Super Bowl Snacking: The Two Minute Drill

You told yourself you wouldn’t do it this year. That you’d be ready and have everything planned out. Now, here it is, a mere 5 hours before kick off (10 if you count all the pre-game bullsh*t), and you’ve got no food ready. You may not have even hit the store yet. Well fear not, we’ve got you covered. Check out the links from our past recipes below for quick and easy crowd pleasers, then get your ass to the store, man! You can thank us later.

Let’s start with the most important thing, drinks.

• My Bloody Valentine: sparkling wine cocktail 
• The Dainty Lumberjack: apple cider, rye, and gumption 
• The Summer Sunset: citrusy goodness with a kick 
• The Hot Tommy: a cure for what ails you 
• The Kentucky Wake Up: to help you power through the second half 

Now for some snacks and appetizers.

• Captain Jack’s Cheesy Toasts: a party snack favorite of the saltiest sea dog to ever sail Lake Ontario
• Frito Pie: ‘Nuf said.
• Baked Spinach & Artichoke Dip in a Bread Bowl: the mother of all party foods; you need this in your life
• Deviled Duck’s: since it’s last minute, substitute chicken eggs for the duck eggs, and pork bacon for the duck bacon, unless you’ve got the most awesomely stocked pantry or grocery store in the universe.
• Greek Vegetable Pizza: for your vegetarian guests
• Rustic Italian Flatbread: another pizza-like device, this time with meat
• Truffled parmigiano popcorn: game day fanciness
• Greek Nachos: a little more involved but well worth the effort
• Dirty Bird Nachos: turkey nachos with bite
• Buffalo Chicken Meatballs: Again, ‘nuf said
• Boneless Chicken Tenders: in BBQ, honey mustard, and buffalo style
• Jerk Wings: delicious Jamaican-inspired wings with mango dipping sauce
• Spicy Lemon Hummus: for all your dipping needs
• Wasabi Soy Almonds: spicy roasted nuts
• Firey Maple Walnuts: back to where it all began; a sweet and spicy masterpiece

Prosciutto Cups with Ricotta & Balsamic Figs

From here on out you will only want to eat things out of little meat cups.

Fall is awesome. It’s not too cold, not too hot, you have an excuse to start making heartier meals, and watching football all day totally counts as an activity. It’s the total package, just like these little babies. Prosciutto cups always seemed difficult to us until we actually tried them (hint: it’s easy). The salty richness of the pig is balanced nicely by the freshness of the ricotta, and the whole thing is lifted by the sweet and slightly acidic balsamic glazed figs. Better stocked grocery stores will have fresh figs into early November so get on it and up your appetizer/snack game forever.

Equipment Needed: Muffin Tin, Small Cup or Mixing Bowl, Chef’s Knife, Cutting Board, Frying Pan, Spatula, Spoon

Ingredients:

• 12 slices prosciutto ($14.99/lb)
• 6 fresh black mission figs ($4.99/pt)
• 1/3 C balsamic vinegar ($8.99/32 oz)
• 1 TBSP maple sugar (you can substitute brown sugar if you can’t find maple sugar; we got ours at Kalustyan’s)($3.99/3 oz)
• Roughly 2 C fresh ricotta ($5.99/lb)
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary ($1.49/sprig)
• 1/4 C honey ($4.39/12 oz)

Preparation:

• Preheat the oven to 425° F.
• Pull the rosemary leaves off the sprigs and mince them up. Sprinkle some salt over the minced leaves and scrape them against the cutting board as you would if you were making a garlic paste.

Crush up the rosemary a bit to make it infuse better with the honey.

• Dump the rosemary into a small cup or container and pour the honey over it. Let that sit on the back of the stove to draw ambient heat and meld flavors while you cook everything else.
• To make the cups, take each slice of prosciutto and line each muffin compartment in the tin making sure that the bottom is completely covered. The end result should look like a cupcake wrapper. The prosciutto will inevitably split several times when you first attempt this. Resist the urge to put your fist through a wall and just be gentle and patient when handling each piece. Pop these in the oven for about 8-10 minutes or until they’re crisp.

The first few will frustrate the hell out of you and fall apart. The last few you will be able to do blindfolded.

• While the cups are cooking place your frying pan over medium heat. Add the balsamic vinegar and maple sugar and stir everything together. Let the vinegar reduce for about 8-10 minutes, stirring regularly so it doesn’t burn on the bottom.
• Keeping an eye on your vinegar while it reduces, remove the stems from the figs and slice them in half lengthwise. Once the sauce has thickened a bit place the figs in the pan, sliced side down. Let them sit and cook for 5 minutes; resist the urge to move them so they caramelize a bit.

The reduced balsamic will nicely balance the sweetness of the figs.

• Pull your prosciutto out of the oven when it’s crispy and set them aside to cool.
• Flip your fruit and cook for another 5 minutes to soften them through. Turn the heat off, pluck the figs out of the vinegar and set them aside to cool slightly.
• Carefully pull your prosciutto cups out of the tin and fill each one with a spoonful of ricotta. Place a fig on top of the cheese, sliced side up. Drizzle a little balsamic from the pan over top if you wish and then drizzle some of your rosemary honey over the whole lot for a sweet and earthy accent.

And rosemary honey because we said so.

Roasted Radishes with Anchovy Caper Butter

Sweet, crispy French breakfast radishes slathered in butter? Oui, Oui.

We’ve been trying to expand our veggie vocabulary a bit lately and the Greenmarket is just the place to inspire. A recent trip yielded some gorgeous looking French breakfast radishes that were practically begging us to take them home. Oh little madames and monsieurs, how about a little menage a trois with some anchovies and butter? Oui, oui. Mind if our friends butter and capers watch? No? Now it’s a party.

Equipment Needed: Cast Iron Skillet or Oven Safe Frying Pan, Cutting Board, Tongs, Microplane, Small Bowl or Cup, Fork

Serving Suggestion: Family Style

Servings: 6-8

Suggested Wine Pairing: Sauvignon Blanc, Sangiovese

Suggested Beer Pairing: Pilsners, Lighter Saisons, Dry Stouts

Ingredients:

• 1 lb French breakfast radishes (or regular radishes if you can’t find them) ($1.50/lb)
• 3 TBSP unsalted butter (room temperature) ($4.99/lb)
• 3 TBSP extra virgin olive oil ($8.99/32 oz)
• 1 lemon ($0.50/each)
• 3-4 anchovy fillets ($1.99/2 oz tin)
• 1-2 TSP capers ($1.99/3 oz jar)
• Coarse Sea Salt ($3.49/26 oz)
• Pepper

Preparation:

• Preheat the oven to 450° F. If you haven’t taken the butter out of the fridge yet do so, you’ll want that at room temperature.
• Scrub the radishes under cold water to remove any excess dirt, pull of any questionable leaves but keep the rest on. Dry the radishes and place them in your skillet to await their fate.
• In a small mixing bowl add the butter, 1 TSP capers, 3 anchovy fillets and the zest of a lemon.

So zesty.

• Squeeze in the juice of half of said lemon and stir the whole lot together, taking care to mash the unholy hell out of the anchovies so they incorporate into the butter. Give it a taste and adjust it to your liking; we typically add more anchovy and capers to brine things up a bit.

Whip it good.

• Toss the radishes in extra virgin olive oil until everything’s evenly coated. Sprinkle sea salt and pepper over top and toss another anchovy fillet into the mix. It’ll melt down while the roots are roasting and lend a subtle umami kick to the veggies. Pop ‘em in the oven for 12 minutes, turn ‘em and cook for another 12 minutes.

Coat the radishes evenly.

• After the cooking time is up turn the oven off, spread some of the anchovy butter over each radish and pop them back in the oven for another minute to let everything melt together. Plate ‘em up and serve with leftover butter for dipping.

Make it a happy ending with a healthy slathering of butter.

Captain Jack’s Cheesy Toasts

Unquestionably the greatest party food of all time.

These delicious little cheese bombs hold a soft spot in our hearts; they’ve always been a part of our Christmas Eve celebration with our neighbors and were a favorite of our family friend, Jack. There’s no reason to limit yourself to special occasions for these puppies. The prep is quick, the ingredients are basic, and the results are consistently delicious. Think of it as an upgrade to your boring cheese and crackers.

Equipment Needed: 2 Baking Sheets, Mixing Bowl, Large Fork, Spatula, Aluminum Foil

Serving Suggestion: Family Style

Servings: 8-10

Suggested Wine Pairing: Oaky whites or lighter reds

Suggested Beer Pairing: A cold Coors Light in honor of Captain Jack (or whatever you’re drinking)

Ingredients:

• 1 cocktail loaf rye bread (about $3/loaf)
• 1/2 small onion (you’ll need enough for 3 TBSP) ($0.99/lb)
• 8 oz shredded mozzarella cheese ($4.49/8 oz bag)
• 1/2 C mayonnaise ($3.99/15 oz jar)
• 1 TBSP dijon mustard ($3.85/8 oz jar)
• 2 TBSP grated horseradish ($1.99/6 oz jar)
• 1/3 C bacon bits (this is the ONLY time you’ll ever see us recommend imitation bacon bits; staying true to the original recipe is a matter of principle on this one)(about $3/3 oz jar)
• Salt
• Pepper

Preparation:

• Preheat the oven to 375 °. Line your baking sheets with aluminum foil so you don’t spend the rest of the night scrubbing burnt cheese off of them.
• Lay out the rye bread slices in an individual layer across the baking sheets. You don’t need to leave that much room between them but you’ll want to be able to get a spatula in there.
• Pour your mozzarella into the mixing bowl. Mince up the equivalent of 3 tablespoons of onion and toss that in too. Add the mayonnaise, mustard, horseradish, bacon bits and a pinch of salt and pepper, and stir everything together. Give it a taste and adjust as necessary.

Separate the cheese so you don’t get huge clumps on your toast.

• Spread a forkful of the mix onto each of the pieces of bread. Pop them in the oven until the cheese is baked to a golden brown. This should take about 8-10 minutes. If you value having sensation in the roof of your mouth, as well as the ability to taste your food, let them cool for at least 3 minutes before serving.

Resist the urge to put too much on each piece, it will spill over and be a waste of cheesy goodness.

Kale Caesar Salad

All kale Emperor Caesar!

Caesar salad; delicious classic that can run the risk of getting boring. Without bastardizing things too much we found some baby kale to add a little bitterness and texture, added bacon (surprise!), and used sourdough for the croutons. The result was a slightly heartier version that played well with our more traditional dressing (make your own and you’ll never go back to the store-bought stuff). Um…romaine who?

Equipment Needed: Frying Pan, Blender or Food Processor, Chef’s Knife, Cutting Board, Wooden Spoon, Paper Towels, Sieve or Salad Spinner, Small Mixing Bowl, Fork

Serving Suggestion: Family Style

Servings: 4-6

Suggested Wine Pairing: Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc 

Suggested Beer Pairing: Pale Ale, Black IPA, Dry Stouts

Ingredients:

• 10 oz baby kale (you can use two bunches of normal kale if you can’t find the other stuff) ($4.49/5 oz package)
• 6 slices sourdough bread (about $3.99/loaf)
• 6 slices thick cut bacon ($7.99/lb)
• 4 eggs ($12.99/lb
• 2 lemons ($0.50/each)
• 2-3 cloves garlic ($2.99/lb)
• 4-5 anchovy fillets ($1.99/12 oz tin)
• 1/2 C Parmigianna Reggiano cheese ($12.99/lb)
• 1 TSP capers ($2/3 oz jar)
• 1/2 TSP ground mustard ($3.49/3 oz)
• 1/2 TSP cayenne pepper ($2/3.5 oz jar)
• 1/4 C & 3 TBSP extra virgin olive oil, separated ($8.99/32 oz)
• Salt
• Pepper

Dressing Preparation:

• Separate your eggs and pour the yolks into your blender (or food processor). Peel and crush the garlic cloves and toss them in as well.

Separate your eggs over a different bowl so you don’t run the risk of getting egg whites in the dressing,

• Squeeze in the juice of 1 1/2 lemons and grate in about 1/2 a cup of Parmigianna Regianno. Throw in the anchovies, mustard, cayenne pepper, a pinch of salt and pepper, and a teaspoon’s worth of capers. Blend the whole lot together.

Start with the juice of one lemon and add more to taste. We ended up using 1 1/2.

The anchovies will provide the umami backbone for the dressing.

• Once the solids have broken down slowly pour in 1/4 C of extra virgin olive oil. Be careful not to thin it out too much, though; the dressing should still be able to coat a spoon without running off that easily.
• Taste, taste, taste. Caesar dressing is all about the right balance and is more art than science. The flavors will need a little time to meld, though, so stop when it’s at the brink of where you want it then pop the dressing in the fridge for an hour. You can always go back and readjust more later.

Salad Preparation:

• Sift through your kale and throw out any overly wilted or rotten leaves. Rinse, dry and set aside.
• Place the frying pan over medium heat and add your strips of bacon. While your piggie pieces are crisping up take the sourdough bread and cut it into 1/2-1 inch cubes and set aside.
• When the bacon is nicely crisped up remove it from the pan and drain it on paper towels. Leave the fat in the frying pan, though, as this is going to help flavor your croutons. Yes, bacon fat croutons.
• Thow in the bread cubes and stir so they get evenly coated with the remaining fat. Drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil over everything to provide the extra lubrication required and salt and pepper liberally. Leave the bread to sit for about 4 minutes per side and once it’s crisped stir it up to fry the other sides.

Don’t stir the bread too much but make sure it doesn’t burn.

• In a large mixing bowl add the kale and pour the dressing over the top. Toss the leaves thoroughly to ensure even coverage.
• Cut the bacon into thin strips crosswise. Sprinkle over the greenery and add croutons until you’re satiated. Stir it up if you want to further incorporate the dressing or eat it as is to keep the flavors distinct. Grate some extra cheese on top if your heart desires and get to it.

Warm Mushroom and Arugula Salad

The umami and warmth of the mushrooms plays nicely with the richness of the cheddar and the peppery bite of the arugula.

This dish was inspired by a meal Jake had at the restaurant Fore Street in Portland, ME. Their version used black trumpet mushrooms and clothbound cheddar, which we didn’t have access to, but we think we’ve done it justice. For a meatless salad that eats like a meal look no further.

Equipment Needed: Frying Pan, Chef’s Knife, Cutting Board, Wooden Spoon, Paper Towels, Sieve or Salad Spinner, Small Mixing Bowl, Fork

Serving Suggestion: Individual Plating

Servings: 4-6

Suggested Wine Pairing:  Cabernet Sauvignon, Rioja, Malbec 

Suggested Beer Pairing: Porter, Stout, Bitter Ale

Ingredients:

• 5 oz arugula ($3.49/5 oz package)
• 2 lbs. baby bella or crimini mushrooms ($2.99/lb)
• 1 large shallot ($2.99/lb)
• 2 cloves garlic ($2.99/lb)
• 6 oz porter cheddar (or any good aged cheddar) (about $8.99/lb)
• 1 C walnuts (about $8.99/lb)
• 2 TBSP unsalted butter ($4.99/lb)
• 2 TBSP & 1/4 C extra virgin olive oil, divided ($8.99/32 oz)
• 2 TBSP whole grain mustard ($4.99/8oz jar)
• 1 TBSP honey ($4.39/12 oz)
• 4 TBSP balsamic vinegar, divided ($8.99/32 oz)
• Salt
• Pepper

Dressing Preparation:

• In your small mixing bowl combine the mustard, 1/4 C of olive oil, 2 TBSP balsamic vinegar and your honey. Add a pinch of salt and pepper and whisk everything vigorously with a fork. Give it a taste to adjust the flavors to your liking and set it aside.

Salad Preparation:

• Peel your shallots and garlic. Cut the shallots into quarters, lengthwise, and then go on to slice each piece thinly. Crush and mince the garlic and combine the two in a small bowl.

Slice your shallots thinly so they cook down more easily.

• Using a damp paper towel, wipe off your mushrooms and slice them thinly. Place the frying pan over medium heat and add the olive oil. When it’s shimmering add the mushrooms with a palmful of salt and pepper. Let them cook down for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, and then add the garlic and shallots.
• Pour in 2 TBSP of balsamic vinegar and let everything cook down for another 10 minutes and take off the burner.
• Wash and dry your arugula and put it in your serving bowl. Take the cheddar and cut it first into quarter inch thick slices and then into quarter inch cubes. Set aside separately from the arugula.

Cut your cheddar into tiny little cubes known as brunoise, a classic knife technique.

• Place a frying pan over medium head and add a tablespoon of butter. Make sure to swirl it around the pan to coat the bottom. Add your walnut pieces and let them sit for about 4 minutes (make sure to check at 3 minutes; if they smell like they’re burning, they probably are).
• Stir the walnuts and sprinkle on some salt and pepper. Toast for another 4 minutes and remove from the heat.

Watch the walnuts carefully. Toasted = delicious. Burnt = not so much.

• We suggest layering things as follows: Arugula, mushrooms, walnuts, and cheddar. Drizzle some dressing across the top of the whole lot and graze away.

Frito Pie

So wrong, yet so right.

We’ve been intrigued with this Southern delicacy ever since we first saw it on the menu at one of our favorite dive bars in Williamsburg. This meaty pile of semi-shameful indiscretion is as delicious as it is sounds, whether you’re under the influence or not. Resist the urge to overthink the chili and let a few simple ingredients do work. Just be forewarned, this may replace nachos as your favorite meat/cheese/corn chip combination.

Equipment Needed: 5 Qt Pot with Lid, Chef’s Knife, Cutting Board, Cheese Grater, Can Opener, Wooden Spoon

Serving Suggestion: Individual Plating

Servings: 6

Suggested Wine Pairing: You’re eating Frito pie; you should just drink what you want

Suggested Beer Pairing: Whatever’s clever. (see: Eating Frito Pie)

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. ground beef (we recommend an 80/20 mix) ($3.99/lb)
• 1 large onion ($0.99/lb)
• 1 jalapeno pepper ($2.99/lb)
• 4 cloves garlic ($2.99/lb)
• 1 15 oz can of black beans ($1.19/15 oz can)
• 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes ($2.49/28 oz can)
• 1 6 oz can can tomato paste ($0.99/6 oz can)
• 1 TBSP cumin ($3.50/2 oz jar)
• 1 TBSP chili powder ($1.50/4 oz jar)
• 2 TSP liquid smoke ($2.89/3 oz)
• 1 TBSP paprika ($3/2 oz jar)
• 1 TSP cayenne pepper ($2/3.5 oz jar)
• 1 TBSP balsamic vinegar ($8.99/32 oz))
• 1 TSP sugar ($2.39/2 lb box)
• 1 10.5 oz bag Frito corn chips ($3.29/10.5 oz bag)
• 8 oz cheddar cheese ($8.99/lb)
• 3 TBSP extra virgin olive oil ($8.99/32 oz)
• Salt
• Pepper

Preparation:

• Finely dice your onion and mince your garlic. Wash your jalapeno thoroughly, halve it and remove the seeds and ribs (leave the seeds in if you want a spicier chili).

Finely dice the jalapeno so it melds easier in the chili.

• Put the pot over medium heat and add your olive oil. Throw in the onions first and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Stirring every minute or so, cook the onions for 5 minutes then add the garlic and jalapeno. Cook everything down for another 5 minutes and add in your beef.
• Salt and pepper the beef, making sure to break it up with your spoon. Stir everything together so the veggies are mixed throughout the meat. Add in the cumin, chili powder, paprika, and cayenne pepper and give it another good stir. Cook the meat mixture until it’s lightly browned, stirring occasionally (about 10 minutes or so).
• Spoon in the tomato paste and pour in the crushed tomatoes. Add the liquid smoke, vinegar, sugar, a few healthy pinches of salt and a good dose of black pepper. Turn the heat to low and let everything simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally so the bottom doesn’t burn.

Use diced or break up whole canned tomatoes if you want chunkier chili.

• While your chili is bubbling away shred up the cheddar and set it aside in a bowl for later.
• Drain the beans and stir them in to the mix. Taste everything and re-season as you see fit. Once the flavors are to your liking cook it down for another 10 minutes to finish it off.

We prefer black beans for this one but go nuts with your legume of preference.

• Take a handful of Fritos and put them in a soup bowl or plate. Spoon a couple healthy heaps of chili over the top of them and sprinkle cheese over the whole lot.

Devil Ducks (aka, Deviled Duck Eggs)

So much delicious duck in such a tiny package.

We’ve had a soft spot in our hearts for deviled eggs ever since we can remember having our Nana’s at family Christmas gatherings. The traditional recipe is hard to beat but we recently had the good fortune of coming into the possession of duck eggs, which oddly coincided with our discovery of possibly one of the greatest things in the world, D’Artagnan’s duck bacon. You can make the below recipe with good ‘ol fashioned chicken eggs and pig bacon, but we couldn’t leave well enough alone. Just be careful about making more than one egg per person; duck eggs are larger and fattier so they can be overwhelming once you go back for seconds.

Equipment Needed: 5 Qt Pot with Lid, Frying Pan, Chef’s Knife, Cutting Board, Large Fork, Mixing Bowl, Paper Towels

Serving Suggestion: Family Style

Servings: 6

Suggested Wine Pairing: Crisp and acidic whites to combat the fattiness (e.g., Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris) or lighter reds

Suggested Beer Pairing: Something crisp like an American Lager or Pilsner

Ingredients:

• 6 duck eggs (these are about $1 each, substitute with chicken eggs at will)
• 6 strips D’Artagnan duck bacon ($12.99/8 oz)(you can also use regular bacon, you serf)
• 1/2 C mayonnaise ($3.99/15 oz jar)
• 2 TBSP dijon mustard ($3.85/8 oz jar)
• 1-2 TBSP horseradish ($1.79/6 oz jar)

Preparation:

• Fill your pot about 2/3 full with water, gently place your duck eggs in (you don’t want them to accidentally crack) and put it over high heat, covered.
• While your water is coming to a boil place the frying pan over medium heat and add the duck bacon. This can be a little on the rarer side, so be careful not to char it up (2-3 minutes per side should be fine). Put the cooked pieces on paper towels to drain.
• Once your water is boiling let it go for another 5 minutes then turn it off and let the eggs sit for another 5 minutes in the hot water. Once your 10 minutes is up carefully pour out the water and replace it with cold water to shock the eggs and stop the cooking. We even pop them in the fridge sometimes to speed up the process (this is probably some violation of classic technique but whatever).

Be sure to use a pot that gives the eggs room to move a bit.

• In the mixing bowl stir together the mustard, mayo and horseradish. We recommend doing about half of each at first to make sure you like the taste and then add more of each to your liking.
• Once your eggs are cool shell them and cut them in half. Take 4 of the yolks and toss them in the mixing bowl with your mayohorsetard sauce. Crush them up and stir it together with your fork until everything’s integrated. Add more yolk if you prefer but you can also save them for a salad later (remember that you’ve now got a lot of filling for 12 egg halves).
• Take your bacon and chop it in to tiny crumbles for your topping.

It's safe to say that our lives are now better knowing that duck bacon is a thing.

• Using your fork, scoop some of the yolk/sauce mixture into each egg half and set them on a plate. Sprinkle a healthy dose of bacon on top of each and go duck yourself.

Fill 'er up.

Greek Vegetable Pizza

Like having a Mediterranean garden on a little island of dough.

We can’t eat meat all the time, no matter how much we wish it was possible. For those times when the circles of meatlessness and pizza overlap on your Venn diagram of hunger (how’s that for an intelligent reference) try our vegetable version. With classic Greek flavors this easy crowd pleaser is also great for using up leftover veggies (zucchini, peppers, extra greens, scallions, we could go on…) with minimal effort and maximum results.

Equipment Needed: Baking Sheet or Pizza Pan or Pizza Stone, Chef’s Knife, Cutting Board, Tongs, Mixing Bowl, Plastic Wrap, Serving Spoon

Serving Suggestion: Family Style

Servings: 4 people (or 2 Brown Brothers)

Suggested Wine Pairing: Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Beaujolais

Suggested Beer Pairing: Pilsners, Light Lagers  

Ingredients:

• 1 pre-made ball of pizza dough (about $1.99/package)
• 1 medium red pepper ($3.99/lb)
• 1 small onion ($0.99/lb)
• 1 C pitted olives ($5.99/lb)
• 1/2 C sundried tomatoes (about $5/3 oz jar)
• 6 oz feta cheese ($7.99/lb)
• 1/2 C  our roasted garlic and artichoke cream (you can just mince artichokes with olive oil or buy a spread if you prefer)(about $6/8 0z jar)
• 1 TSP dried oregano ($3.50/1 oz jar)
• Salt
• Pepper

Preparation:

• Preheat your oven to 425°F.
• Before anything else, wash off your red pepper and put it directly over the burner on your stove. If you don’t have a gas stove, pop into the oven directly on the baking rack for about 10-15 minutes. You want the skin to start burning and blistering so keep a close eye on it and rotate when one side gets too done; a crackling, popping noise means you’re headed in the right direction.

Let the pepper char up completely on each side before you turn it.

• When your pepper is properly charred, put it in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap to sweat it out. While you’re waiting for it to steam peel and slice your onion crosswise into thin strips and do the same with your sundried tomatoes (the cutting into strips part, not the peeling part).
• After about 5 minutes remove the pepper from the bowl, run it under hot water and rub the skin off. Cut in half lengthwise, remove the ribs and seeds and slice into thin strips lengthwise.
• Peel your onion and slice it into thin discs, halfwise.
• Throw a little flour on your baking sheet and spread out the pizza dough into the shape your heart desires. Drizzle some olive oil over the top and pop it into the oven for 5 minutes to let it firm up a bit.
• Take the dough out and coat it with your artichoke spread. Layer on the red pepper strips, onion discs, sundried tomatoes and olives.

Crush the olives before you put them on so they cook down better and cover more pizza real estate.

• Crumble some feta over the whole lot and sprinkle some dried oregano evenly over the top. Pop it back in the oven for another 10 minute, or until the crust is crisped to your liking. Pull it out, slice it up and take it down.

You could buy the pre-crumbled stuff but where's the fun in that?

Truffled Parmigiano Popcorn

If you've got five minutes you too can be happy.

Oh how we pity those that have lost touch with popcorn’s pure roots and resort to the chemical-ridden quasi-corn that has its own special button on most microwaves. Lost is the simple pleasure of shaking a pot, watching the kernels explode in light fluffy goodness right before your eyes and adjusting flavors to something other than “salty and yellow.” If you need any more inspiration than truffle and Parmigiano cheese to class things up then we can’t help you. Treat yourself and carve out a whole five minutes of your day to do it the right way; we promise you’ll never go back to the bag.

Equipment Needed: 3 QT Pot with Lid, Microplane or Cheese Grater, Small Microwaveable Dish, Large Serving Bowl

Serving Suggestion: Family Style

Servings: 2-3 normal people (though we can each eat a batch)

Suggested Wine Pairing: Whatever you’re drinking

Suggested Beer Pairing: Whatever you’re drinking

Ingredients:

• 1/3 C un-popped popcorn ($2.29/28 oz)
• 1/4-1/2 C grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese ($12.99/lb)
• 2 TBSP canola oil ($4.89/48 oz)
• 1/2 TBSP butter ($4.99/lb)
• 2-3 TBSP truffle oil (about $23/8 oz but totally worth it)
• 2 TSP dried parsley flakes ($1/0.5 oz jar)
• Sea Salt (about $3/26 oz)
• Black Pepper

Preparation:

• Place your pot uncovered over medium-high heat for a minute to warm things up. Add your canola oil to evenly coat the bottom and give it another minute or so to start shimmering.

Use just enough to lightly coat the bottom of the pot.

• Pour in the popcorn kernels and put the lid on the pot. Every 30 seconds or so swirl the pot in a circular motion to keep the kernels from sticking to the bottom and charring.
• As soon as the first kernel pops you’ll need to be in action mode, swirling the pot constantly while keeping it over the heat to make sure you get maximum poppage and minimum burnage.

Shake what your momma gave ya!

• Once the popcorn starts to press against the lid and the popping of the kernels comes more than 3 seconds apart remove the pot from the stove and give it a couple more solid swirls to get any stragglers to explode.
• Pour the popcorn into your serving bowl. Pop your butter in the microwave for 20-30 seconds to melt it down and pour it evenly over the popcorn. Grind on some fresh black pepper, a pinch of salt (the cheese will make up the difference) and a few dashes of parsley flakes.
• Drizzle truffle oil over the whole lot and grate on Parmagiano Reggiano to your little heart’s content. We suggest stirring things up a bit to ensure even distribution of flavors and adding more of whichever seasoning/accouterments you desire to taste.

We love that truffle funk. Use liberally.

Make it rain parmigiano.