Come Forth from Love's Spire

I'd have done better w/NO vs Balt.!

Wow, such powerful and romantic words in this title; it could only mean a............ FOOD POST!

So what the hell does "love's spire" have to do with food or football?  Yeah, those are lyrics to the Emerson, Lake, and Palmer single The Great Gate of Kiev.  I used to play an instrument a long time ago and I played that song once in some all-state or county something and have always loved the song.  I also love those cheesy NFL films clips with the bold, histrionic background music.  One of the songs they use is the The Great Gate of Kiev so I thought it would fit nicely into a Super Bowl Foods post.

And also it shows that at least once in my life I have listened to Classical Music.  I also read Huck Finn and the Catcher in the Rye once so I have actually read as well.  Amazing the things a simple idiot can do.  But you know what they say about monkeys, type writers, and Shakespeare!  Actually that comment about Huck Finn and Catcher in the Rye is a lie; of course I read the Cliff's Notes as I always did for every book!  :)

So here are some great and easy recipes from our competing cities Boston (New England Patriots) and New York (Giants).  Perhaps we can rename the game the Chowder Bowl:

New England Clam Chowder and Yankee Pot Roast

New England Clam Chowder:  I have to admit I stole/adapted this recipe from this site but I liked it, I was using the site when planning another menu.  But I would still use canned clams - this recipe is from 1910, I'm much to lazy to actually pick clams like they did way back then!

Ingredients:
*  4 cans of chopped clams (assuming 8 oz cans)
*  1/2 medium onion diced
*  4 cups of potatoes chopped into small squares
*  4 to 8 strips of cooked bacon
*  1 Tbs salt
*  1/2 tps of Pepper
*  4 Tbs butter
*  4 Cups of milk
*  Captains Wafers

*  Parboil potatoes in stock pot for about 5 minutes or until slightly tender.
*  Fry clams with small amount of brine in skillet with bacon and onions for about 5 minutes.
*  In stock pot melt butter.  Once butter melted stir in flour until combined into thick paste.
*  Slowly pour milk into stock pot stirring constantly.  Adjust heat if needed so you don't burn your roux.
*  Stir in salt and pepper.
*  Stir in mixture of potatoes, clams, bacon, and onions.  Deglaze the pan clams were cooked in into soup mixture.
*  Bring chowder to slow simmer.  Add salt and pepper to taste.
*  Add water to desired consistency - about 2 cups.

Yankee Pot Roast:  I do things a little different than normal (well in life I do almost everything different than normal).  But here instead of putting everything in the crock pot or Dutch oven I cook the beef and veggies separately.  Ultimately I think it comes out a bit more flavorful and easier to serve even with the extra step.  Then again, I'm more used to making pot roast for 400 rather than for 4!  If you are feeling fancy you can call this Pot Roast Jardinière!  And serve over some Saffron Rice!

Ingredients:
*  6 to 10# chuck roast with fat
*  2 Tbs coarse sea salt
*  2 Tbs cracked black pepper
*  2 Cups rough cut onions
*  1/2# Red Potatoes
*  Plum or Grape Tomatoes (optional)
*  Mushrooms (optional)
*  1# Baby Carrots
*  3 Stalks of Celery
*  Fresh Rosemary
*  1 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

*  Place chuck roast in roasting pan fat side up.  Sprinkle 1 Tbs sea salt, 1 Tbs pepper, 1/2 cups onions, and fresh chopped rosemary over fat of meat.
*  Cook beef on 250 degrees for about 3.5 hours or until internal temperature is 155 degrees.
*  In additional pan place carrots, potatoes, celery, olive oil, 1 Tbs salt, 2 Tbs pepper, tomatoes, mushrooms, and chopped fresh rosemary.  Put into oven about 1 hour after meat and cook at 250 for the remaining 2.5 hours or until potatoes and carrots are tender.
*  If you are feeling fancy use the dripping to make your own gravy.  In a sauce pan melt 2 sticks of butter then wisk in 1 cup of flour.  Once the mixture becomes a thick paste stir in the dripping from the roast (don't filter as the seasoning and onion in the drippings will add flavor).  Make sure you stir the drippings into the roux briskly so the gravy is not lumpy.  Add beef broth and/or water to get to desired thickness.
*  After your roast is cooked slice roughly and place into a pan.  Dump the veggies over the beef including the veggie drippings/deglaze and pour gravy over everything.  Put this back into the oven for about 30 minutes or until ready to serve.
*  This may seem like an extra step but the final product is ready to serve!  Yum!

Manhattan Clam Chowder and Mini-Rueben Sandwiches

Manhattan Clam Chowder:  This is adapted from Emeril so it has a slight Creole tinge.

Ingredients:
*  4 Cans of Chopped Clams (8oz each)
*  4 Slices of Bacon cooked crisply and diced
*  2 Cups of Finely Chopped Onions
*  1 Cup of Finely Chopped Celery
*  1/2 Cup of Finely Chopped Green Pepper
*  3/4 Cup of Chopped Carrots
*  1/2 Tbs Minced Garlic
*  3 Bay Leaves
*  1/2 tsp Oregano (prefer fresh)
*  4 Sprigs of Fresh Thyme
*  1/2 tsp Crushed Red Pepper
*  1/4# of diced red potatoes (leave skin on if preferred for show)
*  1 Cup Chicken Stock
*  3 Cups of peeled and diced tomatoes (or canned if you are me!)
*  1/4 Cups Chopped Fresh Parsley
*  Salt and Pepper to taste

*  Fry bacon in skillet until crispy.  Add onions, celery, carrots, and peppers and cook for 10 minutes or until vegetables soft.
*  Add garlic, thyme, oregano, bay leaves, and crushed pepper and cook another 2 minutes.
*  In stock pot add clams with brine, potatoes, chicken stock, and 2 cups of water and bring to a boil.
*  Once stock boiling add vegetables from skillet to soup (deglaze the pan into stock pot).
*  Cook approximately 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
*  Add tomatoes and cook and additional 10 minutes.
*  Add parsley then salt and pepper to taste
*  Continue to simmer for about an hour before serving.


Mini-Rueben Sandwiches:

Ingredients (for 12):
*  12 Hawaiian Size rolls
*  About 1.25# Pastrami
*  About 0.5# Swiss Cheese sliced
*  About 1 cup 1,000 Island Dressing
*  2 sticks of butter
*  1 Tbs of dried onion flakes or onion soup mix
*  1.5 Tbs Worcester Sauce
*  1 Tbs Dried Mustard

*  Spread about 0.5 oz of 1,000 Island Dressing, 1.5 oz of Pastrami, and 0.5 or half slice of swiss cheese on each Hawaiian roll.  Arrange sandwiches in oven safe dish or aluminum pan (for transport).
*  Melt butter in sauce pan and stir in onion flakes, worcester, and mustard until combined into sauce.
*  Pour sauce over each Hawaiian roll.
*  Bake sandwiches at 350 for 15 to 20 minutes.


Hey last year I did the same thing and used Queen lyrics - I never make any sense!   :)

Here is that ELP song, let's just hope I never have a reason to use their lyrics to Lucky Man in a post!