Super Bowl Sunday is practically an American holiday — and certainly a reason to celebrate — so on Feb. 7, invite the gang over for a late afternoon and evening of noshing (oh, and game-watching, too).
A winning lineup of finger-foods and shmears is my entry for this special occasion.
Some of the advantages of having a party of this sort is that many excellent foodstuffs — such as olives, cheeses and breads — can be store-bought, garnished attractively and presented on your own platters and in pretty bowls.
Mini-bagels and pita wedges partner well with these spreads. Most don’t need forks and knives and can be consumed with little interruption to the game. As for the cooked components, they can be done well ahead of time.
For equipment, provide a lot of napkins. Sometimes “help yourself” results in a fumble.
Potato and Green Onion Squares
Serves 8
12 eggs
1 tsp. salt
dash of hot pepper sauce
2 Tbs. vegetable oil
1 Tbs. Oriental sesame oil
1 bunch green onions, trimmed and chopped
1 large potato, cooked and cut into 1⁄4-inch dice
4 anchovy fillets, minced
1⁄2 cup coarsely chopped fresh coriander leaves
Preheat oven to 375 degrees and grease a 9×12 inch baking pan.
In large bowl, beat eggs with salt and hot pepper sauce. Pour half the egg mixture into pan and bake until almost set, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, in medium skillet, heat both oils. Sauté green onions until soft, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in potato and anchovies.
Remove egg mixture from oven and spread green onion mixture over the egg layer. Pour on the remaining egg mixture and bake until set, about 15 minutes. Cool and invert onto a cutting board. (May be made a day ahead to this point. Wrap airtight and refrigerate.) Cut into squares or diamond shapes. Sprinkle with coriander and serve at room temperature.
Garbanzo and Edamame Spread
Makes a little over 1 cup
4 oz. cooked garbanzos
4 oz. cooked edamame beans
1 clove garlic
2 Tbs. rice vinegar
About 3 Tbs. olive oil
Salt and pepper
Smoked paprika
Toasted pita wedges
In a food processor purée all ingredients except paprika. Taste for salt and pepper. Remove to serving bowl and sprinkle with paprika. Serve with pita wedges.
Strawberry-Cheese Spread
Makes about 2 cups
2 cups cottage cheese, low-fat if desired
1 Tbs. honey
2 Tbs. seedless raspberry jam
2 cups sliced strawberries
Combine ingredients in food processor until smooth.
Feta-Olive Spread
Makes about 2 cups
6 oz. feta cheese
6 oz. cream cheese
1 tsp. dried oregano
1⁄2 cup pitted kalamata olives
6 oil-packed sun dried tomatoes, drained
5 sprigs fresh parsley
Combine ingredients in food processor until a rough paste forms.
Louise Fiszer is a Palo Alto cooking teacher, author and the co-author of “Jewish Holiday Cooking.” Her columns alternate with those of Faith Kramer. Questions and recipe ideas can be sent to j. or to [email protected].