Sprenzy Shopping Blog

One more week until Super Bowl XLI, so there’s plenty of time to get ready for a Super Bowl party. If you are headed to a friend’s place and need to show your team colors, check out our selection of Chicago Bears clothing or Indianapolis Colts apparel. If you plan on hosting your own Super Bowl party, we’ve got you covered with everything from Bears and Colts car accessories to home furnishings, kitchen stuff and slippers.

Now let’s move on to the best part of any Super Bowl party, the food! Check out the football party recipes from Epicurious and Food Network. There are a ton of great recipes, from savory dishes to dessert.

The Carolina pulled-pork sandwiches are making my mouth water. Unfortunately, it takes 6 hours to smoke the pork shoulders. Don’t worry, there are simpler recipes, like these 18 chili recipes. I love guacamole and Alton Brown’s guac recipe looks pretty good, but I would get rid of the cumin and cayenne. Put in the real stuff and add a jalapeno or better yet a habanero if you dare. The habanero guacamole can be “accidentally” served to the obnoxious guest rooting for the wrong team.

Speaking of teams, which team will you be cheering for, da Bears or the Colts? As a Pittsburgh Steelers fan, I’m indifferent about the teams and just hope for an exciting game. However, as someone dating a Bears fanatic, I must be a defacto Chicago fan next Sunday, although I do like Peyton Manning. Who doesn’t like a 6’5” 230 lb quarterback with a laser, rocket arm?

But, I know better than to root against her Bears. There would be many serious consequences for me if I cheered for the Colts. Thankfully, as a die-hard Penn Stater, I can justify being a Bears’ fan because Chicago has three former Penn State players on the roster. Tight end John Gilmore is pictured above. The other two players are placekicker Robbie Gould and guard Tyler Reed (practice squad). There are no Penn State players on the Colts. So I’m not really rooting for the Bears. I’m cheering for Penn State!

As far as my Super Bowl party, it’s just going to be the Bears fanatic and me. She doesn’t want to deal with non-Bears fans interrupting her focus and concentration on the game. So in honor of the Chicago Bears, we will be partaking in a deep dish pizza from Little Star Pizza, arguably the best deep dish pizza in the Bay Area. The “Little Star” pizza, which is spinach blended with ricotta and feta, mushrooms, onions, garlic, is our favorite deep dish pie.

This post has taken a circuitous route from da Bears, the Colts, food, Penn State and back to food again. I told you the food is the best part of a Super Bowl party. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the game while snacking on delicious food.

GO BEARS!!!

Note: I was forced by the Bears fanatic, who also proofreads most of my posts, to add the last sentence.

If you could only have one cookbook,  The New Best Recipe is the one to have. This cookbook is great for the aspiring chef or baker in your home. There are over 1,000 recipes that cover everything from angel food cake, chicken parmesan and rack of lamb to zucchini bread.

The New Best Recipe is written by the editors of Cook’s Illustrated. They also produce the TV show America’s Test Kitchen. In both Cook’s Illustrated magazine and the TV show, the editors and chefs are “renowned for their obsessive dedication to finding the best methods of American home cooking.” This cookbook is much more than a listing of 1,000 recipes.

Each recipe is tested using different ingredients, cooking methods and equipment. The folks at America’s Test Kitchen explain their rationale for the recipe that gets into the book, which they determined to be the best recipe after extensive testing. They also provide tips and advice on proper cooking/baking techniques. You’ll get advice on brining poultry, butterflying chicken, cutting stew meat and everything else in between.

The editors also explain the food science behind cooking such as, “how brining works to ensure juicy meat and why butter should be added before dairy for the silkiest mashed potatoes.” I’ve tried dozens of recipes from this cookbook and each dish I’ve prepared has always been delicious. Below is a picture of some pot roast I made a few years ago. Had I known I was going to post the picture one day, I would have given more thought to the presentation. 

I particularly enjoy the dessert recipes in this book. The thick and chewy chocolate chip cookies, brownies and individual fallen chocolate cake recipes are a staple in my dessert offerings. If you are looking for pretty photographs or personal anecdotes, this book may not be for you. However, if you like to learn about proper technique, choosing the appropriate cut of meat or ingredient and using the right equipment then you are going to love The New Best Recipe!