SBNation.com: All Posts by Sarah Sprague

Taste Of The NFL: Giving Hunger The Boot At Super Bowl XLV

2011-02-06T15:35:24Z

Like everything else about Super Bowl XLV, the word most associated with year's Taste of the NFL party is "big." Biggest venue. Biggest turnout. Biggest stack of a thousand-plus champagne classes. Biggest fund-raising goal they've had to date, aiming to raise at least a million dollars for food banks around the Dallas-Ft. Worth area and across the country with this year's event.

Celebrating its 20th anniversary, this year's Taste of the NFL featured 32 chefs and players from around the nation's NFL cities, plus eight additional local chefs from the recent Taste of North Texas event along with nine returning "inaugural chefs and athletes " from the first Taste, including culinary stars Nancy Silverton and Todd English and the Broncos Floyd Little.

(I couldn't help but ask Los Angeles' beloved Silverton, the powerhouse behind Campanile, LaBrea Bakery and Osteria Mozza, what she thought about the idea of football returning to LA. "I'm not a football fan, but it would be great for the city. I'd love to have someone to root for at these things, " she replied.)

The sold-out Ft. Worth Convention Center played host to 3,500 guests who paid at least $500 to $600 a ticket. It's an even mix of fans incredibly excited to sample all the smoked duck and sweet potato risotto they could get their hands on and fans going from station to station with special Taste of the NFL helmets and footballs sold at the event just to spend just a few minutes with Hall of Famers Steve Largent and Jack Youngblood. More than a few people were heard saying to various players over handshakes, "I cannot wait to tell my dad I met you."

Regional flavors -- albeit much dressier and more upscale than what you typically find at a tailgate -- may have been the theme, but being in Ft. Worth meant many chefs gravitated to barbecue and Tex-Mex influences to show off their skills with a grill. As former Eagle Jerry Sisemore noted about the cherry wood smoked brisket being served by his partner chef Jack McDavid from Philadelphia's Jack's Firehouse, "I didn't think anyone from Virginia could make brisket this good."

When asked who was going to win the Super Bowl, Sisemore joked, "Pittsburgh's won enough for awhile. I'm a Packer fan. I've got a real good friend who's a die-hard Packer fan, so it will be fun to scream my head off with her. But it usually works out be the opposite of what I say."

Both the Packers and the Steelers team booths were positioned side-by-side in a showdown; chef Sanford D'Amato's spiced Wisconsin cranberry broth with crispy walnut cranberry turnover and maple cream versus chef Anthony Zallo's gnocchi with exotic mushrooms, gorgonzola and toasted walnuts.

Cranberries? Isn't Wisconsin the land of the Cheesehead?

"Wisconsin produces more cranberries than any other state," the James Beard award-winning chef D'Amato answered proudly.

Chefs not only volunteer their time at the event, but they donate much of the food that is served -- supplemented by food provided by sponsors -- to help keep fundraiser's cost lean, and rely on the dozens of local volunteer culinary students to help with both the week of prep work and day-of assistance. Chef Zallo, not to be outdone in the affable department, spoke energetically about his roots starting in the Italian kitchen of Pittsburgh's Tambellini's and how his mother helped him make a lot of the gnocchi he was serving at the Taste of the NFL party. His and his mother's dish was only rivaled by the endless line of Steelers fans waiting to talk to two time Super Bowl winner Andy Russell. Zallo eyed the line and the silent auction bidding, "Our team raised the most money with the signed helmet last year."

Texas being Texas and Dallas fans being Dallas fans, lines quickly formed for both host chef Kent Rathburn's chipotle cured pork shoulder tacos with charred corn pico de gallo relish and tomatillo lime salsa (leaving out even just one ingredient in the description seemed wrong) and for his partner, former Cowboys defensive tackle Chad Hennings. Walking around not only the Taste of the NFL but all of the Metroplex area, one would think the Cowboys were playing tomorrow with the amount of love all the fans are showing their team. It may be Green Bay and Pittsburgh's day on Sunday, but the rest of the week belongs to native Texans, even if they had to ask "How you eat a pierogi?" when faced with Tribeca Grill chef Stephen Lewandowski's braised beef pierogies with horseradish sour cream.

Guests from New York and Philadelphia heaped praise upon Oakland Raiders representative chef Josh Thomsen's short ribs and Atlanta Falcons chef Kevin Rathbun's (brother of Dallas chef Kent Rathburn) rosemary grilled cover steak. Dessert, as always, went fast at Minnesota's chef Lynne Hackman's booth.

A couple of hours in and the party hit the wall usually seen at weddings when guests struggle to find room for cake. A lull in sampling saw people spending more time in the silent auction area bidding on vacations to Africa, private golf lessons with former Cowboys players and various team memorabilia, plus items from artists and musicians. Perhaps a sign of the age, bidding on a signed Justin Bieber photo outpaced the Elvis memento up for auction beside it. A group of very serious looking fans hovered closely around the auction for seats in the lower 100s section for Sunday's game, discussing with some concern how this had been the toughest Super Bowl to get tickets for right before the game, a sentiment heard throughout the night for those still looking for seats. Newly crowned Miss America Teresa Scanlan wandered through the crowd, displaying a diamond necklace guests could win along with a pair of Super Bowl tickets by buying a $100 raffle ticket from the dozen or so Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader Alumnae walking the floor.

Around 10 p.m. guests started to drift towards the stage for country music star Martina McBride's concert to close out the night, just as New York Jets representative chef Shin Tsujimura of the world famous Nobu ran out of food, as did many other popular booths.

As his station wound down, Oakland Raiders Super Bowl XI team member and 16-year participant in the Taste of the NFL Pete Banaszak had a chance to reflect. "Give credit to the mayor and the people of Ft. Worth, this is one of the best venues we've had. The people are very cordial. It's been a great twenty year anniversary."

Why do you keep returning to this party?

"It's something to give back. We didn't make the money the players make today, all the guys that are in the room tonight. But one thing we do, we know how to give back. It's the best party of the Super Bowl, because it has a purpose," Banaszak said.

When asked who he was rooting for, Banaszak was quick with this answer. "Green Bay. Because I grew up on a farm 50 miles north of Green Bay. I can change my allegiances for one day to root for Green Bay."

Sarah writes about sports, food and Los Angeles at sarahsprague.com.

Super Bowl Recipes: Team Jelly Shots, Texas Rose Punch And Virgin Texas Rose Punch

2011-02-05T15:44:22Z

Signature drinks are a tricky challenge when planning a Super Bowl party. Cities like Green Bay and Pittsburgh are known more for their preferences for say, an Imp and n' Iron -- a shot of Imperial Whiskey and an Iron City Beer-- than they are a regional martini or punch. (Unless you know of a good way to rim a cocktail glass with fresh,
squeaky cheese curds. And if you do have such a recipe, I've got just two words for you: Call. Me.)

That doesn't mean you cannot have some fun and are stuck just serving beer and soda. Colorful team jelly shots, a strong punch and special drink for the party's designated drivers turn any given Sunday into any given Sunday you might get more than just a little tipsy.

The simple rule of jelly shots is that you want to keep the amount of liquids, either all alcohol or a mix of alcohol and water, equal to the amount of water you would use in making plain Jello. So 3 ounces of Jello are mixed with 1 cup of hot water, cooled and then mixed with either 1 cup of spirits or 1/2 cup of chilled spirits and 1/2 cup of cold water, so on and so on. Keep in mind the stronger you make a jelly shot, the less they taste like anything and the more they taste like straight booze. For the most part, I prefer to make my jellies on the weaker side as they're supposed to be fun, not something that returns you to Spring Break in Cabo, circa 2002: The Foam Party.

Flavored Jello is used in each one of these shots, as experiments with colored spirits and unflavored, clear gelatin were not successful in the lab. No one wants grey and sea foam green jellies.

Steelers Black and Yellow Jelly Shots (Cherry Lemonade Shots)

If you don't have easy access to Blavod, use plain vodka with 1 full teaspoon of black food coloring. (Although I do recommend seeking it out as it also makes a nice layered shot when poured on top of lemoncello.) Using citrus vodka instead of plain vodka in the yellow layer gives the jelly shot give the jelly just a little more bite and more of a lemonade taste.

6 ounces of Lemon Jello, divided (Either two 3 ounce packages or one 6 ounce package carefully divided.)
3 ounces of Black Cherry Jello
1 cup of citrus vodka, chilled
1/2 cup Blavod vodka, chilled
A few drops of black food coloring
3 cups hot water
1 1/2 cups cold water

Yellow layers:

Heat 1 cup of water until boiling and then mix in 3 ounces of Lemon Jello. Stir until dissolved and then cool for a few minutes. Mix in 1/2 cup chilled citrus vodka and 1/2 cup cold water or any combination of two liquids equal 1 cup total depending how strong you want to make the jelly shot. Pour into an 9x9 or 7x11 glass pan or individual cups in equal measures.

Chill until well set, at least an hour or two. Some people recommend chilling for only 45 minutes, but I've always found that when pouring on the next layer, you almost always melt the middle of the layer and ruin whatever effect you are going for in a colorful presentation.

Black layer:

Heat 1 cup of water until boiling and then mix in 3 ounces of Black Cherry Jello and a few drops of black food coloring. Stir until dissolved and then cool for a few minutes. Mix in 1/2 cup chilled Blavod vodka and 1/2 cup cold water or any combination of two liquids equal 1 cup total depending how strong you want to make the jelly shot.

Carefully pour the black layer over the yellow, moving the pan around as you pour so as not to have all the heat hit one spot and melt the layer below.

Put back into the refrigerator for a couple of more hours and repeat the process with the next yellow layer. Set for 4 to 6 hours. Cut into squares and serve either in cups or on a chilled platter.

Packers Green And Yellow Jelly Shots (Midori Sour Shots)

Use a full cup of Midori in each of the lime layers for a true Midori Sour. Midori has a lower alcohol content, so don't worry about the shots being too strong.

6 ounces of Lime Jello, divided (Either two 3 ounce packages or one 6 ounce package carefully divided.)
3 ounces of Lemon Jello
2 cups Midori
1 cup sweet and sour mix
1/2 cup vodka
2 cups hot water
1/2 cup cold water

Green layers:

Heat one cup water until boiling and then mix in 3 ounces of Lime Jello. Stir until the gelatin completely dissolves and cool for a few minutes. Mix in one cup of Midori. Pour into an 9x9 or 7x11 glass pan or individual cups in equal measures.

Chill until well set, at least an hour or two. (Again, you want to make sure it's set enough that when you pour on the next layer, the base layer doesn't melt.)

Yellow layer:

Heat one sweet and sour mix until boiling and immediately remove from heat so as not to caramelize the sugars. Add in 3 ounces of Lemon Jello and stir until the gelatin completely dissolves. Cool for a few minutes. Mix in 1/2 cup chilled vodka and 1/2 cup cold water or any combination of two liquids equal 1 cup total depending how strong you want to make the jelly shot.

Carefully pour the yellow layer over the green layer, moving the pan around as you pour so as not to have all the heat hit one spot and melt the layer below.

Put back into the refrigerator for a couple of more hours and repeat the process with next green layer. Set for 4 to 6 hours. Cut into squares and serve either in cups or on a chilled platter.

Texas Rose Punch

Whiskey Magazine's Texas Rose cocktail is easily turned into a refreshing punch, combining the smokiness of bourbon, bubbly sparking prosecco, orange juice and a touch of cherry liqueur.

In a large pitcher combine:

2 cups (16 ounces) orange juice
1 cup bourbon
1-2 ounces cherry liqueur
2 oranges, washed, sliced and frozen

Pour in:

1 bottle prosecco

Gently stir and serve. The frozen oranges help keep the punch cold without diluting the taste with ice. If possible, use the largest ice cube molds you can find -- the trend in giant ice cubes for scotch or bourbon are perfect for punch.

Virgin Texas Rose Punch

An even more sparkly version of the Texas Rose, without the alcohol for those who abstain from drinking and the kids at your party.

2 liters ginger ale
1 liter sparking blood orange soda
1-2 ounces grenadine

2 orages, washed sliced and frozen

Gently stir together in a a large pitcher and serve. The frozen oranges help keep the punch cold without diluting the taste.

Sarah writes about sports, food and Los Angeles at sarahsprague.com.

Super Bowl Recipes: Oven-Baked Mini-Chicken Burritos

2011-02-01T13:29:05Z

Game day with our friends means feeding between four and 40 football fans, so I always look for Super Bowl recipes that are easily adjusted for crowd size, can be either made entirely ahead of time or at least prepped beforehand, will stand up to a hungry stomach after a few beers and, most importantly, are simple enough to serve and to eat without the food distracting from even just one second of the game. If you have to look down while noshing and risk missing Aaron Rodgers being sacked by James Harrison for a 15-yard loss or, conversely, a toss to Greg Jennings for a 23-yard gain on third down, then it's not a snack to be served during football. It is with good reason that guacamole and pizza are popular during the Super Bowl while escargot and Baked Alaska are not. Who wants to mess with snail tongs when you have perfectly good hands and are trying to hold on to your margarita with one of them?

I've long contended that throwing a great Super Bowl party is up there with hosting a Thanksgiving dinner and should be treated in a similar manner, a belief backed up by a survey to be released on Wednesday by The Hollywood Reporter and the marketing research firm Penn Schoen Berlandis. Their online survey found that in American males between the ages of 13 to 64, men look forward to the Super Bowl more than any other day of the year except for Christmas. More than their birthday, more than their anniversary and more than Thanksgiving, while a whopping 68 percent of American women plan on watching the Super Bowl. So spend some time early this week planning out your full Super Bowl menu and you'll have a party just as good -- if not better -- than any catered luxury suite in the stadium. One or two main dishes, two or three sides, a couple of snacking items and a dessert and you'll have a buffet that will carry your party through all five hours of coverage.

One of the easiest and usually best-received main dishes we've made around here for the Super Bowl are Oven Baked Mini-Chicken Burritos. They're crunchy like a chimichanga without all the hassle of deep frying. Meaty, cheesy and, best of all, can be made a head of time and baked when you want them.

You will need:

- 2 to 3 cups of cooked, shredded chicken. You can either buy a whole roasted chicken at the deli and shred all the meat off the bird, or roast about a pound and a half of boneless chicken -- dark meat, white meat or a mix of both, it doesn't matter -- in a 325º oven for about 30-40 minutes until completely cooked.
- 1 can black beans, drained
- 1 to 1 1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
- 3-4 roasted red peppers, about half of a 16 ounce jar, drained and chopped
- 1/2 yellow or white onion, chopped
- 1 cup salsa verde
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper, to taste
- 1 egg white
- 30-40 fajita sized flour tortillas
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or melted butter
- Salsa, sour cream, guacamole, cilantro and chips for serving.

In either a large bowl or in the pan used to roast the chicken, combine the shredded chicken, black beans, Monterey Jack cheese, roasted red pepper, onions, spices, salt and pepper. Toss well to ensure even seasoning.

In a dry skillet, heat the tortillas for a few seconds on each side so they're easier to fold into a burrito and so they get extra crunchy when baked.

Spoon a teaspoon or so of the salsa verde in a line down the center of the warmed tortilla and then layer a couple of tablespoons of the chicken, cheese and bean mixture on top of the salsa. Brush the edges of the tortilla with egg white to help "glue" your burrito closed, fold over the sides and then seal down both ends to form a small envelope of goodness. Set on a lined baking sheet and keep going until you run out of filling. You should get about 30 to 40 mini-burritos out of a batch, depending on how full you fill each one.

You can either bake these right away, refrigerate for 24 hours or freeze for up to a week ahead of time. When ready to serve, position the rack in the top third of the oven -- you don't want to burn the bottom of your burritos -- and preheat to 400 degrees. Brush each burrito with vegetable oil or melted butter and bake until golden brown and puffy, about 15 to 20 minutes for fresh burritos and 25 to 35 minutes for frozen, depending on how hot your oven runs.

Serve with tortilla chips, salsa, sour cream, cilantro and guacamole.

Sarah writes about sports, food and Los Angeles at sarahsprague.com.