Saturday, February 11, 2023

Super Bowl time – it’s the dippiest

 HALLIE EPHRON: Tomorrow is Super Bowl Sunday and I confess, I will be with friends “watching” the game. In quotes because mostly I’ll be eating and yakking, noticing every once in a while when the actual football fans in the room stand up and shout. Or groan. And then I tune in long enough to notice how much time is left in the quarter.


My favorite part of the game is the last thirty seconds which usually goes on for about an hour.

My favorite thing about SBS is the food.

My friend Patty Joe makes pigs in a blanket – starting with homemade bread dough and Lit’l Smokies. They are irresistible and I cannot imagine making them. She is a Super Bowl super chef.


Then someone has brought onion dip. I could finish off an entire bowl of onion dip, especially if the chips with them are kettle cooked. But I restrain myself. The recipe’s on the package of Lipton dried onion soup mix. There are two ingredients: dried onion soup mix and sour cream. And it’s as delicious as it was when you were eight years old.

If I’m asked to bring and I can find ripe avocados, I make guacamole. Juice from half a lime mixed with a mashed avocado, mix in some minced onion and cilantro, a dash of hot sauce and salt to taste. Multiply depending on how many guests and serve with taco chips that are not too salty.



Or a cream cheese salsa that couldn’t be easier: Combine a jar of really good salsa (Green Mountain Gringo medium spicy is my pick) with a container of whipped cream cheese (Temp Tee brand, please).

If I’m pressed, I can bring the world’s simplest meatballs. My mother-in-law's recipe: Simmer 1.5” balls of hamburger meat in a large can of Hunts tomato sauce – NOT a fancy Italian sauce. Mix in vinegar and brown sugar (to taste). Period.

What I cannot make are really good chicken wings though I can put away a platter of them all by my lonesome. And a good homemade blue cheese dip/dressing is surprisingly elusive, too.

What’s on the table (or are you hiding under it) on Super Bowl Sunday?

42 comments:

  1. We have [gasp!] no plans to watch the Super Bowl nor, I confess, to make any particular snack foods to munch on . . . but I have a decent recipe for chicken wings and the makings for pimento cheese are always in my refrigerator, so I'd be okay if I had to come up with something to munch on . . . .

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  2. No football here, ever since the facts about CTE started coming out. But if I were watching, especially with friends, I might bring Flo's teriyaki chicken wings. Flo was the Japanese grandmother of a friend in Seattle, and they are SO good. Sometimes for appetizer parties I'll make a layered dip with cream cheese, refried beans, salsa, and cheese, heated lightly.

    Have fun, Hallie! In the ads, the "guy from Boston" in the Sam Adams commercials grew up in Amesbury and is the son of friends here.

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  3. It's football, right? I may be folding laundry that day.

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  4. I really miss having all those appetizers in one place. (Sigh.) We used to go to Superbowl parties. I have recipes for such delicious dips and snacks, soups and chili, my favorite parts of a meal. I have all kinds of things here to make them but just for two people...maybe I 'll make one thing, a Hot Cheezy Artichoke Dip. I don't really watch the game, but the ads can be fun.

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  5. Hot artichoke dip for the win! We'll enjoy Puppy Bowl at 2pm and catch part of the game.

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  6. I'm making a banana pudding (supposed to be from Magnolia bakery in NYC.) I go for the ads!

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  7. I never catch the Super Bowl, but in the days when I did - it was for the commercials! Hallie, I have a super recipe for baked Buffalo chicken wings. It was from a Woman's World and even my husband who fell in love with wings when he lived in Arizona loves them. Easy peasy, let me know if you want me to send the recipe.

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    1. Kait would you mind printing it here if it's not too much trouble. Sounds wonderful.

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    2. Since it's a Woman's World recipe, I'm hesitant to copy it here, but I'll be happy to email it to anyone - Edith, I have your e-mail, Anonymous, if you will email me at kait@kaitcarson.com, I'll be happy to send it along.

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  8. I’ll probably be nibbling on carrots sans dip before I have to cut myself off. Scheduled fasting blood work for the morning after. Such poor planning on my part.

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  9. I'll probably check out the game because I am a sports fan after all. But I have no stake in the game so I don't see my blood pressure rising or falling since my team isn't playing. As for snacks, since I'll just be here at home by myself, it won't be snack-a-palooza. I'll just have whatever I'm having for dinner and maybe I'll have some ice cream for dessert.

    And you can put me firmly in the camp of "I don't give a good goddamn about the friggin' commercials". Or the halftime show.

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  10. No football or snacks here, but I will join you in that bowl of old-style French onion dip, Hallie! I'll bring the ripple chips. Yum.

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  11. Since the Bengals aren't playing we aren't nearly as invested in the Super Bowl here. The couple who usually have everyone over for SBS is having health challenges, so they are no longer having parties. No one else has stepped up, including me. We will probably build a fire in the fireplace and have a glass of wine in front of the last quarter. I usually watch the commercials on YouTube the next day.

    The last time I made an appetizer for a group it was a mildly spicy hot hummus, harissa, and chickpea dip, served with warm pita triangles. It was a huge hit. I think the recipe came from the Washington Post.

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  12. No football fans here! It will be my son's birthday so we will be going out for a lobster dinner. Then maybe we'll watch the Kitten Bowl.

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  13. No football here, either. Avocados are one of the few produce items that are cheaper than past years, so I have a glut of them. I made another batch of guacamole yesterday.

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  14. No football here. In fact, we even lost our team to Los Angeles (our city isn't upset over this "loss" though). I'd like to be a fly on the wall of the Kelce family (Travis on KC and his bro on the Eagles)
    "Eagles scored - Yeah!"
    "Kansas City scored - Yeah!"
    Those recipes all sound super Hallie. I'm going to make the meatballs.

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    1. I believe I live in the same city as you, Anonymous. I, for one, don’t miss that now-LA team at all. I have gone back to my roots in the Bay Area to embracing the 49ers as “my” team. Since they’re not in the Super Bowl, I’m taping the game so I can zoom through it and catch the commercials later. But we do have a tradition of getting a carnitas meal from a local restaurant so that’ll be our big culinary treat! —Pat S.

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  15. Hub is the chef in these parts, so it will likely be pizza and wings from our favorite joint. He is playing tonight at the Hyatt in a private event for the Kansas City Chiefs, so I'm hoping he gets a pic with Patrick Mahomes, who will undoubtedly not be there because curfew. LOL.

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  16. I'm a no-football household--no tv long enough that the one football fan always made plans to watch the Super bowl with friends. But, those snacks! I've been known to make a few just to celebrate the no-football part ;-)

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  17. I know there is football game but not sure of the exact time. The lead up to the actual game gets longer every year and the former players may know who and what but I just want the game. As for snacks or nibbles, maybe I'll purchase some corn chips and pre-made been dip that I can add cheddar cheese to, put in the microwave for a short blast to make it all gooey.

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  18. Clare: I’m from Nirthern California and. ow live in Phoenix so I alternately cheer for the 49rs or the Cardinals. I like watching football when one of my teams is playing and I’ll be at a Suoerbowl party cheering for the Chiefs. I have a friends who is a huge Chiefs fan AND I did not like the way the Eagles played last week against the forty niners. Philosophically I think the more things I can teach myself to enjoy the happier I will be. If I only like opera and fine wines ( which I do!) I can only enjoy myself occasionnaly. If I can also enjoy football and beer there are many more chances! I can talk football with the best of them. My favorite comentary is along the lines of “If our team doesn’t start scoring more points than their team we’re going to lose”

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    1. Laughing at the commentary. All of sports could be summed up that way, effectively putting all commentators out of work. They sure seem to turn themselves inside out just to have something to say, don't they?

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    2. So funny! So true!

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  19. Shalom Reds and fans,
    ==========We don’t own a TV or have a cable subscription; so, unless some kind neighbor invites us over at the last minute, we will be listening to Merrill Reese calling the play-by-play on the radio. I am not a true football fan, but have been rooting for the Eagles all season.
    -----------My roommate has several frozen pizzas in the freezer which he hasn’t cooked because he claims not to know how the oven works. So, in exchange for some pepperoni slices, he will allow me to heat the pizza in the oven and we will listen to the game together. He just now showed me a can of mushrooms which he bought to add to the pie.
    -----------I guess I will pay attention to the half-time show. Rhihanna is from Barbados and worth $1.7 billion. I had never heard of her before this past week. My grandparents were from Barbados and I understand that my father, who was born in Brooklyn, was sent back to the island for his schooling in the primary grades. My father did not have a noticeable accent from either Barbados or Brooklyn.

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    1. David, Rihanna is as well known for her luxury underwear line Fenty as she is for her music. Not a surprise you might not know of her!

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  20. Well, I will have the game on. I'll poke my head up from my book occasionally to see what's happening. If the game is good I may even watch. No special food. It's just me. There will be beer. I wish there would be onion dip but I do not want to go to the store.

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  21. My family has always been much more into college football than the NFL (Roll Tide!) but I've enjoyed Super Bowl Sunday parties in the past, and if invited, I'd go! Like Hallie, I'm more into the food, conversation, and rating the commercials than the actual game, especially, as she points out, because they take TV breaks every five minutes. Can you imagine what it must be like to watch in person in the stands?

    I find it fascinating there's a whole genre of Super Bowl Party cuisine. I mean, you can't quite define it, right? But you definitely know it when you see it. There are other occasions where you serve finger food and small plates - teas or cocktail parties - but you wouldn't make individual nacho cups with gooey cheese dip for those.

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  22. I'm planning to watch the game, but home by myself. Not that I'm being anti-social, but I need to take down my Christmas decorations. Since they are here in my living room with my TV, it's a good time. I like to pay attention enough to watch the commercials, so that means I have to pay attention to the game as well. Since I've had Mahommes as my QB in my fantasy league for several years now, I'm definitely rooting for him and the Chiefs.

    As far as what I'll be eating, some chips and candy, but that's about it. Since it's just me, I'm not going all out.

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  23. We don't usually watch football but I like to watch the Superbowl and Rick is willing because we want to see how it looks on our new TV. I mostly watch for the ads and the halftime, but if the game is good I like that, too. Rooting for the Chiefs here! I've Spinach Artichoke Parmesan dip from Costco, my fave. We'll have veggies and ranch, and I think I'll cook a pot of black beans. Oh, and I want to try this recipe for Buffalo Cauliflower Wings! https://www.loveandlemons.com/buffalo-cauliflower-wings! https://www.loveandlemons.com/buffalo-cauliflower-wings/

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    1. Substitute wings for cauliflower and you’ll have greater success!

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    2. Interested to know how the buffalo cauliflower turns out. We tried this recipe and enjoyed it, but next time we'll thin the batter a bit and space them farther apart on the shhet pan.

      https://tasty.co/recipe/buffalo-cauliflower-bites

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  24. I grew up in Kansas City, Missouri. Not Kansas!!!!! So many people ignore the MO part of the KCMO abbreviation. KCKS is part of the metro area which spreads over the state line which is non-existent on GAME DAY. I am having dear neighbors over, even though I just realized their youngest son will be playing baseball at Swarthmore next year. Oops. Oh I don't care. I have some Bryant's barbeque sauce left (the best Barbeque in the world, ask Ted Lasso) so there will be a bit of barbeque being served. Rain will prevent more good barbeque.

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    1. I grew up just north of KCMO, in Weston. Back before it was a destination!!!

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  25. If it weren’t for football 🏈 high school and college would never have been bearable. I wouldn’t know what a hoagie was, nor would I have played musical instruments or made the lasting friends I have to this very day. —Reen Carter

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  26. Go Chiefs. They are my next fav team after the Bills. I’ll make a pizza, lots of mushrooms and pepperoni on Julie’s half. I dot do meat on pizza. Plus I’m making wings in the air fryer.

    All the other wonderful SBS food sounds great but way too much for two, one of whom, me, will do well to stay awake past halftime

    Did I mention the Chiefs and that gorgeous QB? Go Mahomes!!!

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