Football Fare

Every football fan knows that food is an integral part of the game-watching experience, or is that just me?!
Well, in our house we planned it out like it was a major holiday.  The Ohio State-Michigan game was the pinnacle of football season and for the majority of my football-loving friends and family it still is.
There was one particular year that we had everything you could possibly imagine on the table for the game,  I secretly dubbed it "pig-fest" (you know, pig-skin, football, food, gorging oneself...)  It was unbelievable.  To this day there has never been another one like it, which for our own health is probably a good thing.

Chili is a great football food, you can make it in a huge batch the day before or the morning of the game and the longer it sits, the better it gets.

I made some last night in preparation for today's Buckeye game and as good as it was last night, I know it will have developed even more flavor today.
This recipe is courtesy of my Dad (thank you!) and it's the only chili I ever make.  It is delicious, but it reminds me of home and as is the case with most of the things I make for myself it is familiar and comforting food.

Turkey Chili

• 1 lb. organic ground turkey
• 2 cans diced tomato (14.5 oz can)
• 2 medium yellow onions, diced
• 3 or 4 stalks celery, diced
• 2 cans kidney beans, rinsed (15.5 oz can)
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• a few tbsp sugar (to cut acidity from tomatoes)
• 3 - 4 tbsp chili powder
• salt & pepper
• 2 tbsp canola oil

1. Heat canola oil over medium heat and add onions and celery.  Cook until soft and translucent.
2. Add turkey, break it up and cook through.  Add whole, crushed clove of garlic, chili powder and season with salt & pepper.
3. Add diced tomato and  sugar.  Simmer for at least a half hour, stirring occasionally.
4. Add beans and simmer an additional 30 minutes, check for seasoning and adjust as needed.
5. Remove clove of garlic, and dig in.

A little (meat) ball of comfort

Is it just me or does it feel like spring has forgotten to "spring"?  I am desperate to shed my winter coat, fling open my windows and let in the warm breeze...  however it is still hovering around 40 degrees.  Rain is moving in and the temperature is falling. It was, dare I say it...  cloudy with a chance of meatballs.  Days like this need comfort food, the kind that takes time to make.   I have been craving turkey meatballs for about two weeks so today was the day.

There is something comforting about having a pan bubbling away on the stove, making the house smell so delicious.  It's rather soothing to me to cook at a leisurely pace.  I enjoy the process so much more than when it is frenetic.  It allows me the time to really focus on the food.  The tactile sensations of it, rolling a meatball can be mundane but today it was sheer pleasure.  Perhaps because I've been wanting them for weeks,  these were ridiculously good and I enjoyed every single minute of it.  The smell that permeated my kitchen was mouth-watering and the meatballs were absolutely perfect.

There isn't anything particularly spectacular about a turkey meatball, except they are damn good but the sauce is what really makes it.  In lieu of a traditional red sauce to have these with, I went a slightly different route... and today it was the road to happiness.


For the Turkey Meatballs
1.5 lbs ground turkey
1 egg, beaten
1/3 c. freshly grated parmesan cheese
1/4 c. breadcrumbs
1/2 bunch parsley, finely chopped
1 tsp fresh oregano, finely chopped
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper


- The easiest way to make sure the meatballs are consistent in size is to use a small cookie scoop to portion them.  There is a kitchen gadget that is specifically made for scooping meatballs, but I don't own one. 
- Once all the meatballs are scooped, give them a quick roll to make them round & brown them in a few tablespoons of good olive oil in a screaming hot pan to get a nice carmelized crust on them.
- When they are browned on all sides, add in your sauce and let them simmer until cooked through.