million in 2009, according to the Italian Trade Commission.

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Photo by USDA China