Featured Holiday – Super Bowl

SUPER BOWL- It all started 38 years ago on January 15, 1967. The Green Bay Packers played against the Kansas City Chiefs. They played the first “Super Bowl” at the Memorial Coliseum in, Los Angeles, California. The first Super Bowl was watched by 61,946 fans at the Coliseum, and more than 73 million television viewers. Last year about 143 million television viewers watched the Super Bowl. This yearly competition has become a tradition in many households across The United States. Usually played in January…this year the game will be played on the first Sunday in February. Ironically, February is also known as Snack Food month. So, we have included some great snack recipes that will make any Super Bowl party a sure winner.

Oh- by the way…The Packers won the first Super Bowl.

Super Bowl Recipes:

Jalapeno Poppers

12 oz. cream cheese, softened
1- 8 oz. package shredded Monterrey jack cheese w/ jalapenos.
25 jalapeno peppers, seeded and halved
1 cup milk
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup dry breadcrumbs
oil

In a medium bowl, mix the cream cheese, and cheese. Blanch the pepper halves for 2 minutes, drain and dry thoroughly. Spoon cheese mixture into the jalapeno pepper halves. Put the milk and flour into two separate small bowls. Dip the stuffed jalapenos first into the milk then into the flour, making sure they are well coated with each.
Allow the coated jalapenos to dry for about 10 minutes. Dip the jalapenos in milk again and roll them through the breadcrumbs.

Allow them to dry, then repeat. Deep fry for 2 to 3 minutes each, until golden brown. Remove and let drain on a paper towel.

Spinach Dip

1- 11oz. pkg. frozen spinach
1- 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese
1/2 cup plain yogurt
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-T. of chopped water chestnuts (if desired)
dash of hot sauce
1 tsp. salt

Cook spinach according to package directions. Drain thoroughly. Place all ingredients in blender and process until smooth. Chill several hours before serving with vegetables or chips.

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Featured Holiday – Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday

Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday (observed) – (First Monday in January) This day honors a great man in US history. He was a man who was very well educated, compassionate, and an outstanding leader. He fought hard for the civil rights of the African American people. He had tremendous courage and never wavered in his beliefs. Unfortunately, he was also hated by many. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 15th. Four days after his death, Congressman John Conyers, introduced legislation for a holiday honoring this esteemed man. After fifteen years with no progress…A petition with 6 million signatures was submitted to Congress. In 1983, President Ronald Reagan signed into law, that the third Monday in January The United States of America would celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday. His actual birthday is January 15.

Since there are no specific recipes for this holiday…I have decided to include recipes from Dr. Kings’ favorite type of food, French Cuisine. I looked for some of the best. After all, his memory deserves no less!

Martin Luther King, Jr. Recipes:

Salade Niçoise

8 potatoes
4 tomatoes (sliced)
4 hard boiled eggs (quartered)
1 green pepper (sliced)
20 green olives
1 can of albacore tuna (drained and crushed)
12 anchovy fillets
1 shallot (minced)
1 tsp hot mustard
5 T. olive oil
3 T. vinegar
salt & pepper to taste

- Cook the potatoes in salted boiling water

- Meanwhile, prepare the sauce : mix the mustard, minced shallot, and vinigar. Slowly add olive oil, and salt & pepper.

- When potatoes are cooked, cool them under cold water and peel them. Cut them in thick slices. Gently put them in a big salad bowl and cover with half of the sauce.

- Mix eggs with olives and anchovies.

- Gently add all the ingredients to the potatoes except the egg mixture.

-Mix all with great care (you don’t want to crush the potato slices) then top the salad with the egg quarters and the rest of sauce.

Cheese & Chive Fondue

6 teaspoons unsalted butter
1 onion, very finely chopped
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
2/3 cup sour cream
2 cups grated Gruyère
2 cups grated Cheddar
2 Tablespoons chopped, fresh chives
freshly ground black pepper

Serve with: small cooked sausages, cooked fingerling potatoes, use your imagination.

1. Melt the butter over low heat in a saucepan or fondue pot. Add onion and cook slowly until softened – about 5 minutes.

2. Stir in the flour; then stir in the sour cream and cook for about 2 minut

3. Add the cheeses and cook, stirring, until the mixture is smooth.

4. Add the chives and season with the pepper.

5. Pour the fondue into a fondue pot and place over the lit burner.

CREME BRULEE (my personal favorite)

8 egg yokes
1/3 c. granulated sugar
2 c. heavy cream
1 tsp. pure bourbon vanilla
1/4 c. granulated white sugar

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together egg yokes and sugar until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is thick and pale yellow. Add cream and vanilla, and continue to whisk until well blended. Strain into large bowl, skimming off any foam or bubbles.

Divide mixture among 6 ramekins. Place in a 13×9 inch pan filled with enough water that the ramekins are emerged halfway in the water. Bake until set around the edges, but loose in the center…about 50 minutes to an hour. Longer for larger ramekins. Remove from the oven and leave in the 13×9 with water until cool. Chill for 4 hours or up to 2 days.

Just before serving, sprinkle about 2 tsp. of sugar over each. To caramelize the sugar, use a small hand held torch until sugar is melted and golden brown ( take your time). Serve.

NOTE: If you do not have a hand held torch; you can broil them. Place the custards on baking sheet, no more than 5 inches away from heat. Turn if needed. WATCH CLOSELY!

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Featured Holiday – New Years

NEW YEAR’S DAY - is celebrated on January 1st. It was not always celebrated on this day…or even in the month of January. Up until the time of Julius Caesar, the Romans celebrated the new year in March. Caesar decided to change the Roman New Year’s Day to January 1st in honor of Janus (a Roman god). Janus was always described as having two faces – One looking back to the past, and one looking forward to the future. Constantine took over the Roman empire and excepted Christianity. He decided to keep New Year’s Day on January 1st, but he turned it into a day of fasting and prayer instead of maintaining the usual “party” day. Not everyone agreed with the first day of January as New Year’s Day. In 1582 Great Britain and the British Colonies in America still observed the month of March for the beginning of the new year. It wasn’t until 1752 that Great Britain and it’s Colonies embraced the new Gregorian calendar. That is when January 1st became more widely accepted as the “official” New Year’s Day. There are still countries that do not embrace this as the beginning of a new year. They are mostly countries that still use the Julian calendar.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

New Years Eve Party Recipes:

BRUCHETTA

10 plum tomatoes diced
3 cloves minced garlic
3/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
French or Italian bread slices

In a medium bowl, mix all ingredients except bread; set aside. Toast slices of French or Italian bread. Serve tomato mixture, room temperature in a bowl with a spoon and lots of toasted bread slices. ENJOY!

Champagne Fruit Punch

Ice Blocks
24 ounces pineapple juice
2 T. lime juice
One bottle champagne
1 quart lemon, pineapple, or other flavored sherbet

Chill all ingredients. Place ice blocks in bowl. Add juices to bowl. Stir in champagne and scoops of sherbet just before serving.

You can find more here.

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