Host Of Waukesha Cooking Show Reimagines Local Cuisine

WAUKESHA, WI—Sarah Appleton of Waukesha ran into a new neighbor recently and was surprised when the person recognized her.

"She asked if I do the cooking show video online," she told Patch. "Wow, people really see me."

Appleton created and stars in "Sundays With Sarah," a YouTube food and cooking show she calls her passion project. She uses Facebook Lives that she then transfers to YouTube. She also has a blog called "Food Fun Waukesha."

Sarah Appleton moved to Waukesha in 2008 when it was going through a revitalization. As a student at Carroll University, Appleton was encouraged to avoid downtown because there wasn't much for a college student to do there, she said. Things are different now, and Appleton decided to talk about the Waukesha places she's visited and the cool things she's experienced in the city since then.

Appleton has produced "Sundays With Sarah" on her smart phone for the past three years. Appleton's day job is a professional marketing and social media consultant, and she said her show is a good way to show off Waukesha's charms.

Appleton's show will take a dish from a Waukesha restaurant and remake it. She will also try a new food trend or share a recipe that is a family favorite.

Waukesha residents are not shy about sharing their local favorites with her as well. Her followers are more than happy to offer suggestions, such as the ponza rotta from Jimmy's Grotto or the steak fajitas from Casa Noble.

One of the first dishes she re-created was the cranberry bog sandwich from The Steaming Cup. "It reminded me of Thanksgiving," she said.

Appleton also re-created the duck confit flatbread from the former Bernie's Tap Room & Restaurant, the root beer frosty from John's Drive-In and the spinach artichoke bread from The Craft Lounge.

Appleton's next project will be the shrimp po'boy from Tally's Tap & Eatery.

"We went there recently on a suggestion from people. It will be my interpretation," she said.

Appleton tags the restaurants in her posts because she wants them to see what she is doing.

"I'm not going to say anything bad," she said. "I want to give them their kudos."

Appleton said most restaurants love it and share her videos. They even held a contest on her Facebook page.

"I love partnering with restaurants and would like to partner with other businesses as well. Waukesha is not just food," Appleton said.

She wants people to try the real thing at the restaurants but also to try her interpretation if they want.

The "Sour Grapes Family"

Cooking has always been a part of Appleton's life. A family tradition is to make "chruściki," a flaky Polish holiday love knot pastry covered in powdered sugar.

"It is something I remember from when I was a kid," she said. "Grandma and mom made it, then I got to be part of it."

Appleton is happy to pass her love of cooking on to her two stepdaughters, Violet, 14, and Samantha, 11, and her son, Cameron, 2. The kids have joined their mother in episodes of "Sundays With Sarah."

"We have become known as the 'sour grape family,' in a good way," Appleton said, referring to a snack the family makes in one video. "It’s a very easy and mostly healthy treat."

In the "Sour Grapes" video, Appleton's daughters help her create the title treat. They pour Jell-O mix into a bag, add grapes and shake the bag vigorously. They place the covered grapes on a sheet, where they chill for a half hour. The girls love to lick their fingers afterward.

When Appleton and her husband were dating, she used cooking as a way to bond with her two stepdaughters. The family made little fruit pizzas that the girls loved.

"[When] I involve them, it is ... typically something that is one of their favorites," she said.

Another video focused on making cake pops, which her stepdaughters love at Starbucks.

"We get to eat it afterwards, which is the best part," Appleton said.