Spicy Super Bowl Snacks

In 2014, we were lucky to be asked to join Katie Thompson on WMTW to talk about Super Bowl Snacks! In case you missed it, here are the recipes of the yummy snacks Nancy prepared.

Buffalo Style Hot Dog with Blue Cheese Dip

Ingredients:
Hot dogs
1 cup of all purpose flour
1 tsp. granulated garlic
Salt & pepper
Pinch of baking soda
Sriracha sauce or Frank’s Red Hot Sauce
Blue cheese
Ranch dressing

Method:

Pour oil into a pot, leaving at least two inches from top. Heat to 350 degrees.

Mix flour, granulated garlic, salt, pepper and baking soda. Coat hot dogs with flour mixture and let stand for about 20 minutes to dry. Drop into oil and fry a few hot dogs at a time. Remove when nicely browned. Place into hot dog buns and squeeze sriracha or hot sauce over the hot dog. Mix ranch dressing with blue cheese to taste. Top over the hot dogs and enjoy!

Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Bombs

Ingredients:
Jalapenos
Cream cheese
Bacon
Pulled Pork

Method:

Slice jalapeños in half, lengthwise and remove seeds. Pipe cream into the cavity and top with pulled pork. Put jalapeño back together. Wrap bacon around the jalapeño and bake until bacon is cooked.

Sriracha Deviled Eggs

Ingredients:
Eggs
Mayonnaise
Ground mustard
Salt & pepper
Sriracha sauce

Method:

Place eggs in pot. Cover with cold water and bring to a rolling boil. Remove from heat and over. Let sit for 14 minutes. Uncover and run cold water over the eggs to cool. Peel and cut in half lengthwise. Remove yolks carefully and mix with desired amount of mayonnaise, ground mustard, salt & pepper. Pipe yolk mixture into egg whites. Garnish with sriracha sauce.

Ginger, Garlic, Scallion and Lime Dip with Potato Chips

Ingredients:
1 cup mayonnaise
Juice of 1 fresh lime
1 cup sour cream
Dash of sesame oil
1 tbs rice vinegar
Dash of soy sauce
2 cloves garlic minced
1/2 tsp. fresh grated ginger
Salt & pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped scallions

Method:

Mix all ingredients together and refrigerate for an hour. Serve with potato chips.

Reuben Crostini

Ingredients:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup thousand island dressing
8 oz. sauerkraut, rinsed and squeezed dry
16 oz. shredded Swiss cheese
Baguettes, sliced

Method:

Preheat oven to broil. Slice baguettes into rounds and brush with a little garlic oil. Toast under broiler on both sides. Mix all other ingredients well and spoon onto toasted baguette rounds. Broil until bubbly.

Read more and check out the video here: http://www.wmtw.com/great-recipes-for-your-super-bowl-party/24245196#ixzz2svxI9eAk

Homemade Sriracha and Super Bowl Wings

Do you think of spicy foods when you think of snacking during the Super Bowl? I know I do! Last year, I made (amongst other things) a spicy buffalo chicken dip. Just like buffalo wings—only easier!

This year, Chuck and I think it is fitting to make Sriracha Buffalo Wings with a Goat Cheese Ranch Dip at the suggestion of our executive chef, Todd. Why? Have you ever heard the saying, “Nobody wants what someone else does not want—but when everyone else wants it I want it, too”?

Well, there is a lot going on in California with the production—or lack thereof—of Sriracha.

Just follow the news:

Eatocracy, November 27, 2013:

A Sriracha hot sauce factory is getting a chilly reception in Southern California.

A judge in Los Angeles County has ordered Sriracha maker Huy Fong Foods to suspend operations at a plant in the city of Irwindale that local residents claim that the stench was causing watery eyes, sore throats and headaches, prompting complaints from dozens of residents

The judge’s ruling orders Huy Fong to cease any operations contributing to the nuisance-causing odor, Davidson said. The city has been pushing Huy Fong to install a new filtration system to address the issue.”
Forbes, December 12, 2013:

Popular Sriracha Hot Sauce Maker Ordered To Halt Production

Update: A representative from Sriracha said they believe the hold would affect its customers more than it would the company. They were ordered to cease all shipments until mid January

The hold is needed to “ensure an effective treatment of microorganisms present in the product,” health department spokeswoman Anita Gore told the Associated Press on Wednesday.

So, everyone wants Sriracha because we cannot get it in most stores… This prompted me to look for recipes online and experiment! This is what I came up with—a variation of a recipe from Carey Nershi from Food52. I know you will like this recipe if you like it hot, hot, hot!

Please note: wear food-safe gloves when working with the hot peppers. Wearing glasses is a good idea, too—remember the complaints from the town in California?

Homemade Sriracha
Makes about 2 cups

Ingredients:

2/3 lbs mix of red jalapeños and serranos, stems removed
1/3 lbs mix of green jalapeños and serranos, stems removed
1/2 lbs mix of partially green/partially red jalapeños and serranos, stems removed
1 red pepper, stem removed
6 garlic cloves
8 tbls dark brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 tsp smoked sea salt
1/2 cup distilled white balsamic vinegar
3/4 tsp xanthan gum

Preparation:

Place peppers, garlic, sugar, and salts in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Transfer mixture to a clean bowl and cover with saran wrap. Store in a dark, dry place.

Check the jar every day for fermentation. This should begin after 2-3 days, but might take longer in colder, drier weather. Once you begin to see some bubbly, liquid-y magic at the bottom of the jar, fermentation has begun. Stir the mash each day until it is no longer rising in volume from the fermentation (about 5-7 days).

Transfer the mash to your food processor, add the vinegar and puree until very smooth. Strain the mixture through a piece of cheesecloth, squeezing to get all of the liquid. (Don’t forget to wear your gloves!) Discard pulp and seeds.

Return the sauce to a clean food processor and sprinkle xanthan gum over the top. Pulse until the gum is incorporated and the sauce has thickened. Move to a glass, covered container and store in the fridge for up to six months.

Then, make this:

Sriracha Wings with Goat Cheese Ranch Dip
Makes 36 Wings

Ingredients:

36 chicken wing pieces
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tsp. salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
8 Tablespoons of Sriracha Sauce
6 tablespoons unsalted butter or margarine
Celery sticks on the side

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

In a bowl, toss the wings with the oil and salt. Place into a large plastic shopping bag and add the flour. Shake to coat evenly. Remove wings from the bag, shaking off excess flour, and spread out evenly on oiled, foil-lined baking pan(s). Do not crowd. Let stand for 20 minutes to dry. Bake for about 20 minutes, turn the wings over, and cook another 20 minutes or until the wings are cooked.

Warm Sriracha Sauce and butter.

After the wings are cooked, transfer to a large mixing bowl. Pour the sauce over the hot wings and toss with a spoon or spatula to completely coat.

To make Goat Cheese Ranch Dip, simply add goat cheese and ranch dressing in a blender and mix well.

Leaving Las Vegas 2013

Every year Chuck and I go to Las Vegas for the Annual Catersourse Convention. As we leave Vegas this year I look back at the wonderful opportunity to learn so much and just what we have just experienced. I also recall the wonderful hotel we stayed in and the awesome food that we ate.

We continue to rave about The Cosmopolitan Hotel. It is truly a pleasure to stay there. This year we were upgraded to a suite on the 52nd floor with a wrap around balcony and a gorgeous view of the famous fountain at The Bellagio. Katie and Eric stopped by and Katie asked me if I was a Kardashian!!

Here are the restaurants we ate at with some comments:

• The Wicked Spoon in The Cosmopolitan: they have the BEST buffet ever for brunch (award winning) and dinner.
• Comme Ca at The Cosmopolitan: The best burger in Vegas that I have had so far!
• Estiatorio Milos at The Cosmopolitan: Absolutely outstanding Greek seafood restaurant.
• Jaleo at The Cosmopolitan: GREAT Spanish Tapas Bar
• BLT at The Mirage: Awesome Fried Pickles with a Paprika and Chili Aioli
• Pomplemousse: This 40 plus year old French restaurant is like going straight back into the 70’s. French cuisine at its best.
• The Steakhouse at Circus Circus: Another long-term restaurant with a great steak primed in their own meat locker.

Cirque de Solei “O” was the absolute best theatre show I have ever seen. I was mesmerized from beginning to the end. These young people are amazing. The stage was actually a pool with the flooring moving and changing according to the scene at the time. So, they were walking on water at one point to diving into the pool from 60 feet in the air at another point!

Onto the convention…some 7000 chefs and caterers and event planners from all over the world attended this convention.

I learned that country chic and New York chic are still popular but with glitz and glam accents. Color is big, and big is big! I learned that Bride’s like package deals and various choices. I learned that some things that have been popular are:

• Pairing an app with a particular wine, tequila, scotch etc…
• Very elaborate décor and tablescaping
• Interactive stations are gaining in popularity and are also becoming very elaborate
• Late-night snacks continue to be popular
• Flashy, elaborate bars are popular
• Signature anything to make our bride’s wedding reception unique
• Soup and soup sippers continue to be popular
• Spheres hanging everywhere

Most of all I learned that I still LOVE what I do and I am good at it -with an AWESOME husband and partner and an AWESOME staff.

I look forward to going back to Vegas to do some more learning next year…and eating too!

Check out the pictures I took of the convention and our hotel!