Kindred Spirit

Excellent Memories for Seattle Fans - and one high school girl

There were some highlights for Bears fans in the first half but, perhaps, the best feel good moment was the picture of our street models with an unsuspecting high school girl. Kyle Long and Matt Forte interrupted a senior portrait session and asked if they could be in the picture. Claiming to be street models, they struck a pose.

On the field, Forte was a work horse. However, penalties, a weak offense, a 64 yard punt return and a 105 year record kick return proved too much for the Bears. They were shut out and returned to Chicago with an 0-3 record. Tough times. Perhaps Jeffrey's expected return next week will take some of the work load off Forte. No word yet on Cutler's status.

This week's menu: Crab Cake with Mustard Cream Sauce

Ingredients - Small Crab Cakes
16 oz fancy lump crabmeat, drain and remove cartilage
1 egg, lighly beaten
1/3 cup greek yogurt
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onion
1 tsp lemon zest
1 cup panko breadcrumbs, divided
Pepper to taste
Cooking spray

Ingredients - Mustard Cream Sauce
1/3 cup Mayonnaise
1/4 cup greek yogurt
1 TB dijon mustard
1 TB lemon juice

Directions:
1.  Mix together crabmeat, egg, yogurt, green onion, lemon zest, pepper and 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
2.  Form mini crab cakes about the size of a tablespoon and coat in remaining breadcrumbs
3.  Place on parchment baking sheet and lightly spray with cooking spray
4.  Bake 400 degrees for 15 minutes or until golden brown
5. Mix all ingredients for mustard cream sauce and serve with crab cakes

Micro Brew and Container Gardening - No Farmers Here

It's easy to abandon the farmers this week. Not only did they turn their backs on us the last two weeks, but Seattle doesn't have farmers. If you want to stick with this losing theme, you can stretch the term to include fishermen. There are plenty of fishermen.

This blogger's chosen to return to the food of the opponent's people.Looking at Seattle's iconic food yields some interesting results and comparisons. For example, we have the Chicago Dog - they have hot dogs smothered in cream cheese. You probably need to try it before you recoil - or not.

Seattle is all about seafood including shell fish like the one above. Interesting.

Coffee, apples, Walla Walla onions, dutch babies, teriyaki and rainier cherries are some of the other foods associated with Seattle. Past menus have included coffee rubbed pork tenderloin and shrimp bisque. Both were delicious. If you'd like to look up the recipes, enter Seattle into the search bar.

As you prepare your menu for Sunday's game against the Seahawks, make a bit extra for Jeffrey and Cutler. They'll be sitting on the sidelines and might appreciate having a bit of nosh.

Some Records Aren't Meant To Be Broken

What is it about farmers? They're not playing into my theory of defeating the opponent with native food. Last week we explored cranberries from Wisconsin. This week it was lettuce from Arizona. Both were disasters on the football field.

Today felt like an Illini game! The score was bad enough - 48/23 - but the penalties, OMG! We tied the team record for penalties, losing 170 yards. This last happened in the 1940's and Papa Bear - who had retired - couldn't stand it. He came back to coach the team and turn things around. Sadly, Papa is no longer an option. Should we look forward to the day when Virginia suits up? I expect she's beginning to consider her options.

I'm not blaming any of this on Coach Fox. I'm willing to give him the time to fix Chicago's broken system but YEESH! this week was ugly. I mean, really, how can you take lovely green lettuce topped with taco meat, refried beans, guacamole and salsa and turn it into hell on earth?

And, by the way, I'm not buying the hamstring injury for Jay Cutler. I expect it's something much more serious. For goodness sake, he wasn't even limping on his way into the locker room. Time for plan B, C or D.

Bears fans and cooks, let's regroup.

Farmers Uniting Around Football

Last week's recipe and the general play of da Bears were both very positive. Who knew that cranberries were a big deal in Wisconsin? Certainly not this blogger.

Perhaps we should look at the agricultural output of this week's opponent - the Arizona Cardinals. You may be surprised to learn they are the nation's leading producer of lettuce. In fact, 90% of all leafy green vegetables grown in the US between November and March come from Yuma, Arizona - just 190 miles from the home of the Arizona Cardinals.

In addition to corn, squash and heirloom livestock, Arizona boasts an assortment of heritage foods such as saguaro and prickly pear cactus as well as mesquite pod flour. Wonderful Sonoran dishes are popular including menudo, tamales,enchiladas, pozole, etc.

Of course the Cardinals weren't always in Arizona. More recently they were in St. Louis and, at the beginning of their history, they played in Illinois.The Cardinals and da Bears are the only two charter members of the NFL still in existence. Welcome home Cardinals.

What winning menu will you create this week? It's time to start planning and shopping Bears fans!

You Can Only Control the Food

 Lunch was delicious. Thanks for asking.

Actually, there isn't a lot of room to complain. Aside from the interception, our Bears looked pretty good. Jeffrey had a slow start but by the end of the game, he was making those amazing catches fans love. And Forte and Gould, fuhgeddaboudit. They are amazing. 

Even Cutler seemed more engaged, giving fist bumps when things went right and, if you look at the stats, a lot went right.  

It remains to be seen if da' Bears will prove the pundits wrong. They've predicted our Bears will be the worst team in the NFL. Based on today's performance, that prediction may not pan out. 

Oh yes, lunch. Cranberries are wonderful and today's recipe was a delight. I teamed up with Pioneer Woman and Coach Ditka to create a simple recipe that is good enough for company and/or the holidays. Da' Coach contributed his Pinot Noir which I added to the sauce and sipped a bit when the going got tough. It's football season, fans. Let's have some fun and enjoy some good food.

Pork Tenderloin with Cranberry Sauce

Ingredients

1 # pork tenderloin (I like to let my meat get close to room temperature before I cook it)

Olive Oil

Butter

Salt, Pepper and Dry Mustard

2 sprigs of Fresh Rosemary

1/2 cup Red Wine (I used Mike Ditka's Pinot Noir)

1/2 onion, chopped

1/4 cup Chicken Stock

Cranberry Sauce (recipe follows but you can even use the canned stuff)

Directions

1.  Make cranberry sauce a day before the meal if making homemade sauce

2.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees

3.  Sprinkle pork with salt and dry mustard and generously pepper it

4.  Put some olive oil and butter in a heavy pan, heat on high heat

5.  When the oil is sizzling, sear all sides of the tenderloin using tongs to move it around       (about 3-4 minutes total)

6.  Put the entire pan in the oven for 15 minutes or until thermometer reads 155-160              degrees

7.  When the pork is done, set it aside and let it rest

While the pork is cooking:

1.  Pull rosemary needles off their sprigs and chop finely  

2.  Heat 1 TB Olive Oil and 1 TB Butter in a skillet over medium heat

3.  Add onions and saute until tender

4.  Add 1/2 cup red wine, saute until wine is slightly reduced

5.  Add chicken stock and the chopped rosemary

6.  Add entire batch of cranberry sauce

7.  Add 1/4 cup of the juice from the pan with the pork

8.  Cook over medium for a few minutes (if your sauce is too thick, add some more chicken stock - you want it thick but still able to drizzle)

Cut the Pork into medallions and spoon cranberry sauce over the top. Tender and flavorful!

Cranberry Sauce

Ingredients

1 package of Cranberry Jello

1 Cup Boiling Water

1 Cup Apple Sauce

1/2 Cup Crushed Pineapple - with juice

1 Whole Orange cut in Quarters (Grind in food processor)

1 Can Whole Cranberry Sauce

Directions

1. Mix everything together

2. Refrigerate

Suit Up

Pull out that jersey and get ready for the first game of the regular season. Packers fans, which jersey will you choose - Aaron Rodgers or Matt Forte? According to the Jersey Report from Dick's Sporting Goods, number 22 is the best selling jersey in Wisconsin outselling Aaron Rodgers. What??? You have to respect Matt's talent and demeanor. Well done, Packers fans for recognizing real class.

An interesting fact about Matt: He lives in a small community of 547 whose mayor is Brian Urlacher's brother.

As we prepare to face off for game 1 of the season, are all the cooks ready with their winning recipe? This Bears fan has chosen. The recipe, pictures and comments will be posted after the game.

In the meantime, if you need some help choosing, here's a recap of some of the delicious recipes in the Bears/Packers rivalry:

• Cheesehead Chowder
• Sausage and Smoked Cheese Balls
• Tailgate Chili
• Cheesy Buffalo Chicken Soup

All were delicious, but perhaps the most unique was the Cheesy Buffalo Chicken Soup. Enjoy!

Cheesy Buffalo Chicken Soup

Ingredients:

2 TB butter

1 1/2 stalks celery, diced

1/2 small onion, diced

2 TB flour

1/4 cup plus 2 TB half and half

1/12 cups chicken broth

1 cup cubed, cooked chicken

2 TB buffalo wing sauce

3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1.  Melt butter, saute celery and onion until tender - about 5 minutes

2.  Add flour and cook about 2 minutes - stir constantly

3.  Slowly stir in half and half and broth. Stir until slightly thickened

4.  Add chicken, buffalo wing sauce and cheese. Season with salt and pepper

5.  Reduce heat to medium-low, stirring occasionally. Simmer until cheese has completely melted - about 10 minutes.

Kickoff in 8 Days

The preseason is in the books with a 3-1 record and major losses to the receivers. Jeffery, Royal and Wilson were injured and Coach Fox is keeping quiet about their status for opening day.

Speaking of opening day, da Bears' long-standing rival - the Green Bay Packers - are coming to Soldier Field next Sunday. Will you be ready? This Bears fan is reviewing her options. You've got your sausage and your cheese. Perhaps some smoked fish.
What's that you say? Cranberries? Let's talk.

A friend from college, who has settled behind the Cheddar Curtain, suggested this recipe saying "The cranberries are what makes it truly Wisconsin." TravelWisconsin.com claims that Wisconsin is the largest producer of cranberries. I checked the Ocean Spray website and the dudes from Massachusetts say that "while cranberries are primarily harvested in the Northeast, they are also grown in other places like Wisconsin ..."

So his claim panned out but I'm still suspicious of a tip coming from the enemy camp. For you more trusting types, here's the recipe he suggested. It won Jennifer May a blue ribbon at the Wisconsin State Fair. I wonder how it will do in Chicago?

Whatever winning recipe you choose, get cooking and Go Bears!

Bucky Badger's Game Day Cheese Fudge (36 pieces)

Ingredients:
8 oz cream cheese at room temperature
2 TB heavy whipping cream
4 Cups powdered sugar, sifted
12 oz white chocolate, melted
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp strawberry extract
3/4 Cup cashew halves (divided)
3/4 Cup cherry-infused dried cranberries (divided)

Directions:
1.  In a large bowl, beat cream cheese with the cream until smooth
2.  Beat in powdered sugar 1 cup at a time. Scrape sides with each addition
3.  Blend in white chocolate and extracts until smooth
4.  By hand, stir in 1/2 cup each of cashews and cranberries
5.  Spread and press mixture into a buttered 8 inch square pan
6.  Sprinkle with remaining cashews and cranberries; press lightly into the fudge
7.  Chill in refrigerator until firm; cut into 36 pieces