Football Watchin': UGA vs. LSU

Given my love for Creole cuisine, you'd think I would have used this week to showcase some great recipe for Seafood Gumbo. I did work at THE BEST restaurant in town when I was a student here and I learned a lot about the region and its' food while there. I have eaten my way through New Orleans twice and am a huge fan of all things Creole or Cajun. However, I wasn't in the mood for that on Saturday! So, sorry, no Bread Pudding with Whiskey Sauce and definitely no Creme Brulee (even though I have new dishes to make them in!) I was in the mood for Japanese food. So I made something awesome, but it doesn't have anything to do with Louisiana. Oh well. We will surely meet again.

This dish is called Niku Tataki. I had it for the first time at our favorite restaurant in Greenville, SC, Irashai Sushi Restaurant. It happens to be the place we got engaged and we started off our meal with this delicious first course. I have served it here with sushi rolls and Unaki (BBQ Eel - my favorite). If you're not a sushi fan, the beef is so wonderful and you can serve it with any Asian-inspired meal. Whatever you do, I beg of you, eat this with chopsticks! Have a little fun!!

Niku Tataki

(or SAKE it to LSU)

(Cold Beef Tenderloin with Pongu Sauce)

To Prepare the Beef:

1/2 whole beef tenderloin

salt & pepper

Olive oil

-Heat a large skillet with 2-3 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat

-Add the tenderloin and sear on all sides - if you're not sure how to do this, use a guide like

Joy of Cooking for a reference

-Remove beef from pan, wrap in foil and chill in the refrigerator overnight

-about 45 minutes prior to serving, place tenderloin in freezer to firm up the meat

Ponzu Sauce:

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl:
4 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 teaspoon ginger juice *
2 tablespoons finely snipped fresh chives

*ginger juice - finely grate 1 small piece of fresh ginger root into a small dish then pick up the lump of shavings and squeeze the juice into your measuring spoon

Final Step:
-Remove tenderloin from freezer and slice very thinly (almost shaved) with an electric carving knife
-Arrange beef in serving dish and pour sauce over the top

Football Watchin': UGA vs. Alabama

I do not want to post this recipe. I am actually very fond of this meal - but we lost terribly. Our yet-to-be-attained "undefeated season" is once again spoiled. The object of our affection lost forever. My "Ode to a Grecian Urn" is in tact and I am sad. So, after a brief repose, I am back with my dish that was served on the day of the UGA/Alabama game. And that's all I have to say about that. Very simple, kid friendly and easy - here ya go -

Bulldog Blackout Beans and Rice

3 cups black beans, either soaked and cooked or canned (drained)

2 cups cooked rice pilaf

1/2 cup beef or chicken broth

1 can diced tomatoes

2 cups cooked white meat chicken or turkey

1/2 tsp curry powder

1-2 tablespoons of cumin powder

Salt and pepper to taste

1. All of the ingredients in this dish are already cooked. All you really have to do is put them all in a big pot, stir well and bring to a simmer. Simmer just long enough for all of the flavors to meld - and eat it!

(If you don't have rice pilaf, but want to use plain cooked rice instead, simply saute 1/2 cup of chopped onions in a little olive oil in your pot before you add the rest of the ingredients - the key is that there must be onions somewhere in this dish)

Football Watchin': UGA vs. South Carolina

This football watchin' party was really not a football watchin' party. It was really a birthday party for my good friend Anna. Most of the game happened before the party started and Baxter lost the last quarter because of a glitch in the Tivo. Still, there were plenty of other good games on and the guys didn't seem to mind as long as they were watching football. Since everyone ate dinner before they arrived, we had heavy hors d'oeuvers and cake.

The Menu:

Homemade Bread Topped with Smoked Salmon

Avocado Dip

Bruschetta

Lane Cake (with lots and lots of whiskey)

My contribution (besides the cake) was bruschetta. This is a recipe that I've had in my arsenal for years now and it is one of my best. You can really only enjoy this in the Summer and fresh picked basil from the garden makes it doubly delicious and fabulously fragrant. It's a beautiful dish but unfortunately I have no pictures of it - I was too busy entertaining. Maybe next time I make it, I'll post a snapshot or two.

Bruschetta

(or, Steve Spurrier Toast w/ tomatoes)

2-3 large, ripe tomatoes (homegrown if you can get them)

1 medium vidalia onion

2-3 cloves minced garlic

1/4 cup good balsamic vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

1 loaf baguette

olive oil

12 or more whole basil leaves

Feta cheese

lemon wedges

1. Mix your tomatoes, onions, garlic, vinegar, salt and pepper in a small bowl and allow the flavors to marinate for at least 30 minutes

2. Slice the baguette in 1/2" thick slices. Brush both sides with olive oil and toast in a 450 degree oven until lightly browned. Allow to cool before topping.

3. On each piece of toast, place 1 whole leaf of basil, then top with tomato mixture (the basil acts as a little "boat" for the tomatoes and keeps the bread from getting soggy)

4. Sprinkle crumbled feta cheese all over the top, followed by plenty of cracked pepper

5. Serve with lemon wedges

Football Watchin': UGA vs. CMU

Central Michigan University. Need I say more? Of course we stomped 'em. It was a pretty boring game to be honest. I think college football really benefits from age-old rivalries and such. I love it when eager tailgaters burn Steve Spurrier in effigy and concoct funny (yet perhaps somewhat questionable) recipes involving gator tail. Unfortunately, the Chippewas had more people scratching their heads than stockpiling enthusiasm. Many of the bulldawg nation actually had to google Chippewa to find out what one was (It's a Native American tribe, in case you're lost). Tim McGraw educated me a few years ago when he stated that his baby was a Chippewa.



Anyway, not really wanting to stretch my imagination much for this one, our contribution to the tailgate was very simple - homemade salsa. I even let Baxter make it, even though it is sort of my specialty. He made such a good batch of it that I probably won't ever be able to make it again - darn! As far as the theme goes, Michigan is a pretty frigid place - maybe a scoop or two of this would keep them warm on those cold winter nights!

Salsa and "Chip"ewas

3 large ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 medium mild onion, diced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 tsp salt
Juice from 1/2 a lime

Very simple here - put all that good stuff in a bowl and mix it up! You may want to let the juices drain before you serve it with your favorite brand of chips - I like Snyders All Natural White Corn Tortilla Chips. This is also great with tacos, nachos, burritos, empanadas etc...

Football Watchin': UGA vs. Ga Southern

The first game of the season - how we have missed it! If you want a sentimental look at the whole experience, I blogged about it on Endless Joy. What I left out was the really good dish that I made for that first tailgate. Everyone gobbled these up. Noon games seem tricky at first. You don't want to bring scrambled eggs but it may be too early (and too hot this early in the year) for chili. So, taking inspiration from the brunch menu of my own noon wedding, I like to do dishes that work well no matter what time of day they are consumed. These little hand-held pies are great warm or at room temperature and they travel really well. Peach is definitely fitting here and in my opinion is the best filling hands-down. However, you can easily substitute apple, berries or even your favorite variety of jam.

We bulldog fans don't feel the same way about Georgia Southern as we do about Florida, Tennessee, Georgia Tech etc... We have a kind of camaraderie with them. We like them. We feel like they probably would have been bulldogs if some other mitigating circumstance had not prevented it and instead of going to some horrible place like Ole Miss or Auburn, they stayed close to home. There was a couple seated in front of us at the game wearing pale blue and white shirts, khaki shorts and bulldog hats. They cheered for both teams the whole game. Gotta love that. However, I'm still really glad we beat them soundly. So, here's my tribute to Georgia Southern for being a great team and their fans for being such great sports.

Georgia Southern Peach Turnovers

1 Pepperidge Farm frozen puff pastry sheet - 1/2 package

small cup of water

1/2 can Comstock peach filling

1 beaten egg

1. Thaw puff pastry sheet according to package directions

2. Preheat oven to 425

3. Working quickly on a lightly floured surface, roll out pastry into a large rectangle. Cut into 16 equal squares.

4. Take each individual square and roll to even the shape if necessary. Then place 1 spoonful of filling in the middle. Wet edges with water and fold into a triangle, pressing edges to seal. Using a pastry tool or a fork, crimp the edges. Place on pan 1 1/2 inches apart.

5. When they are all on the pan, gently brush with beaten egg. Bake for 10 minutes

6. Remove from pan and dust with powdered sugar while still warm

**ovens vary, so watch them after about 8 minutes. They are done when they begin to turn slightly brown - don't over-bake them!**

Football Watchin': UGA vs. ASU

I always have some sort of theme going on when it comes to football watching food or tailgate cuisine. When I have time, I will do a retrospective on the two tailgates we attended previous to the blog. Thankfully, I have pictures of my efforts to include. Last night, the Bulldogs stomped the Sun Devils SEC-style and although we weren't able to make the trek to Tempe, I brought a little heat of my own into the living room. These hot-wings will have your palette burning - but in a good way. They're just the right degree of hotness in my opinion, however you may vary it according to taste by either decreasing the amount of butter down to 2 tablespoons or increasing it up to 8 tablespoons. I prefer my wings fried; but since I don't have one of those handy-dandy frying apparatuses, it creates quite a mess in my kitchen. Also, for the sake of cardio-health, I have engineered a very nice baked product. The result is very close to the fried variety. Although I first learned to make wings while slaving away at Locos with Baxter, this is not a copy of their sauce recipe. This is my own creation, and one I am happy to share. I serve my wings with extra sauce on the side, plenty of bleu cheese, celery and Alexia brand Sweet Potato Fries (which also taste really good dipped in the bleu cheese!)

Sun-Devil-Stompin' Hot Wings

1 cup Texas Pete Hot Sauce

4 tablespoons melted butter

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning

2 pounds chicken wings, trimmed and cut into drums and flats

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees for at least 15 minutes. Spray broiler pan with canola spray and arrange wings skin side down on pan.

2. Bake wings for 20 minutes, meanwhile

3. While wings are cooking, prepare sauce:

• melt butter in microwave,


• measure Texas Pete and pour into a large bowl that you can toss the wings in


• slowly whisk in melted butter


• add lemon juice and seasonings and whisk again until well blended

4. After your wings have baked for 20 minutes, flip them over and bake for another 15 minutes

5. Remove wings from oven and toss in the sauce

6. Place back on pan and bake for an additional 5 minutes

7. Remove the wings from oven and repeat, tossing in sauce and baking again for 5 to 10 more minutes - or until they look good and ready

8. Arrange wings on plate and serve with bleu cheese, celery and whatever else strikes your fancy

***If you're lucky enough to have a fryer, just fry your wings according to your fryer's directions and toss them in the sauce when they're done!***