What is the Super Bowl? Well, it’s kind of a man-centric sporting event. And it’s an excuse to sit in front of the boob tube, as my father used to call it, for hours on end. For me, a woman who likes to cook, it’s also an excuse to pull out an arsenal of retro junky recipes. Chile con queso made with Velveeta cheese! Deviled shrimp! Guacamole, chips ’n’ dips galore! Buffalo wings, spicy killer chili with corn bread. I think the only requirements for being appropriate football food is it must be fattening and easy to pick up. No aspic here. No lemony desserts or dainty crudites.
Do I pay much attention to football up to this point? Nah, because it is not a food-focused event until this special day. Other than my pointless, misguided, often heartbreaking, obligatory loyalty to the Washington Redskins,* I am a fair-weather fan. But I look forward to the menu planning so much that one year, when the menfolk sought out a bigger, better TV screen for their viewing, I hosted an all-girls Super Bowl party at home, just so I could still make the food. It was fun because in between making fun of Travis Tritt and Faith Hill (or was it Aerosmith at halftime?) we could admire one another’s shoes and ask dumb questions. A blitz? Wild card? Offsides? Oh, and eat like little piglets.
This year’s halftime show will feature Prince with a super special guest appearance by Beyonce. Should I broil some flank steak? Cirque du Soleil will perform, and Billy Joel is singing the national anthem. Hmm, that reminds me, what to drink? The ads cost $2 million and the official drink is Pepsi. Mexican layered bean dip is always a hit. They expect 90 million viewers and the “official” Super Bowl car is the Cadillac Escalade. Ouch, take that, Al Gore!
Some form of football (and rugby and soccer) has been played since man could kick a stone. A Chinese military manual from the Han dynasty (around the second century B.C.) explains the rules for “cuju,” a game in which a leather ball is kicked through a hole in a piece of silk cloth strung between two 30-foot poles. The Romans played “harpastum,” and the Greeks “pheninda.” The Inuits of Greenland like “Aqsaqtuk” and aboriginal tribes in Australia play “Mam Grook.”
King Edward II banned football because it distracted his people from practicing archery, a skill he wanted them to learn in case of war. To prove that he was a loose and groovy guy, King James II insisted that Christians play football on Sundays after worship. Teddy Roosevelt (half-heartedly, because he was a huge fan) threatened to ban football in 1906 due to numerous deaths and injuries.
American football, as we know it, began to evolve when Princeton held the first college game. The first football was patented in 1865, and the first game between colleges took place between Rutgers and Princeton University in 1869, after Rutgers had established a workable set of rules.
So on Feb. 4 we will have a sports fans spectacle, an advertising extravaganza, celebrities galore (Kevin Federline! Dale Earnardt Jr.! Whee!). Oh, and hopefully we’ll have an exciting game and a manly gourmand’s feast.
Not all of these recipes are oinky-junky. The important thing is to make stuff ahead, and keep it easy and portable. Finger food is ideal, as is having one dish like chili or gumbo. The deviled shrimp is virtuous and the chicken wings are baked, not fried. Guacamole is acceptable because avocados are a good fat, remember? I’ll take full blame for the chile con queso made with plastic cheese because I love it.
Mexican Layered Bean Dip
Enough for one 8 or 9-inch casserole or similar baking dish.
2 cans refried beans, doctored up with one clove garlic and 1 tsp. cumin added
1 jar of your favorite salsa
2 cups homemade guacamole
1 cup sour cream
1 package taco seasoning mix (I think McCormick or El Paso makes it) 1 cup each shredded Monterey jack cheese and cheddar cheese Pickled jalapenos, optional
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Spread beans in bottom of baking dish. Spread thin layer of salsa. Mix sour cream with as much taco seasoning as you like (I don’t use up the whole envelope, just a tablespoon or two). Spread this over salsa. Then top with guacamole, shredded cheese, and jalapenos. Bake about 20 minutes or until bubbly. Serve with a variety of tortilla chips.
This recipe is from my mother-out-law, Nancy. It is my favorite for cold shrimp. Make it the day before and it is even better.
Cold Deviled Shrimp
Serves eight.
2 lbs. medium shrimp, cleaned and cooked three minutes in salted water
1 lemon, sliced very thin, seeds removed 1 red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup pitted black olives
2 Tbsp. chopped sweet red pepper
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup salad oil
1 Tbsp. wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
1 bay leaf, broken up
1 Tbsp. dry mustard
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. salt
Drain cooked shrimp, then toss in large serving bowl with lemon slices, onions, olives, and all the other dressing ingredients. Cover dish and refrigerate a few hours or overnight, tossing occasionally.
My Guilty Pleasure Chile Con Queso
Measurements depend on how much you want to make.
Combine equal parts Velveeta cheese, cubed, with equal parts salsa. Use mild salsa if kids are eating it, spicier if it’s only brave adults.
Melt slowly in heavy saucepan till hot, stirring often, or place in bowl and microwave a few minutes, stopping to stir it until melted.
Serve with tortilla chips; I like the chile and lime flavored ones.
Buffalo Wings, the Easy Way
21/2 lbs. chicken wings, tips discarded
1/2 cup Frank’s or Crystal or Louisiana Hot Sauce (Tabasco is too hot for these large amounts)
1/3 cup melted butter or olive oil
Heat oven to 450 degrees.
Salt and pepper chicken wings, keeping in mind that they will get some more salt momentarily. Bake on cookie sheet for 45 minutes or until crispy.
Roll in hot sauce mixture.
Vegetable Chili
1/2 cup olive oil
2 zucchini, diced
2 onions, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 sweet red peppers, diced
2 cans (35 oz.) Italian plum tomatoes, one cup juice reserved
3 Tbsp. chili powder
1 Tbsp. cumin
1 Tbsp. dried basil
1 Tbsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. salt
2 cups canned black beans, drained 1 cup canned chick peas, drained
1 Tbsp. vinegar
For garnish have:
Sour cream
Shredded Monterey jack cheese Sliced green onions
Minced fresh jalapenos Chopped cilantro
In large skillet sauté zucchini in one-quarter cup of olive oil. When tender, transfer to large casserole or Dutch oven. Heat rest of oil and sauté onions, garlic, and peppers till wilted, about 10 minutes. Transfer to casserole.
Place casserole over low heat. Add canned tomatoes and reserved juice, chili powder, and other spices. Cook uncovered, stirring often, for about 30 minutes.
Add beans, chick peas, and vinegar and taste for seasoning. Cook about 30 minutes more and serve with garnishes.
*Editor's Note: Since this article was published, Washington's football team has changed its name to the Commanders.
