Football Food !!

well, the menu got juggled a bit...never got around to making the brownies, everyone was way too full ! And I really need to start taking blog pictures with my real camera instead of the crackberry....but for now, this will do.  

Here's what we ended up with :

Italian Paninis
Buffalo Wings
Onion Rings
Frijoles Borrachos
Pepperjack Cornbread

Not really a recipe for the Paninis - your basic Italian :). Ciabatta roll layered with a little olive spread, prosciotto, capicola, sopresata, mortadella, provolone, hot peppers and lettuce. Should have grabbed a pic - delicious !

Wings and rings are two of Mark's specialties...

Buffalo Wings

1/4 cup margarine, melted. (You have to use margarine; otherwise it doesn't coat the wings right)
1/2 cup Texas Pete hot sauce
few generous shakes of Chipotle Tabasco
large package of chicken wings

Deep fries the wings - 12 minutes at 375 in the deep fryer - then toss with the sauce. Serve with blue cheese dressing and plenty of beer...

Onion Rings

For these, he basically slices up onions into thin rings and soaks them in buttermilk for a half hour. Drain, shake in a bag with flour, then deep fry....375 again; they take about four minutes. Sprinkle with salt as soon as you take them out of the deep fryer.

Oh, and Mark says always use canola oil in your deep fryer.

Frijoles Borrachos.

This recipe is mine...sort of evolved, from a bunch of different recipes and a lot of trial and error. Frijoles are beans, and "borracho" is drunken - and yes, these involve beer.

1 16 oz package of dry pinto beans

1 package double smoked bacon (12 oz ? )
1 medium sized onion (diced)
2 cloves of garlic (chopped)
12oz (1 can or bottle) beer
2 cups chicken stock
1 - 2 chipotles, toasted and diced, stems and seeds removed
1 tablespoon dried cilantro
Cumin (optional)
Salt to taste

Soak beans overnight OR use “quick soak” method on bag
Saute bacon in pan until somewhat crispy
Saute onion and garlic in bacon fat until translucent
Combine beans, bacon, onion and garlic, and rest of ingredients except salt in crockpot, and stir well. Add more liquid if needed to cover beans.
Cook on high one hour, then on low for 5 – 6 hours or until tender. Check occasionally and add more liquid if it goes below top of beans.
Salt to taste

Pepperjack Cornbread

Yes, Southern folks, I know "real" cornbread doesn't involve sugar....but I'm a Yankee, and I need a little in there. This one definitely is not as sweet as most - really hardly at all - and the pepperjack cheese is just awesome in it, though this bread is good without it too. Light, moist, and delicious. The buttermilk is really key, as the slight acidity reacts with the baking powder to create the lightness. If you don't have any but really want cornbread (though not quite as spectacular), put two tablespoons white vinegar in a one cup measuring cup, fill the rest of the cup with milk, and let sit at room temperature for 10 minutes. Or you can sub half sour cream/plain yogurt and half milk.

1 1/4 cups flour
3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup vegetable/canola oil
1 egg, beaten
about a half pound block of pepperjack cheese, cut into largeish cubes

Heat oven to 400, and grease a 9 inch square pan. Mix dry ingredients, then stir in wet ones and combine just until moist. Add cheese last..spread in pan. Bake 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick stuck in the non-cheesy parts comes out clean. Serve warm.

Oh, and most important....Pats won. GO PATS !!

NFL !!!

Oh, and you know there's food going down...Italian Cold Cut Panninis, Mark's Buffalo Wings, Frijoles Borrachos, Pecan Brownies...



Sent from my BlackBerry wireless device.

Goodbye Earl

well, Earl himself was a bit of a dud...few leaves down in my yard but that was it. Had lots of fun waiting for him though...what else is a self-respecting foodie to do but to hunker down....and chow down ? And what better way to welcome a hurricane...but Hurricanes ? Mark was in charge of those, opening oysters, and crab cakes (Paula Deen's recipe is great)...my contribution was my grandmother's clam fritters, and my own quickie Cajun Remoulade.

recipes follow the pictures....

Hurricanes !

mmm oysters...

crab cakes cooking away

clam fritters with Cajun Remoulade

The Recipes :

Hurricane

2 oz light rum
2 oz dark rum
2 oz passion fruit juice
1 oz orange juice
1/2 oz fresh lime juice
1 tbsp simple syrup
1 tbsp grenadine

Shake all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice and strain into a hurricane glass. Garnish with a cherry and an orange slice


Mark's Basic Cocktail Sauce :
(all measurements very approximate)
 
2 T horseradish
2 T ketchup
2 t lemon juice
dash of chipotle Tabasco to taste (we like a lot :) )

Mix together and serve

Karen’s Quickie Cajun Remoulade
(this is good on all sorts of things...last night it went with the clam fritters and the crab cakes)

2 minced scallions
1 ½ cups Hellmans
¼ cup ketchup
1 T prepared mustard
1 t garlic powder
1 t celery salt
½ t chipotle powder
½ t Tabasco
2 minced white anchovies

 Mix well....good to let sit about 15 minutes or so for the flavors to meld 
 
Clam Fritters 
(I'm still trying to perfect this one to come out like Grammy's...this is pretty close though ! ) 
 
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
dash of salt
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup milk
2 cups chopped clams (save the liquid) 
 
Mix together flour, baking powder, soda, and salt. Combine with egg and milk. Mix in clams and enough of their liquid to make fritter batter....should be somewhat stiff, but you should still be able to drop it off a spoon. Fry in hot oil in a skillet, turning once, until nice and brown on both sides.
 
Paula Deen's Crab Cakes

1 pound crabmeat, picked free of shells
1/3 cup crushed Ritz crackers 
3 green onions (green and white parts), finely chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped bell pepper
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 egg
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
Dash cayenne pepper

Flour, for dusting

1/2 cup oil

In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients, except for the flour and oil. Shape into patties and dust with flour.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When oil is hot, carefully place crab cakes, in batches, in pan and fry until browned, about 4 to 5 minutes. Carefully flip crab cakes and fry on other side until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Serve warm.