Quinn - Mad hungry: game day food

Game Day Food

Fan-Favorite Recipes for Winning Dips, Nachos, Wings & Drinks

lucinda scala quinn

Artisan | New York

contents

Introduction

We all love the idea of sitting down to watch a game with a big plate of homemade fried chicken, a cup of bubbling chili, maybe even some artichoke dip and crudits. But too often we find ourselves settling for delivery pizza, frozen chicken nuggets, and packaged mac n cheese. Even when youre watching the action from the sidelines, these foods are no way to nourish a body. Its true that when its time to cheer on the team, most of us dont gravitate toward raw salads or grain bowls, but that doesnt mean you cant enjoy healthier versions of the foods you crave for the tailgate or the Super Bowl party. The answer to solving this dilemma, as is often the case, is to make your game day fare at home.

Weve reached an imbalance: we spend more money to eat inferior food out, and in the process, we not only jeopardize our health but also deprive ourselves of less expensive, tastier, and more nutritious home-cooked meals. And there is no healthier diet than fresh foodvegetables, fruits, whole grains, meat, poultry, and seafoodeaten in moderation. Home cooking allows you to skip high cost and poor nutrition by using real ingredients and smart cooking techniques.

Roll up your sleeves and get into the kitchen. You can produce all those fan-favorite foods right now! This book shows how you can make all the dishes you enjoy eating when the game is on at home or when youre tailgating outdoors. So leave the waxy, artificially flavored, preservative-laden dips from the back shelf of the grocery store behind for new staples like homemade . But cook what you crave at home! Excavate your own taste memories and assemble that personal recipe box. Restore your food traditions and make new ones. Reclaim your home kitchen and make game day eating something special every time.

Snacks

basic salsa

makes 2 cups (512 g)

This quick salsa can be used as a dip for tortilla chips or as a topping for eggs, tacos, chicken, or fish. It will keep in the refrigerator for a few days.

2 large tomatoes, cored and finely chopped

4 small radishes, halved and finely sliced

1 to 2 serrano or jalapeo chiles, sliced

cup (40 g) finely chopped white onion

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1 teaspoon coarse salt

cup (120 mL) water

Combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

salsa verde

makes 2 cups (512 g)

12 whole tomatillos

white onion, coarsely chopped

2 garlic cloves, peeled

2 serrano or jalapeo chiles, stems removed

2 teaspoons salt

Peel the tomatillos and simmer in water for 5 minutes. Drain and roughly pulse with a blender or food processor with all the other ingredients until smooth, adding water as necessary for desired consistency.

queso fundido

serves 2

There are few things more divinely swoonworthy than this concoction, which should almost be labeled an illegal substance. Queso fundido is insanely easy to replicate at home, and youll be spared any cleanup hassle, because every last bit of the crispy cheese that crusts up at the bottom of the pan will be scraped up and devoured. Serve with tortillas and salsa (see page 13).

4 ounces (113 g) smoked chorizo, cut into -inch (6 mm) pieces

small yellow onion, finely chopped

2 cups (12 ounces/340 g) shredded Monterey Jack cheese

8 (6-inch/15 cm) corn tortillas, warmed over a flame (see Note)

Preheat the broiler. Cook the chorizo in a 6-inch (15 cm) ovenproof skillet over medium heat until the fat begins to render, about 2 minutes. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until they soften and become translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in the cheese.

Transfer the skillet to the broiler and broil until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown in places, 2 minutes. Serve immediately, with the tortillas.

Note

To get a nice charred flavor, toast the tortillas and stack them to steam and become pliable for use. Toast them one at a time, on a direct flame or in a hot skillet or comal (a smooth, flat Mexican griddle), until the edges start to darken, about 1 minute; flip and toast for another minute (some will puff up once you flip them). If they seem too toasted, almost crisp, stack them on top of one another wrapped in a cloth. To keep them fresh for 30 minutes, wrap the cloth stack in foil and keep in a warm place.

caramelized onion and bacon dip

makes 2 cups (480 g)

If you loveyet hatethat packaged onion-soup-mix dip, this is the recipe for you. It is a richer, deeper-flavored, cleaner-ingredient excuse for a potato-chip-dipping marathon. Or smear it over flatbreads for a classier affair. The dip can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.

cup (60 mL) extra-virgin olive oil

3 pounds (1.3 kg) yellow onions, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced, crosswise

1 teaspoon coarse salt

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

5 ounces (150 g) bacon, chopped

1 cups (215 g) mayonnaise

1 cup (242 g) sour cream

cup (60 mL) safflower oil (optional, for garnish)

3 shallots, thinly sliced into rings (optional, for garnish)

Heat a large skillet. Add the olive oil. When it shimmers, add the onions and salt and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions are deep golden in color, 45 minutes to 1 hour; add a little water if needed to prevent sticking. Add the vinegar during the last minute of cooking. Let cool.

Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a small skillet until it has rendered its fat. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a paper towellined plate; reserve the fat in the pan if you will be frying the shallots. Let the bacon cool.

Stir together the mayonnaise, sour cream, onions, and bacon in a large bowl.

For the optional garnish, add the vegetable oil to the skillet with the bacon fat and heat over medium-high heat until the oil shimmers. Add the shallots, lower the heat, and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Drain the shallots on a paper towellined plate.

Garnish the dip with the fried shallots, if using, and serve.

guacamole

makes 2 cups (480 g)

Why buy guacamole when the homemade version simply requires mashing up a few items? There are many riffs on guacamole these days, with various vegetables, fruits, or smoked chorizo added to personalize and differentiate them, but this old-school version is a classic that will please any crowd and pair well with a variety of dishes. Pictured on page 30.