Super Bowl Sunday

Are you ready for the big game? We'll be buried under two feet of snow by the time kick off happens, so am getting ready for the Black and Gold Super Bowl today.

Apparently, Super Bowl Sunday is the second biggest eating day next to Thanksgiving. While debatable, what isn't is the variety of food people love to eat. This year, in honor of the Saints, channel a little New Orleans wherever you are with this simple supper.

Zatarian's: It's authentic as Mardi Gras and is great base to start your jambalaya.

Ingredients

• 1 box Zatarain's Jambalaya Mix
• 3 ribs celery, diced
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 1 lb. sausage of choice, cut in rounds
• 1 1b. chicken, diced
• chicken stock
• green onions
• olive oil

Coat the bottom of a large stock pot with approx. 2 tbls. oil, add chicken, salt and pepper and cook until the chicken is browned all over. Remove and set aside. Using the chicken drippings and 2 more rounds of olive oil saute the Trinity (Celery, Onion and Bell Pepper) until tender. Remove from pot and set aside with chicken.

Substitute the water for chicken stock on Zatarain's instructions and bring to a boil. Add trinity, chicken and cut sausage. Follow remaining instructions on Zatarain's box.

Garnish with diced green onions and Tabasco.

King Cake: Haydel's bakery will get you one by game time if you order by 11:00 on Friday. Call now or follow this easy recipe with refrigerator biscuits.

Abita Beer: Whether Turbo Dog, Amber, Purple Haze, Mardi Gras Bock or my favorite Pecan Harvest, you'll round out the experience with this cajun-country brew.

The Saints and the Who Dat Nation have taken it one game at a time and are now here, Super Bowl XLIV. Finish Strong!

Kick the Tires...

'cause I'm only days away from lightin' the fires!

Yup, I did it. I broke down and bought a yule log DVD for the flat screen mounted in my condo which I plan to enjoy as long as we have all this rain and cold.

Not sure if it's the big black rectangle mounted on the wall that I don't want to see while entertaining this holiday season or because I'm fascinated by the kitschy-ness, but this DVD being made especially for plasmas sold me.

I'll share a picture of two with my feet up by the "fire" once it arrives if y'all don't make fun of me too much.

Credits: Available from Amazon.com HERE

$75 Gourmet Tailgate for 15

Washingtonian Magazine's "The Frugal Foodie" challenged Firefly restaurant chef, Danny Bortnick to create a tailgate for 15 for less than $75.

• Open-Faced Roast-Beef Sandwiches
• Chicken Wings
• Homemade Hummus
• Peanut Butter Cookies and M&Ms
  

Check out how he did these three pretty delicious courses HERE.

Thanks to DC Rogue for the topic tip.

Image Credit: Washingtonian.com

Tailgate Time

Football season has kicked off with upsets and big wins, Virginia Fall Races is next weekend and International Gold Cup is October 17th.

Crisp weather, fields of tents, plots of land (while ours if only for a few hours) turned out with everything from 'low brow' collegiate pop-up chairs, Coleman folding tables, and bar-b-que pits on one end to 'top shelf' white linens, chivari chairs, and silver trays on the other end.

Welcome to Tailgate Time.

Image Credit: Conde Naste

Hurricane Party

My last hurricane party was senior year of college; Hurricane Isabel was coming up the East Coast towards DC, the city raised the walls on the banks of the Potomac to protect the Georgetown waterfront and we loaded the Jolly Trolley down with "supplies."

Hunkering down at the brand new Pi Kappa Phi house my fraternity little brother, Tommy, and I had plans to listen to Cowboy Mouth and let the good times roll.

Hurricane Party

"We had a little party me and my friends

A hurricane was coming to New Orleans again

somebody brought scotch somebody brought beer

I shoulda' kept the hooch and thrown'em outta here

A friendly game a penny a hand

Smoke a cigar act like a man

Waintin' for the gale force winds to blow

Shuffle up the cards and let the liquor flow"

- Cowboy Mouth

However, much like Tropical Storm Ana, Hurricane Bill, and Tropical Storm Danny this year, Isabel fizzled out here in Washington and amounted to not much more than heavy rain (thankfully). But let's be honest, who needs a life threatening, destructive amount of rain to have a party!



You can make a classic Pat O'Briens hurricane after buying the mix from Cajun Grocer or use this recipe from Emeril Lagasse (via The Food Network):

• 12 ounces light rum
• 12 ounces dark rum
• 10 ounces grenadine, or passion fruit syrup
• 10 ounces fresh orange juice
• 10 ounces sour mix, or fresh lime juice
• 3 tablespoons superfine sugar, or more to taste
• 1 large orange, cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
• Maraschino cherries [my addition]
  

Mix all the ingredients in a tall pitcher or large pot [or punch bowl] and stir to dissolve the sugar. Pour into a punch bowl and add the ice cubes and orange segments [and cherry]. Serve in tall glasses over ice with straws.

Be careful with these, because the last time they were served...

"My hurricane party got outta control"

Image Credit: (Top to Bottom) DAM, Cowboy Mouth, "Philip Collier's Mixing New Orleans: Cocktails & Legends" text by Jennifer Adams with photography by Michael Terranova

Dip Bowl

My friend Emily is hosting a dip competition at her Super Bowl party tonight. While I considered doing dips like This, This, and This, influenced both by the economy and what I remember having while watching football at my grandparents' house in New Orleans, I went with the ole classic, Onion Soup Mix & Sour Cream.

The ingredients on the kitchen counter

Maybe its the nostalgia of having enjoyed the dip during Saints' wins (and many losses) or how easy it is to make (mix 1 packet of soup mix with 16 ounces of sour cream) or how versatile it is from casual get-togethers to cocktail soirees (as shown below):

In a basket with Wavy Lays and a beer OR on a silver tray with crudites and a cocktail.

I love this dip for its simple, inexpensive ingredients and most of all comfort food quality. And since Emily's doing a competition, I topped the dip with caramelized onions. Hopefully, it'll score a 'touchdown.'