Lovin' It

Today we saw old style Chicago football. The Bears looked strong as they churned out a ground game. Cutler was fabulous and Robbie was, once again, on target. It was fun to watch.

While the game does nothing to extend the season, it was an interview of sorts for many of the players. Who do you think stood out? Who do you think should go?

Today was also a chance to watch Lovie's new team. His young quarterback was especially impressive. We will want to keep on eye on the young Buccaneers.

Today's menu was a seafood duo: Shrimp Cocktail and Smoked Fish Dip.

Smoked Fish Dip

Ingredients:
2 Cups flaked smoked whitefish
2 TB mayo
4 TB greek yogurt
Pinch Old Bay Seasoning
4 drops Tabasco
3 drops Worcestershire
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Pinch seasoned salt

Directions:
1.  Place fish, mayo and yogurt in food processor
2.  Season with remaining ingredients
3.  Blend until mixture is the consistency of a spread.

A Lump of Coal

Apparently, da Bears were on Santa's naughty list this year. There will be no playoff games and no Pro Bowl for us this year. Tomorrow's game against Tampa Bay is nothing more than an audition for the 2016 season. Do you have favorites who are in jeopardy? Take to the kitchen mateys and help them remain on our beloved Bears.

Choosing a recipe to defeat Tampa Bay will have you looking toward the Caribbean. Specialties include recipes from Cuba, Jamaica and the Bahamas. Think stone crab, cuban sandwiches, conch fritters and others.

These last two games of the 2015 will spotlight the real fans, so get cooking!

Heartbreak in Chicago

Bears, this blogger is heartbroken by today's loss after risking heart disease and high blood pressure. Cutler played great despite dealing with the loss of his brother-in-law. The plays could have been called better but when they didn't work, Cutler's improvisations were stellar.

Third quarter scores also did my heart good but then, Robbie ..... really? Every Bears fan was pulling for you to make the field goal to put us into overtime. Last week was hard and this was the perfect opportunity. What's the matter dude? You've set so many records and pulled us out of losing spirals again and again. Bears fans have your back. Time to get your groove back.

Let's talk about the heart attack menu. Apparently, despite the fabulous array of ethnic choices to be found in Washington DC, the iconic tailgate treat for Washington is the half smoke. The half smoke is similar to a hot dog but is bigger, smoked and often served with chili sauce. We needed the win so off to market I went. The closest to a half smoke was a larger hot dog with a mixture of meats.

This was served with my traditional tailgate chili. If you are partial to Steak and Shake chili, add some cocoa powder to the recipe. If you're playing Cincinnati, add cinnamon.

Tailgate Chili

Ingredients:
1 # ground beef, turkey or pork - or any combination
2 cans of chili beans (hot or mild or both - your choice)
1/2 onion chopped
1 can tomato soup
1/4 - 1/3 cup salsa
Salt and pepper to taste
Chili powder to taste (I use quite a bit)

Directions:
1.  Brown meat and onions, drain
2.  Add soup, beans and salsa
3.  Season to taste
4.  Simmer until thickened

Not Much Of A Party

What a miserable loss. Both teams came out fully charged and quickly went flat. If San Francisco scored, the Bears would answer and then go back to sleep. So many opportunities were missed along with two field goals - not much of a birthday party for Robbie.

Gould blames himself for the loss but, had the Bears been fully involved the entire game, the field goals would have just been icing on the birthday cake. Instead the team left the game looking a bit like the donkey waiting for its tail.

Perhaps a sourdough roll to go along with the Clam Chowder would have made a difference. The what if's are the worst. The Clam Chowder, however, was quite tasty. Maybe this seafood comfort food will make us all feel better so we can move on to next week.

Clam Chowder

Ingredients:
3 Small Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
3 slices smoked bacon, cut into ½-inch wide pieces
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 carrot, peeled and cut into ¼-inch pieces
1 stalk celery, cut into ¼-inch pieces
1 leek, washed and cut into ¼-inch pieces, white portion only

1/2 small onion, chopped 

1 (6-1/2-ounce) cans chopped clams, undrained
4 ounce clam juice
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
Pinch dried thyme
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup heavy cream

Directions:
1.   Peel and cut potatoes and set aside
2.   Chop carrot, celery, onion, leek and bacon
4.   Melt better and add onion. Cook slowly until the bacon is crispy
5.   Add celery, carrot and leek - saute 5 minutes
6.   Add thyme and continue cooking until carrots are soft
7.   Add clams, clam juice, chicken broth, potato, salt, and pepper; cover and bring to a boil.
8.   Reduce heat to medium, and cook, covered, 12 to 15 minutes or until potatoes are soft
9.   In a bowl, dissolve cornstarch in cream; add to soup.
10. Cook 5 minutes, or until thickened, stirring frequently.

.

The San Francisco Treat

After the victory against the Packers, on Thanksgiving Day no less, Bears fans have reason to be optimistic this week. The San Francisco 49ers come into Soldier Field with a 3-8 record and a backup quarterback.

And da Bears are getting healthier. Jeffrey, Bennet (Probable/Ribs) and Cutler ( Probable/Illness) are expected to be ready for the game. Wilson is out and Royal is questionable with a knee injury.

Let's help them out with a spectacular menu. San Francisco certainly has an assortment of local food choices. In fact, Levi's Stadium expanded their locally-sourced food and beverage program this year. In addition to California wines and beers from Anchor Brewing, fans can enjoy seafood, cheese, BBQ, Asian delicacies, flatbreads, carrot cake and Little Gem Wedge Salad.

This blogger has chosen her menu. Are you ready? Bear Down Chicago!

Magic Mushrooms

Sometimes you have to go with your heart. In this week's football pools I went with the Lions and the Bears. The Lions picked apart the Eagles like they were a turkey carcass. The Bears didn't start out as if they were hungry - rather, they seemed to be  suffering from a turkey hangover. It got so bad, I had to leave my Thanksgiving party because I was about to be "that fan."


And then, something changed. Did da Coach put on the Packers sweater again? Perhaps someone filled the Bears headsets with the commentators dialogue dismissing them from the very beginning, bringing a renewed sense of "watch this." Whatever it was, it was wonderful. The Bears and Cutler settled into a winning zone. It was a good zone - not great. There were too many penalties and missed opportunities, but, darn it, Cutler was good.

As for this cook/blogger, I admit to double dipping. My contributions to the Thanksgiving feast included Cranberry Sauce, Cranberry Sauce with Jalapenos and Goat Cheese filled Mushrooms. Everyone was informed the mushrooms were the secret ingredient to a Bears win. They - and the win - were delicious.

Goat Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms (24)

Ingredients:
Olive oil
2 slices White Bread
1 small garlic clove, chopped
5 oz goat cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves, chopped
Coarse salt
20 oz white button mushrooms, cleaned and stems removed

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 400 and lightly oil rimmed baking sheet with olive oil
2.  In food processor, pulse bread and garlic into fine crumbs
3.  Set aside 1/2 cup of bread/garlic mixture
4.  Add goat cheese, parsley and red pepper flakes to remaining bread/cheese mixture
5.  Season with salt and pulse until combined
6.  Spoon filling into each mushroom and roll filled side in reserved breadcrumbs.
7.  Place on baking sheet and bake until mushrooms are tender and lightly browned (15-20 minutes)

Tough Loss to the Detroit Refs

An overtime loss is always tough, but when you lose to a scrawny official, it's demoralizing.

There were terrible calls against both teams, but Chicago really took it in the protective gear. Fox announcers and their rules specialist were as frustrated as the fans. At one point, they suggested the refs were trying to make Detroit right after the bad call they received in Seattle. Hey dude, we're  not Seattle. How about officiating this game.

Lunch was disappointing as well. This cook went with the famous Cheddar Cheese Soup from Hudson's that sold at Ford Field. For non-Detroiters, Hudson's was the Detroit equivalent of Marshall Fields. Hudson's suffered the same fate - they are now part of Macy's. The soup is a thick, sharp cheddar variety that seems better suited as a base for Welsh Rarebit.

If you're looking for a wonderful cheesy soup on a cool day, my call would be to give the TD to Cheesehead Chowder, but then, today was all about bad calls.

Hudson's Cheddar Cheese Soup

Ingredients:
2 TB unsalted butter
3/4 Cup onions, finely chopped
3/4 Cup carrots, finely chopped
1/2 Cup celery, finely chopped
1/4 Cup flour
1/2 TB cornstarch
1/16 tsp paprika
1/16 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 Cups whole milk
1 1/2 Cups chicken stock (I added an additional cup at the end because it was too thick)
1 LB sharp aged cheddar cheese, shredded
Salt
Pepper, freshly ground, to taste
Angostura bitters

Directions:
1.  Melt butter in heavy pan over medium high heat until foamy
2.  Add vegetables and saute until the onion is softened and translucent
3.  Combine flour, cornstarch, paprika and baking soda and sprinkle over the vegetables
4.  Cook, stirring constantly for at least 2 minutes
5.  Add milk and chicken stock and whisk until smooth
6.  Heat, stirring often to prevent milk from burning on bottom of the pan
7.  When the carrot is soft (about 15 minutes), remove pan from heat
8.  If you prefer a smooth soup, blend soup in small batches in a blender
9.  Add cheese, stirring to combine
10. Salt and pepper to taste
11.  Serve in bowls with a dash of bitters

The Choice Is Made

What are you going to cook to defeat Kansas City?  Get it right - this is an important game.

We'll talk after you've chosen.

Welcome Back Cutler

If someone was trying to prove how important Cutler is to da Bears, they certainly staged it well. Even with his requisite interception, Cutler had a good game. He also showed a bit more enthusiasm for winning which seemed to rally the troops.

Cutler's status was uncertain up to the last moment, so this blogger felt that a family football favorite - Tamales - was necessary. Granted, they are a bit of work, but we were looking at Zero Wins. So tamales are what die hard fans do. They're also pretty darn delicious. Consider making the meat filling the day before assembling the tamales. The flavors will combine nicely and you won't have such a marathon cooking session.

So, before you begin researching your Kansas City recipe, grab a pork roast, spices, masa harina and corn husks and get cooking. Muy Deliciosa!

Meat Filling

Ingredients:
1 # pork roast
3 ancho chiles, seeded, stemmed and soaked
Spice Rub to cover the roast:
     dry mustard
     garlic powder
     chili powder
     pepper
     cayenne powder
     cumin
Beef broth
1 onion, chopped

Directions:
1.  Rub the pork with the spices, let it sit until it's around room temperature
2.  Put the ancho chiles in a sauce pan with water to cover, boil about 15 minutes
3.  Remove the ancho chiles to a cutting board and remove the stem. Cut open and rinse to remove          the seeds.
4.  Spray crock pot with Pam
5.  Put the roast, onions and chiles in the crock pot
6.  Cover with beef broth
7.  Set crock pot to low and cook several  hours until tender and can be flaked with a fork
8.  When it's nearly done, add 1/2-1 cup of salsa
9.  When it's done, test to see if salt is needed
10. Drain but reserve the liquid

Tamales

Ingredients:
Corn husks, soaked for several hours
3 cups masa  harina
2 cups warm water
1 cup lard
1 tsp salt

Directions:
1.  Mix masa harina and water using a fork, cover and let sit for 20 minutes
2.  In large bowl, beat lard and salt until fluffy (this will likely take 20 minutes)
3.  Add masa mixture and beat until combined
4.  For each tamale:
          Choose a softened corn husk and spread about 2 TB of dough in a 5 x 3 rectangle in the center
           of  the corn husk
          Top with 1 TB or less of the drained pork meat
          Roll jelly roll style and tie each end with a strand of softened corn husk
5.  Place tamales on a rack or crumpled up foil in a single layer in a steamer, electric skillet or dutch
     oven. Add water just below rack level (add a bit of the reserved pork roast liquid)
6.  Bring to a boil, cover and steam for about 45 minutes or until tamale pulls away from wrapper. Add water as needed checking about every 15 minutes.

Makes about 20 depending on the size of the corn husks.

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