Eat and Drink Well During Super Bowl XL

Super Bowl Reds

Super Bowl Whites

For Your Feast

Here are some great dishes that are perfect for fans of football, food or both.

Smashed Spiced Chickpeas

Smash together:

• One 14-oz. can of chickpeas (or 6 oz. dried ones, soaked and cooked until tender)
• Pinch of cumin seeds, pounded
• 1-2 small dried red chillies, crumbled
• 1 clove of garlic, peeled and pounded to a paste
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• Extra-virgin olive oil

Serve smeared over thin pizza crusts cooked on a hot griddle until charred or use as dip for tortilla chips. Serves 6.

Excerpted from THE NAKED CHEF TAKES OFF by Jamie Oliver. Copyright © Jamie Oliver Ltd, 2000. All rights reserved. Published by Hyperion. Available wherever books are sold.

Shrimp Cocktail

Always cook shrimp in the shell, then peel them; they will be much more flavorful if cooked with the shells still on. If you can get fresh shrimp with the heads on, cook and peel them, but leave the heads attached. Never rinse cooked shrimp to cool it, or you will lose the delicious flavorings from the court bouillon.

Court bouillon is a simple broth used to poach all sorts of fish and shellfish. Although it is quick to prepare, it is critical to simmer it for at least 15 to 20 minutes to develop its flavors before adding the seafood. The court bouillon can be used again to poach shrimp or other shellfish. Cover and refrigerate for a few days, or freeze for up to a month.

For the court bouillon:

• 8 quarts water, preferably spring water
• 1 onion, coarsely chopped
• 2 celery stalks, coarsely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• 3 bay leaves
• 6 peppercorns
• 1 dried hot chili pepper
• 1 lemon, sliced
• 4 flat-leaf parsley sprigs
• 4 thyme sprigs
• kosher salt
• 16 jumbo shrimp

For the cocktail sauce:

• 1 cup Heinz ketchup
• 1/4 cup freshly grated horseradish, or to taste
• Juice of 1 lemon, or to taste
• Juice of 1 lime, or to taste
• 3 shakes Worcestershire sauce
• 2 shakes hot sauce, such as Tabasco or Cholula
• 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
• Lemon wedges for serving

Fill a large pot with the water and add the onion, celery, garlic, bay leaves, peppercorns, chili pepper, lemon, parsley, thyme, and a large handful of salt (the water should approximate sea water in saltiness). Bring to a hard boil, then reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 15 to 20 minutes.

Add the shrimp and raise the heat to high. Once the court bouillon has returned to a simmer, remove from the heat and set aside, covered, for 5 minutes. Drain the shrimp in a colander, reserving the court bouillon for another use. Transfer the shrimp to a small baking sheet and refrigerate. When the shrimp are cool, peel and devein. (The shrimp can be prepared up to this point a day ahead. Cover the shrimp and refrigerate until chilled.)

To prepare the cocktail sauce, combine all the ingredients in a small bowl. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding more horseradish, hot sauce, and/or lemon or lime juice to taste. Transfer to a small serving bowl. To serve, put the bowl of cocktail sauce in the center of a serving plate and arrange the shrimp and lemon wedges around it.

Excerpted from: FRANK STITT'S SOUTHERN TABLE: Recipes and Gracious Traditions from Highlands Bar and Grill by Frank Stitt (Artisan Books). Copyright 2004 Christopher Hirsheimer.

Spareribs with Coffee-Molasses Marinade

Marinade

• 1 cup strong coffee
• 1 cup coarsely chopped red onion
• 1/2 cup mild molasses
• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon Tabasco or other hot sauce
• 2 tablespoons chopped shallot or green onions

Ribs

• 2 slabs spare ribs or 3 slabs back ribs

Place ribs in marinade and refrigerate 16-30 hours. Preheat oven to 350° F. Remove ribs from marinade and let the excess drip off. Save the marinade. Put the ribs fat-side up on a rack over a baking pan. Put in the oven and roast until the meat begins to pull away from the bones, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours, basting every 20 minutes with the marinade (make sure to save 1 cup of the marinade for a dipping sauce).

If you want to brown and caramelize the surface of the ribs after they're baked, put them under a broiler about 3 to 4 inches from the heat until they begin to bubble and brown, about 2 to 3 minutes.

Put the reserved 1 cup of marinade in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Serve the reduced marinade as a dipping sauce for the ribs. Serves 6.

Recipe from Bruce Aidells's Complete Book of Pork: A Guide to Buying, Storing, and Cooking the World's Favorite Meat, HarperCollins Publishers, 2004, $24.95.