…if what they want is GOOD food.

This recipe represents yet another entry into the Game Day Food Hall of Fame.  I guess I have football on the brain, or I just can’t get enough of the typical game day offerings – savory, salty homemade junk food. I made these a few years ago for a Super Bowl party and they were gone within minutes.  I too loved the wings, but felt like something was missing.  I had followed the instructions of the original recipe and baked the wings in a hot oven.  They had great flavor due to an overnight soak in cilantro, soy, ginger, garlic and red chili, but I quickly realized that the texture of a baked wing (i.e. flabby chicken skin) was not my favorite.  I needed the crispy-crunch of well-rendered chicken skin — something I was never going to get unless I fried them.  So, using a few tricks I picked up from another wing recipe, I tossed the chicken in a bit of rice flour before frying them to a delicious golden brown.  After a quick toss in the oh-so sticky, sweet chili-glaze I was left with what I consider to be one of the best finger foods around.

If you’re planning on doing any Super Bowl entertaining of your own or you just love a good wing, think about giving this recipe a try.  The asian flavor profile is a welcome alternative to the usual hot sauce/butter laden buffalo wing.  If you’re looking for a special main course, serve these guys atop a bowl of sticky rice to sop up all of that sweet-chili glaze.

Continue reading chicken wings recipe . . .

NFL Football playoffs start this weekend and that means it’s time to bust out the heavy hitting game day recipes.  We’ve got wings, mozzarella sticks, and potato skins covered, but I thought it was high time to break out a recipe for a good old-fashioned American dip — Bean Dip.

I know, I know, bean dip sounds boring.  Surely guacamole and salsa seem to steal the show anytime tortilla chips are broken out, but I assure you, this is no ordinary jarred bean dip.  First off, we’re making our own pinto beans.  That’s right, from the very get-go this is a homemade affair which means you can load as much flavor into this seemingly humble dip as possible.  Slow simmered with smoked pork, cumin seeds, oregano, onion and garlic there is no canned pinto bean on earth that can match that flavor.  Next off, we add spicy chipotle chiles for maximum punch and savory, smoky undertones.  After a dollop of two of sour cream to cool everything down and lend a velvety texture, the whole thing is topped with cheese and thrown into the oven until piping hot and gooey.

I promise, you’ve never tasted bean dip this good.  It’s fantastic served alongside some thick, crispy tortilla chips and dare I say, even better with Fritos Scoops. But if you’re feeling truly badass, try using it as the backbone for a homemade 7-layer dip and taste the rainbow of game day paradise.

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You know how bacon is all the rage these days? Bacon dipped in chocolate, bacon topped donuts, bacon beurre blanc – for me, it’s all about chorizo.  I’m constantly looking for ways to incorporate it into my cooking and seldom pass up an opportunity to eat a dish in which it is a key component (see Arroz Con Pollo).  Such was the case when I came across this recipe for Goat Cheese and Chorizo Rolls in this month’s Food and Wine Magazine.  Now chorizo is good by itself, but chorizo and tangy goat cheese together?  That sounded like a combo that was too good to pass up.

With a few holiday parties just around the corner, I figured I’d give these guys a test drive before serving them to any guests.  In this sense I consider myself a self-employed guinea pig — not a bad job at all.  After eating a half batch for lunch, I can say with certainty that I have a new hors d’oeurve recipe in the arsenal.  Tangy from the goat cheese and rich and smoky from the chorizo, these crispy little bundles are the type of finger food that demand a good cocktail to wash them down.  While they take a bit of time and patience to roll, preparing the goat cheese filling takes minutes.  Knock these out early in the morning and keep them in the fridge until your friends arrive.

After reading that the recipe was inspired by the street food of Argentina, I decided to serve them alongside another Argentine classic of chimichurri rojo.  Like it’s verde cousin, this sauce has plenty of garlic and a nice vinegar bite to cut through the rich, creaminess of the goat cheese.

Continue reading goat cheese and chorizo rolls recipe . . .