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| Super Bowl game plan: Run up points with appetizing spreads
by Sherry Lucas (photo: Vickie D. King/The Clarion-Ledger)
Barbara Moseley (left) and Gwen McKee, co-authors of Fast and Fabulous Party Foods and Appetizers, display some of their Super Bowl-themed goodies.
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The home Super Bowl party requires stamina that can stretch four quarters, pickings as nimble as a receiver's run through tackling behemoths and dessert as sweet as an end zone celebration.
It's traditionally a manly party. So why is there quiche on the Super Bowl spread at Quail Ridge Press headquarters in Brandon? There, Gwen McKee and Barbara Moseley assembled a grazer's delight of quick and easy bites from their latest book, Party Foods and Appetizers (Quail Ridge Press, $16.95). "Even though real men don't eat quiche, these little quiche bites are very hearty," Moseley said, echoing the title of the 1982 tongue-in-cheek best-seller as she speaks up in her food's defense. "They're very filling." With sausage, cheese, onions and chile peppers, they've got enough muscle to get in this game. The Super Bowl on Sunday will see its share of home parties centered around the broadcast. It isn't an occasion that calls for cute food and frou-frou drinks. Straight-ahead, no-nonsense options run the field and should also fill the table. "You think of men first. ... That's the first thing I think - OK, what are the men going to eat?" McKee says. "You're going to have draft beer, probably, and not fancy ladies' drinks. "Pink mimosas would not go well at a football party." So, the food is colorful but shy of cutesy. Bite-size but not itty bitty. Substantial without the kitchen stress. "The N'Awlins Party Pull Bread is the perfect example of a man dish," Moseley says of a cheesy bread spiced with Cajun seasoning. "I mean, you could just reach in there and you break off a hunk of it." Tiny Quiche Bites and Betsy's Tomato Crackers rack up a nostalgia score in the taste department - there's a bit of breakfast in the bites, and a whiff of BLT in the crackers. And they're perfectly portable. No plate juggling required if a beer or remote control is occupying the other hand at the time. Party Foods and Appetizers is the second book in Quail Ridge Press' Fast & Fabulous series. With the emphasis on fast, shortcuts and head starts, such as cake mixes and loaf bread, are fine. Leave all that heavy lifting to the Arizona Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Steelers. "This is for the beginner cook. These recipes are not pretentious," McKee says. "We keep instructions simple," Moseley adds. "It's basically foolproof."
For more information on the book, visit www.quailridge.com.
Cowboy Popcorn 2 1/2 quarts popped popcorn 2 tablespoons ranch salad dressing mix 2 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese 2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
Pour popcorn into ungreased 9x13-inch baking pan. Mix remaining ingredients; pour over popcorn; toss to coat. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, uncovered. Toss again. Serve warm. Yields 8 servings.
Betsy's Tomato Crackers 1 cup Hellmann's mayonnaise 1/4 cup real bacon bits Wheat Thins 1 pint cherry tomatoes, sliced
Mix mayonnaise and bacon bits. Place mayo-mixture on Wheat Thins; top with tomato slices. Makes about 25-30.
Tiny Quiche Bites 1 pound bulk hot sausage 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese 1 cup Colby Jack cheese 1/2 cup finely chopped onion 1 (4-ounce) can chopped green chiles 10 eggs 1 teaspoon garlic salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper
Brown sausage; drain. Pour into a greased 9x13-inch baking dish. Layer with cheeses, onion and chiles. Beat eggs with seasonings; pour over cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 375 degrees for 18-22 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool slightly, cut into 1-inch squares. Insert toothpicks in squares. Serves 12-20.
N'Awlins Party Pull Bread 1 long loaf French bread 1/2 pound provolone or Muenster cheese, sliced thin 1 stick butter, softened 2 tablespoons grated onion 2 tablespoons Creole mustard 1/2 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
Cut Xs all over top of bread almost to the bottom. Wrap foil halfway up sides of bread - don't cover top. Fold cheese and stuff into X cuts. Combine remaining ingredients and spread on top. Place on baking pan on bottom rack of oven. Bake at 400 degrees until cheese melts, 10-15 minutes. Serve by letting guests pull off chunks of cheesy bread. Serves about 10.
Kicky Chocolate Bark 1 pound milk chocolate candy coating, chopped 1/2 cup chopped cashews, toasted 1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
In a glass bowl, melt candy coating 2 minutes on high, stir; add 20 seconds if not melted. Stir in nuts and cayenne. Spread onto a wax paper-lined baking sheet. Chill for 20 minutes. Break into small pieces. Store in airtight container in refrigerator. Serves 8-10.
Touchdown Football Cake 1 devil's food cake mix 1 (15-ounce) can chocolate frosting 1 (.68-ounce) tube glossy white icing
Grease a 10-inch round cake pan. Prepare cake mix as directed. Bake 45-50 minutes at 350 degrees. Cut a 2-inch slice from center of cake. (Let the kids eat this middle slice.) Push 2 outer sides together to shape like a football. Ice with chocolate frosting. Make laces with white icing. Serves 10-12. Note: You can bake in 2 (8-inch) pans about 25 minutes, making 2 layers, if you want to have frosting in the middle.
Source: Party Foods and Appetizers (Quail Ridge Press). |
