BY GWEN KENNEALLY

Next Sunday all sports enthusiasts will be watching the Super Bowl and foodies will be making thousands of wings, tons of nachos, sliders by the dozen and pounds of pizza. You can impress your friends by making some traditional foods made famous by the cities from where the two champion teams reside. Both the 49ers and the Ravens come from cities known for seafood and fantastic culinary delights.

San Francisco, home of the 49ers, Ghirardelli chocolate, the Irish coffee, sourdough bread and the best clams and mussels on the west coast! Baltimore is famous for the Ravens, old bay seasoning, crab cakes, sweet breads and some of the best clams on the east coast. Enjoy these amazing recipes with friends and family for a party that has competition only on the field!

Roasted Clams with Garlic Butter

6 lbs. clams in shell

3/4 lb. butter

8 cloves garlic, sliced

Melt butter and add garlic. Stir and keep warm over low heat. 

Wash clams thoroughly in running water. Arrange clams on baking sheet and bake at 450° F. for 15 minutes till they open. 

Serve the clams warm with the garlic butter. Serves 4-6.

Steamed Clams In Beer

24 clams

4 sprigs fresh parsley, chopped

12 oz good dark beer

6 cloves garlic, chopped

1 stick butter

In a small saucepan sauté chopped garlic and fresh parsley with melted butter. Keep warm on low. Place clams in the bottom of a clam steamer or deep boiling pot. Add beer. Beer level should be only 1-2 inches from bottom. Cover and bring beer to a boil and steam until top clams barely open (about 3-5 minutes). Do not over cook, as clams will become tough and rubbery.

Faidley’s World Famous Crab Cakes

1 pound large lump crabmeat, picked over

1 cup crushed saltines

1/2-cup mayonnaise

1 egg

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 dash Tabasco sauce

Vegetable oil for frying

 

Tartar Sauce

1-cup mayonnaise

1/2 c finely chopped dill pickles

1/4 cup minced onions

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

1-tablespoon pickle juice

Crab cakes: Spread the crabmeat out in a flat pan and sprinkle the crushed saltines over the top. In a small bowl, mix mayonnaise, egg, mustard, Worcestershire and Tabasco. Pour the mayonnaise over the crabmeat and gently toss or fold the ingredients together, taking care not to break up the lumps of crabmeat. Let the mixture sit for 2-3 minutes before forming the cakes. Form the cakes by hand or with an ice cream scoop into 8 mounds about 3″ in diameter and 3/4″ thick.

Do NOT pack the mixture too firmly.

The cakes should be as loose as possible, yet still hold their shape.

Place the cakes on a tray or platter lined with wax paper, cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before cooking

Tartar sauce: In a bowl, mix mayonnaise, dill pickles, onion, parsley and dill pickle juice. Chill for at least 1 hour.

Pour oil into a heavy skillet to a depth of about 1 ½”. Heat oil and fry crab cakes, a few at a time, until golden brown, about 4 minute on each side. Remove with a slotted utensil to a paper towel to drain.

Serve at once with tartar sauce on the side. Makes 4 servings.

Bodega Bay Cioppino

3 cups tomato juice

1 onion, chopped

2 stalks celery, sliced thin

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 sprig rosemary, chopped

1 sprig marjoram, chopped

1 sprig oregano, chopped

½ pound fresh fish (flounder, haddock, perch), boned and cut into 1″ pieces

½ cup red wine

12 clams in the shell

1-pound shrimp, in the shell

4- tablespoon Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

6 parsley sprigs, chopped

8 lemon wedges

Place tomato juice in a pot and bring to a simmer. Add onion, celery, rosemary, marjoram, oregano, garlic, and fish to the pot and simmer, covered, for an hour to thicken broth. Add the wine, shrimp, and clams and heat to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until the shrimp just turn pink. Serve in heated bowls, topped with cheese, a wedge of lemon, and parsley.  Serves 4.

 

Chicken in White Wine North Beach Style

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 chicken breast halves with ribs and skin, cut crosswise in half

3 chicken drumsticks with skin

3 chicken thighs with skin

6 ounces 1/4-inch cubes prosciutto

8 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

3 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary

1 1/4 cups dry white wine

1-cup chicken stock

1 cup crushed tomatoes with added puree

Fresh rosemary for garnish

Preheat oven to 325°F. Heat extra-virgin olive oil in heavy large ovenproof pot over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Working in 2 batches, sauté chicken until golden, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to platter. Add prosciutto, sliced garlic, and chopped rosemary to same pot. Stir 1 minute. Add dry white wine, chicken broth, and crushed tomatoes with puree. Bring to boil, scraping up browned bits. Boil 5 minutes. Return chicken to pot, arranging in single layer. Return to boil. Cover pot and place in oven. Bake until chicken breasts are cooked through, about 30 minutes. Remove pot from oven.

Bring chicken mixture to simmer. Transfer chicken to platter; tent with foil. Boil until sauce is reduced to 2 cups and coats back of spoon, about 5 minutes. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Pour sauce over chicken. Garnish with rosemary sprigs and serve. Serves 4

Sourdough Bread

1 cup starter

1 package dry yeast

2 cups warm water

2 teaspoons sugar

1-teaspoon salt

6-7 cups flour

Cornmeal

Let starter come to room temp. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, sprinkle yeast over 1/4 cup of warm water. Add sugar and let stand for about 5 minutes. Stir in the rest of the water and the starter. Add four cups of flour. Mix to blend then beat at medium speed until smooth and elastic about 5 minutes. Gradually beat in 2 cups more flour, then add up to 1 cup more to make a stiff dough. Turn dough out on to a board coated with remaining flour. Knead until dough is springy and small bubbles form just under the surface. (15-20 minutes) Or place in bowl of electric mixer fitted withy a dough hook and process for about 10 minutes.) Turn dough into a greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and a towel; let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk about one hour.

Punch dough down and let rest for a few minutes. Divide into 2 equal parts and shape each one into a ball and place on greased cookie sheets that have been lightly dusted with cornmeal. Cover lightly with a towel and let rise until doubled, about one hour. With a very sharp knife cut a Chris cross in each loaf about 1/4 inch deep. Preheat oven to 400. Bake until golden brown and loaves sound hollow when tapped about 1/2 hour.

Sourdough Starter

1 Package dry yeast

1-cup warm water

1 cup warn nonfat milk

2 cups flour

In a medium bowl mix yeast over water. Stir and let stand for 5 minutes. Mix in warm milk. Add flour; mix to blend then beat until smooth. Transfer to a large container. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and then with a towel and let stand at room temperature 24-48 hours. Stir down upon occasion. It will be quite active for several hours after it is prepared. Use starter or refrigerate in a tightly covered container until ready to use.

Chesapeake Bay Cinnamon Bread

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup white sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2-teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1-teaspoon salt

1-cup buttermilk

1/4-cup vegetable oil

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 tablespoons white sugar

1-teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons margarine

Preheat oven to 350. Measure flour, 1-cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda, 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, salt, buttermilk, oil, eggs and vanilla into large mixing bowl. Beat 3 minutes. Pour into prepared loaf pan. Smooth top. Combine 2 tablespoons white sugar, 1-teaspoon cinnamon and butter, mixing until crumbly. Sprinkle topping over smoothed batter. Using knife cut in a light swirling motion to give a marbled effect. Bake for about 50 minutes. Test with toothpick. When inserted it should come out clean. Remove bread from pan to rack to cool. Serves 4-6.

Basic Chocolate Truffles

12 ounces Ghirardelli 60% dark chocolate chips

1 stick butter

1/2-cup ground chocolate

In a double broiler, melt the chocolate over simmering water, stirring constantly. (Or a metal bowel over a pot of boiling water, just remember to be careful.) Remove from heat. Add butter stirring until melted. Chill until firm enough to form into small round pieces. Roll in ground chocolate. Chill overnight in refrigerator. Makes about 40.

Gwen Kenneally is the owner of Back to the Kitchen, Full Service Catering and Party Planning. She is the co-founder and master baker at Magpie Gourmet Mini Pies.  Check out her websites www.Backtothekitchen.net and  http://magpieminipie.vpweb.com.  Her Sweet and Savory Cookbook is available through AMAZON .