Super Bowl Chili

By Andrew Hunter

Food and sports have a lot in common. They bring people together, encourage bonding and provide fodder for fun conversation. So what better way to spend an afternoon with friends than over a Super Bowl of chili and a great ballgame?

As the Patriots and the Giants take center stage this Sunday, we’re gearing up for the big game with a celebration of kids, food and banter. They may only be eight and six, but Ben and Nick are already die-hard fans. The only thing that could make this Sunday better is if the Lions were playing the Cowboys!

Chili is almost as traditional to the Super Bowl as a great bowl of guacamole. I personally like serving chili to a group of people, because I can offer a tasty base and then a smorgasbord of toppings so each person can customize to their own.

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Rediscovering Pimento Cheese

“What’s this stuff?” Nicky asked, holding up a giant tub of pimento cheese at our neighborhood market. “Oh, it’s just a Southern thing.” I said. “I used to carry it in my school lunchbox.” Then Andrew added, “Well, it’s actually a Midwest thing too.”

Almost everyone has a dish they remember from childhood or family gatherings of years past. I don’t know exactly when I had my first taste of pimento cheese, but if I had to guess, I’d say it was a lunchbox sandwich. As memory serves me, my childhood sandwiches were often pimento cheese, PB&J, olive loaf or bologna on white bread.

Andrew even remembers pimento cheese balls coated with slivered almonds and a maraschino cherry on top from Schuler’s Steakhouse every Thanksgiving and Christmas. In fact, it was a part of almost every holiday buffet spread we could remember.

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