In Which I Become a Student of Football
16 Aug 2010 2 Comments
in Football, Recipes Tags: football, Joe, recipes
So, most of you know that Joe is what can be called, in the understatement of the century, a football fan. He loves the Patriots in particular, and they are His Team, but he also just loves the game of football. He tweets not so he can say nice things to me on the internet, but so he can follow football stuff. Suffice it to say, that to him football is life.
Enter Meghan. I’ve watched maybe 10 football games in my entire life, couldn’t tell you what the rules of the game are besides the word “Touchdown!” I was utterly ambivalent about football. Couldn’t really see the point, actually.
Joe has decided that I am going to learn football though. Last week he embarked on what he’s calling Football 101. That entailed using the new Madden PS3 game to show me basic plays and concepts, then watching the first Patriots pre-season game with him and his brother.
So far, I have to say my verdict is….. I like it. Football seems to be something I can get behind. Making fun new recipes for snacks, then curling up on the couch with my boyfriend is ok in my book. And honestly, he’s an amazing teacher, and his love for the game shows. He always wants me to ask questions, and doesn’t get frustrated when he has to explain the concept of a fourth down multiple times to me. And even once the regular season starts and I can’t curl up against him during Patriots games (apparently he really gets into them, haha) I think watching with him will make the difference for me.
But really, right now, for me it’s all about the eats. (When is it not, right?) Last week, when I knew we’d be watching the game I wanted to make it special. So I pulled out my faithful “Hot Recipes in Cool Dishes” by Tara McConnell for my Temp-Tations cookware, and chose a couple of recipes. I made queso fundido, a hot cheese and salsa dip, and her white chocolate macadamia nut blondies.
The verdict was surprising. The queso got mixed reviews. It’s a cream cheese and sour cream dip, mixed with salsa, oregano, and cayenne, then topped with cheddar-jack and baked. I think it’s a make-again-at-some-point dish, but it’s not going to be a regular in my rotation. The blondies however, practically got a standing ovation. Joe says they’re better than my Outrageous Brownies. And I have literally been chased down hallways for that recipe, so you know this has to be good!
Pre-season eats!
White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Brownies
By Tara McConnell
Preheat oven to 350, spray a 9×13 pan with Pam. (Temp-Tations pans are best, obviously)
Whisk together 3 sticks of melted butter, 3 cups of packed light brown sugar, 2 eggs, and 4 teaspoons of vanilla extract (best quality you can find. I use the Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla from Williams Sonoma. It’s worth it’s seemingly hefty price tag because it lasts quite a while and elevates even the most ordinary baked good to the sublime).
Stir in 3 cups of all-purpose flour and 3 tsps of baking powder with a rubber spatula. Then fold in 1 1/2 cups of white chocolate chips (I used Godiva) and 2 cups of macadamia nuts (I accidentally only had 1 cups, but my batter was sufficiently nutty. I’ll let Joe weigh in with his verdict on whether he wants the second cup or not in the comments section.)
Bake it in the greased pan for 40-45 minutes and let cool completely. Then be prepared for hugs and impressed looks. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. 
Looking forward to lots of football games to come! And also accepting suggestions for future game-day-eats recipes!
