The perfect eats for the big game
By Faith Bahadurian, Special Writer
It’s hard to believe that Super Bowl XLVIII is coming to New Jersey during this inhospitable winter. The NFL says, “Let it snow but not too much,” so fingers crossed that our recent spate of bad weather will be suspended on Feb. 2 when the faceoff takes place at MetLife Stadium.
Princeton’s own D’Angelo Italian Market is one of just six catering firms proud to be chosen to provide food to the pre-game VIP tailgate for coaches, players’ families and other guests. While the game-day menu is a secret, their “audition” foods included baked anelletti, a Sicilian ring-shaped pasta, and football-shaped rice balls.
If you’re watching the game from the warm comfort of home, here are some recipes for dips and snacks that will keep your group fueled throughout the evening. The first two are from Fabian Quiros, Executive Chef of the Salt Creek Grille in Princeton, and the others are taken from my cookbooks. I’ve had my eye on the multi-faceted popcorn recipes in “How to Boil Water” for a while, as they are quick and easy to throw together. With this week’s conference championship games (Seattle vs. San Francisco, New England vs. Denver) set for Sunday, this weekend also is a perfect time to try these recipes.
And have you noticed that that old favorite, pimientos spread, has made a comeback? Even the Brick Farm Market in Hopewell sells it (mild or spicy), but here I’ve used a very simple recipe from Rozanne Gold’s “Entertaining 1-2-3,” which is full of easy party dishes with no more than three ingredients (salt and pepper not counted). Their Pesto-Vermouth spread is drop-dead simple, too.
For dipping, by all means put out some quality potato chips, but offer some crackers and crisps too, including gluten-free versions.
You can make most of these recipes ahead of time, so you’ll be ready just in case old man winter acts up and the game is moved up a day or pushed back a few days.
BLUE CHEESE AND SHALLOT DIP
Adapted from Salt Creek Grille Executive Chef Fabian Quiros
1 cup chopped shallots
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 cup mayonnaise
½ cup crème fraiche or sour cream
4 ounces blue cheese
In a skillet, sauté shallots in olive oil over medium-low, covered, until golden and caramelized. This should take about 20 minutes. Let shallots cool.
In a mixing bowl, blend mayonnaise and crème fraiche. Add softened blue cheese. Mash mayo mixture and blue cheese together until smooth. Stir in cooled shallots, and salt and pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate until flavors mix, at least three hours. Serve with tortilla chips.
CHIPOLTE MACADAMIA NUTS
Adapted from Salt Creek Grille Executive Chef Fabian Quiros
2 tablespoons honey
1 ½ teaspoons dried chipotle powder
¾ teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 cups macadamia halves
2 tablespoons golden brown sugar
¾ teaspoons salt
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine honey, chipotle powder, and ground cinnamon in a wide skillet. Add nuts, stirring well to coat. On a parchment lined baking sheet, spread nuts in a single layer. Bake until toasted and fragrant, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool only slightly (no more than a minute or two — you want them to still be sticky). In a clean, medium mixing bowl, combine sugar and salt. Pour hot, coated nuts in the bowl and toss to combine. Spread nuts on cold waxed or parchment paper and let dry. It’s best if they don’t touch each other. Serve or store until ready to eat.
POPCORN 3 WAYS
Adapted from How to Boil Water, Food Network Kitchens, Meredith Books (2006)
Each recipe serves 2-4
These are based on 3.5 ounce bags of natural microwave popcorn (without butter). To start each one, pop the corn according to package directions and pour it into a large bowl, then proceed as follows:
For Cheese Popcorn:
Smash 1 clove garlic, and combine in a mug or small bowl with 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper, and 1 teaspoon dried oregano or Italian seasoning. Microwave on high until garlic browns, about 1 minute. Remove garlic and drizzle oil over popcorn and toss. Add 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese, and salt to taste. Serve hot.
For Sweet & Spicy Popcorn:
Put 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar, 1 tablespoon butter and 1 teaspoon chili powder into a small bowl and microwave on medium until butter melts, about 1 minutes. Stir to dissolve sugar. Drizzle over warm popcorn, toss, and serve hot.
For Rocky Road Popcorn:
Empty popcorn from bag into large microwave-safe bowl. Stir in 1 ½ cups mini-chocolate chips and 2 cups mini marshmallows. Microwave on high until chips and marshmallows get gooey, about 1 minutes. Toss with a spoon, adding 1 cup salted peanuts (optional), until all the popcorn is coated. Set aside until chocolate hardens, about 20 minutes, then serve.
The World’s Best Pimiento Spread
Adapted from “Entertaining 1-2-3,” Rozanne Gold, Little, Brown (1999)
1 pound sharp English cheddar cheese
6 1/2-ounce jar pimientos
2/3 cup light mayonnaise
Cut rind off cheese. Cut cheese into small pieces and put in food processor. Add pimientos, including juice, and process until well-blended. Add mayonnaise, ¼ teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper. Process until as smooth as possible. Using a spatula, transfer to large ramekin or decorative bowl. Chill for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Pesto-Vermouth Spread
Adapted from “Entertaining 1-2-3,” Rozanne Gold, Little, Brown (1999)
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
6 tablespoons pesto
3 tablespoons dry vermouth
Place cream cheese into food processor. Process, adding pesto two tablespoons at a time, until incorporated. With motor still running, add vermouth and process just until smooth and creamy.
Transfer to a bowl; stir in a pinch of salt and a grinding of black pepper. Pack into small bowl or ramekin, cover with wax paper or plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours. It improves with age and keeps up to 1 week.
Faith Bahadurian blogs at http://njspice.net (also www.twitter.com/njspice).