Gridiron Grub -

by Borracho

Gridiron Grub: Say it ain’t Samosa

If you have been following this series you know it is for those of us that are just slightly snobby when it comes to food but still love the flavors and feel of tailgating. I must apologize though, because we are in week 10 of the NFL season and I have not suggested a single dish for the large population of vegetarians who read ES. To be fair, football is pretty carnivore-centric: stadiums and tailgaters produce and consume huge amounts of all sorts of grilled meats; football terms like pigskin, alligator arms, wing formation, wishbone and meathead abound, and yet I felt bad for my oversight and thought I would make amends this week to all of our vegetarian friends.

Every culture has their own way of making a pocket of bread and filling it with all sorts of tasty goodness, whether vegan, pescatarian, freegan, flexitarian or unitarian. A samosa is a stuffed pastry popular in parts of Asia and Africa. I have had delicious versions with peas, lentils, ground chicken/beef and a whole lot more, but it is a dish most people do not tackle ( I was shocked to see that even ES hadn’t touched on the subject before). So here’s my take on one of the original hot pockets:

by Borracho

Gridiron Grub: Fish Tacos and Chips

To be honest, I don’t have much of a creative process. In fact it is more like a train of thought that often goes completely off the rails. To give you an idea, let me illustrate how I came up with what I wanted to try for this week’s Gridiron Grub post:

Hmmm, I have to write another Gridiron Grub post————Crap, what am I going to write about————Can I do something about the NFL game that was in London between San Francisco and Denver?————Man do they both stink! I can see why UK would rather watch soccer————Do I know anything about British Food?————Yorkshire pudding, fish & chips, Spotted Dick————Ha! Spotted Dick————Am I 12 yrs old?————Man, this is tough, I want a taco————(15 minutes later)————Fish Tacos and Chips!!

So here you go, for your next football gathering, whether in the US or across the pond, try Fish: Halibut tacos with Pickled Cabbage-Jalapeno Slaw and Crema and Chips: Salted Lime Jicama chips.

by Borracho

Gridiron Grub: Sweet P Slices

So here we are again, another week of football and food. This entire series came from the idea that the two go hand-in-hand in this country. It is so ingrained in our culture that even someone who has no interest in the sport has probably attended a Super Bowl Party or gone tailgating. I remember 2 things about the first Super Bowl party I ever attended: that girls were invited (back when they still had cooties) and that we got to stay up late and order whatever toppings we wanted on our pizza.

Just like your favorite football team or player, pizza is always up for debate. Whether it is what cities or shops make the best pizza or whether you choose to call it a pie, tray or dish, everyone always have very strong opinions. My go-to pizza is a vodka sauce-covered cut of Old Forge style pizza, but I don’t think I have met a pizza yet I didn’t enjoy. This week, after daydreaming about a fave local Indian restaurant but not getting a chance to go, I decided to mash up the taste of Indian sweet potato roti and a laundry list of ingredients I had on hand for Sweet P Slices:

Recipe after the jump.

in Recipe 4 comments

by Borracho

Gridiron Grub: Bye Week

Some of you may be familiar with the concept of a bye week in sports. During the season teams get a week or two without a game scheduled to relax and recoup. Practices are minimal and they get to spend time at home. This week is the first bye week in the NFL and it coincides with one year of wedded bliss for Wifey and I.

Wifey is well aware of my sports addiction and was even okay when we scheduled our wedding so that it would not conflict with any major PSU games. Because of her patience with me in this, and many other matters, we had some quality time planned this weekend. I also thought it would be a great opportunity for me to slack off and have my own bye week by opening up Gridiron Grub to all the ES readers.

Here at ES, we do love our pizza and have talked about it many, many, many, many times, but it is a classic football party food so next week it is my turn to try a riff on it.

This week however, we want to hear from you. What are your favorite pizza combos/recipes?

Share a description, recipe or photo in the comments and we will choose our favorite to be featured in next week’s post alongside my celery root puree and white clam/bacon pizzas, and of course, to “bask in the people’s ovation and fame forever.”

in Bacon / Cheese 4 comments

by Borracho

Gridiron Grub: French Onion Soup Sandwich

“Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.”

That is one of my favorite quotes about teamwork and the spirit of those words is part of why I love sports so much. We see time and time again that individual stars get paid the big bucks but often it is the team that works together best that has the most success. The same could be said for cooking. While quality ingredients are important, the simplest ingredients can really come together with just some time, effort, technique and a sense of fun.

With that in mind, it has been a rain-filled and cold week on the East Coast so I was in the mood for soup and a sandwich. Here’s the spin I put on a traditional combo for wifey and I to enjoy while cheering on PSU football Saturday night.

Open-faced French Onion Soup Sandwich

First you must recruit. So to assemble your team of ingredients, here is what I went with: 4tbsp clarified butter, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 lb onions sliced lengthwise, 8 oz beef stock, cup of spiced apple wine (I had it on hand from a local winery but feel free to use any white wine you like), c grated apple wood smoked Gruyere,red onion ciabatta bread and parsley.

in Cheese / Drinks / Recipe / Red Meat / Sandwich 3 comments

by Borracho

Gridiron Grub: Peach Bourbon Wonton with Gorgonzola Mornay Sauce

If you saw the first post in our Gridiron Grub series, you know that I am a fan of the Philadelphia Eagles. If the fact that I am writing about football food once a week doesn’t turn you off, the fact that I am an Eagles fan might.

Philadelphia sports fans get a pretty bad rap and only some of it is deserved. We’ve been accused of throwing snowballs at Santa, cheering when opposing players get hurt, throwing batteries on the field and earlier this year, there was coverage of this disgusting incident. Particularly well known is Section 700 of the old Veteran’s Stadium. It was home to a group of especially rowdy and inebriated fans.

I have had a difficult time getting excited about this year’s team considering we traded one of the most respectable guys in the league and are now starting the infamous Ron Mexico. Because of this, I have been reminiscing about some of the great times I have had with friends at games through the years.

This week’s recipe I put together as a testament to the 700 Section and all the other fans out there like me. Fiery and sweet; fun and a little boozy.

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by Borracho

Gridiron Grub: Roasted Tomato and Chevre Chiles

I can explain the merits of a 3-4 versus a 4-3 defense. I know the 3^rd string running back on your favorite team, what college he went to and can discuss why I think his downhill running style will compliment their style of offense. The first professional photograph I ever took was a 10 month old Borracho in a Philadelphia Eagles sweatsuit! I love football and have watched countless hours of games and been to numerous stadiums.

Fans go to stadiums hours (and sometimes days) before games to tailgate. They set up in parking lots across the country with everything from disposable charcoal grills to elaborate set-ups of culinary ingenuity that fill the pre-game air with delicious scents. Once you’re inside a stadium, there are always options; different towns have their own signature foods and some stadiums even go as far as: sushi, Rocky Mountain oysters , lobster rolls, ahi tuna sandwiches and even pork chops on a stick!

While the hospitality is great, I have seen too many burnt wings, lukewarm dips, stale chips and flat beer. This is the year that I say no more! I am on a quest to sack traditional edibles and up the quality of football food. Some will be familiar gridiron grub, some tributes to various cities and some will come from your suggestions. Because sometimes you need to call an audible to make something happen.

in Cheese / Recipe 11 comments

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