Spotted in an alley off of Third and Fairfax.

Nice little bit of viral marketing for a small 90s party rock band Becky Kramer’s Brother.

Spotted in an alley off of Third and Fairfax.

Nice little bit of viral marketing for a small 90s party rock band Becky Kramer’s Brother.

One more, because I couldn’t resist.

Be a good host and offer something more than soda or water for the designated drivers at your Super Bowl Party. It’s a nice way to show them you appreciate them driving your drunk-ass 

Be a good host and offer something more than soda or water for the designated drivers at your Super Bowl Party. It’s a nice way to show them you appreciate them driving your drunk-ass friendshome at the end of the night so they don’t end up sleeping on your sofa or getting arrested somewhere near the intersection of Dogfish and Stone.

(Plus if you really want, you can use it as a mixer for your drinking friends.)

Full post and recipe over at KSK. (52 new recipes this season!)

We’ve nearly reached the end of Super Bowl Recipe Month here at KSK, so hopefully by now you’ve come up with some semblance of a plan for this Sunday’s game. No? Don’t feel bad. I haven’t [...]]]>

We’ve nearly reached the end of Super Bowl Recipe Month here at KSK, so hopefully by now you’ve come up with some semblance of a plan for this Sunday’s game. No? Don’t feel bad. I haven’t either.

A friend of mine asked me the other day if I was going to post a gumbo recipe for since New Orleans was hosting the Super Bowl. I sent her in the direction of the gumbo recipe I posted a couple of years ago when the Saints played the Colts in the Super Bowl in battle of New Orleans gumbo versus Indianapolis sugar pie, so if you’re looking for Cajun-style gumbo go here. (And if you’re looking for a sugar pie recipe, bless you and your diabetes.) You can also check out this recipe for both a traditional and a New Orleans-style Pimm’s Cup click here. I personally love Pimm’s Cups and their Italian cousins the Americano made with Campari, so if you’re looking for lower-alcohol drinks for your Super Bowl party, you’re much better off serving a drink that is a nod to the host city than say, oh, a Miller 64.

Still want to make something more traditional but want a hint of something Cajun? The same spices work in most meat dishes, like sausage rolls.

What does a deep dish pizza have to do with New Orleans? Nothing unless you want to get into the history of jazz music in America and make a tenuous connection through that route. But it’s the Super Bowl, you might want pizza you make at home and you might be having an intimate gathering or just your family around and this pizza is perfect for such occasions.

Full post and recipes at KSK.

You may not make a single snack all season for football, slogging through bags of Bugles and Pirate Booty, but you’re probably going to make a dip for the Super Bowl. You may order pizza every [...]]]>

You may not make a single snack all season for football, slogging through bags of Bugles and Pirate Booty, but you’re probably going to make a dip for the Super Bowl. You may order pizza every week, go to Taco Bell and buy box of Dos Locos Mocos Frocos Supreme Tacos, but you will probably make a dip next weekend. You may only eat microgreens salads and lemon vinaigrette every day of the week to stay healthy, but if you see a dip at a party and your 49ers are down a field goal, you are going to inhale an entire platter of Creamy Hot Hoagie Dip to calm your nerves.

It’s one of the best foods for football watching and tailgating. You better start planning now.

This year’s Dip Spectacular! — the exclamation point is mandatory — is a mix of new recipes and ones from the archives that are proven hits. Some of the old ones have been tweaked here and there, tastes and techniques that have been improved with time and repeated experimentation, a couple I always get requests for from readers, and ones that are frankly my own personal favorites.

Dozens of dip recipes over at KSK.

Even though I’m not a huge lobster fan, but I do enjoy a nice lobster roll with a beer and a game and lobster rolls have been on the master list of Football Foodie posting ideas [...]]]>

Even though I’m not a huge lobster fan, but I do enjoy a nice lobster roll with a beer and a game and lobster rolls have been on the master list of Football Foodie posting ideas for at least two or three years now. The problem with lobster rolls is even if you love your snacks and you love your friends, unless you live in Maine or Alaska it’s pretty expensive to procure quality lobster for a few pals, much less a dozen hungry football fans. (Maybe if the Patriots were still in the Super Bowl and you and your friends are from New England and really wanted to splurge on lobster rolls so it felt authentic you could justify the cost BUT THEY’RE NOT SO HA HA HA HA YOU CAN HAVE PLEBEIAN SNACKS WITH THE REST OF US.)

Shrimp rolls on the other hand are a great snack that don’t take a lot of effort to make, nor will they break your tailgating budget. Lemon and herbs bring out the best in shrimp (as they do lobster), a bit of crunch from the celery, touch of heat from the cayenne, peppery arugula and buttery bread.

Full post and recipe over at KSK.

Super Bowl Recipe Month: Beer Cheese Soup and Kielbasa Potato Bake

It happens every season. You’re cruising along at the end of the regular season, through divisional weekend and then suddenly it hits you, holy hell there [...]]]>

Super Bowl Recipe Month: Beer Cheese Soup and Kielbasa Potato Bake

It happens every season. You’re cruising along at the end of the regular season, through divisional weekend and then suddenly it hits you, holy hell there are only three football games left. Where did it all go? Really? This is it? It hardly seems fair, we were just getting started after that great divisional weekend. How about we play into the Super Bowl round-robin style so we can get more games? No? Well, it never hurts to ask. (Okay, four games with the Pro Bowl. I like the Pro Bowl and even I don’t count it as a remaining game of the 2012-2013 season.)

If you’re like I am when it comes to the end of the season, you want to hold on as long as you can. Normally I can only take sports talk radio in small doses. Super Bowl month? All day, all night, yelling at the speakers when someone calls into “Moving the Chains”  or whatever show happens to be running at the time, leaving the NFL Network on in the background, actually buying a physical copy of Sports Illustrated to sit and read in quiet without the distraction of the internet.

I wish I could embed it here, but the NFL keeps the good stuff on lockdown, so I’m just going to link to the video, NFL Films Presents: Best Shots From 2012. Enjoy the extra seven minutes of football while you can.

Beer Cheese Soup and Kielbasa Potato Bake

This is a good one-two punch if you’re looking for recipes for the Conference Championship games. You can make a rich, cheesy soup filled with vegetables, herbs and spices for the 49ers-Falcons game and at the same prep an easy one-dish meal or side of hearty kielbasa, potatoes and peppers for Ravens-Pats that all you have to do is throw in the oven. Can’t think of an easier way to entertain this Sunday.

Full post and recipes over on KSK.

One of my favorites so far this season.

You watch enough football, you go to enough bars, at this point you’ve probably had your fill of quesadillas. Too much meat and too much cheese or not enough meat and [...]]]>

One of my favorites so far this season.

You watch enough football, you go to enough bars, at this point you’ve probably had your fill of quesadillas. Too much meat and too much cheese or not enough meat and not enough cheese. Greasy and fried in butter or dry as a bone. We like to think the quesadilla is a pretty safe menu options when we head out with friends to watch the game, more often than not they fall short. You can make quesadillas at home, but they take a fair amount of work and need some serious attention while grilling — is cheese melting, have I burned the tortilla — which isn’t the best combination when dealing with tight windows of time during the playoffs and the Super Bowl.

What if I told you there was a quesadilla-like snack that’s easier to make? Full of beef and lamb, onions and tomatoes, warm spices like cinnamon, sweet paprika and allspice, with hints of cumin, nutmeg and coriander? That you could grill, bake or fry? That you could even prep ahead of time and cook when ready?

Let me introduce you to one of my favorite new football snacks of the 2012-2013 season, arayes.

You’ve probably seen arayes on the menu of your local shawarma and falafel joint, but probably never bothered to order them, too distracted by the giant spits of lamb and beef marinating and the dozens of whole roasted chickens take up entire ovens. You’re missing out, they’re possibly one of the greatest snack foods around.

Full post and recipe over at KSK.

Maybe this Super Bowl season you want to class things up a bit. Or maybe you just need a break from giant subs, heavy pizza, fried ravioli and a bowl of potato chips. Or maybe you’re like my friend [...]]]>

Maybe this Super Bowl season you want to class things up a bit. Or maybe you just need a break from giant subs, heavy pizza, fried ravioli and a bowl of potato chips. Or maybe you’re like my friend ‘Fesser who emailed me the other day looking for recipes that would work for the Texans-Pats game and for the Golden Globes later in the evening.

Fortunately for my friend I already had a few items up my sleeve for this month that fit his request perfectly. Ficelles, thin French sandwiches typically made with only a few ingredients, these small bites are easily made in batches for an impressive sandwich platter. Roasted gnocchi with rosemary make for unusual addition to party buffet instead of a bowl of nuts. Tortellini for a much more satisfying pasta salad, especially when tossed with wilted spinach and pearl-sized balls of soft mozzarella.

My favorite new treat this season? Pizza gougeres, an Italian take on a classic French cheese puff. Easier to make than you think and incredibly addicting just out of the oven.

Full post and recipes over at KSK.

01.09.13 Written by Sarah Sprague

Around the playoffs and leading up to the Super Bowl, we start seeing and hearing [...]]]>

Around the playoffs and leading up to the Super Bowl, we start seeing and hearing more of the old NFL Films highlight reels from the ’60s and ’70s. The urgent, uptempo orchestral music, the grainy film, the Cowboys, Dolphins, Raiders and the Steelers.

I was watching one of those highlight reels over the summer and decided like how teams bring back old jerseys, maybe I should bring back some old snack and side recipes this season. They were a hit. Not fussy, just reminders to the parties our parents used to through when we were very little, of the snacks our aunts brought to picnics and tailgates, the salad our grandmothers always made.

In some cases, some of us are still making this type of classic entertainment fare. My friend Becky emailed for advice on how to jazz up a dip her mother has been making for decades the other week and I had to laugh, it was the most ’70s of dips I’d ever seen. Ritz crackers, cheese, clams; I would not been have surprised to seen V05 and Halston listed with the rest of the ingredients in her dip. (Speaking of Becky and the most ’70s things, she contributed a great mango and chipotle guacamole recipe last year to my Super Bowl Guacamole Extravaganza that I refer to as The Velvet Glove of Guacs. Go check it out, it’s really good.)

For today’s Throwback Football Foodie, we have a classic macaroni salad, deli roll ups and a stuffed baguette, some of the most appropriate foods to spill all over your Larry Csonka Dolphin jersey.

Full post and recipes over at KSK!

It’s hard to admit, but I’m a little jealous of Ufford’s Twenty Reasons To Hate The Redskins post and everyone else that gets to have the fiery-hot irrational hate against rival playoff teams this weekend. Sure, there [...]]]>

It’s hard to admit, but I’m a little jealous of Ufford’s Twenty Reasons To Hate The Redskins post and everyone else that gets to have the fiery-hot irrational hate against rival playoff teams this weekend. Sure, there are nerves and weak stomachs to temper the hate, but the laser-focused hate that comes out during the playoffs is to experience a maniacal giddiness that has no place outside of the sports world. Fans who don’t have teams in the playoffs will politely say watching the games without stress is freeing, that they can just relax and enjoy the games. It’s a lie. No matter who wins, you have a reason from sometime back in your club’s history to hate each and every other team. Even the Texans have been around long enough to be annoying in their own way (David Carr, actual Texans in Houston). Without a team in the playoffs, I’m stuck with this ball of nebulous dislike and disdain.

Rationalization sets in and you spend your during the games thinking of not who you want to win, but who you can live with winning. Seahawks? If they win now, will their fans finally shut up about Super Bowl XL? Bengals? Nick Lachey Super Fan for weeks. Atlanta? A win for popped collars everywhere. Broncos or Ravens? Green Bay ? No way. Pats? Well, they just lost the Super Bowl so maybe it’s okay if they win this one. Maybe. Colts? Vikings? Perhaps. I will have to reserve final judgement until after this weekend, because in Los Angeles, a city without a team, it’s easy to separate the wheat from the chaff for which fan base you’re going to be able to live with for the next year.

Full post and recipes for White Chicken Chili and Deli Chopped Salad On Croutons over at KSK. Love this white chicken chili recipe!

Every season, I give the same speech to kickoff Super Bowl month, much like I give the same speech to kickoff the Football Foodie season in August. Why the same speech? Why do teams still listen to “Eye of [...]]]>

Every season, I give the same speech to kickoff Super Bowl month, much like I give the same speech to kickoff the Football Foodie season in August. Why the same speech? Why do teams still listen to “Eye of the Tiger” thirty years later? Why do people still talk about Vince Lombardi’s Super Bowl II speech? Or quote Bear Bryant? Tradition. Because it fits. Because none one remembers that after Tom Landry said, “A winner never stops trying” he said, “to get the the front of the deli line.”

So with a few edits, this is this year’s Football Foodie Super Bowl snack speech.

Super Bowl Recipe Month Kickoff At KSK: Skirt Steak Sandwiches With Caramelized Onions And Gorgonzola Sauce, Salt & Pepper Biscuit Bites and Giant Cherry Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie. Full post and recipes over there!

It’s tough getting to the end of the regular season. If you’re a fan of an AFC team and your team hasn’t made the playoffs, you’re watching this weekend to see if your team ends on a high-note or with a [...]]]>

It’s tough getting to the end of the regular season. If you’re a fan of an AFC team and your team hasn’t made the playoffs, you’re watching this weekend to see if your team ends on a high-note or with a high draft pick. For fans of NFC teams, this weekend revolves around Washington-Dallas, which is pretty much everyone’s nightmare. Or perhaps you’re a fan of raging garbage fires and are interested in seeing if the flames coming out of Ralph Wilson Stadium will reach the upper atmosphere.

In some ways though, a lazy Week 17 is a relief. Fantasy football is pretty much done aside of pick’em leagues and poorly run leagues which have their championship this weekend, so there isn’t the stress of starting Matt Ryan over RG III up until kickoff. There’s also something to be said for just watching Oakland-San Diego and seeing what shakes loose instead of Bengals-Ravens or Texans-Colts, four teams playing to avoid injury while not giving away their playoff playbooks.

Personally, I’m looking forward to an easy weekend of football. We’ve been traveling for nearly two weeks now; cross-country flights, 12 hours on the Pennsylvania Turnpike in a snow storm, going to the symphony, tailgating with my fantasy league and a hockey blogger in a Santa beard, cooking for my family, cooking for my in-laws, multiple bar outings with friends which — even as I type this post — have left my stomach and my head spinning. (It’s tough keeping up with Ape’s drinking, but I guess that shouldn’t be surprising. Apes are known for having quality livers.) I had planned on making one last spread of the season, but instead I think I’m to make something easy this Sunday to snack on. Crostini it is.

Full post and recipe for Warm Lentil Crostini is up over at KSK. Happy Week 17 everybody!

I can’t put my finger on the exact date, but sometime during the Great Craft Cocktails and Brown Liquor Resurgence of the past five or six — maybe even seven, we’ve all been drinking so much it’s difficult to [...]]]>

I can’t put my finger on the exact date, but sometime during the Great Craft Cocktails and Brown Liquor Resurgence of the past five or six — maybe even seven, we’ve all been drinking so much it’s difficult to remember — years hard-boiled eggs and deviled eggs made a comeback, especially at bars that served craft cocktails and brown liquor. Not deviled eggs like your grandmother serves at Easter under a layer of paprika, but rather wasabi deviled goose eggs, Sriracha-blue cheese deviled eggs, truffle and chive deviled eggs, and petite smoked salmon deviled quail eggs.

Their sudden ubiquity is not without merit. Deviled eggs are a perfect compliment to drinking, protein with a touch of salt, and are just as good with a heavy beer or bracing cocktail as they are with a glass of sparkling wine. (Not that I ever drink prosecco with football. But just in case it’s around. For brunch. Okay maybe sometimes. Often.)

Deviled eggs are also ridiculously easy to make and incredibly difficult to mess up, which is important this time of year when you don’t have the time nor the energy to make a complicated snack for football. There is still shopping to do, you’ve got relatives over that don’t like football and you’re trying to entertain them while watching Eli versus Ed Reed and why YES it is very interesting that second-cousin Shirley got that job in Nebraska and YES it may make next Thanksgiving more difficult to plan and NO I don’t think the neighbors put up more Christmas lights than usual and NO I haven’t heard there is a Whole Foods going in there and WHY is it again I can’t feed this toddler bourbon so they’ll stop crying about the Grinch video AND DID ANYONE AT LEAST SEE A SCORE FOR THE VIKINGS-TEXANS GAME?

Exactly. Not a lot of time for snack making for football.

Full recipe for Tart Cranberry Deviled Eggs over at KSK today.

About this time of year, among all the holiday baking, I start to think about what sort of food I want to have during the playoffs and for the bigger bowl games. (Sorry Music City Bowl, you’re not on [...]]]>

About this time of year, among all the holiday baking, I start to think about what sort of food I want to have during the playoffs and for the bigger bowl games. (Sorry Music City Bowl, you’re not on the list of snack-worthy events.) Hearty snacks that are easy to make and can be made ahead of time if needed. People love Kung Pao chicken and they love egg rolls, and few things are better on game days than a finger food made for some serious munching. (As I have said many times before, I am a nervous eater so crunchy things like egg rolls are perfect for the playoffs.) The heat from the peppers goes with great with beer while the meatiness of the peanuts help round out the egg rolls.

Don’t get hung up on if this is a traditional Kung Pao recipe, it’s not. There is no need to rush out for Shaoxing wine or black vinegar, you can use cooking sherry and rice wine or white wine vinegar just fine. If you have access to Asian facing heaven peppers, go ahead and use them for your red chiles. If you don’t, use the small thin dried red chiles you can find in most grocery stores, often labeled “Asian chiles” or “Chile Japones.” And if you’re really in a pinch, you can use a couple of teaspoons of dried red chili flakes in place of the dried chiles, but they don’t have the same richness and “pop” as freshly sliced chiles. I use eight chiles in my egg rolls and they have a fair amount of heat, but if you like your food even hotter, you can add in one or two more without ruining the Kung Pao.

Full post and recipe for  Kung Pao Chicken Egg Rolls: Football Foodie Hearty Snacks is over at KSK.

Probably one of my favorite recipes of the year. Looks like a lot of work, but comes together surprising quickly with a ton of favor out of only a few ingredients.

Awhile back a reader asked if I could post a recipe that would pair with Peter King’s beloved Allagash White, the craft Belgiam-style white ale. Witbiers often get knocked around by beer snobs thanks to the mass production of [...]]]>

Awhile back a reader asked if I could post a recipe that would pair with Peter King’s beloved Allagash White, the craft Belgiam-style white ale. Witbiers often get knocked around by beer snobs thanks to the mass production of beers like Blue Moon, but Allagash puts out a decent white ale. Personally, I prefer their Curieux strong ale which is barrel aged in old bourbon casks, but this recipe isn’t about my tastes, it’s about PK’s beer.

If you cannot get your hands on Allagash White, look in the import section for Blanche De Bruxelles. This Belgiam white ale’s iconic label features the image of little boy pissing, styled after a famous fountain in — you guessed it –  Brussels, which has many fine Starwoods for you to stay in if you want to join the throng of tourists who pose with the statue. I actually had a chance visit Brussels last year to see some friends living abroad and it was quite lovely. And while we stayed in a Sofitel and not a Starwood, our stay was still very pleasant. Went to the museum of music instruments, had one of the best meals of my life in a small French restaurant next a farm in a village just outside of Waterloo, got drunk, saw a mini pony. Just lovely. Both of my friends living there talked about the extreme lengths they went to see American football, traveling halfway across the country to find a bar open for the Super Bowl. My good friend Andrea even had a secondary satellite hookup that allowed her to get the Middle Eastern sports package, which was the only way she could watch Steeler games on a regular basis.

But I digress, just as one does when making a recipe styled around Peter King.

Full recipe for Peter King Shrimp for Allagash White Pairing over at KSK.

Team bye weeks ended last weekend, but because of the extended Thanksgiving schedule of Thursday games, this will be the first weekend in two months we’ll have the complete slate to watch on Sunday. Glorious. Full schedule, almost every [...]]]>

Team bye weeks ended last weekend, but because of the extended Thanksgiving schedule of Thursday games, this will be the first weekend in two months we’ll have the complete slate to watch on Sunday. Glorious. Full schedule, almost every game has playoffs implications (sorry Chiefs fans), fantasy football is in the playoffs, college football starts cannibalizing itself fighting over coaches and bowl games, David Beckham and possibly Landon Donovan play their last games with the Galaxy in the MLS Cup*; just listing how great football is in December causes me to hear “It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year” in my head.

You’re going to need a hearty snack to get you through the weekend.

Scacciata: Stromboli’s and Calzone’s Sicilian Cousin

Even the most adamant Team Pizza fans needs a break from heavy sauce, meat and cheese during the season, but there is nothing quite like tearing into warm dough with a cold beer while watching football. Enter the scacciata, a Sicilian variation of a calzone. Heavy on the vegetables and lighter on the cheese and meat, the layers of favor in a scacciata offer a more complex bite than just your ordinary pizza. Potatoes add heft, shaved onions and fennel play off each other in a sweet and savory delight, spinach and broccoli add brightness, spicy sausage adds heat and depth, while the provolone and a touch of olive oil meld everything together.You can add whatever vegetables you like to a scacciata; peppers, eggplant, but if they are rather watery be sure to cook them down a bit before baking. Want olives? Add olives. Want your scacciata to be even spicier? Sprinkle on red pepper flakes along with the salt and pepper. Second sausage? Sure, but don’t add more than two or it gets too oily during baking. A little sauce? Yes, fine. Just a few dabs here or there. Add too much and you may as well make a calzone.

Full post and recipe for scacciata over at KSK.

Super easy and great on game dayes.

A quick and easy recipe for Tapatio Lemon Kettle Chips, Pimento Cheese Awareness Month and what to do with your Thanksgiving leftovers over at KSK today. Oh yeah, and a picture of a Texans Pecan [...]]]>

A quick and easy recipe for Tapatio Lemon Kettle Chips, Pimento Cheese Awareness Month and what to do with your Thanksgiving leftovers over at KSK today. Oh yeah, and a picture of a Texans Pecan Pie you’re not going to want to miss.

Come play!

]]> http://sarahsprague.com/2012/11/23/tapatio-lemon-chips-thanksgiving-leftovers-and-pimento-cheese-football-foodie-shortcuts-at-ksk/feed/ 0 http://sarahsprague.com/2012/11/16/roasted-butternut-squash-sage-dip-and-savory-mushroom-pithiviers-football-foodie-thanksgiving-at-ksk/ http://sarahsprague.com/2012/11/16/roasted-butternut-squash-sage-dip-and-savory-mushroom-pithiviers-football-foodie-thanksgiving-at-ksk/#comments Fri, 16 Nov 2012 20:59:58 +0000 sarah sprague http://sarahsprague.com/?p=2532612791

Two sorts of Thanksgiving diners, ones who believe in eating early and having leftovers again later in the day and those who don’t have their celebration until late afternoon or evening. The former means getting up at 5 am [...]]]>

Two sorts of Thanksgiving diners, ones who believe in eating early and having leftovers again later in the day and those who don’t have their celebration until late afternoon or evening. The former means getting up at 5 am to start roasting a turkey, the latter means torturing yourself with cups of nuts as not to spoil the feast. It also means considering going through the early game of Houston-Detroit — and perhaps even Washington-Dallas, depending on your time zone — without having a snack.

Nonsense. You’re going to need game time snacks that can feed a crowd and also not spoil your appetite, and perhaps one that is relatively healthy. Ones that compliment the autumn table. Earthy tastes of mushrooms, herbs and wine, warm butternut squash and sage spiced with cayenne and chili.

Roasted Butternut Squash and Sage Dip and Savory Mushroom Pithiviers recipes over at KSK today. Love the “dip” recipe so much, I made it again last night just to have on a raining Thursday Night Football game while I typed up the post.

Enjoy!

“Statistician” is such a complicated concept, especially for someone who has worked in sports as long as Peter King has.

I’ve got a new found respect for [...]]]>

Pundit (Or Whatever You’d Call What He Does) of the Week Nate Silver, FiveThirtyEight Blog, New York Times.

“Statistician” is such a complicated concept, especially for someone who has worked in sports as long as Peter King has.

I’ve got a new found respect for Mike, Drew and Jack for doing this column over inthe years now that I’ve done one myself.  Lordy, a NANOWRIMO contains less filler.

Anyway, come play.

Peter King And The Quirkiest Game Of The Year

Chorizo Stuffed Sweet Potato Skins is the Football Foodie recipe this week over at KSK. It’s easily one of my favorite new recipes this season, so be sure to check it out.

Plus I make a bunch jokes [...]]]>

Chorizo Stuffed Sweet Potato Skins is the Football Foodie recipe this week over at KSK. It’s easily one of my favorite new recipes this season, so be sure to check it out.

Plus I make a bunch jokes about Rob Gronkowski talking to an astronaut, and really, how often does that opportunity come around?

Just one of five ballots I propose football fans can vote on this election day, over on KSK.

As snack-loving football fans, it’s easy to grow tired mozzarella sticks all the time. Usually everyone can agree to split a basket of them at a bar — even the worst dives can make a decent block of fried cheese — [...]]]>

As snack-loving football fans, it’s easy to grow tired mozzarella sticks all the time. Usually everyone can agree to split a basket of them at a bar — even the worst dives can make a decent block of fried cheese — as a perfunctory pre-snack before ordering a sandwich or some wings. Making them at home usually ends with middling results for the amount of effort that goes into them and ready-to-bake frozen mozzarella sticks are never as satisfying as when ordered out.

And yet, there is few treats we look forward to more on game days as a melty, cheesy bite of sorts. Over the last couple of seasons I’ve been making Seared Queso Blanco at home in place of mozzarella sticks, but this year has been all about the Greek kolokythokeftedes. Bright zucchini, salty feta, fresh bits of dill, parsley and mint come together and offer the right balance of crunch and soft chewy texture we crave in our football snacks. You can pair kolokythokeftedes with a tzatziki sauce if you like, but I prefer this pared down version of a lemon dill dip, the extra kick from the lemon zest pulling all the flavors together in sharp relief.

Kolokythokeftedes with Lemon Dill Greek Yogurt Dip over at KSK, along with pulling out all the racist comments on CSN Philly being thrown at Jason Babin.

(I have no idea what calling someone a “chinchila face” even means.)

Savor this day, fans. Take a picture of yourself with your cellphone and email it to yourself for later so you can remember how happy you looked on this very special day. Suck the marrow out of Monday, October 29, 2012; [...]]]>

Savor this day, fans. Take a picture of yourself with your cellphone and email it to yourself for later so you can remember how happy you looked on this very special day. Suck the marrow out of Monday, October 29, 2012; let the juice run down your chin and lick its fatty richness off of your fingers. Today is only for football and today is for us to feel like gods.

 No baseball, No hockey, No basketball: It’s Good To Be The King over at KSK.

Today in the Football Foodie on the road, Slow Cooked Turkey Sandwiches with Spicy Remoulade Sauce recipe over at KSK.

One way to make a great turkey breast for sandwiches is by salting the meat like you [...]]]>

Today in the Football Foodie on the road, Slow Cooked Turkey Sandwiches with Spicy Remoulade Sauce recipe over at KSK.

One way to make a great turkey breast for sandwiches is by salting the meat like you would cure pork for bacon. The so-called “dry-brining” technique of prepping poultry is one of the easiest and most effective ways of making sure your turkey or chicken comes out succulent and moist. A method first popularized by Judy Rodgers at her Zuni Cafe in San Francisco, her salt rub style was featured in Cook’s Illustrated in the mid-aughts and it revolutionized the way home cooks prepared their holiday turkeys. No longer did people have to wrestle with giant pots of salted water taking up their entire refrigerators, the salt alone could redistribute the bird’s own natural juices while slightly changing the structural make-up of the meat so it would retain even more valuable water during cooking. (For the record, I was never a wet-brine fan. I would always make turkey with pounds of butter to keep it moist. With this method I don’t bother adding much fat, even when roasting a whole bird in the oven.)

And rather than worrying about constantly checking on a turkey in the oven on game day, why not just put everything in a slow cooker which is not only easier, it also ensures an extra juicy turkey. By going the extra yard of using a slow cooker which keeps all of the liquids in the pot instead cooking in a drying oven — good for crispy skin, bad for poultry — you get a firm, tender turkey without the typical dryness or mealiness.

The aromatic herbs, crisp white wine and mirepoix of onions, carrots and celery will steam their favor deep into the bird, its richness creating a perfect foil for the kick of remoulade.

The spicy, tangy remoulade sauce, the perfectly cooked turkey, juicy tomatoes and the crunch of lettuce make for an impressive fall sandwich spread that serves a crowd with little hands-on time for the game. Tailgating? This turkey refrigerates superbly once sliced if you want to make sandwiches at the game.

Serves 6-8.

Need more football watching-centric recipe ideas? Find the complete archive of Football Foodie recipes here.

There is a section early on in Will Leitch’s God Save The Fan that asserts that if the average fan had a chance to get to know a professional athlete on their favorite team, there is a good chance they wouldn’t [...]]]>

There is a section early on in Will Leitch’s God Save The Fan that asserts that if the average fan had a chance to get to know a professional athlete on their favorite team, there is a good chance they wouldn’t have anything in common and they probably wouldn’t like each other too much.

I disagreed with the sentiment then (disclosure: I gave GSTF a moderately good review back in 2008) because I thought the reason fans and athletes were considered such different beings was due in part to the gatekeeper/journalistic wall built up between the two groups. In the years since the book’s release, we’ve seen the rise of Twitter and some great interaction between athletes and their fans. There are now plenty of athletes fans have unfiltered access to and for the most part, it’s been rather endearing to see them being regular people who live-Tweet TV shows, post pictures of their cats and complain about the bad turkey sandwiches they had for lunch. Just the other day one of my friends was talking politics with Chris Kluwe like two regular people would and it didn’t seem weird at all. Of course the other side of the coin is that fans can insult players and their families nonstop and occasionally we find out yeah, that guy playing ball is really a jerk.

I couldn’t help but think of Leitch’s point while reading Tony Siragusa’s new book, Goose: The Outrageous Life and Times of a Football Guy. As a football fan, Siragusa had always been to me one of those larger-than-life caricatures with a voice and ego to match his impressive size. I only faintly remember his Pitt years, mostly just the trial he and a bunch of other players were involved in for a fight in Oakland — a topic he mentions only briefly in the book, and his time playing in the NFL is a blur of the Rich Gannon hit and the 2000 Super Bowl in my mind. Another loud Raven in a murder of loud Ravens. His retirement from the game has given us a clearer picture from the dude’s dude of Man Cave construction and sideline reporting about what he’s seeing on the field as a former player, but clearly not an analyst, a role Siragusa rejects. Harmless, if a bit of a meathead. As an author telling supposedly hilarious stories about growing up, becoming a Super Bowl champion and a media personality, all I could think while reading Goose was, “Christ, what an asshole.”

My full review of Goose: The Outrageous Life and Times of a Football Guy is available over at KSK today.

Today in Football Foodie on the road, a Pizza Bloody Mary recipe over at Kissing Suzy Kolber

We’ve reached that awful point of the NFL season where there is an incredible imbalance on the Sunday schedule, a bunch [...]]]>

Today in Football Foodie on the road, a Pizza Bloody Mary recipe over at Kissing Suzy Kolber

We’ve reached that awful point of the NFL season where there is an incredible imbalance on the Sunday schedule, a bunch of early games and then only two or three games with a 4 ET/1 PT kickoffs. This inequity drags on until after Thanksgiving, giving us plenty of weeks like this week where we only get Jets-Patriots and Jaguars-Raiders with the late start, which means you need to be ready for brunch drinking to handle the massive onslaught of early games. (And by onslaught, I mean the Texans-Ravens matchup gets my vote for Sunday morning, but I wouldn’t object to watching Washington-Giants or Browns-Colts.)

Earlier this season I had a chance to talk with Holly Anderson over at SI’s Campus Union about tailgating and she asked what were my favorite football snack and drink to have during a game. My answer was that they’re the same thing, a Bloody Mary. I’ve written many times about how I love watching football on the West Coast because you wake up and it’s game time and brunch time, which makes the Bloody Mary a perfect match for the early games. It’s restorative and energizing, the perfect mix of booze and savory juice to perk you up. Add a large enough garnish and you’ve pretty much got a meal in a glass. What could make your liquid meal even better? Have it be inspired by one of the greatest football snacks of all time, pizza.

Working on this cocktail was a labor of love, so go check it out. The results are worth it.

High time to get this out of the [...]]]> Just a quick note, as some of you may of noticed, I’m posting more than just Football Foodie recipes over at KSK. Please feel free to come over and play along.

High time to get this out of the way: Big Ben vs Big Ben: Steelers-Vikings London 2013

FIGJAM to attempt 100 yard shot for charity during Monday Night Football halftime show

What To Expect At The Cowboys Victoria’s Secret Store

And as it turns out, if you need someone to make a pie chart with an actual pie, I’m your gal. Check out How Many Pumpkin Items Are In This Trader Joe’s Flyer? A Pie Chart Pie Analysis over on The Awl.

Hot Bean and Chimichurri Dip and South American Choripan Sandwiches

A long day of football often calls for a hearty dip, especially if you don’t feel like mucking over a grill or with a fryer on a particular game day. This [...]]]>

Hot Bean and Chimichurri Dip and South American Choripan Sandwiches

A long day of football often calls for a hearty dip, especially if you don’t feel like mucking over a grill or with a fryer on a particular game day. This is an easy, filling baked bean dip that doesn’t require a lot of hands on time in the kitchen, leaving you plenty of time to wish you hadn’t benched that no-good crumb-bum Kenny Britt on your fantasy team. Adding chimichurri sauce to the beans not only brings a lot of extra flavor to the little legumes, it also works to thin out the mixture to make for easier chip scooping.

Before we start, a few words about chimichurri. There are a lot of bastardizations of chimichurri sauce out there. Some call for a cilantro or arugula, others throw in unnecessary ingredients like capers or onions, and too many call for the use of a food processor. No. Those recipes are not a classic chimichurri. This is not a South American pesto. This is a course, rich sauce meant to let the parsley and garlic shine with just a hint of heat from the red pepper flakes, the weight of the olive oil cut by the sharpness of the red wine vinegar, together creating a perfect balance that enhances the flavor of whatever you use it on; steak, eggs, on plain bread or in this case, on some beans as a dip.

The Football Foodie is on the road again this week, so join us over on KSK for some Hot Bean and Chimichurri Dip and South American Choripan Sandwiches

Some of the oil will separate to the bottom of the dish, keeping your beans moist and rich. Don’t worry about it. One of my friends calls that the “ring of awesome” around the dip.

Plus, it’s fun to be able to use “F Yeah South American Sandwiches” tag on another site.

As always for OG Football Foodie readers, Google Voice number available for emergency recipe questions and texts (323) 963-4756, 9 AM PT – 10 PM PT, Saturday and Sundays.

Need more football watching-centric recipe ideas? Find the complete archive of Football Foodie recipes here.

Over the summer I started messing around making pendants out of old trading cards for me and my friends. It quickly turned into a hobby and now I’m selling them on Etsy at Instant Replay Jewelry.

More items to [...]]]>

Over the summer I started messing around making pendants out of old trading cards for me and my friends. It quickly turned into a hobby and now I’m selling them on Etsy at Instant Replay Jewelry.

More items to be uploaded soon, but here’s a start to get things going. Aside of the shop, you can always keep on eye out for new offerings here on the Instant Replay Jewelry page here on the mothership.

Except for the Andrew McCutchen one you see above. That’s mine. Kept in my purse when not around my neck.

Let’s go Bucs!

The LA street dog — or “danger dogs” as locals like to call them — are found at the ubiquitous hot dog carts that pop-up outside of bars at closing time, after Staples Center, Rose Bowl, Coliseum and Hollywood Bowl events, [...]]]>

The LA street dog — or “danger dogs” as locals like to call them — are found at the ubiquitous hot dog carts that pop-up outside of bars at closing time, after Staples Center, Rose Bowl, Coliseum and Hollywood Bowl events, and even just on random street corners with heavy pedestrian foot traffic. The name “danger” comes from in part, well, the danger. These bacon-wrapped hot dogs are cooked on giant steel cookie sheets along side onions, green peppers and jalapenos over hot coals or sterno in shopping carts. If you’re lucky, the person making the dogs have coolers for their hot dogs, bacon and mayonnaise, but don’t be surprised to see everything that is going onto the pan in a large bag just behind the cart.

Sure, there are a few licensed hot dog vendors that sell LA’s version of a Sonoran dog, most notably around Santee Alley in the Fashion District downtown, and hip burger joints like 25 Degrees put fancy street dogs with queso fresco on their menu, but the best ones are the hot dogs that have been turned dozens, if not hundreds, of times on the street. You smell them first, the fatty bacon, the sweetness of the onions and peppers mixing with the smoke of the charcoal that could easily ignite the sidewalk around it. Then you hear the sellers call of, “hot dog, hot dog, hot dog” before you can even see them through the crowd, spinning the dogs with tongs in one hand while adding buns to the vegetable pile to steam with the other hand. Even the most ardent Whole Foods-shopping Angeleno cannot deny the intoxicating smell of the late-night danger dog. Why? Because they’re delicious and they hit all the right spots after a couple of beers; fatty, salty, crunchy and meaty. Which is to say, they’re perfect for watching football.

Except that they’re really hard to make at home.

And easier to LA street dogs (bacon wrapped hot dogs!) at home plus a detailed state of the union of what is going on with the building of Farmer’s Field downtown, the AEG sale, temporarily moving a team to the Rose Bowl and the City of Industry bid all over at Kissing Suzy Kolber today.

 As always for OG Football Foodie readers, Google Voice number available for emergency recipe questions and texts (323) 963-4756, 9 AM PT – 10 PM PT, Saturday and Sundays.

Made the mistake of going to a sports bar last night to watch Browns-Ravens, which in itself isn’t bad, but we went to one of those chain places I try to avoid (their current ad campaign features a couple going to [...]]]>

Made the mistake of going to a sports bar last night to watch Browns-Ravens, which in itself isn’t bad, but we went to one of those chain places I try to avoid (their current ad campaign features a couple going to watch football baby and home brewer free) because frankly, while the food tastes fine enough after a few Jamesons, the salt and the regret just kill you the next day. I feel sluggish, my bra is tight from the water retention, and I’m experiencing the inner shame that goes along with knowing you ordered off a menu where the words “slammers” and “screamin’” make an appearance.

(Not that I should judge too harshly that place too harshly since I actually prefer the local sports bar that is named after a rooster’s enormous penis.)

As for the actual game, I owe a small apology to Browns fans everywhere. When another member of our party showed up late, I excitedly described how great it was that Greg Little had only had a two drops in the game so far — some sort of Greg Little record, and not just two minutes later he dropped a sure touchdown at the goal line.

The real apology is due from coach Pat Shurmur, who should have benched him in the first place.

Roasted Lemon-Chili Corn

I meant to post this during the Football Foodie opening week grilling series, but somehow I completely forgot to include it in the kickoff. No matter, it’s still really warm  in much of the country — 101º in LA this weekend! — so the first frost hasn’t hit and we’re all still getting great corn for tailgating.

If you grew up in a Midwest/Mid-Atlantic household like mine, the only way you had corn on the cob growing up was husked, boiled in water in the kitchen while everything else was on the grill and then served with about three pounds of butter and salt. (We had one neighbor who put out a separate stick of butter on the table for people to spin their cobs in at the table.) It’s nonsense, corn on the cob shouldn’t be about laboriously husking cold ears, scrubbing with a brush and then using up six gallons of water when there is a perfectly good fire going outside. Corn on the cob is easy, tasty and doesn’t need a lot of fat to make it taste delicious.

My preferred way is similar to the “Mexican” style of corn on the cob, but I like to leave off the cilantro and the cojita cheese crumbs since the herb’s floral notes often overpower the tenderness of the corn and the cojita really isn’t doing too much other than providing saltiness. I like lemon over lime just because for a slightly fresher taste and because our shared lemon tree is usually overgrowing with fruit this time of year, so if you prefer limes to lemons, feel free to go for it.

Not grilling? Roast the corn the same exact way in a 350º oven for about thirty minutes.

You will need:

8 ears of corn, in husk, end with silks cut off
Juice from one large lemon, (approximately 4-6 tablespoons)
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon chili powder

Rinse corn, leave in husk

Over medium heat on the grill, cook for about 30 minutes until steamed through. (The corn should no longer feel hard and instead should be rather plump with some spring to it when squeezed.)

While the corn is grilling, melt the butter and mix together with the lemon juice, chili powder and salt.

Once the corn is done, peel back husks and corn silk and discard. Brush with ears of corn with the lemon-butter-chili mixture and grill until slightly charred on all sides.

You might also like: Poblano Veggie White Bean Chili.

Google Voice number available for emergency recipe questions and texts (323) 963-4756, 9 AM PT – 10 PM PT, Saturday and Sundays.

Is everyone done popping champagne bottles for the return of the replacement refs? Still walking around and flexing your Hochuli’s in celebration? Little extra bounce in your step knowing you won’t lose serious money over a blown [...]]]>

Is everyone done popping champagne bottles for the return of the replacement refs? Still walking around and flexing your Hochuli’s in celebration? Little extra bounce in your step knowing you won’t lose serious money over a blown call and can relax knowing in the future you will only lose serious money on your own poor gambling choices and blown calls made by professionals? Understandable. The end of the NFL Referees Association lockout is good news for football fans and today should be a day of rejoicing.

Should be a day of rejoicing.

Selfishly, I’d rather be rejoicing tomorrow after we got in one last game with the replacement refs. The fact that tonight’s game is between the Browns and the Ravens is a complete coincidence, I swear.

Roasted Garlic Cheese Spread

Over the years I’ve found sometimes it’s good to have a snack that it a little more substantial than chips and dip between a big football brunch and the late-afternoon or evening football meal. Items that satiate small nagging hunger without spoiling your appetite later. Luxurious creamy French cheese infused with the flavors of roasted garlic, herbs and crisp white wine spread over crostini or crackers fit the bill perfectly, and if you’re watching the game with your in-laws, makes your game day feel a little classier than the usual canned-salsa-in-Velveeta routine.

You will need:

6-8 ounces soft or semi-soft French cheese, such as Camembert, Saint Albray, Boursault or Port Salut depending on cheese preference
3-4 cloves garlic, peeled
1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc
kosher salt and cracked pepper
small bunch of chives (optional)

Preheat oven to 350º.

Set the cheese out soften a bit before mixing.

Make a small foil packet to hold the cloves of garlic, 1/2 tablespoon olive oil and a generous pinch of kosher salt. Roast the garlic for 15-20 minutes until just lightly toasted. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a couple of minutes.

Once the garlic has cooled a bit, chop together the roasted garlic, cheese, dash of cracked pepper and salt in a food processor. Add the chives and slowly blend in the white wine. After the wine has been incorporated into the cheese, blend in the remaining olive oil until smooth.

You can serve the cheese right away, but I prefer to return the cheese spread to the refrigerator and let the flavor develop for at least an hour or two. (If making ahead of time, don’t blend the cheese and wine together more than 24 hours in advance.)

Serve with crostini or crackers.

You might also like: Dips and Spreads collection.

Google Voice number available for emergency recipe questions and texts (323) 963-4756, 9 AM PT – 10 PM PT, Saturday and Sundays.

Stood way up on the hill behind our place in the heat for 45 minutes; sanitation worker stopped and waited with me for a bit, he had heard on his radio it was almost by, a pool guy from Palmdale stopping [...]]]>

Stood way up on the hill behind our place in the heat for 45 minutes; sanitation worker stopped and waited with me for a bit, he had heard on his radio it was almost by, a pool guy from Palmdale stopping at a house said he just heard on the radio is was nearing Malibu and gave the Spaniel a treat, heard the initial turn, kept waiting, kept checking to see if my phone would get a signal so I could see where it was at, some guy with an enormous camera walked by and said it was already gone, headed home, was taking off my shoes when I heard it circle back around. Grabbed my camera ran outside and this was the best I could get in five seconds. Glad I didn’t miss it.

Let’s keep going to space.

Sports can make you a nervous eater. Salt is good. Crunch is even better.

Unfortunately plain chips –  while delicious — don’t quite give the full emotional satisfaction of a hard crunch and aren’t filling enough to signal any sort of [...]]]>

Sports can make you a nervous eater. Salt is good. Crunch is even better.

Unfortunately plain chips –  while delicious — don’t quite give the full emotional satisfaction of a hard crunch and aren’t filling enough to signal any sort of “stop you’ve had enough!” reaction until you’ve consumed the whole bag watching Peyton Manning being sacked for about the twentieth time. Seasoned corned chips are better this way, but are covered with so much salt you don’t taste anything after about fifteen minutes and you may as well just go eat the rock salt in the garage. (Not that I’ve ever done that, but let me say that if you do try it, make sure it’s the plain rock salt and not the kind that has chemicals added to it for easier ice melting. Not that I’ve ever done that.)

This is why pasta chips are great for stressed sports eaters like myself.  They have a thick, hard crunch with heat from the red pepper flakes, depth from the thyme and rosemary, brightness from basil and just enough salt to balance out your drink.

I cannot recall the name of the bar where I first had these in Florida, but they were so addicting I didn’t order a single thing the rest of the night. Over the years of making these at home, this is as close as I’ve ever come to matching what I first tasted more than a decade ago.

Pasta Chips:

You will need:

1 pound short pasta, like farfalle, rigatoni or rotini
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2-3 cups vegetable or canola oil for frying

Cook the pasta according to package directions (not all brands are the same cooking times!), and add 1 teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon olive oil to the pasta water when boiling. You want your pasta just a touch past al dente or your pasta chips will be too firm.

While the pasta is cooking, crush together the remaining salt, the oregano, basil, red pepper flakes, thyme, rosemary and garlic powder either with a mortar and pestle or in a small bowl using either a flat-bottomed cocktail muddler or the back of a large spoon.

Once the pasta is done, drain and rinse with cold water immediately and then toss with the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Yes, I can hear what you’re saying, “Rinse off pasta? But the starches and the stuff and those things need to stick to your pasta and Alton Brown and what? ” You don’t need to worry about that nonsense. You’re about to fry the pasta and you don’t want your pasta sticking together when it goes in the hopper.

In a large skillet or cast iron pan (or a deep fryer if that’s your thing), heat the oil to 375º over medium heat. Working in batches, add about a cup of pasta at a time and fry until golden, giving it a good turn or stir with a fry basket as it cooks to prevent it from sticking together.

Once golden, remove from oil and drain on clean paper towels and toss with a small amount of the seasoning mixture. Repeat until all of the pasta has been toasted and toss the whole batch with any remaining seasoning.

Can be made a day or two ahead of serving.

You might also like: Dips and Spreads, Maple Sage Sweet Potato Chips, Cheddar Herb Chips.

Google Voice number available for emergency recipe questions and texts (323) 963-4756, 9 AM PT – 10 PM PT, Saturday and Sundays.

Updated on the Football Foodies Pick’Em Leagues, Sean of Sean’s Ramblings is leading the NFL pool, with Josh and Phil right behind him, while over in the CFB pool is a dead heat [...]]]>

Updated on the Football Foodies Pick’Em Leagues, Sean of Sean’s Ramblings is leading the NFL pool, with Josh and Phil right behind him, while over in the CFB pool is a dead heat between Planet 10 (Sorry Ivan, I don’t know your Twitter handle!) and perennial powerhouse Rob.

And not that anyone cares about my fantasy season, but across all leagues, I’m having the worst start to my fantasy sports career. I blame too much time spent on baseball this year and Jermichael Finley.

Bacon Chile Cheese Spinach Scrambled Eggs on Avocado and English Muffin Breakfast Sandwiches

A good, hearty breakfast sandwich serves two purposes, it gives you a good base of carbs and protein to start your day of yelling and screaming and it also helps eliminate any hangover you might have from either Friday or Saturday night to make sure you can actually spend a day yelling and screaming.

Creamy eggs, chewy English muffins, the mellow heat from the hatch chiles cooled by the creamy avocado, the hint of salty bacon and cheese with fresh spinach, these sandwiches are easily made for morning games at home or if you like, you can make the egg patties the night before and reheat in the morning in the oven or the microwave. And while I’ve never tried it, Dan over at The Sporkful told me he makes his egg patties the night before and heats them up on the grill for bagel sandwiches at Giants tailgates, so I’m sure his method works fine.

When making your breakfast sandwiches, you can put in whatever you like, but be sure none of the additions to your eggs are too watery, nor should you add too much of any item. You still need eggs to be the dominate ingredient to hold the patties together. Depending on what you prefer, you can make these patties either in the oven with a muffin pan or on a stove top with egg rings. If I’m only making a few sandwiches, egg rings are fine but if I’m making more than that the muffin pan is a much, much faster and easier method.

Hatch chiles are in season right now so they’re the preferred chile for this sandwich, but if you’re unable to get hatch chiles canned green chiles work fine.

You will need:

6 slices of thick cut bacon (approximately 6 ounces)
2-3 cups baby spinach leaves
8 large eggs
2 tablespoons milk
1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (divided)
3/4 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper (divided)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 roasted hatch chile, diced (about 1/4 cup or so, or one 4 ounce can roasted chiles, drained)
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2 avocados
9-12 English Muffins, depending on cooking method

Lightly oiled muffin pan for baking eggs in the oven or lightly oiled egg rings for cooking the eggs on the stove top.

Butter and/or olive oil if baking on a stove top with egg rings.

If baking in the oven, preheat oven to 350º.

Either by baking in the oven at 350º for 10-15 minutes (you can even cheat to save time and put the bacon while the oven heats without issue) or by frying on the stove top, cook the bacon until crispy. Drain off grease and coarsely chop or crumble.

While the bacon is cooking, wilt the spinach in a large dry skillet over medium heat, turning often as not to stick to the pan. Once wilted, cook for a couple of more minutes to release most of the water from the spinach leaves. Remove from heat and place on couple of clean paper towels to squeeze out the remaining moisture. Once drained, roughly chop the spinach and set aside.

In a large bowl or over-sized 4-cup measuring cup, wisk together the milk, eggs, cumin and 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper until thoroughly scrambled.

Pour the egg mixture into the muffin cups until each cup is just about halfway full. (I usually fill about nine or ten cups for thicker egg patties, but you can stretch it to twelve no problem.)

Evenly add in a small sprinkle of the cheese, chiles, bacon and spinach into the muffin cups. Give each egg cup a small stir with a fork.

Bake in a 350º oven for 15-20 minutes, until a knife put into the center of an egg cup comes out clean.

If using egg rings, heat a small amount of butter and olive oil in a large skillet. Put in the egg rings and fill halfway with eggs mixture and then add a small sprinkle of cheese, chiles, bacon and spinach. Cook until firm and then remove the egg rings, flip the egg patty and heat for a couple more minutes. Repeat until you have about 9-12 egg patties.

While the eggs are baking, lightly toast the English muffins either in a toaster or by putting open face on a cookie sheet and toasting in the oven for a few minutes.

Once the egg patties are done, smash together the two avocados with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper.

Spread a small amount of the avocado on half of an English muffin, add the egg patty and the top with the other half of the muffin.

Serve immediately.

Note: The egg patties can be made the night before, refrigerated and reheated in the oven at low heat, the microwave, or on a grill when ready to serve.

Just looking at this picture I’m dying for early morning football. Too bad it’s only Wednesday afternoon.

You might also like: The Complete Collection of Football Foodie West Coast Brunch.

Google Voice number available for emergency recipe questions and texts (323) 963-4756, 9 AM PT – 10 PM PT, Saturday and Sundays.

Last spring I had a little spreadsheet exercise for football fans, how much would you save if there was an NFL lockout? Our household total came in at [...]]]>

Last spring I had a little spreadsheet exercise for football fans, how much would you save if there was an NFL lockout? Our household total came in at about $3,700, which is probably in the middle-high end of the fan spending spectrum while still well shy of the amount fans who buy season tickets or travel to multiple games would have saved if the NFL lockout had come to fruition.

Looking back on the spreadsheet and our bank statements from last year, my estimate was low by a couple of hundred bucks, all in the entertaining and going out to watch games lines, which even I acknowledged I low-balled at the time. Still, the estimated amount was within the ballpark of actual expenditures, so the exercise had some merit.

As summer rolled along and the NHL and the NHLPA barreled down the road towards a lockout, I kept thinking about my little savings document. I never doubted that the 2012-2013 NHL season would start under a lockout, but I couldn’t bring myself to update the spreadsheet for potential hockey savings until this week, partially due to laziness, partially because of feelings of,  “Welp, there you go. Oh well.” Because sadly, during a lockout (or a strike for that matter) that’s all you can do. It doesn’t matter if you support the players or the owners or if you get mad about revenue your city is losing by not having games in the arenas you subsidize, you cannot control this particular aspect of the business.

What you can do is decide what you’re going to do with the money you’re going to save without hockey.

Again, I didn’t include items like a new TV which are often included in fan spending on this spreadsheet, mostly because I view electronics as a whole home purchase. This time I did include our Sirius/XM subscription because we do use it for mostly for hockey while on road trips and while commuting home from work during the season, but I prorated the amount because I also listen to that crazy pet guy on the Martha Stewart Channel and Cinemagical online. I also added a line for extended cable channels, as NBC Sports and the NHL Network are additional tiers on our DirecTV subscription at a cost of about $20 a month over the basic offerings and of course, they’re on two separate tiers. Of course they are. According to my Canadian friend, it’s a similar setup up north for purchasing the various TSN channels aside of the Canadian Centre Ice.

We already save some by not buying the Center Ice package, since our favorite team usually drops the puck back east while we’re still working at four o’clock Pacific, but we also go out for more games during the playoffs, so those numbers are probably a wash. And unlike going to Steeler games where we have to spend a couple of days going to Phoenix, Dallas, San Diego or Northern California, we’re usually able to head to one or two Pens games a season at Staples Center or down at the Pond in Anaheim, cutting down costs on hotel rooms and related travel costs.

Our savings with an NHL lockout? $1,880, and I think that number is soft. I lowered the bar bill amounts under protest from my husband. (I sign the bar tabs, they’re higher.)

I asked a friend who is a season ticket holder what he thought his savings would be with a lockout and he pegged it in the $4000-$4500 range, while another friend in Midwest who travels to one or two games a year said he’d probably save about $600-$700.

Nic from PSAMP is a part of a rather large and legendary Penguins group that takes over Foley’s in New York City every season and when I asked him about his possible savings without hockey, he sent me this detailed breakdown:

Here’s just for the Foley’s crowd:

We normally do 3 or so meetups a month October through January. More like once a week Feb-March. April is about 2 meetups of regular season since it ends early in the month. That averages to about 22 meetups a year. A normal game consists of getting a bucket of beer (15 bucks, 5 Yuenglings) and something to eat (I enjoy the Juicy Lucy burger and fries, roughly 11 bucks) and tip. I tip well there because I know the waitresses and the bartenders and owner. For a 26 dollar bill I’ll tip to make it 40 even. So 54% tip. 40 bucks X 22 meetups is 880 bucks a regular season.

Playoffs: We meet at Foley’s for every game. In the past 5 years of running this group, the Pens have made the Finals twice (4 rounds each year, 8 total), 2nd round once (2 rounds) and 1st round twice (2 rounds total). 12 rounds in 5 years averages to 2.4 rounds a year. They’ve played 70 games in 5 years, so the average is 14 games played per playoff appearance. They’ve averaged 22 games the 2 years they went to the Finals in a row. If the Pens make an average playoff run, it’ll be another 560 bucks. Should they make the Finals, that doubles the regular season to another 880 bucks. I’m not counting in victory shots or any other drinks that may be ordered should there be an elongated overtime or anything.

Subway is 2.25 per trip, 4.50 round trip. 162 bucks for regular season and an average playoff run. 198 bucks for a Finals push.

We also organize a few trips to Long Island or Jersey to catch the Pens. Pittsburgh plays away at both 3 times a year. If we organize 2 trips to each place a season, that’ll be roughly 30 bucks for a seat (depending on the crowd we bring and the deal we can get on seats with the ticket reps at each place, 30 bucks seems pretty middle of the road). Say maybe a beer per period (we’ll keep estimates low) at 8 bucks a beer (again, low estimate) and that’s 54 bucks a game. Again, this is low estimate. Seats can be upwards of 45 bucks in the upper tier if we’re getting a group together. And if people wanna drink more, that’s their money. Getting back and forth will either be Long Island Railroad to the Islanders or New Jersey Transit or PATH train to Newark. PATH is 5 bucks round trip. Jersey Transit is probably closer to 10 bucks round trip from New York Penn Station to Newark Penn Station. LIRR is similar to NJ Transit, so we;ll say another 20 bucks on travel per season, aka 55 bucks per game, 128 bucks for 2 games at one location, 256 bucks for 2 games at both NJ and NYI.

That’s $2214 to watch a handful of games a month at a bar and 4 games in the metro area, if the Pens make a Finals push. $1858 if it’s an average playoff run.

And this isn’t figuring in beer and all at home.

That’s a fair chunk of change for someone that’s not a season ticket holder.

So how much will you save?

Select “Click to edit” and the tab for “Lockout Savings Blank Template” to enter your own spending habits. Use the average amount you spend on any one item and enter the number of times a season you spend that amount. I’ve also posted our spreadsheet data as a guide to follow if you need it.

Don’t worry, I cannot see what you enter and none of this data is being saved anywhere. But please, feel free to say in the comments what your total savings came out to be and what you might do with your newly found money this fall if there is a lockout.

Let me know if you think there should be any additional lines added, and I throw it in the calculations.

Therapy for Leafs fans is probably covered under the Canadian health care system so I left that part off the sheet, but maybe someone has a suggestion for anger management classes for Flyer fans or for Instagram access costs for Kings followers.

Message to RSS Readers: Looks like the spreadsheet doesn’t go through the reader. Sorry about that! Click through and join the fun!

Related: How much would you save with an NFL lockout?

Few things can match a nice, thick cut corned beef sandwich while having a beer and watching, well, anything. I’ve made this for just sitting around watching movies and it made the whole experience better. Baffled by the end of PROMETHEUS? [...]]]>

Few things can match a nice, thick cut corned beef sandwich while having a beer and watching, well, anything. I’ve made this for just sitting around watching movies and it made the whole experience better. Baffled by the end of PROMETHEUS? The extra kick of pepper in this sandwich will forgive the awkward triple-ending. Vikings-Colts? Nothing but a little tender meat candied in molasses, mustard, brown sugar and ginger can’t fix, and hey, Andrew Luck pretty okay when not being let down by his offensive line. Dolphins-Raiders? Lord Hard Knocks help you, you’re definitely going to need this sandwich on Sunday (and probably a Mason jar full of Everclear).

You can buy a whole corned beef brisket from most delicatessens or grocery store meat counters, but call ahead first and make sure they have one that’s been brining in their meat locker for at least a couple of days before heading to the market to make your purchase.

Candied Corned Beef Sandwiches

You will need:

4 – 4 1/2 pounds corned beef brisket
1 tablespoon mustard seeds
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1/2 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
3-4 bay leaves, depending on size

1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
3 teaspoons molasses
1 teaspoon mustard powder
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

Rye bread, prepared horseradish and mustard for serving.

Rinse the brine off the corned beef brisket and put in a large pot with the mustard seeds, coriander seeds, peppercorns and bay leaves. Why rinse off the brine? You want your own fresh seasoning going into the pot.

Fill the pot with water until the corned beef is completely covered by water by at least an inch or two of water. Cover the pot and bring to a low boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 3 – 3 1/2 hours, or until a fork can easily be pushed into the thickest part of the meat without resistance. During this time, keep a close eye on family members, friends and pets. They’re going to be tempted to lift off the lid and steal a piece of delicious smelling meat. Whack their hands with a wooden spoon like you’re Tracy Porter on defense, that is if Tracy Porter was allowed to carry around a wooden spoon and wasn’t a no-good Bronco AND I HATE YOU DENVER TWO GAMES IN A ROW LOSING TO YOU ON NATIONAL TELEVISION OKAY MAYBE NOT SINCE I WAS BORN AT ROSE MEMORIAL HOSPITAL DOWNTOWN SO I GUESS YOU’RE OKAY FOR EVERYTHING ELSE EXCEPT FOOTBALL, DENVER.

Remove the corned beef from the pot and place on either a lined baking sheet or a shallow glass roasting dish. Let rest while you prepare the marinade and preheat the oven to 350º.

Combine the brown sugar, soy sauce, molasses, mustard powder, ground ginger and ground pepper in a small bowl. Baste the entire piece of corned beef in the marinade and then roast for 15-20 minutes.

Remove from oven and allow to rest for 15-20 minutes before slicing. Again, Tracy Porter, wooden spoon: you.

Cutting against the grain of the meat, slice to desired thickness and serve on rye bread with horseradish and mustard.

I like this cut of meat made at home cut thick, but if you want a thinner slice, cool the meat and then wrap tightly in plastic and rest in the refrigerator before cutting. I’ve found this makes easier cutting when trying to go deli-thin.

Warm out of the oven though? Just delightful. The sharp mustard and ginger counterbalanced by the candied sugar and molasses, it’s easy to just eat it plain without any sort of dressing on the meat.

You might also like: Hot Pastrami Reuben Dip

Google Voice number available for emergency recipe questions and texts (323) 963-4756, 9 AM PT – 10 PM PT, Saturday and Sundays.

Previous guests on The Sporkful podcast have include such luminaries as Rachel Maddow and Jesse Thorn, so of course I was overjoyed when Dan asked me to be on the [...]]]>

Previous guests on The Sporkful podcast have include such luminaries as Rachel Maddow and Jesse Thorn, so of course I was overjoyed when Dan asked me to be on the show to talk tailgating.

From The Sporkful:

This is a big show to coincide with a big event — the start of football season. I interview tailgaters in the parking lot of Giants (a.k.a. MetLife) Stadium before the first NFL game of the season, and I’m joined by a star-studded cast, including the reclusive Mrs. Sporkful, my mom, Brendan McDonald from WTF with Marc Maron, food blogger Sarah Sprague, pastry chef Emily Vail, and Zach Rude, executive chef at The Hideaway in Ocean Beach, Fire Island. /dan

Go listen now on the site, on Libsyn, or iTunes!

Every year I think to myself, “Self, how many different iterations of Buffalo chicken-X can there be? Surely you and the rest of the world of run out of ways to make Buffalo chicken? There are

Every year I think to myself, “Self, how many different iterations of Buffalo chicken-X can there be? Surely you and the rest of the world of run out of ways to make Buffalo chicken? There are dips, there are wontons, there are pierogies, there are wraps. Sure, you have at least a dozen other hot-sauce-chicken-and-blue-cheese combinations still on the idea list, but do people still really want new ways to enjoy spicy chicken during football?”

Then I have to say back to myself, “Self, of course people still want other ways to make spicy chicken and cool dressing together! Buffalo chicken and football go together like Captain and Tennille, baseball and PEDs, Tony Romo and interceptions and Kevin Olgetree. The combination is timeless! Now why not post a recipe that combines buffalo chicken and a pasta salad so fans can have their favorite football food as a hearty pasta salad. Something with the spicy goodness, the pasta helping spread the blue cheese across the palate, the crunch of the celery and carrots rounding out the dish. Something you can make ahead of time and not worry about wing bones falling under your sofa.” 

“Okay, self. You’re right. But after we post this recipe we should work on this weekend’s menu. It’s already Thursday. The email reminding us to make our CFB picks has already arrived in the inbox.”

“Sure. We going to keep doing this bit?”

“No, this should be it.”

“Whatever you say, you’re the boss. A rather smart and witty boss at that.”

“Why thank you. You’re looking rather well today self, if I don’t mind saying so myself.”

“Thought we were stopping this bit?”

“Right.”

“How do we get out of this? It’s starting to be a tad embarrassing.”

“Hm, well we don’t use the page break any more, so how about a nice ‘YOU WILL NEED’ line here.”

“Perfectly smart, self.”

YOU WILL NEED:

Dressing:
1/2 cup mayo
1/2 cup sour cream
6 ounces blue cheese
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp white wine vinegar

Combine ingredients for the dressing in a small bowl and refrigerate, allowing the flavors open up for at least 1-2 hours before assembling the pasta salad.

Now, you can use a thick pre-made dressing such as Marzetti’s Chunky Blue Cheese if you are pressed for time, but I recommend against it if at all possible. Homemade blue cheese dressing — really all salad dressing –  just tastes better and has fewer additives than manufactured dressing.  It’s so easy to make, you’ll wonder why you didn’t start making your own sooner.

The dressing above is also a a little thicker than normal dressing by design as not to make the pasta salad too runny or just generally gloppy.

2-2.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, oven roasted or sauteed (5 cups chopped after cooking)
kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
2-3 tablespoons butter
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2-3/4 cup hot sauce, Frank’s Original or preferred hot sauce
pinch of ground cayenne pepper for extra hot chicken (optional)

Season the chicken with dash of salt and pepper, lightly coat with olive oil and then cook either in a 350º oven for 20-25 minutes or saute on the stove top with a small bit more of olive oil over medium high heat, 4-5 minutes a side. Allow the meat to cool slightly and then chop.

In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat and saute the garlic for a minute or two. Toss in the chicken to coat and then mix in the hot sauce.

Drain any excess hot sauce mixture from the chicken and chill while making the pasta.

1 pound short pasta such as farfalla or rigatoni
olive oil and salt

Cook the pasta al dente with salted water dash of olive oil as per package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water, shaking out all the excess water as thoroughly as possible.

1 cup diced celery, about three stalks
1 cup thinly sliced carrots, about two medium-sized carrots
1 cup scallions chopped plus a small handful for garnish, about 3-4 scallions.

In a very large bowl, toss together the pasta, dressing, celery, carrots and scallions. Fold in the hot sauced chicken.

Garnish with remaining scallions. Serve immediately or refrigerate for later.

Tip: Sometimes pasta salads or potato salads dry out a small bit when left in the fridge for more than 24 hours. Stir in a tablespoon or so of sour cream to add back moisture and return to desired consistency.

Serves 6-8

Still time to join the Football Foodies annual NFL pick’em league. You’ve only missed one game!

You might also like: Orzo Pasta Salad, Buffalo Chicken Dip Buffalo Chicken Wontons, Blue Cheese Pierogies with Buffalo Sauce, Shredded Buffalo Chicken Wraps, Buffalo Chicken Meatballs.

Google Voice number available for emergency recipe questions and texts (323) 963-4756, 9 AM PT – 10 PM PT, Saturday and Sundays.

A big thanks to Holly Anderson over at SI’s Campus Union for asking me to be a part of a massive tailgating article featuring such luminaries as the Southern Living Living Test Kitchen Director Rebecca Gordan [...]]]>

A big thanks to Holly Anderson over at SI’s Campus Union for asking me to be a part of a massive tailgating article featuring such luminaries as the Southern Living Living Test Kitchen Director Rebecca Gordan and the legendary ‘Fesser of the Gurgling Cod.

Topics close to my heart as proper refrigeration on the road, how to roast a whole pig, and of course, Bacon Cheddar Doughnut Holes.

Go check it out: Special Topics In Football Food: Campus Union.

Over the summer I put out the call for baked bean recipes from readers suitable for tailgates or a feeding a living room full of football fans this fall, much like we did for the Super Bowl [...]]]>

Over the summer I put out the call for baked bean recipes from readers suitable for tailgates or a feeding a living room full of football fans this fall, much like we did for the Super Bowl Guacamole Extravaganza last season. Instead of overwhelming everyone with bean recipes all at once, we’ll run BEANS! as an occasional series through the regular season.

The first in our 2012 BEANS! feature is this wonderfully thick, bean-forward recipe for Frijoles Borrachos (Drunken Beans) from Haverly. With pinto beans, garlic, onions, salt, bacon, tomato, beer and a little time, you get a hearty side that compliments grilled and barbecued items perfectly. Set these beans out with warm tortillas, sauteed vegetables, seasoned rice, pico de gallo, and some guacamole and you’ve got yourself a burrito bar. Like most bean recipes, this dish reheats beautifully so if you want to make them the night before a tailgate you can, just be sure to put the pot on the side of the grill with low heat and not the side of the grill you’ve got set to MEGA FLAMES for hot dogs in twenty seconds or less.

Take it away, Haverly!

Longtime fan of the Football Foodie – been following you since the early Deadspin days. I dream of the Buffalo Chicken Dip!

This recipe is the one that my Dad always used – my Mom’s family is Mexican and my parents met in San Antonio so by cooking with my maternal grandma, my Dad learned how to make beans, tortillas, tamales, you name it! Luckily he was able to pass this stuff down to us.

The recipe I have is labeled Perk Up Your Pots, March 26, 1979 – no idea if this is a book or an event, but I’ve got a number of great Mexican recipes on these pages. I love these beans plain with some homemade tortillas, but have also added the steps for Frijoles Borrachos as well in case you’re feeling adventurous!

PINTO BEANS
1 pound washed, dried pinto beans
1 clove garlic, or 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

Place beans in a pot of cold water; the water should cover the beans by 3 or 4 inches. On highest heat, bring beans to a boil and let boil for 30 minutes. Remove from heat, cover and let stand for 30 minutes. Add garlic, return to medium heat, cook until soft and tender. Add more water as needed, but towards the end of cooking time, add small amounts so the final bean broth is not watery.

*** cooking time 4-5 hours (HED note: I usually find 3-4 to be sufficient)

If desired, salt to taste the final 30-60 minutes.  May also add a whole, peeled onion at this time for flavoring.

FRIJOLES BORRACHOS

Cook desired quantity of pinto beans.

1-2 strips of bacon, fry until crisp
chopped onion, saute in bacon
chopped tomato, saute in bacon
1/2 can of beer
4 sprigs silantro [sic], chopped

Fry bacon until crisp. Saute onions and tomatoes, then add to beans. Add beer and silantro. Cook until beans are seasoned with other ingredients, 30-60 minutes, medium heat.

Hope you enjoy!

Haverly
@IAMHED

Of course wanting to be as thorough as possible, I had a couple of questions for Haverly:

So just to be clear, you leave the bacon in the pan when you add the onions and tomatoes, or do you take out the bacon saute the vegetables in the fat and then add the bacon back in? (I know it’s a silly question, but I want to be sure I make it correctly.)

And do you add the whole onion for flavoring to the beans when making the pintos or do you skip that step?

Her prompt response:

I would take the bacon out after it’s crisp and cook the onions and tomato just in the fat. Then you can crumble the bacon and add it all into the beans together. That’s how we normally do it, though it’s not specified in the recipe.

As for the onion – I always add it, but am not a fan of the onion breaking up after the 4 hours of cooking. A good way to prevent that is to stick a bunch of toothpicks through it before you add it in. It will keep it’s shape and then you can just take it out and toss it when you’re done.

Can’t wait to hear what you think!

Well, I liked the idea of flavoring the beans with onion twice, but couldn’t bear to toss out the first onion. Solution? I diced the first onion so fine that by time we were ready to make our pinto beans into drunken beans, the onion had completely cooked down and disappeared into the thick bean broth.

My cooking time for the pinto beans ended up being much shorter than both the original recipe and the hour or so less Haverly indicated she uses. I even skipped the 30 minute resting time all together because my beans were already so soft. (Variations in cooking times with pinto and black beans are usually attributed to age of the beans, elevation and even how hard the water used for cooking is in your area.) With the dried beans I had, my pinto bean preparation time went like this:

• Bring the water and the beans to a boil over high heat in a large covered pot and then reduce heat simmer for 30 minutes.
• Uncover and add one finely diced onion.
• Simmer for 30 minutes more uncovered.
• Add 1 teaspoon kosher salt and simmer for 30 more minutes

Again, if your beans are pretty soft after the first boil and simmer, feel free to skip the 30 minutes of resting the beans.

Turning the pinto beans into frijoles borrachos couldn’t have been easier.

• Dice two slices of bacon and then fry until crispy.
• Remove the bacon to drain and then saute a diced heirloom tomato and a diced onion in the rendered bacon fat for about 10-15 minutes.
• Put the pot of pinto beans back on low heat and add the cooked bacon, tomato, onion, chopped cilantro and 6 ounces (3/4 cup) beer. I used Pacifico worked great, the pilsner style beer not overpowering the beans a bit.
• Simmer for 30 minutes.
• I wanted an even thicker bean, halfway between a refried bean and regular bean so I cooked these another 30 minutes at the lowest possible heat, but that’s a personal preference.

Top with a little cotija or Monterey Jack cheese and a sprig of cilantro for garnish and serve.

Thick with just a hint of meaty body from the bacon, the beer providing just a touch of sharpness along with the tomatoes and the onion providing the depth. The real star is — as it should be — the pinto beans.

Couldn’t think of a better way to kickoff BEANS! this year. Thanks, Haverly!

Still time to join the Football Foodies annual NFL pick’em league.

You might also like: Smoky Cowboy Caviar.

Google Voice number available for emergency recipe questions and texts (323) 963-4756, 9 AM PT – 10 PM PT, Saturday and Sundays.

First college games in the books (hooray triple overtime games that went to nearly 3 AM on the East Coast!), last of the NFL preseason games finished (so sad for Steelers Sean Spence, what a great rookie prospect, now [...]]]>

First college games in the books (hooray triple overtime games that went to nearly 3 AM on the East Coast!), last of the NFL preseason games finished (so sad for Steelers Sean Spence, what a great rookie prospect, now gone for the season), and a the long holiday weekend that marks the end of summer and the start of fall. The calendar may be ready to move towards the pro season, but the NFL certainly isn’t.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the NFL and the National Football League Referee Association are meeting today for the first time in a month  — a month! — for discussions on the current lockout. Of course the left-leaning cynic in me cannot help but chuckle at the idea of a lockout and contract negotiations going on over a Labor Day weekend, but sadly, here we are with replacement officials that are woefully unprepared for the first weekend of play. It’s not even winning or losing or a blown play that’s going to be the issue come next week, it’s the possibility of player injury by game mismanagement. Players play as close to the line of a penalty as they can now, what happens when the game is played full speed with all starters and battle-tested referees aren’t there to draw the line? When in a panic of inexperience, they don’t call something out of fear of being wrong and the line moves further back?

Today, league commissioner Roger Goodell sent a letter to the fans about bounties and player safety without mentioning the replacement referees. Tell me again Rog how you’re truly worried about the health of the league that is about what is on the field, and not about what is in the bank account.

Cointreau Grilled Pound Cake with Strawberry Sauce

There have only been a couple of desserts ever posted on the Football Foodie, Maker’s Mark Manhattan Mini Cupcakes and Chocolate-Peanut Butter Pretzel Cookies, not because we don’t like sweets (we do!), but because we so very rarely make them for football. However, after a week of grilling recipes, we’d be remiss not to include one of our favorite, easiest, fastest desserts you can toss over the fire, pound cake brushed with liqueur and topped with a fruit-liqueur sauce. Even if you’re tailgating, this is an easy dessert you can do before the game, just make the strawberry sauce the night before and chill before heading out.

You will need:

1 pound strawberries, cleaned, hulled and coarsely chopped
1/2 cup sugar
1 ounce Cointreau or preferred triple sec

1 loaf pound cake, sliced into 6-8 pieces
1-2 ounces Cointreau or preferred triple sec

whipped cream
Zest from 1/2 orange for garnish, (optional, but highly recommended)

Since dessert is generally at the end of the grilling day, your coals should have a nice medium-low heat to them which is perfect for the cake slices. If heating a grill or using a stove top grill, heat to medium low when ready to prepare the cake slices, after you’ve made the strawberry sauce.

In medium sauce pan, bring the strawberries, sugar and Contreau to a low boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat.

While the sauce is simmering, brush both sides of the pound cake slices with Cointreau.

Once the sauce is done, grill the slices of pound cake for 2-5 minutes a side, depending on how hot your grill is running. The cake should take on a nice brown crust without charring.

Spoon the strawberry sauce over the cake slices and top with whipped cream and orange zest.

Sweet strawberries soak beautifully into the toasted bread, the liqueur adding just enough orange without being overly sweet. Great for when you’ve got some time before the night game and you don’t want something too heavy to weigh you down.

Serves 6-8

Still time to join the Football Foodies annual CFB and NFL pick’em leagues.

You might also like: Chips, Dips and Spreads and the Super Bowl Guacamole Extravaganza.

Google Voice number available for emergency recipe questions and texts (323) 963-4756, 9 AM PT – 10 PM PT, Saturday and Sundays.

College football kicks off tonight, which means our crazier friends are crazier than usual getting ready for the start of their football season. While there is a lot of overlap between college and pro fans, they are [...]]]>

College football kicks off tonight, which means our crazier friends are crazier than usual getting ready for the start of their football season. While there is a lot of overlap between college and pro fans, they are on the whole, different breeds of fanatics. Of course they are of the same football code and one group is not any better or worse than the other, but mannerisms — the shibboleth — are what make the two groups different, although I would like to think we’re the same on situational bourbon.

Unless our dog previously belonged to a USC or a UCLA household before we adopted her, no one in our home comes from a big college football family (judging by how much our Spaniel hates game days, she might of come from a UCLA family), so college ball is experienced with the freedom of being able to switch who you’re rooting for mid-week or even mid-game based on what we’re watching. It’s pretty relaxing, actually.

So enjoy your kickoff, college fans. We’re rooting for you, because it means our kickoffs is almost here.

Roasted Jalapeno Avocado Dip

Over the past seven or eight months this has become one of my favorite dips for vegetables and chips. The mellow heat from the roasted jalapenos tempered by the smooth avocado and sour cream with added texture from the shallots. If you’re one of those anti-mayonnaise folks, then this is a great dip for you as the avocado provides the body normally found in dips with mayo. Mayonnaise fan? Let’s just say this dip tastes just a little bit brighter and lighter. It also makes for a great spread on burgers and grilled tri-tip sandwiches.

You will need:

2-3 jalapenos, depending on size and heat desired
1/2 tsp olive oil
2 cups (16 ounces) sour cream
1 med-large or two small avocados
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons shallots, finely diced (About one shallot)
1-2 tablespoons scallions for garnish

Remove the stem and seeds from the jalapenos and slice into strips.

Coat with a small bit of olive oil and roast in a small piece of aluminum foil packet at 350º for 30 minutes or on a medium-hot grill for about 20 minutes.  Roast until the pepper strips are soft.

In a blender or food processor, combine the avocado, jalapenos and garlic. Add in sour cream and salt and blend until smooth and then fold in by hand the minced shallots.

Top with scallions and serve.

Serves 8-10.

Still time to join the Football Foodies annual CFB and NFL pick’em leagues.

You might also like: Chips, Dips and Spreads and the Super Bowl Guacamole Extravaganza.

Google Voice number available for emergency recipe questions and texts (323) 963-4756, 9 AM PT – 10 PM PT, Saturday and Sundays.

Long time Football Foodie readers know I’m a big proponent of recipes that can be prepped ahead of time for game day. Game days mean worrying about fantasy football settings, yelling at pregame shows, setting up tailgates and maybe watching a [...]]]>

Long time Football Foodie readers know I’m a big proponent of recipes that can be prepped ahead of time for game day. Game days mean worrying about fantasy football settings, yelling at pregame shows, setting up tailgates and maybe watching a little Premier League if you’re feeling cosmopolitan. An easy but complex tasting marinade that can readied the night or the morning before football? These Special Chicken Skewers fit the bill perfectly.

The name “special chicken” came from an old boyfriend of mine who would request a variation of “special chicken” for special dinners, and years later when he first met now-husband, my ex-boyfriend asked him, “Does she make you special chicken? It’s the best.” (We’re all friendly enough that he’s stayed at our place when he’s in Los Angeles, so don’t read into that exchange too much. ) The title just stuck from there.

The base of this recipe’s marinade came from an old 1970s copy of the Colorado Cache Cook book my mom picked up from the Junior League of Denver back from when my family lived in the Rockies. I’ve adapted and tweeted it many, many times over the years to get the flavor to be a near-perfect marinade, and to where the main lasting similarities between the two recipes are they have butter and lemon notes and go on chicken. But that’s how we learn anything. Players learn the passing tree before learning combos. Cords before cord progressions. Get the basics and the rest becomes easy. Adapt this recipe in different ways and you have a marinate for roasted bone-in chicken, add cumin and reduce the oregano and it’s chicken for quesadillas, play with how much chili powder and cayenne for different amounts of heat.

Keys to making these skewers extra special? Fresh lemon, crushing the oregano to release the flavor and letting the meat marinade off the stick before grilling. When I see people put dry meat on skewers and kabobs then brushing the marinade on I’m always shocked. All that surface area of meat not being flavored? Why? WHY?!??! You are missing pockets of goodness in there! It’s okay if you get your hands dirty putting marinade-soaked meats on sticks, you can wash them clean! Just say no to brushing on marinade.

Special Chicken Skewers

You will need:

2 1/2 – 3 pounds of boneless chicken, cut into 1-2 inch pieces, preferably a mix of thigh and breast meat or all thigh meat
8 tablespoons of butter (1 stick), melted
juice of three good sized lemons, strained (approximately 8-9 tablespoons of lemon juice)
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon dried oregano, measured and then crushed into a fine powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne (optional)
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste (about 1/2-1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper)

Metal skewers or wood skewers soaked in water for at least an hour

Place the chicken pieces in a large bowl or in a glass roasting dish. Why large anything? So you can get an even amount of marinade on everything.

Mix together the butter, lemon juice, paprika, garlic powder, chili powder, ground cayenne, salt and pepper. Pour over the chicken and toss until the meat is completely coated. Don’t worry if your butter starts to firm up again as it hits the cold chicken pieces. As long as you get your hands in it and really toss everything around, the lemon will do its job and get everything deep into the meat.

Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least two to three hours, up to overnight.

When ready to cook, heat the grill to medium high with even coal or gas distribution.

While the grill is heating, thread the chicken on the skewers, discarding the extra marinade. If using a mix of white and dark meat, try to alternate the pieces so the fat of the dark meat can help keep the white meat moist while grilling.

Grill for about 2-4 minutes a side, rotating the skewers a quarter turn each time. The meat should feel firm to the touch when done.

Let the chicken skewers rest for a couple of minutes and serve.

As you can see, I didn’t do a great job soaking my sticks in water before grilling but they held up well enough this time and one skewer hit too much of a hot spot, but overall this came out to be a great batch of Special Chicken. I used the full amount of cayenne for heat, the dark meat and butter kept the chicken from being dry, the taste of smoky paprika enhanced by the flame and the garlic. Great football food.

Still time to join the Football Foodies annual CFB and NFL pick’em leagues.

You might also like: Coffee & Pepper Glazed Drumsticks, Ancho and Guajillo Chile Chicken Enchilada Dip and Chicken Yakitori.

Google Voice number available for emergency recipe questions and texts (323) 963-4756, 9 AM PT – 10 PM PT, Saturday and Sundays.

Over the summer I had a chance to have sandwiches with Pete from On Sandwiches and Progressive Boink, and we spoke briefly about recipes I post for the Football Foodie. Somehow we fell into the [...]]]>

Over the summer I had a chance to have sandwiches with Pete from On Sandwiches and Progressive Boink, and we spoke briefly about recipes I post for the Football Foodie. Somehow we fell into the topic of berverages and football and I had to concede that over the years drinks had become a rather underserved part of the series, mostly because football to most fans generally means beer and soda. Coincidentally, about the same time I discussed football cocktails with Pete, I started staring at the blood oranges and tangerines at the market wondering how you could do a variation of a margarita in a punch form without destroying your liver because I was looking for something that could help take the heat off while watching baseball. But don’t worry, through my exhaustive preseason testing I’ve determined this punch will work for football too.

Tangerine Tequila Punch

Obviously, this is a very strong drink. Wait until after you’ve made your fantasy moves for the week to have a glass of this punch or you might attempt to start Deion Sanders at place kicker, get upset that Yahoo(!) won’t let you start Deion Sanders at place kicker, yell at your monitor for a few minutes, passive-aggressively sub-Tweet at both Yahoo(!) and your league commissioner that it’s complete garbage you cannot start Deion Sanders at place kicker and why did you play $50 to play in a league run by fascists, try to pull the tiny Deion Sanders DirecTV spokesperson-fairy out of your television and after that fails, start Billy Cundiff.

At wide receiver.

Tangerines are typically sweeter than oranges and their juice makes for a smoother, less acidic bite than other citrus juices. Adding a touch of Cointreau adds a touch of dryness that helps sharpen the punch while the lime gives just a enough tart for the drink to feel refreshing, great for the inevitable September heat wave.

You can buy tangerine juice at many markets, but this punch tastes best when made from fresh tangerines.

You will need:

1 1/2 cups tangerine juice, strained (2 1/2 pounds of tangerines yields approximately 1 1/2 cup juice)
1/4 cup lime juice, strained (1 very large lime or 2 medium limes)
1 1/2 cup tequila, preferably reposado tequila but a blanco is fine
1/4 cup Cointreau or preferred triple sec brand
1/4 cup simple syrup
2 cups ice, plus more for serving
Lime slices for serving

In a pitcher or punch bowl with ice, mix together tangerine juice, lime juice, tequila, Cointreau and simple syrup.
Serve over ice with thin lime slices.

Notes:

To make juicing easier, firmly rolls the tangerines and limes against the counter before cutting open to soften up their pulpy innards.

Simple syrup is made by gently boiling together equal parts sugar and water until the sugar dissolves. Cool to at least room temperature before using.

Still time to join the Football Foodies annual pick’em leagues.

You might also like: Drinks, Cocktails and Shots.

Google Voice number available for emergency recipe questions and texts (323) 963-4756, 9 AM PT – 10 PM PT, Saturday and Sundays.

Six seasons!

Hard to believe this is about to be the sixth season of the Football Foodie series, but here we are kicking off the 2012 CFB and NFL schedule with our most ambitious schedule of recipes yet. More dips, roasts, [...]]]>

Six seasons!

Hard to believe this is about to be the sixth season of the Football Foodie series, but here we are kicking off the 2012 CFB and NFL schedule with our most ambitious schedule of recipes yet. More dips, roasts, slow-cooked, grilled, fried, tossed, marinated and iced snacks than ever before. According to my handy little Evernote tracking list, there are 27 Football Foodie recipes that have survived multiple testing and are ready to go, 14 still in beta (including one I’ve been trying to nail down for three years now), and 159 recipes still in the idea stage. That’s a lot of snacks to cover in the next five months.

Few changes this season. I’m going to eliminate the step-by-step photo directions for most recipes and only post them for when technique is of importance or for recipes that call for a certain level of completeness before the final stages. I’ve tried get rid of them in seasons past — most notably in a few season four videos that ended up being too much work for just one person with a long galley kitchen with unfavorable camera setups, but it’s going to stick this year. I’m running out of Casey Hampton jokes to make between frying photos and I would like to believe that between six years of reading the Football Foodie and the general explosion of online food writing since 2007, you guys know what you’re doing by now in the kitchen.  The upside is less time spent going through thousands of process photos should mean more time posting recipes.

I’m also going to make our Google Voice number, (323) 963-4756, available on the weekends starting from 9 AM Pacific Time until 10 PM for people to call for snack-making emergencies in response to the cooks who sometimes cannot get us via email, site comments or Twitter in a timely manner. Text support is available at that number at any time. Think of it as the President Bartlett calling the Butterball hotline storyline on the “West Wing”, but for hummus and fried pickles. However unlike Butterball, I make no guarantees on my level of sobriety during calls.

A few years ago, there was a little bit of dabbling with Flickr for readers to upload their photos of recipes made from this site. I’d like to bring back the shared tailgating and living room-gating (nope, still not giving up on that phrase catching on) photos, but this time include all food spreads no matter their origin. People have all sorts of good tailgating ideas out there and I like seeing them, like this Steelers 7th Heaven, 7-Layer Dip a reader sent in couple of years ago. I’ll collect everyone’s photos from email, Flickr, Facebook, Instagram, Twitpic or Lockerzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz and put them together for a weekly roundup, just tag everything with #FootballFoodie and we should be all set.

And finally, the site is going through a bit of a redesign, so please bear with me while I get the place in shape over the next couple of weeks. Hoping to improve load time and fix a few other small bugs that have been bothering me for a bit.

Anything else? Nope? Have you signed up for the annual Football Foodie pick’em pools for fun and prizes? Yes?

Then time for the annual lecture about football and food.

The preseason. Supposedly “meaningless” games spent trying to impress the coaches, shaking the rust off of the joints, and players doing their goddamn best not to get hurt.

Well do you think you, the football fan, are any different? Are you ready for at least one – if not two – days spent entirely on your sofa? After a summer’s harvest of nothing but the freshest fruits and vegetables are you ready to settle in and allow yourself the unhealthy snack foods that are best enjoyed with copious amounts of booze and yelling? Can you whip-up something besides the number for Domino’s, (GOD HELP ME DO NOT TELL ME YOU ORDER DOMINO’S), that will feed you and your crew?

I doubt it.

If you go into September without at least one or two practice runs, you’re going to find yourself sad and lonely with just your box of Bugles and six-pack of Natty Light come kick-off.

Can’t lie, a few of the times I’ve re-posted this snippet, the idea of a box of Bugles doesn’t sound all that bad. Do Bugles still even come in boxes?

The 2012 Football Foodie Kickoff: Grilled Brussel Sprout Kabobs with Bacon Lardons

Last week, friend of the program Rob Iracane requested we start off the season with some recipes for the grill, so we’re going with what has become one of my favorite sides, grilled brussel sprout kabobs with bacon lardons. Brussel sprouts are no stranger to the Football Foodie menu, and these charred little cabbage-like buds take on a wonderful nutty favor over the flame which is accented further by the rich lardons marinating beside them on the sticks.

And as always, at least you can say you had a vegetable at some point during your football watching day.

You will need:

2- 2 1/2 pound brussel sprouts, even in size, cleaned with any loose outer leaves removed
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus a generous pinch more for steaming the Brussels sprouts
1/3 – 1/2 pound bacon lardons
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Metal skewers or bamboo skewers that have been soaked in water for at least 30 minutes.

In a large pot with a steaming basket or a pasta strainer insert, boil just about 1 inch of water with a dash of salt and add the brussel sprouts and cover. Steam for five minutes. (If you’re already pretty good about steaming your Brussels sprouts in the microwave, go for it. I just never get good results when I try to zap anything.)

Once steamed, remove the brussel sprouts from pot and allow to cool for handling.

Put the bacon lardons into the freezer for a few minutes to firm up a bit for easier slicing, and then cut into 1/2 – 1 inch pieces.

Alternating lardon pieces and brussel sprouts, thread the skewers.

Mix the salt and pepper into the olive oil. Brush on skewers.

Grill over medium heat for about three to five minutes a side, depending on how hot your coals are running. Don’t worry if any of the sprouts seem a little too toasted, the char is where some of the best taste is on the kabob.

Serves 6-8 as a side, 3-4 as a main course.

The meaty, fatty richness from the lardons seep into the brussel sprouts as they render over the heat of the coals. Plain old olive oil, salt and pepper bring out both the sweet and the slight tang of the sprouts without overpowering their natural brightness. Together they make for a great accompaniment to any game day grill.

Update: A reader on Twitter criticized the lack of capitalization for brussels sprouts, so here is the explanation. As part of Football Foodie improvements during the summer, I spent some time reading a couple of cookbook style guides and of course, they had conflicting information on proper usage. One said Brussels sprouts and another said brussels sprout, and yet again another one pointed out that most people actually just say “brussel sprout” when speaking. We no longer capitalize cheddar when discussing cheese unless it comes from Cheddar, and we don’t capitalize champagne unless it’s from the specific region in France with specific grapes. These sprouts didn’t come from Belgium, so I don’t feel bad about not capitalizing the word and I think we can all agree, “brussels sprouts kabobs” has a terrible rhythmic meter.

If anything, someone should be upset I said “bacon lardons” since it’s redundant, but often used to explain to Americans what a lardon is and honestly bacon is just good SEO.

You might also like: Roasted Dill Brussel Sprouts.

Google Voice number available for emergency recipe questions and texts (323) 963-4756, 9 AM PT – 10 PM PT, Saturday and Sundays.

Time to start the annual Football Foodie Pick’em Leagues!

A league so popular and competitive, I’ve had at least two people tell me the only reason they were anxious for this season to start is they could have a shot at [...]]]>

Time to start the annual Football Foodie Pick’em Leagues!

A league so popular and competitive, I’ve had at least two people tell me the only reason they were anxious for this season to start is they could have a shot at taking down the always tough Rob in Wisconsin.  (Although don’t sleep on previous winners Pretty Girls and Waffles, Studley and Catherine. All four of them pick better than most analysts.)

Never been a part of Football Foodie Pick’em? The deets:

The pools!

Straight-up pick’em, no spread or confidence points and all games will count. As always, smack talk is not only allowed, it’s encouraged.

Football Foodie College Pick’Em Pool: League ID #11779, Password: pizzaloaf (all lower case letters)

I know this is a bit of a rush for the CFB league, but you have until Friday night for the one game played then and until Saturday for the rest of the Week 1 slate since we’re using the standard “Games Yahoo Editors Find Interesting” setting.

Football Foodie NFL Pick’Em Pool: League ID #34065. Password: pizzaloaf (all lower case letters)

Yahoo’s NFL pick’em leagues allow you to run the pool through the playoffs, which is a right swell development in my book. Everyone seemed to have fun picking through the Super Bowl last season, so we’re going to do it again this year. (Also I’m hoping that the pool will come right down to the wire and the Super Bowl picks will determine the winner. Extra tension for all!)

The prizes!

Previous winners have won $50 Amazon gift cards or chef’s coats featuring their favorite teams. I’d like to say I’ve got a better idea for this year’s prizes, but as of this moment I don’t so let’s say those are the prizes and if something cooler comes up, I’ll let everyone know. (Not that a gift card isn’t anything to sneeze at.)

The Football Foodies!

The reason why we are all here. Recipes will start going up this week to kick off sixth (!!!) season of the Football Foodie. Hint? I’d make sure you have a bottle of Cointreau around this season.

UPDATE 8/30 -

Hey guys,

It was just pointed out to me that the spread had accidentally been set in this league.

The league as been switched back to straight picks.

Sorry about the confusion and inconvenience if you need to go back and change any of your picks.

sarah

While it’s been a quiet off-season here on the site, Football Foodie Industries has actually been quite busy lately saving the Pro Bowl, having our heart broken by reckless Pens team, staring at the Pirates standings, testing out

While it’s been a quiet off-season here on the site, Football Foodie Industries has actually been quite busy lately saving the Pro Bowl, having our heart broken by reckless Pens team, staring at the Pirates standings, testing out recipes for a new project and getting the prep work out of the way for the 2012-2013 football season. And since we’re less than a 100 days away from actual football, I figured it was about time to get everyone thinking about their upcoming tailgates, barbecues, Fourth of July parties, beach cookouts, or even just having some decent snacks for the All-Star Game.

I had so much fun last season with all the submissions for the Super Bowl Guacamole Extravaganza, before it was even over I knew wanted to put out another call for recipes again this year.

This time, the recipes amount to a hill of beans.

I myself love making Cuban-style black beans since they’re easy and delicious, but I also make decent smoky pinto beans in the slow-cooker and a pretty mean red beans and rice, but I am sure there are better recipes out there because most bean aficionados have very strong opinions on what they do with their legumes. Do you start with canned beans or dried beans? Put a couple of ham hocks in your beans? Some seared tri-tip? No meat or fat at all? Vegetable stock? Chicken stock? Barbecue sauce? Bay leaf? Cinnamon? Liquid smoke? Cumin? Crushed red pepper? Cayenne? Absolutely everything in your spice cabinet including the almond extract mostly because you feel like you need to use up that bottle of almond extract?

Do you use a slow-cooker or a big dutch oven over the grill? Stockpot? Do you cook your beans one day and then reheat them the next day for maximum taste? Tell us how you make your beans!

Just like the last call for recipes, be sure to include the reasons why you love your beans. If it is an adaption of another recipe, be sure to include a link or a reference. Do you also have a sports or food blog? Feel free to post your recipe over there and send me a link, and I’ll include those recipes too.

Email your favorite bean recipe to sarah@sarahsprague.com and over the next couple of months I’ll make a batch of each submission to post when we get closer to the football season kickoff.

We have all summer, so let’s say the deadline for recipes is oh, August 16. Not that you should wait that long if you have a recipe now, but if say some new person stumbles on this post in late-July and they have the most amazing bean concoction ever, they shouldn’t be left out.

Questions? Concerns? As always, feel free leave them in the comments.

To meatbags with disposable income:

Now that another remarkable NFL season has concluded, let me express my gratitude on behalf of all 32 NFL teams for your incredible support. Record numbers of you watched at home, made your way to the stadium, [...]]]>

 To NFL Fans:

To meatbags with disposable income:

Now that another remarkable NFL season has concluded, let me express my gratitude on behalf of all 32 NFL teams for your incredible support. Record numbers of you watched at home, made your way to the stadium, and connected with the NFL in numerous other ways during the 2011 season. Your love of football is what makes the NFL special.

Remarkable in the fact that we didn’t think there would be a season last summer, but the crafty NFLPA had more money than we thought they did to survive a lockout. We’re grateful consumers chose to forget about our embarrassing labor incident and came back to us and our advertisers. As they say, love is blind (especially when cities dependent on tax revenue are held hostage by billionaire owners attempting to become trillionaire owners).

We are proud of the quality of the game today. From the individuals and team skills on display in every game to the record-breaking achievements of future Hall of Famers, the 2011 season was extraordinary on many levels.

Most of these records were set by kickers David Akers, Stephen Gostkowski, Sebastian Janikowski and quarterbacks Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, Cam Newton and Eli Manning, all of whom will surely will be inducted into the Hall of Fame by the simple fact that none of them are named Cris Carter.

It finished up with some of the most exciting playoff games of recent years leading to a tense, drama-filled Super Bowl between the Giants and Patriots that was the most-watched show in the history of television. What a tribute to our players, coaches, and fans!

Reaching from the depths of your plush couch to grab the remote with your doughy hands, pushing down with your never-seen-a-day-of-manual-labor-thumb and turning on your television is the most amazing tribute our highly-conditioned athletes could ever wish for if they could remember what they wished for.

As good as it’s been, I believe the NFL’s best days are ahead.

In London.

Our responsibility in leading the league is to protect and enhance the bond between our game and the passionate fans who sustain it. We know we have to earn your trust every day and prove we are worthy of your amazing support.

Which is why you can only get the NFL SundayTicket on DirecTV, why the NFL Network beefing up its 2012 schedule to include 13 games despite not being carried by some of the largest cable operators in the United States, and why we enforce Draconian blackout rules. We’re protecting the league by not letting you see the league.

Our commitment to improve everything we do is ongoing. We are not done yet. From the game on the field to the fan experience at home — and everything in between — there are ways we can do even better. We owe it to you, the fans, to believe in better and strive for more. Our game has always evolved and that will continue. I encourage you to visit our new web site – NFL.com/evolution – to explore how the game has improved over the past century.

Teddy Roosevelt does not approve of this ad.

There are more good changes to come.

Until there is a provision that calls for full-time professional referees, we’re going to have to disagree on the definition of “more good” change.

Our mission is captured very simply in these four words:
Forever forward. Forever football. Thank you once again for your passion and commitment to the game we all love.

Unless it’s a lateral.

Roger Goodell

“Lord Rog”