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January 31, 2008
Super snacking: Chefs open up their playbooks to help you score with your Super Bowl spread
BY NATALIE HAUGHTON
DAILY NEWS FOOD EDITOR
Super Bowl for many is an excuse to pig out. But beyond the traditional snacks, L.A. chefs will be serving up hearty flavor with a twist when they invite the crowd to watch the game. Here's what's on the menu for Sunday's Super Bowl XLII.
Chef: Ben Ford
Restaurant: Owner of Ford's Filling Station, Culver City
"This is not a healthy day," admits Ford. In between catching the game, Ford will be serving his regular menu along with a few fun things to eat … like peel-and-eat shrimp, country ham and biscuits, and kobe corn dogs.
"I'll buy the kobe hot dogs from the Internet and dip them in corn batter. For me that is more of a joke than anything else."
Over the years, Ford, who grew up in the Hollywood Hills (his father is actor Harrison Ford), has had Super Bowl parties at home … and is famous for his barbecues.
"I generally do that because it keeps everything (the mess) out of the house and cleaner. It's all about meat … barbecuing flat irons, grilled corn. We would also have duck taquitos … shredded meat rolled in a tortilla and fried in a skillet with just a bit of oil to cover," served with guacamole.
"My guacamole is absolutely legendary. My secret is the green taco sauce (he won't divulge the brand) along with garlic, avocado, salt, pepper, cilantro and serrano peppers … they have more flavor than jalapenos."
It's good with his fresh homemade tortilla chips and truffled potato chips (homemade chips tossed with truffle oil). "Everything I do is homemade," he says, noting that once he threw away all the condiments in his fridge. "If I can't make it myself, I couldn't have it." But the Hunt's ketchup, Colman's mustard and others soon returned.
White bean hummus dip, made with cannellini or white Northern beans, is also traditional with pita bread or veggies.
Although the restaurant serves one beer made to Ford's specs, "I would drink a Pyramid Hefferweisen or a Pilsner Urquell" at a home Bowl party.
For dessert, "pull out the handcrank ice cream machine … and let guests crank the ice cream."
Chef: Dan Gordon
Restaurant: Co-founder of San Jose-based Gordon Biersch Brewing Co. and Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant Group (which owns 25 restaurants throughout the country, including Pasadena and Burbank)
When Dan Gordon has an at-home sports party or goes to friends' homes for one, "Everyone has come to expect two things. One … that I bring a lot of Gordon Biersch beer or have it on hand at home. And two is that I make garlic fries."
These are the addictive fries (tossed with olive oil, garlic, parsley, kosher salt and pepper) with a cult-like following that the company sells in 32 concession stands in stadiums/venues (including Dodger Stadium for almost a decade) around the country.
But Gordon's killer signature recipe is Marzen (beer) barbecue sauce ribs, which he's been making for two decades and will be serving Sunday when 20 friends and neighbors gather at his Redwood City home.
They are easy to make … and the prep work (braising the ribs in beer and water; making the barbecue sauce and marinating the two together overnight in the fridge) can be completed a day in advance. Before serving, "grill the ribs to caramelize the barbecue sauce … 10 minutes over extremely high heat, dunking in barbecue sauce a couple of times while grilling. I use baby back pork ribs and generally cut the rack (slab) into thirds before cooking, to fit into the pot. You can use the same recipe for beef ribs, but you'll need to add another hour of braising time."
Other party offerings will include tzatziki, hummus, guacamole, flat bread, tortilla chips, grilled naan bread and fresh veggies along with pistachios and cashews for munching and homemade brownies and chocolate chip cookies for dessert.
And of course several beers will be on hand. Although the company makes five different German-style lager beers … Marzen, Pilsner, Blonde Bock, Hefeweizen and Winter Bock (until March) … all available in supermarkets … Gordon recommends Marzen (auburn in color with a rich, smooth, malty flavor) and Blonde Bock (a deep golden color with a smooth rich flavor profile) for Super Bowl events.
"Both are thirst quenching and have big flavor that will complement and not overwhelm delicate flavor profiles in accompanying dishes."
Figure an average of three beers per person.
Chef: Tom Colicchio
Restaurant: Owner of Craft (Los Angeles, New York) and various restaurants around the country
For a twist on traditional party sub sandwiches, Tom Colicchio suggests a no-fuss panini bar.
"Panini parties are great because your guests can be their own chef and create a sandwich to their liking."
Set out an assortment of cold cuts, cooked chicken, turkey, pastrami and roast beef slices, roasted red peppers, a medley of different cheeses (including buffalo mozzarella), vegetables and breads, fresh herbs including basil leaves … and condiments like tapenade, mustards, dressings and jarred sauces along with a couple of panini grills.
RECIPES
BEN FORD'S WHITE BEAN HUMMUS
1 cup canned cannellini (white kidney) beans, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon tahini
1 tablespoon roasted garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
Chopped fresh oregano (optional)
In a food processor, combine beans, rosemary, vinegar, lemon juice, tahini, garlic and olive oil. Cover and process until smooth. Sprinkle with oregano, if desired. Serve with pita bread pieces or fresh vegetables. Recipe can be doubled, if desired.
From Ben Ford.
MONTEREY JACK AND BLUE CHEESE FOOTBALL
2/3 cup (6 ounces) cream cheese
2 to 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cups (8 ounces) grated Monterey Jack cheese
2 cups (8 ounces) crumbled blue cheese
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
2/3 cup coarsely crushed rye crackers
In a large bowl or food processor, combine cream cheese, garlic, salt and cayenne pepper. Beat or process until blended and smooth. Add Jack and blue cheeses as well as walnuts, and beat vigorously until ingredients are well mixed. If using a food processor, be careful not to over-mix; cheese should retain some of its texture. Refrigerate mixture 2 to 3 hours for easiest shaping.
An hour or two before serving, spread cracker crumbs on a large plate or sheet of waxed paper. Dampen your hands with water to keep the cheese mixture from sticking to them. Pat and press mixture into a football shape. Pat on cracker crumbs, pressing gently so crackers stick. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill until ready to serve. Just before serving, decorate cheese football with laces made from sour cream. Spoon sour cream into a plastic sandwich bag and snip the corner. Gently squeeze out and pipe sour cream on cheese football to simulate laces. Serve with crackers. Makes 1 cheese football.
ZIPPY GUACAMOLE
4 ripe, fresh large Hass avocados, peeled and pitted
2 lemons, juiced
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 tomato, diced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup diced red onion
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
5 jalapeño OR serrano chiles, minced (3 of the chiles seeded)
Salt and chile powder, to taste
In a large bowl, coarsely mash avocados and combine with lemon juice. Add remaining ingredients to the avocado mixture, stirring carefully until combined. Refrigerate 30 minutes. Serve with tortilla chips. Makes 8 servings.
FAST CHILI
1 pound lean ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
2 (15-ounce) cans kidney OR black bean, drained and rinsed well
In a large pot, cook beef with onions, until beef is browned and in small pieces; drain off any excess liquid. Add garlic, chili powder, cumin, tomatoes, tomato paste and tomato sauce; mix well. Stir in beans. Heat to boiling, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve garnished with sour cream, shredded Cheddar cheese, chopped tomatoes, jalapeno slices, etc., if desired. Makes 6 servings.
NOTE: Recipe can easily be doubled or tripled.
BUFFALO CHICKEN PANINI
4 tablespoons Blue Cheese Dressing
2 slices 7-grain bread
4 thin slices (4 ounces) breast of chicken (seasoned Buffalo style)
2 tablespoons watercress
1/2 stalk celery, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
Spread blue cheese dressing evenly on top and bottom slice of bread. Layer chicken, watercress, celery and walnuts and close sandwich. Heat your Panini maker or sandwich press. Butter each side of the press. Place the sandwich inside, press down and grill until e bread is flat and browned, about 10 minutes. Serve warm. Makes 1 sandwich.
BLUE CHEESE DRESSING: Combine 1/2 cup blue cheese (mild), crumbled, 2 tablespoons buttermilk, 1 tablespoon crème fraîche, 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil and salt and pepper to taste, mixing to a chunky consistency. Makes enough for 2 sandwiches.
From Tom Colicchio.
GORDON BIERSCH MÄRZEN BBQ SAUCE RIBS
5 pounds baby back pork ribs, each slab cut into thirds
3 (12-ounce) bottles Gordon Biersch Marzen beer
4 1/2 cups water
Barbecue Sauce
Place ribs in a very large pot. Cover with Marzen beer and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 30 minutes. Turn off heat and let ribs cool to warm temperature.
Meanwhile prepare Barbecue Sauce and set aside. When ribs are cool, drain off and discard liquid. In a large container, pour all of Barbecue Sauce over ribs and marinate in refrigerator a couple of hours or overnight.
To finish, grill ribs over high flame until the sauce has caramelized on the outside of the ribs. Dip in the Barbecue Sauce remaining in the container a couple of times while grilling. Total grilling time is about 5 minutes per side. Serve with additional barbecue sauce, if desired. Makes about 4 to 6 servings.
BARBECUE SAUCE: In a large pot, saute 1 large onion, chopped and 1/4 cup chopped garlic in 1/4 cup hot cooking oil until translucent. Deglaze pan with 1 (12-ounce) bottle Gordon Biersch Märzen. Stir in 1 quart of your favorite barbecue sauce (Cattlemen's brand preferred), 1/4 cup molasses and 1/4 cup pureed canned chipotle chiles (OR to taste; chipotles are hot). Heat to simmering. Simmer over low heat, uncovered, 30 to 60 minutes. Makes about 6 cups.
From Dan Gordon.
Posted by Steven Rosenberg at January 31, 2008 4:30 PM
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