Projo Football Food & Spirits

September 30, 2007 - October 6, 2007 Archives

The Toledo Blade found this recipe in the monthly newsletter of the Maumee Valley Herb Society, which maintains the Herb Garden at the Toledo Botanical Garden. It was served, to raves, with toasted French bread at the group's July meeting.

A cheesecake that's savory, not sweet, concocted by an herbalist:

Pesto Cheesecake

For the Crust:
1 tablespoon butter, softened
¼ cup Italian Seasoned bread crumbs

For the Filling:
2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup ricotta cheese
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 large eggs
½ cup pesto

For the Garnish:
Fresh basil
Roasted red and yellow peppers

Cook’s note: To make fresh pesto, pulse 2 cups firmly packed fresh basil in food processor (use ¾ cup at a time). Add ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, 3 tablespoons grated pine nuts or walnuts, ¼ cup olive oil, and 3 cloves garlic (finely minced) and process 15 seconds until smooth.

To make the crust: Rub butter over bottom and half way up sides of 9-inch spring form pan. Sprinkle bread crumbs evenly over bottom of pan. Set aside.

To make the filling: Combine cream cheese, ricotta cheese, and parmesan cheese in food processor. Add eggs and mix thoroughly. Pour half of cheese mixture into a small bowl. Add pesto to remaining cheese mixture in the processor and mix well. Pour pesto cheese mixture into pan. Carefully pour plain cheese mixture over pesto cheese mixture and smooth to cover the entire surface. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes or until cake is set in middle. Cool. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Before serving, garnish with fresh basil and diced roasted red and yellow peppers. Serve with toasted bread rounds.

Source: Kathie Cliffel of Holland, Ohio, and the Maumee Valley Herb Society. "You can also make it in mini cheesecakes pans (about four or five) and then freeze them individually," she said.

Back in August, Betsy O'Connell, deputy features and travel editor for the Cleveland Plain Dealer called me to talk football. Okay, not so much football as about those fanatics who follow their team throughout the season.

Her newspaper was putting out a special football section and she was calling food and travel editors across the country to ask where Clevelanders should stay and eat in Providence.

Well, a lot of time has passed since we talked but maybe a few fans have journeyed east to come to Sunday's game. I did make some suggestions about places to eat and stay. If you see a fan in Cleveland brown and orange, say hi.

Here's what I wrote to Betsy:

One brand new place to stay and eat is the Renaissance Providence Hotel and its Temple Downtown Restaurant + Lounge. This hotel and restaurant took more than 80 years to complete. It's located across from the Rhode Island Statehouse (which is a lovely setting) in what was to be a Masonic Temple that was abandoned in mid-construction in the 1920s and only finished this year.

The drink menu exploits fun spirits such as Vermont Spirits White Vodka, made from milk sugar and spring water, and Vermont Spirits Gold Vodka, made from maple sap.
The food is both seasonal and local with Rhode Island jonnycakes on the menu for breakfasts, pretzel crab cakes for lunch.

Restaurant details: Temple Downtown Restaurant + Lounge, 120 Francis St., Providence, (401) 919-5050.
Hotel details: Renaissance Providence Hotel, 5 Avenue of the Arts, Providence, (401) 276-0010.

The Providence Biltmore is the grand old hotel of the city with the all the history and elegance. 11 Dorrance St. Providence, (401) 421-0700.

There's a great little boutique hotel on Federal Hill, Providence's cozy Italian neighborhood is Hotel Dolce Villa, 63 De Pasquale Ave. Providence,
(401) 383-7031.

They have a restaurant Caffé Dolce Vita, 59 DePasquale Square, Providence, (401) 331-8240, which serves al fresco in season.

Just next door on Federal Hill is a great spot for lunch at Venda Ravioli,
265 Atwells Ave. Providence, (401) 421-9105. This is a grand Italian market, you want everything you see from the cheeses to the fresh pastas they make across the street. But at lunch there are tables set up around the perimeter where you can enjoy fabulous Italian pastas, salads and meats and lovely wines while you watch shoppers order their mortadella and olives.

Want a great beer and burger in the evening, travel just a few blocks up to Lili Marlene's, 422 Atwells Ave Providence, (401) 751-4996.

Federal Hill also has dozens of Italian restaurants and my favs are Siena Restaurant, 238 Atwells Ave. Providence, (401) 521-3311, and Pane e Vino, 365 Atwells Ave. Providence, (401) 223-2230. Dinner only at both.

Bravo Brasserie, 123 Empire St. (401) 490-5112, is a very reasonably priced bistro downtown with a lot of character and great mac and cheese and steak frites and moules frites. Lunch, dinner and brunch and serves late.

Trinity Brew House makes their own great beer and serves food too. 186 Fountain St., Providence, (401) 453-2337. opens at 11:30 daily and stays open late.

Finally, Citron Wine Bar and Bistro, 5 Memorial Blvd. Providence,
(401) 621-9463 is really a splashy fun restaurant with excellent food, also moderately priced, which does wine flights, three chardonnays, cabs etc. all from different countries.

For hotels, also well situated and rather new is:
Hilton Providence, 21 Atwells Avenue. Providence, (401) 831-3900 which has a new steakhouse for football fans-Shula's 347 Grille, 21 Atwells Ave., Providence. (401) 709-0347.

Land O Lakes, the butter company, has one great source for recipe and cooking information at www.landolakes.com.

Here's one example, a dip that goes great with the season's apples. Wouldn't it be easy to serve when tailgating or in your living room. If you use rum instead of extracts, just give the fruit to the kids.

CARAMEL RUM FRUIT DIP
1/2 cup butter
1 (14-ounce) package caramels, unwrapped
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon rum extract (see note)
Cut-up fresh fruit

Melt butter and caramels in 2-quart saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally, until caramels are melted (12 to 15 minutes). Stir in pecans, milk and rum extract. Stir vigorously to incorporate butter. Keep warm; use as a dip for cut-up fresh fruit.

Microwave Directions: Place butter and caramels in medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on HIGH, stirring occasionally, until caramels are melted (3 to 4 minutes). Stir in pecans, milk and rum extract. Stir vigorously to incorporate butter. Serve as directed above.

(Note)Substitute 1 tablespoon rum.

Preparation time: 15 min
Cooking time: 12 min
Yield: 1 1/2 cups

I am now subscribing to Stephen Linn's weekly Ultimate Tailgate recipes. He offered three winners last week but since the Pats were away I held them until this week when the parking lot in Foxboro will be full when Cleveland comes to town.

The recipes are for Jerked Wings, Grilled Potatoes, Beggar's Hot Beef Chili.
For the Jerked Wings, the spices are not what you usually find but these seasonal spices.

Do your shopping early and add these to your menu.

Jerked Wings
15 chicken wings
¼ teaspoon black pepper
½ cup onion
¼ teaspoon curry powder.
2 tablespoons lime juice
¼ teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon ground red pepper
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
⅛ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon allspice
2 cloves garlic minced

Mix all ingredients except wings in blender. Put wings in 1-gallon ziplock bag and pour in mixture. Marinate 4 hours, or overnight, and then place on hot grill. Cook until juices run clear when pierced. These are especially good on a cool fall day.
Yields 15 wings, or 5 servings

Grilled Potatoes
1/3 cup Miracle Whip salad dressing
3 garlic cloves, minced
½ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
3 baking potatoes cut into ¼-inch slices
1 large onion, red or white

Mix salad dressing and seasonings in large bowl until well blended. Stir in potatoes and onions to coat. Divide potato mixture evenly among 12-inch squares of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Seal each to form a packet. Place foil packets on grill over medium-hot coals. Grill 25 to 30 minutes, or until tender.
Yields 6 servings

Beggar's Hot Beef Chili
2 pounds beef stew meat
3 cups coarsely chopped onions
1 ½ cups jalapeños
2 (14-ounce) cans tomatoes
½ cup cider vinegar
3 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
2 tablespoons dried oregano leaves
2 tablespoons ground cumin seed
2 (14-ounce) cans kidney beans

Combine all ingredients except kidney beans in a 10-gallon pot; mix well. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover pot and simmer, stirring frequently for 3 to 4 hours or until the meat is very tender. Add beans and simmer another hour.
Yields 14 - 16 servings

Smokey Bones Barbeque & Grill shared these 10 tips for tailgating success.
They might be helpful if a trip to see the Pats in on your schedule.

1. Have a Game Plan. Plan your menu and start preparing a few days before the game.

2. Keep a cool head. Pick a cooler that’s the right size for your party. A cooler completely packed with ice and chilled food keeps cool longer than one that is only partially filled. Pack ice in plastic bags to keep it from melting onto food. Instead of using one large, heavy cooler for everything, have one smaller cooler for raw meat, chicken or seafood and another for pre-made foods and drinks.

3. Bring (and keep) the heat. If you are working with a standard kettle charcoal grill, you'll want a chimney-starter full of charcoal. Stick with chunk, hardwood charcoal to provide a cleaner heat. Once the pile of charcoal is covered in gray ash and no longer distributing flames, push it all to one side of the grill. For good barbeque, you do not want to place meat directly above a mass of hot coals; rather, indirect heat is best. Ideally, the meat should sit on the part of the grill that is beside the pile of coals.

4. It’s all about execution. Allow at least 30 minutes for the charcoal to get hot. If you are using a small, portable grill, it is better to cook a small amount of food at a time. Overloading the grill will significantly increase the cook time of most foods.

5. Smoke the opponent. For smoked foods, you will need hardwood, like oak, apple, mesquite or hickory. For example, you can use large chunks of oak that come in a bag or mesquite chips. For any type of wood you select, it’s important that you let the wood soak in a bowl of water for at least 60 minutes before exposing it to the flame. The wet wood smolders and smokes for hours, rather than flaming to a crisp in minutes. For best results when using chips, it’s a good idea to wrap the sopping wood in tin foil that has been punctured with holes. This keeps the little chips smoking longer.

6. The clock is still running! Food should be ready at least 1 and 1/2 hours before the game starts. This allows plenty of time for those going to the game to eat, have seconds (or maybe even thirds) and clean up before heading to the stadium.

7. Strategy is key. Tailgaters like to keep one hand free, so finger foods are a must. Try serving grilled chicken wings, ribs and smoked sausage. Since these tasty favorites don’t require utensils, you and your guests can refuel quickly and eat without missing a beat—or a play.

8. Third and long. Keep your guests stuffed and satisfied throughout the long day with a spread of appetizers and side dishes such as old fashioned cornbread, spinach artichoke dip, vegetable platters, pasta and potato salads, and chips and salsa to keep guests happy while the main dishes are cooking.

9. DE-FENSE! Don’t let your food – hot or cold – sit out for more than two hours, and no more than one hour if the outside temperature is above 85 degrees. Put perishables into the cooler immediately after eating. When in doubt, throw it out!

10. Who wants it more? Plan to arrive at least three to four hours before kickoff and stay one to two hours after the game. Remember, some tailgaters arrive at 4 or 5 a.m. on game day, or even the night before, to stake out the best tailgate spot. Whether in the parking lot or on campus, try to park next to a grassy area or at the end of the parking row. This gives you more room to grill out, set up your spread and toss the football around.

Former Patriots linebacker Willie McGinest is coming back to Gillette Sunday as a Cleveland linebacker. His Browns bio lists his favorite food as "soul and seafood." These mussels are pure Southern New England.

Chris H. of Chepachet posted this recipe to AOL Food. He called for using a double boiler, but I think he meant a steamer:

New England Patriots - Championship Mussels
10 lbs mussels rinsed
1-2 Celery Stalks
1 Onion
1-2 links hot Chirico Sausage
1-2 tbsp Garlic
2-3 Domestic Beers

Cut onion, celery, and Chirico in pieces Add everything to a pot. Steam for 10-15 minutes on high or when the top mussels are open. Spoon into a dish and enjoy. The guys I go with now prefer this over clams, we do this before at least 1 Pats game a year and at our Fantasy Football Draft.

Note: Put the mussels in last, on a collapsible steamer basket or in a wire strainer to keep the beer from soaking the mussels on the bottom.

There's also a recipe for Cleveland Browns Tailgate Potatoes there. It involves lots of chopping, onions, hot peppers and Parmesan.

Continuing the raid on Ohio newspapers' recipes in advance of the Patriots' invasion of Cincinnati Monday night, we found two interesting apple recipes at the Toledo Blade.

The "brownies" are more like blondies -- they contain no chocolate. The Autumn Fruit Cobbler uses apples, pears and dried cranberries. (The original version from Quaker Oats uses plums and ginger rather than cranberries and cinnamon, but it looks like purple mush. I think the cranberries perk it up in many ways.)

Apple Brownies

½ cup butter
¼ teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
1 cup sugar
3 medium apples, peeled, diced
½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1 cup flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour an 8-inch square baking pan.

Cream together butter and salt. Add egg and sugar. Beat well. Stir in apples, nuts and dry ingredients. Blend well.

Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 40 minutes. Cool. Cut into squares.

Makes 9 brownies.

Autumn Fruit Cobbler

3 large apples, cored and cut into ¼-inch wedges
2 medium firm-ripe pears, peeled, quartered, and cored
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar, divided
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup quick or old fashioned oats, uncooked
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup butter or margarine, chilled, cut into pieces
2/3 cup low fat milk

Heat oven to 400 degrees. In large bowl, combine fruit. In small bowl, combine ¾ cup brown sugar, cornstarch , and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Add to fruit; mix well. Spoon into 2 ½ quart glass baking dish. Bake uncovered 30 minutes.

In large bowl, combine flour, oats, remaining ¼ cup brown sugar, baking powder, salt, and remaining ½ teaspoon cinnamon; mix well. Cut in butter with pastry blender or two knives until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add milk; mix with fork until soft dough forms. Turn out onto lightly floured surface; knead gently 6 to 8 times. Pat dough into a rectangle ½-inch thick. Cut with floured biscuit or cookie cutter, or cut into squares with sharp knife.

Remove baking dish from oven; stir fruit. Carefully arrange biscuits over hot fruit; press lightly into fruit. If desired, lightly sprinkle tops of biscuits with granulated sugar. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown and fruit mixture is bubbly. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream, if desired. Cover and refrigerate leftovers.

Yield: 8 to 10 servings
Source: Quaker Oats

Octoberfest beers are on shelves but what tastes best with the seasonal brew for food pairings.

I asked that question of the folks at Samuel Adams who make an Octoberfest. Little did I know that the brewery asked chef David Burke of New York’s DavidBurke&Donatella to come up with recipes created with Samuel Adams Octoberfest.

Here's how to make Pumpkin Ravioli with Samuel Adams Octoberfest, Brown Butter and Sage and a festive Gingersnap Chicken Breast with Samuel Adams Octoberfest and Raisin Gravy.

PUMPKIN RAVIOLI WITH BROWN BUTTER AND SAGE
24 store bought pumpkin ravioli
2 shallots
6 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons sage, chopped
6 ounces Samuel Adams Octoberfest beer
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Sautee shallots in butter and brown. When butter is browned add beer and sage, salt and pepper and Parmesan cheese. Pour over ravioli.
Serves four.

GINGERSNAP CHICKEN BREAST WITH RAISIN GRAVY
For the chicken:
4 chicken breasts
1 cup gingersnap cookies, ground
2 egg whites
Salt/pepper
For the sauce:
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup chopped onions
1 tablespoon garlic
1/2 cup raisins
12 ounces Samuel Adams Octoberfest
Juice of 2 lemons
1/2 cup brown gravy
Steamed spinach (optional)

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Cut with semi-whipped egg whites. Coat with cookie crumbs. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until cooked. Set aside to rest.
Sautee onion and garlic until brown. Add beer and brown gravy and reduce by half. Add raisins. Cook for another 10 minutes. Mix in butter and salt and pepper. Add steamed spinach underneath chicken for a garnish. Pour sauce over chicken and top with lots of chopped chives.