You can see more of Sarah Kaufmann’s work at SarahCheeseLady.com.

On July 4, Sarah and Bill will host a pirate-themed wedding, in Manitowoc, Wisconsin near the banks of Lake Michigan. There will be a 32-foot long ship (wood, not cheese) christened the MV (Matrimonial Vessel). Guests received their invitations, illustrated with a special cheese carving done by the bride-to-be, inside glass bottles and have been instructed to attend in full pirate costume. On the wedding day, yellow flags with blue anchors announcing “Love Anchored in Cheese” will fly from the ship’s yardarm and decorate the tents. Even the wedding rings are designed to look like cheese—bands of gold with cheese dimples and holes.

In what might be the first cheese-meets-pirates culinary evening, the “Supper for the Crew” menu will consist of whole turkey legs roasted pirate style, roast pork with sauerkraut, corn on the cob, summertime garden fresh salad, chunky fruit salad, carrot cake with Jolly Roger flag art and Cedar Crest ice cream with Wisconsin summer berries and chocolate fudge sauce. Beverages will include lemonade (with or without grog), Wisconsin microbrews, Wisconsin old-fashioneds, Captain Morgan spiced rum and other assorted spirits. And plenty of limes to ward off scurvy…but no cheesecake! (Could it be that the bride and groom don’t flip for cheesecake like the rest of us?)

When the photographer tells everyone to “Say cheese!” he may get peals of laughter instead of mere smiles.

• O.K., no cheesecake at the Kaufmann-Parry wedding, but you can bake your own with terrific cheesecake recipes in THE NIBBLE’s Cakes Section.
• Our favorite Wisconsin artisan cheeses—like they’re serving at the wedding.
• Munch through the entire Cheese Section on TheNibble.com—glossary, wine and cheese pairings, beer and cheese pairings, cheese condiments and reviews of lots and lots of fabulous cheeses.

As you might suspect from the name, the mixes were dreamed up by a dad—in fact, two dads, who happen to be brothers. Often, when the men were put in charge of feeding the kids, they found themselves making pancakes. They put their heads together to determine how to make the best pancakes for their broods, and knew they had found the right recipe when the kids kept demanding “Daddy cakes.” (Hopefully, the kids won’t be demanding a royalty on the name.)

Now a line with a broad variety of flavors, Daddy Cakes is a gourmet convenience food that’s worth the extra shekels. There’s no need to add eggs, milk, oil or anything but water to the mix; in five to ten minutes you’ll have a smokin’ stack of flapjacks (we mean that figuratively, of course—keep your eye on the temperature of that frying pan). You can add a couple of eggs and vegetable oil for a fluffier pancake; but we found that they were just as delicious either way, so save the ingredients and the calories.

Read the full review and check out all of the flavors of these easy-to-make mixes.

Banana bread is an all-American comfort food that has fallen too far off the radar. Unlike with chocolate chip cookies or cheesecake, home bakers need to plan ahead; the bananas need to be very ripe. If you try to buy it, banana bread doesn’t even make the Top 10 list of commercial baked goods. We rarely come across it in artisan bakeries, either. But depending on what poll you read, bananas are the most popular fruit in America. We eat 28 pounds of them a year. What gives?

This void of banana bread means opportunity for a specialist in the genre like Hannah Banana Bread. This small, family-owned company makes banana bread in six flavors: Classic, Blueberry, Chocolate Chip, White Chocolate Caramel Walnut, Butterscotch Caramel and Walnut. For Father’s Day or any other gift occasion, the company will put three loaves in a gift box. Just don’t forget to put yourself on the gift list.

Read the full review and find out what we thought of all six varieties of Hannah Banana Bread. Also, learn banana facts that will impress your friends!

Very moist and naturally sweet from ripe bananas, banana bread can be eaten anytime of the day or night. Photo by Lulu Durand | IST.

Read more reviews of our favorite cakes in THE NIBBLE’s Cake Section.

Other “Top Pick Of The Week” Cakes.