YOU'RE parked on the sofa, beer in hand, face painted, Terrible Towels in a pile on the floor. You've spent the off-week playing Madden video games and you're pumped. You're hungry. But you're NOT in the mood to have somebody in an apron hand you a tray of canapes.
The rest of the year we may nibble on pan-fried skate and wilted ache, but on Super Bowl Sunday, we want our Buffalo wings. When people watch football, they want real food. Bar food. Preferably food they can eat with their hands, piling the remains on coffee tables next to the bowls of chips and beer-can pyramids.
For The Record
Los Angeles Times Tuesday February 07, 2006 Home Edition Main News Part A Page 2 National Desk 3 inches; 122 words Type of Material: Correction
Super Bowl food -- An article in Wednesday's Food section about food to serve while watching the Super Bowl incorrectly described the recipe for Buffalo wings at Anchor Bar in Buffalo, N.Y. The article said Anchor Bar fries the chicken wings, pours Frank's RedHot sauce on them and offers bottled blue cheese dressing on the side. In fact, the Buffalo wings there are cooked, then tossed with a proprietary sauce that comes in four flavors; the blue cheese dressing is made in-house. Also, retired football player Mean Joe Greene's last name was misspelled as Green. Additionally, an accompanying article describing Frank's RedHot sauce incorrectly stated that this sauce is the "secret ingredient" behind Anchor Bar's wings, which are not made with it.
For The Record
Los Angeles Times Wednesday February 08, 2006 Home Edition Food Part F Page 7 Features Desk 3 inches; 122 words Type of Material: Correction
Super Bowl food -- An article in last Wednesday's Food section about food to serve while watching the Super Bowl incorrectly described the recipe for Buffalo wings at Anchor Bar in Buffalo, N.Y. The article said Anchor Bar fries the chicken wings, pours Frank's RedHot sauce on them and offers bottled blue cheese dressing on the side. In fact, the Buffalo wings there are cooked, then tossed with a proprietary sauce that comes in four flavors; the blue cheese dressing is made in-house. Also, retired football player Mean Joe Greene's last name was misspelled as Green. Additionally, an accompanying article describing Frank's RedHot incorrectly stated that this sauce is the "secret ingredient" behind Anchor Bar's wings, which are not made with it.
So forget the tapas, sushi, tea sandwiches . Instead, take a tip from the folks who programmed this year's Super Bowl halftime entertainment -- the Rolling Stones -- and stick with the classics. Solid old-school entertainment calls for some time-honored food to go with it. No lip-synching surprises. And no deconstructed salads either.
Mean Joe Green might have accepted a can of soda at halftime, but a cucumber sandwich? Would Mike Singletary have nibbled on salmon rillettes?
Would Terry Bradshaw? Would Keith Richards?
This is the day for Buffalo wings, marinated baby back ribs and beer-battered shrimp -- timeless bar food, high in protein for the nutritional needs of the serious armchair athlete.
This is comfort food for those of us who went to PAC-10 schools or who logged more time in sports bars watching ESPN than we'd care to remember -- or can.
There's something satisfying about wheeling out old classics. They're like the cleats you've had since you were 12. Old classics are familiar. They're safe. They don't go in for partial nudity during half-time shows.
But classics aren't always as great as they might be. (As Pete Carroll and Bill Belichick are now telling their rookies, there's always room for improvement.)
So instead of using mayonnaise in a jar for your blue cheese dressing, make your own. Use cornichons and capers in your tartar sauce instead of the relish your mother used back in Bart Starr's heyday.
Baste your ribs with Bourbon and brown sugar instead of prepared barbecue sauce. Better ingredients, more attention to details. Better food. Hike!
And making classics better doesn't mean long hours in the kitchen. Witness Buffalo chicken wings, which were invented in 1964 by Teressa Bellissimo of the Anchor Bar and Restaurant in Buffalo, N.Y., late one night for her son and his friends.
