Upscale Appetizers

Greetings fellow and lady food lovers. Behold the power of the football party and behold the excitement which ensues when good friends get together to watch the giants of the field collide in an awesome display of strategy. OK, fine, it's a fancy way of saying, "Hi all, let's get together and watch football at my place and root for our favorite teams". But, why does the food served at the parties have to be simple?

You can go with the standard peanuts, chips, and dips OR you could opt for some finer foods prepared just as simply. Through the wonder of convenience many foods come half prepared in the grocery stores even as we speak. All we have to do, is bring them home, unwrap them, and finish them off 15 minutes before people arrive. This gives the appearance that we spent all day in the kitchen and might just make the party-goers that much more eager to try new and different things.

For example, in South Carolina, Fried Chicken Livers are one of the many foods of choice for Sunday get-togethers. What would happen if you baked them instead and served them on toast? Making croutons out of French bread and creating a smoked salmon and goat cheese dip instead of Chili con Queso; the former brings another level to your team's victory. Caviar gets a bad rap by being cured in a ton of salt. The way to off set the salt is to serve it with bread and sour cream, perhaps in a puff pastry.

Finger foods in any form are the preferred snack for football afficiandos, no matter where they live. People want to watch the game without distraction without having to look at where to put the second bite of food they just picked up. Here are a couple of suggestions for your next get-together while you are watching the Dallas Cowboys win again (Who said that?). Bon Appetit

Croutons with Salmon and Goat Cheese 
Serves 4

1 Tbsp red onion, minced 
1 Tbsp capers 
2 tsp dill, minced 
12 slices French bread 
Olive oil
4 oz (120 g) goat cheese
3 oz (90 g) smoked salmon
Dill sprigs

Preheat oven to 350 ° F (175° C). Blend first 3 ingredients in a small bowl. Arrange bread on baking sheet and brush with olive oil. Bake 10 minutes and cool to room temp. Spread croutons with goat cheese, top with caper mixture, and then top with salmon. Garnish with dill sprigs and serve.


Caviar Puffs 
Serves 12

1 sheet puff pastry, thawed 
1 egg, beaten with 1 tsp water 
2/3 Cup (1-1/3 dl) sour cream, chilled
1, 2 oz jar (60 g) each, black and gold caviar*

Preheat oven to 400 ° F (200° C). Roll out dough to 11 inches (300 + cm) square. Trim edges to form a 10 inch (300 cm) square. Cut dough into 25 - 2-inch (5 cm) squares. At corner of each square, score the pastry towards the center without cutting through. Fold all other points of each square to the center and press to seal. repeat with all remaining squares. Brush pastry squares with egg mixture and arrange on baking sheet. Bake until golden and puffed, about 10-12 minutes. Cool to room temperature. Spoon sour cream into center of each square and place 1/4 teaspoon each black and gold caviar on top. Reserve remaining caviar for another occasion. Garnish with chopped chives, if desired and serve immediately.

* If you do not like caviar, serve with your favorite seafood (e.g. crab, shrimp, smoked salmon, etc.)

---

The Power of Cheese By Chef, Richard Lipton

I never really understood football until my father explained to me the logistics behind the game. All that first down talk, 4th and goal with 2 seconds on the clock. . . excitement never really clicked until I watched my first Alabama college game. "ROLL TIDE" was shouted every time a touchdown was scored, and the excitement in my father's voice seemed to put things in perspective. I knew it was important to him, college honor and all, so I had to find my "own" team to root for whether they were any good or not.

After attending the University of South Carolina and watching the Gamecocks play, I still had not found the team I wanted to root for. They were good, on occasion, but the number of college football teams out there are staggering. So I decided to narrow the playing field, as it were, and go "pro". After spending four years in Texas, the Dallas Cowboys became my team of choice. They were playing well, during my time there, and they just had something that stuck in my mind (could have been the cheerleaders, but who knows for sure?).

Whatever does this have to do with food and why is this Chef talking football in the food section? Football game after football game, be it on TV or in person, one thing remains the same --- tailgate parties. People in the parking lot cooking food on the grills of their cars, bringing BBQ grills bigger than their cars, and handing out food to passers-by just because they are there to root for their team(s). You have to eat to keep your strength up to cheer as loud and long as you can for everything. Sometimes I think that cheering for your team burns more calories than actually playing the game itself.

While I have not attended many professional football games, I do like to have some treats before, during, and after the game. I suspect that most people feel the same, having watched tailgate party after tailgate party on TV.

What do chefs prepare for their tailgate parties? Well, there are two answers to that. There are those chefs who "make" their way to another establishment and pick up food to bring home. Then you have those chefs that will wake up early in the morning, invite friends over, and begin the task of creating the perfect and innovative tailgate food for their guests. And, while chicken wings remain the number one party/tailgate food overall, why stop there?

Cheese (bet you were wondering when I would get to the point) is one of the most versatile foods around, lending itself easily to many different recipes perfect for tailgate parties. Here are a few suggestions to prepare for some guests coming over to root for the Dallas Cowboys (or the New Orleans Saints ,if you prefer). Feel free to substitute your favorite ingredient and or dip some fish/chicken/meat in the fondue as desired. Enjoy the games, have fun, and bon appetit.

Recipes from this article