Ask A Los Angeles Expert: Best Recipes For Super Bowl Sunday

If there is one American event that should be a national holiday and isn't, it would, of course, be the Super Bowl. Stop and think for a minute: the very first Super Bowl back in January of 1967 (Green Bay defeated Kansas City 35-10 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum) was played in front of some 62,000 people, with ticket prices topping out at a mere $12. Imagine yourself now trying to get a Super Bowl 50 ticket for that price!

While Sunday's game (Denver vs. Carolina in Santa Clara, CA) itself takes center-stage, there will be countless parties not only nationwide, but in many countries where the game will be televised. As a result, you can bet some awesome food will be on the menus around the country and the globe for that matter.

We caught up with a couple of women who know a little something about what to cook up any day of the year, including the biggest day of the season for football fans and even some non-fans who just want to partake in all the fun.

Erika Kerekes writes about feeding her family and entertaining at In Erika's Kitchen. A New Yorker who landed in Santa Monica more than two decades ago, Erika still can't believe she lives in a place where food grows on trees in her backyard. Erika is also a food entrepreneur. Look for her Not Ketchup sauces at stores around southern California, including Whole Foods and Pavilions.

An unusual twist on guacamole, using delicious local citrus. As Kerekes points out, this is a very simple guacamole: avocado, grapefruit, green onions and salt. It's also quite beautiful when using the pink grapefruit due to the fact you can see the little pink bits poking out among the light green avocado and darker green onions.

This is Erika's favorite meatball recipe; it includes minced mushrooms, which keep the meatballs light and juicy. She has a meatball secret (meatloaf, too): She minces a large amount of mushrooms in the food processor, cooks them down, lets them cool and mixes them in with the ground beef. According to Erika, the mushrooms keep things moist, add fantastic flavor and keep everyone all a little healthier. In this version, the earthy background flavor of the mushrooms works particularly well against the sweet, tangy Cherry Chipotle Not Ketchup.

Make it ahead, stick it in the oven at the start of the second quarter, and it will be good to go by halftime. Serve with crusty bread. This recipe uses delicious dried California Mission figs from the Central Valley. Erika notes that you crumble goat cheese in the bottom of a baking dish, then saute some onions. Add chopped figs plumped in a little sherry and spread the whole mixture over the goat cheese. Pop it into the oven an sit back and watch as everything comes together. It's a little messy when you scoop it on slices of bread, but the right kind of messy.

For those who want to keep it on the lighter side, try this game-winner. You should look to get beautiful miniature sweet peppers and Persian cucumbers at your local Costco. If you can't find them, use whatever vegetables you find that work well for scooping. Larger cucumbers work, although the end result will be a multi-bite rather than one-bite morsel. Make your own hummus or use your favorite store-bought brand.

Another woman who can cook up a storm for the big game is Wendy Tea Ahn. Ahn, a proud native of Los Angeles and a self-proclaimed foodie, decided to launch her food website as her way of sharing her passion for home cooking, as well as dining out, with the world. It's her belief that food is one of the few pleasures in life that truly transcends culture and time. After working in a corporate environment for the last several years, she decided to start on a side project that was both fulfilling and useful.

Among her suggested recipes:

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Burgers
www.wortheverybite.com

1. Place the onions and garlic in an even layer in the slow cooker and pour in the stock or broth. 
2. Combine the sugar, chili powder, measured salt, cumin and cinnamon in a small bowl.
3. Pat the pork dry with paper towels. Rub the spice mixture all over the pork and place the meat on top of the onions and garlic.
4. Cover and cook until the pork is fork tender, about 6 to 8 hours on high or 8 to 10 hours on low
5. Turn off the slow cooker and remove the pork to a cutting board or large bowl using tongs. Be careful as the cooker will still be very hot.
6. Set a fine-mesh strainer over a medium heatproof bowl. Pour the onion mixture from the slow cooker through the strainer and set the strained liquid aside. I like saving the jus for reheating leftovers. 
7. If the pork has a bone, remove and discard it. Using two forks, shred the meat into bite-sized pieces, discarding any large pieces of fat.
8. If using, add the barbecue sauce and mix to combine.

Turkey Sliders
www.wortheverybite.com

Ingredients

• Ground Turkey (1 lb)
• Sweet Onion (2 whole)
• Baby Bella Mushrooms (1 basket)
• Arugula (Baby arugula pictured)
• Ciabatta Rolls (I got mine from Whole Foods Market)
• Horseradish Mustard (You can use dijon if you want a bit sweet taste)
• Blue Cheese Crumbles
• Olive oil
• Minced Garlic (1 tbs)
• Breadcrumbs (1/4 cup – I like using Panko for ease)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Onion Preparation
Peel the onion and cut into slices lengthwise to desired thickness. Use a wide thick-bottomed saute pan for maximum pan contact with the onions. Coat the bottom of the pan with olive oil over medium heat until oil simmers. Add in onion slices and stir to coat in oil. Spread the onions out evenly over the pan and let cook, stirring occasionally. Let cook for about 30 minutes to an hour, stirring frequently to avoid burning. But be sure to let them sit still long enough so that they can brown. If they start to stick to the pan when browned you can add a small amount of water.

Mushroom Preparation
Remove the stems from the mushrooms and cut into slices. Add olive oil to skillet and saute until golden brown. Note: Don't run mushrooms under water as they will soak it up like a sponge causing the saute to be soggy. Instead using a damp paper towel, wipe the mushrooms down.

Turkey Patty Preparation
Combine ground turkey, minced garlic, and breadcrumbs in a bowl. Season generously with salt and pepper. Form mixture into one inch thick patties. Lightly oil grill. Place patties on hottest part of grill; sear until browned (approximately one to two minutes on each side). Move patties to cooler part of grill and continue grilling until cooked through (approximately 5 to 10 minutes per side).

Slice ciabatta roll in half and toast if desired. Combine sandwich, topping patty with all cooked ingredients, blue cheese, mustard, and arugula. Commence stuffing face and enjoy!

Croissant Bread Pudding

Ingredients

• 4-5 medium croissants
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup heavy Cream
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Grease a 9-inch baking dish with butter (or non-stick spray). Tear the croissants into pieces and fill/pack the dish.
2. Combine the sugar, milk, and heavy cream and whisk together until the sugar has dissolved and small bubbles appear along the edges of the pot.
3. Whisk together the eggs. Then stir in the warm milk mixture to the eggs. Add in vanilla extract.
4. Pour enough mixture into the baking dish and cover the croissants. Press the croissants down to ensure the bread is densely packed. Cool in refrigerator for a minimum of two hours.
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit. Remove from refrigerator and let come to room temperature. Bake for 35 minutes until golden brown.
6. Optional: Serve a la mode with vanilla ice cream or fresh whipped cream.

So, whether you make them inside or step outside for a little grilling fun before or during the big game, score a touchdown with your guests.