Projo Football Food & Spirits

A Saturday night game will sure make everyone hungry.

Panini, those perfectly grilled Italian sandwiches, make a great simple supper. This recipe comes from Chicago Tribune’s Joe Gray.

MORTADELLA, PROVOLONE AND ROASTED PEPPER PANINI

1 jar (7 ounces) roasted red peppers, rinsed, drained
1 clove garlic, minced
Freshly ground pepper
8 slices rustic Italian bread, 1 2-inch thick
8 slices mortadella, about 8 ounces
4 slices aged provolone
1 bunch baby arugula
1 tablespoon olive oil, if needed
1. Place peppers, garlic and pepper to taste in the bowl of a food processor; pulse just until it becomes a rough paste. Set aside.
2. Place 4 bread slices on counter; divide mortadella slices among them. Layer with provolone and the roasted red pepper spread; top with arugula. Place top slice on sandwiches, pressing down gently; set aside.
3. Heat panini pan, grill pan or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until hot. (If using a skillet, brush tops and bottoms of sandwiches with a little olive oil.) Place 2 sandwiches at a time in pan; top with panini pan top, or a heavy skillet or a foil-wrapped brick. Cook until golden and cheese melts, about 3-6 minutes per side. Repeat with remaining panini.

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 12 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

Nutrition information per serving: 477 calories, 58 percent of calories from fat, 31 g fat, 13 g saturated fat, 61 mg cholesterol, 24 g carbohydrates, 25 g protein, 1,478 mg sodium, 2 g fiber

As the McCormick spice folks put together their look at the world of taste for 2008, they shared some recipes that paired flavors. Rye whiskey and roast beef sound like football food to me. If you don't have a panini press, put a bit of olive oil in a skillet and warm it up. Put the sandwich on it and press down with a plate or bacon press. Flip over and do the other side and you have a panini sandwich.

RYE ON RYE ROAST BEEF PANINI
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) beef broth
1/3 cup rye whiskey
1 1/2 teaspoons sage, divided
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
8 slices hearty rye bread with seeds (1/2-inch thick)
1 pound thinly sliced deli roast beef
1/2 cup jarred roasted red bell peppers, drained and sliced
2 cups arugula leaves

Preheat electric panini maker according to manufacturer’s directions. Meanwhile, mix beef broth, rye whiskey and 1 teaspoon of the sage in medium saucepan. Bring to simmer on medium heat. Set aside, keeping au jus warm while preparing sandwiches.
Mix mayonnaise, horseradish and remaining 1/2 teaspoon sage in small bowl. Lightly brush one side of each slice of bread with olive oil. Place bread, oiled side down, on a clean work surface. Spread top of each slice with 1 tablespoon of sage mayonnaise. Top 4 bread slices with roast beef, red bell peppers and arugula. Top each with second slice of bread, oiled side up.
Place 2 sandwiches at a time on preheated panini maker. Cook 3 to 5 minutes or until bread is crisp and dark golden brown. Cut each sandwich in half. Serve with au jus for dipping.
Makes 4 servings.
Test Kitchen Tip: Rye whiskey is an American whiskey with a flavor similar to a smooth, rich bourbon.

Sure, the Patriots are playing Buffalo this week (again), but in a recent projo.com survey, 73 percent of our readers responded that they think the Pittsburgh Steelers are the toughest foe left in the regular season for this juggernaut of a team.

And being a Pittsburgh native (who is very much a Steelers fan), I thought it only appropriate to share a Pittsburgh-original recipe you can make sometime between now and Dec. 9, when the Patriots and Steelers take the field in Foxboro. And, you can make it with the leftover cooked turkey you'll have from Thanksgiving dinner.

This recipe comes from Frank Blandi, who operated the famous LeMont Restaurant on top of Pittsburgh's scenic Mt. Washington. -- the site my husband proposed to me nearly 18 years ago. Looking down from the restaurant, Blandi could see Devonshire Street, so it worked out to be a good name for a sandwich: Turkey Devonshire.

This recipe takes a while to make because of the stirring, but the cooking time is only 15 minutes. It originally called for only one sandwich, but believe me, there is enough gooey cheese sauce to make eight sandwiches in a casserole dish. If you don't like gooey -- stay away from this one. It's certainly not low-cal.

8 slices toast, crusts trimmed off
24 slices crisp bacon
15 thin slices cooked turkey breast
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup flour
1/4 lb grated cheddar cheese
1 pint chicken broth
1 pint hot milk
1 teaspoon salt
parmesan cheese
paprika

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Fry bacon and remove from pan.
3. Drain.
4. Set aside.
5. Melt ¾ stick butter in deep pan and add flour, stirring constantly.
6. Add chicken broth.
7. Stir.
8. Add hot milk.
9. Stir.
10. Add cheese and salt.
11. Bring to boil.
12. Reduce heat.
13. Cook slowly for 20 minutes, stirring constantly.
14. Cool to lukewarm.
15. Whip cheese sauce with wire beater until smooth.
16. Place 1 slice toast in a casserole dish and top with 3 slices bacon.
17. Add 5 slices turkey. Repeat 7 more times.
18. Cover with the whipped cheese sauce.
19. Sprinkle with a little melted butter, Parmesan cheese, and paprika.
20. Bake 10-15 minutes until golden brown.

Rhode Island has its own verson of a sloppy Joe. It's called a Dynamite in Northern Rhode Island (a torpedo in other parts of the state) and it's perfect football food with beef and spices and rolls.

This recipe comes from the great granddaughter of the Woonsocket woman who is credited with making them as far back as the '20s.

ROSIE THIBEAULT’S FRENCH-CANADIAN DYNAMITE
3 pounds freshly ground beef (see Note 1)
1 large green pepper, diced, no seeds
1 large red pepper, diced, no seeds
2 medium onions, diced (or 1 Vidalia onion)
2 large vine-ripened tomatoes, diced
3 tablespoons butter to sauté (see Note 2)
1 cup water (1 1/2 cups if using 5 pounds of beef)
2 -3 small cans tomato paste (or your own sauce from fresh tomatoes)
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

In a large saucepan, sauté diced peppers, onions and tomatoes in butter until soft. Add the water. Cook for a minute or two until the vegetables are blended. In same pot, add ground hamburger and cook until evenly browned and most of the water dissipates.

Using a ladle, spoon off grease from top of the meat. A little bit left is fine but you do not want a lot. Then, add the tomato paste or homemade sauce and seasonings. The consistency should not be too loose or mushy. Add just enough paste to coat the meat.

Sample the dynamite. You may want to add a bit more seasonings to desired taste. The dynamite will be stronger if left to mesh overnight, so keep this in mind when adding more seasonings.

The dynamite must sit in the fridge (covered, in the same pot) for a day so that all of the spices blend. It tastes much better when this step is taken. The dynamite can be reheated in the same pot on the stove or on the side burner of a grill. Serve on torpedo rolls (see note 3).

Note 1: You can use up to 5 pounds of meat without the need to double ingredients.

Note 2: We also used 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or canola oil.

Note 3: Calise Bakery or Lil’ General Stores sell torpedo rolls.

The dynamite recipe can also be used as a topping on hot dogs.

Yield: Feeds a crowd.

Bon Appetit photo

MEATBALL SLIDERS
1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 pound ground pork
1/2 pound ground veal
1/2 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)*
1/2 cup water
8 tablespoons freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese, divided
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

*Sold in the Asian foods section of some supermarkets and at Asian markets.

1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
6 garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 cup (packed) fresh basil leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons fennel seeds
1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes
1 14.5-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes
Arugula leaves (optional)
18 small soft rolls, split horizontally

Mix all meats, panko, 1/2 cup water, 6 tablespoons cheese, egg, egg yolk, 1/4 cup parsley, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper in large bowl. Form into eighteen 2-inch-meatballs.

Heat vegetable oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, fry meatballs until brown all over. Transfer to plate. Pour off drippings from skillet. Reduce heat to medium. Add olive oil to skillet. Add onion, garlic, basil, and fennel seeds. Sauté until onion begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Add all tomatoes with juices. Bring to boil, scraping up browned bits. Reduce heat to low, cover with lid slightly ajar, and simmer, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.

Puree sauce in processor until almost smooth. Return to same skillet. Add meatballs. Cover with lid slightly ajar and simmer until meatballs are cooked through, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes longer. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill.

Place arugula leaves on bottom of each roll, if desired. Top each with 1 meatball. Drizzle meatballs with some of sauce and sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons parsley and 2 tablespoons. cheese. Cover with tops of rolls.

Serves 6.

The recipe comes via Bon Appetit, September 2007 but it is originally from chef Joey Campanaro at his West Village restaurant The Little Owl, in New York Magazine last February, which also includes his recipe for homemade garlic buns.

Chicken Fried Gourmet blogged the making of these meatballburgers last month, modified by substituting baby spinach for the arugula, skipping the onion and running out of fresh parsley. You can follow along with the photojournalism at the bottom of this blog post: Little Owl's Meatball Sliders

At the last minute, my husband was invited to a Patriots game last year. None of his companions had time to get together all the stuff for a proper tailgate with grill and food so I offered to do something simple.

I went to Venda Ravioli on Federal Hill and bought one of the giant round breads. Then I bought cold cuts. I think I used 1/2 to 3/4 pounds each of imported mortadella, Genoa salami, peppered ham, capicola and mild provolone cheese.

I sliced the top off the bread and put a thin layer of mustard on the bottom. Then I basically layered the cold cuts on the whole loaf. You want layers two slices thick of each meat and one layer of the cheese. I restored the top of the bread and wrapped it tight with Freeze-Tite, my favorite plastic wrap for securing anything. I sent a sturdy knife in the back for the men to cut the giant sandwich as they wished.

They loved it. With fresh bread and cured meat, you can’t go wrong, at home or away.

Venda Ravioli, 265 Atwells Avenue in Providence, is open till 6 this evening and reopens at 8:30 a.m. on Sunday. I don't know the hours of your neares well-stocked deli/bakery. -- sheila

With the Patriots away this Sunday in New York, we can cook something nice at home that might be too much trouble at the parking lot.

Here’s an elegant recipe from the Certified Angus Beef folks. I like the idea of the mini burgers because they are so easy to eat in a few bites.

GRILLED MINI BURGERS
1 1/2 pounds ground chuck
2 large portabello mushrooms, cleaned
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup canola oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 pound smoked mozzarella or cheddar cheese, sliced thin
12 mini buns or soft rolls
2 small vine-ripe tomatoes, sliced thin
1 roasted red pepper cut in strips, canned or fresh
1 head lettuce, cleaned and separated

Marinate Portobello mushrooms in balsamic vinegar and oil for 10 minutes and grill until just done; slice into thin strips.

Season ground chuck with salt and pepper, and portion into 2-ounce patties. Grill to 160 degrees internal temperature. Top with cheese and close grill to melt cheese slightly.

Place patty on bottom bun and top with tomato, mushrooms, lettuce, red pepper and bun top.

Serves 4