Savory Spice Shop's incredible array of products brings "play" and "food" together in a new way. I visited the shop in Austin and had a blast. Continue reading →

Five lucky folks will win a free night at Sandia Resort and Casino during the Fiery Foods & BBQ Show. Reserve your room today and be entered for one free night! Continue reading →

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Story and Photos by Rick Browne Hong Kong is one of my favorite cities on earth, having traveled there more than 18 times over the years. I enjoyed three months of living there while I worked on a photojournalism book about the island and its people, entitled Hong Kong: Here Be Dragons. That time was spent eating the best Chinese … Continue reading →

Yeah, I know, everybody’s throwing a Super Bowl party. But on this day, I avoid the celebratory one-upmanship and stick with an easy, stress-free concept that allows me to enjoy the actual football-watching part of the big game (imagine that!).

I’m all about a sandwich bar and beer. Albeit a little spiffed up because I toast the sandwiches and serve craft beers, but straightforward enough, right?

Now I realize that, depending on your comfort level in the kitchen, “easy” and “stress-free” are relative terms. But taking this notion of sandwiches and beer and kicking it up a notch really is simple — even for the novice cook or reluctant entertainer. Honest.

The ground rules are simple: Invite a bunch of friends, tell them to bring something (ice, drinks, a side or dessert), and you provide the main course (in this case, sandwiches). Gone is the pressure of heavy-duty cooking, replaced by a focus on enjoying your pals and having a good time.

Here’s the playbook:

EQUIPMENT:

• Panini or indoor grill press: You probably got one for Christmas a few years back, so here’s the perfect excuse to fire it up. A panini or indoor grill press cooks both sides of the sandwich simultaneously, so there’s no need to flip. Most can easily cook two sandwiches at a time.

• Cast-iron skillet: No panini press? Either a cast-iron skillet or sturdy grill pan (large enough to hold two sandwiches) makes a worthy stand-in. If you go this route, though, you’ll need something to “press” the sandwiches. I recommend using a smaller skillet or an aluminum foil-wrapped brick. Cook one side of the sandwich, pressing with a skillet or brick, until bread is golden-brown. Flip, press and cook the other side until golden-brown and cheese melts. This only takes about 2 or 3 minutes on each side.

BREADS:

• Practically any bread will work, from slices to rolls, but don’t let it be an afterthought. Choose breads that play well with the filling’s textures and flavors. My favorites are hearty Italian (multi-grain is even better), crusty ciabatta and tangy sourdough.

FILLINGS:

• Keep the stress to a minimum by tossing a pork or beef roast in the slow cooker the day before. Chop or shred the meat, and you’re ready to go. If you have more time, bake a ham or turkey breast. For the truly time-pressed or less-confident cook, pick up a rotisserie chicken or two from the deli (and don’t forget the salami and prosciutto). I’m also a fan of stopping by the local barbecue joint for chopped smoked chicken, pork and brisket.

• You can count on jarred items such as olives, marinated vegetables, sun-dried tomatoes and roasted bell peppers to add a zesty pop of flavor.

• It may be winter, but that’s no excuse to forget about fresh veggies and fruit. Try peppery arugula or tender baby spinach. Sliced Roma tomatoes are just the right size to sit atop a sandwich. Use a vegetable peeler to make thin carrot ribbons — a simple kitchen trick that adds color and crunch. Crisp, thinly sliced apples (Gala, Granny Smith) and pears (Seckel, Bartlett, Anjou) are a tasty way to balance out more savory ingredients.

CHEESE:

• The key here is “meltability,” which ensures a high ooey-gooey quotient. You can play it more middle-of-the-road with relatively mild cheeses like Monterey jack, fontina and provolone, or mix it up a bit with more flavorful options like smoked Gouda, aged goat or Gorgonzola. And don’t forget about the super-versatile, spreadable garlic-and-herb cheese typically found in the supermarket deli case.

SPREADS:

• Regular mayo and mustard are fine, but here’s a chance to really have some fun with condiments. A few of my picks are pesto, red pepper jelly, Sriracha chili sauce, chutney, whole-grain mustard, barbecue sauce, balsamic vinegar and aioli.

HOW-TO:

• Create your sandwich bar using plates, platters and trays to display the various ingredients, allowing guests to build the perfect panini.

• Brush bread slices with olive oil or melted butter (or a combo of both) to maximize browning and crispiness. Vegetable spray works too.

• Mind the heat. Stick with medium heat for perfect, golden-brown sandwiches. Too hot and the bread will burn before the cheese melts.

• Sandwiches cook in about 5 minutes, so even if you use a skillet or grill pan, the line should move quickly.

BEER:

There are classic pairings like peanut butter and jelly, Page and Plant, Montana and Rice — and the Super Bowl and beer. No disrespect to the mass-produced lagers and ales, but there’s an entire world of micro- and craft-brewed beers out there just waiting to be sipped and enjoyed with food.

For the sandwich bar, I recommend two styles: rich winter lagers and crisp American pale ales.

• Winter Lager: Despite their deep color, these sturdy, cool-fermented brews stay true to their roots with restorative hoppiness and tongue-tingling carbonation, both of which prep the palate for the next bite. The toasted, slightly caramelized flavors lend more muscle to the beer — a tasty asset alongside heartier meats and full-bodied condiments — without the high level of head-numbing alcohol. Take it one step further with a dark lager, which has even more wintery notes of caramel and coffee with a touch of smokiness.

• American Pale Ale: These crisp, aromatic ales are anything but pale. While less hopped than their IPA siblings, American pale ale still packs plenty of fruit and floral aromas, which play well with spice and heat, as well as the rich cheese. And with more fizz than English pale ale, the livelier American style delivers enough carbonation to cut through even the richest condiment.

Scott Jones is a food and wine writer who lives in Birmingham, Alabama.  Find more of his cooking tips, recipes, and wine recommendations at his blog Jones Is Hungry.  He also writes a monthly wine column for Cooking Light called, “The 10-Minute Wine Matchmaker.”

I come from a family with hippie tendencies, particularly when it comes to food. During my childhood, the only bread in our fridge was the kind that had at least eight different kinds of grains. I didn’t know that rice could be anything other than brown for my first decade. And for years, I assumed that everyone made granola on a weekly basis.

Every Sunday afternoon, my mom would pull out her rimmed cookie sheets, a big jar of oats and jug of honey to make that week’s batch. Her recipe came from a friend who, for a time, had a granola business. It was of the kitchen-sink variety and included flaked coconut, wheat germ and sesame seeds. While it was quite delicious, it was built for nutrition more than to appeal to my six-year-old taste buds.

As it turns out, this apple hasn’t fallen very far from her tree. Once I got out on my own, it wasn’t long before I fell into the same Sunday afternoon granola habit that I grew up with. My kitchen feels quite naked without a jar of granola on the counter. I eat it with a bit of milk for breakfast, munch on a handful when the late-afternoon munchies strike and dash a few clusters over Greek yogurt for that late-evening something sweet.

When it comes to recipes, I’ve been all over the map. Some weeks, I bake up the version from my childhood. Other times, I opt for a cocoa hazelnut variety that I dreamed up when I wanted something a bit sweeter. Right now, I’m entirely smitten with Ina Garten’s recipe for Cherry, Almond and Cinnamon Granola. Cherries and almonds are natural partners and I love how the cinnamon plays so well with both of them. It’s perfect for The Weekender.

Before you start toasting your oats, here are a few things you should know:

Marisa McClellan is a food writer and canning teacher who lives in Center City Philadelphia. Find more of her food (all cooked up in her 80-square-foot kitchen) at her blog, Food in Jars. Her first cookbook, also called Food in Jars, will be published by Running Press in spring 2012.

You created six new sandwiches for Food Network specifically for the big game this Sunday. How did you come up with them?

JM: They are easy sandwiches I would want to eat while watching a game. Plus, they hold well so they are going to remain fresh and tasty, at least until halftime, when they’re all gone.

Which one can we expect on your menu?

JM: My good friend is actually hosting an engagement party the day of the big game, which is not only grounds for a man-card revocation, but also cuts into my prep time. That’s why I’m making the Rueben Meatball Sliders. They are easy to make ahead, as well as the Monster Muffaletta, which really involves no cooking.

It seems like bread can make or break a sandwich. How do you know which type to use?

JM: Start with fresh bread treated right. The texture and mass of the bread cannot overpower the sandwich’s contents. If you are using day-old rolls or buns, make sure to butter and griddle them. Reactivate the supple qualities and make it a pillowy vehicle for what lies in between.

Why sandwiches for the Super Bowl?

JM: You save on purchasing and washing tons of silverware. Plus, it frees up one of your hands when it’s time to cheer, have a drink or bet a square.

What else is on your menu?

JM: Bowls of chips. Got to have chips. Lots and lots of chips. And, just in case, a bottle of Gout medication.

Even if one is stuck in the Great White North, February is still a fiery month for food festivals.

Tropical Wine Festival, Des Moines, Iowa, Feb. 3: Iowa is more than a crucial battleground in presidential politics, it’s a fertile land for oenophiles with a sense of humor when it comes to clothing — we’re as surprised as you are — during the first weekend in February. The Tropical Wine Festival, for which attendees are encouraged to don their favorite tropical attire, unites local wineries and lovers of their vintages for a few hours of chin-chins and nibbles from area food purveyors, including The Cheese Shop of Des Moines and Dos Rios Cantina and Tequila Lounge. Go all the way with Hawaiian leis and tiny bubbles when musical group Tropical Steel fires things up.

AleFest Columbus, Columbus, Ohio, Feb. 5: Warm up in the Buckeye State with this one-day brew fete. Beer aficionados will geek out at the opportunity to sample some of the more than 250 stellar creations — including cask — at this seventh-annual affair. Admission ($40) earns the festival-goer a tasting glass to be filled with 20 samples and a guide to scheduled events, including a silent auction and a raffle for beer collectibles. Belly up to the booth.

Delray Beach Garlic Festival, Delray Beach, Fla., Feb. 10–12: It’s not exactly the great Gilroy celebration, but this south Florida celebration is just as deliciously stinky. As a matter of fact, the organizers like to refer to their reeking good time, as “The Best Stinkin’ Party in Town.” The highlight is the Garlic Chefs Festival, for which local chefs duke it out with three gourmet dishes (a composed salad, appetizer and entrée with pre-selected ingredients) and, adding Iron Chef elements, a mystery ingredient in one hour. Garlic University gives children the opportunity to learn about the wondrous bulb. They’ll even have the chance to bring home garlic they’ve potted. Hungry visitors will be able to munch on garlic curry chicken kabobs, garlic ice cream, or for the purist, whole roasted garlic. Industrial-strength breath mints are suggested.

Eelpout Festival, Walker, Minn., Feb. 17–19: With live music from a band called Shirts and Skins and a bikini ice fishing team fashion show, this Land of 1,000 Lakes winter celebration is arguably the hottest one this month. And it’s about a fish. Aside from the abundance of beer used to keep warm, 10,000 ice anglers will gather to compete for the biggest catch. Costumed revelers will go for a dip in Lake Leech during the polar plunge and participate in other shenanigans on and off the lake.

Riverside County Fair and National Date Festival, Indio, Calif., Feb. 17–26: Since 1947, the date palm harvest in the Coachella Valley has teamed up punch with a good old fashioned country fair for a 10-day blowout. Classic food fair events like a pageant (Queen Scheherazade Scholarship Pageant) share real estate with musical headliners LeAnn Rimes, Hot Chelle Rae and Uncle Kracker. Monster trucks, a demolition derby and camel and ostrich races will be among the spectacles packing the Grandstand Arena. Throughout the affair, attendees will munch on the honored goodies, go for spins on midway rides and throw down for the year’s biggest date.

South Beach Wine and Food Festival, Miami, Fla., Feb. 23-26: Finish off the multi-course banquet that is February with the month’s biggest food bash, Food Network’s South Beach Wine and Food Festival. The cable cooking network will showcase its marquee names, including Guy Fieri, Alex Guarnaschelli, Ann Burrell and Bobby Flay, during demonstrations, haute soirees and meet-and-greets. Among the highlights during this sunny shindig are Burger Bash with Rachael Ray, seminars on meatballs and glassware, as well as a BBQ and Blues event hosted by Michael Symon. Slap on the sunscreen and hit the beach for foodie heaven.

PHOTO: Delray Beach Garlic Festival/ Facebook

On game day, fake out your guests with this nacho platter from Food Network Magazine — it’s really dessert. Follow this easy step-by-step guide and whip up a nacho cheesecake in no time. While you’re at it, try your hand at another one of the magazine’s wacky and creative cakes.