Super Bowl Food

Here at Eat at Joe's!, we try to keep the focus on food.  But you never know where that'll lead us.  For instance, no less an authority than the USDA, in an article on food safety, says Super Bowl Sunday is "the second highest day of food consumption in the United States after Thanksgiving."

It's probably true.  I remember once working a cold dark night during a trainee stint at the Northgate Abattoir (I flunked out, BTW).  I was walking home to my downtown Durham garret when I noticed something odd.  It took me a minute to figure it out, but almost every house had something going on in the living room.  The telltale flickering TV light finally led me to understanding.  Everyone was watching the Super Bowl.  Everyone.  I felt witness to a nationwide cultural phenomenon, one where I could have walked up to any random house, knocked, and gotten a quizzical look until I asked, "Sorry to bother y'all, but what's the score?"  And that question would have made it all right. 

Well, maybe not, but the evening stuck with me.  So I shouldn't have been surprised by the Super Bowl food consumption datum, but I was.  I've even been to Super Bowl parties where I've been told "oh, we just want to watch the commercials."  It's a freaking de facto U.S. holiday, a nationwide equivalent of the ACC men's basketball tournament.  But still... 2nd?  Maybe 3rd, depending on how you parse the sentence?  Bigger than Christmas?  WTF? 

But... I have a resource.  I have my Gentle Readers.  Perhaps you can help me puzzle this out.  Do you have people over for Super Bowl Sunday?  Do you cook a bunch of food?  Do you go out?  What do you, food-wise? 

Inquiring Joes would like to know.  ;)

Edit: I've put a poll in the sidebar.  It's also going on the polls page. 

Comments

[Maura]

I don't have Superbowl parties, because I don't care about it or the commercials, and I've only been invited to a few. But I would cook a boatload of food and my guests would no doubt bring some too. Finger food is best, and the closer to bar food the better, in my opinion.

I was considering a Puppy Bowl party instead of a Superbowl party. There's a kitten bowl during half time. Senseless violence and enough cuteness to kill everyone in the room. :)

But still... 2nd? Maybe 3rd, depending on how you parse the sentence? Bigger than Christmas? WTF?

That seems weird to me too. I assume Thanksgiving is #1.

[Michael Bacon]

I find Super Bowl parties largely silly affairs. In general, I dislike them because either I want to actually watch the game, or if I don't care about the game, I find the whole affair of a party centered around watching commercials perverse.

If I actually care about the game (this year that's a "no"), I want to find about 3-5 other honest-to-god football fans, (e.g., ones that don't say, "That Jim Montana guy -- is he still playing?") and sit there and talk about zone blitzes and trap blocking schemes and Cover 2, so there has to be an actual critical mass of football fans combined with a lack of critical mass of people who are going to complain about me leaving the TV during the commercials to go get another beer and some guac.

Which brings me back to the food -- in my opinion, the only must-have food item at a Super Bowl party is chips and guacamole. You can serve fois gras and coq au vin the rest of the night for all I care, but if you don't have the guac, and lots of it, you're just faking it. Well, let me amend that -- there must also be beer. If you don't have beer (even if it's root beer, ginger beer, or n/a beer), you should just put in a tape of ice skating.

Beyond that, I know that finger food seems to rule the day, but I think either pizza or some sort of grilled meat (or meat-like soy product) works better than any kind of chicken fingers or shrimp cocktail or whatever. Veg platters are also good -- I'm not opposed to healthy food being there, just fancy or complicated food.

If the Panthers had made it, I might have thrown a party. Cards vs. Steelers, eh.

[Claire]

I think the ranking is due more to the types of food consumed, rather than sheer quantity. I am making pigs in blankets. Gooooo Steelers!!!!!

[mg]

I don't do food for the Super Bowl. I don't even know when the Super Bowl is or who is playing. Oscar night, however, . . . .

[mg]

I used to enjoy being on the streets of Durham during the Super Bowl. It would be eerily quiet. Like after a snow or ice storm.

Not so much like that in San Francisco.

[John]

"...no less an authority than the USDA..."

Really? A governmental busybody bureaucracy is an exalted and unquestioned oracle on all things food?

I have obviously been out of the Loop.

[Maura]

but I think either pizza or some sort of grilled meat (or meat-like soy product) works better than any kind of chicken fingers or shrimp cocktail or whatever.

Pizza is finger food.

Wouldn't you be afraid of getting the crap beat out of you if you served a meat-like soy product at a Super Bowl party? :)

I am that person who asks whether Joe Montana is still playing, which is why I don't bother with Super Bowl parties. They're not much for fun me, and I know I'm just irritating the real football fans.

[Claire]

Michael, I am with you on the guacamole. Before this post, I heard a lot about wings, but I think wings are messy enough to discourage continuous consumption.

[Rob Clough]

I've been to a few SB parties, but mostly when I watch it I have an active interest in the game. I remember going to a really good SB party at Celeste's a few years ago with lots of great food. Mostly dips/Mexican stuff, IIRC.

--Rob

[Kira]

No, I don't have superbowl parties. I don't care at all about football, either college or professional. I seem to only be interested in basketball as a sport. Most of my friends are the same way, so I've never been to a superbowl party nor given one. Oh well! It's ok to buck the trend :)

[Joe Eater]

John - I had my tongue firmly in my cheek when I said that. I apologize for mumbling. :)

[Mark Assousa]

As an unabashed ugly American, I must say: Commercials or not? Game or not? Who cares? It's a television event that lasts all day, doesn't require a great deal of attention to follow, and is occasionally very entertaining. Kick back with your friends on the beat-up couch, stuff your face, and chill! For myself, I'm a fan of grazing on chips and dip all afternoon, the greater variety the better. If I have room at half time, I'll burn a dead animal and do something worthy with potatoes. No political correctness permitted.

The dips need to be contrasting colors. I get caso (cheese) and salsa rojo (red sauce) at the restaurant up the street (hey, I'm in Texas) and make my own sour cream and onion dip and guacamole.

Sour Cream and Onion: Mix 12 oz "all natural" sour cream, 2 crushed beef bullion cubes, and three diced green onions in a bowl. Cover and let refrigerate 1/2 hour. Mix again and serve with regular potato chips.

Guacamole: Select 3 medium avocados slightly softer than a super ball. Cut in half, and skin and pit with a spoon. Combine with the juice of one lime, 1/2 tsp of salt (or to taste), one clove of garlic grated fine, and a similar volume of white or yellow onion, grated fine. Mash ingredients together with whatever is handy. Cover well (avocado oxidizes quickly) and let ingredients blend for an hour or so. Serve with unsalted corn chips.

[Joe Eater]

Well, thanks for all the feedback, gang. You folks rock, as always.