"SuperBowlParty" news and stories

If you are hosting a Super Bowl party at your house this weekend, the last thing you want is to be stuck in the kitchen while everyone else yells at the TV and eats all your food. I've made a quick list of items you can prepare ahead of time, which will leave you with more time to cheer for your favorite team.

Vegetables: Whether you are making a crudités platter or using them in other dishes, cut your vegetables the day before. Just make sure you wrap them separately and keep them refrigerated until you are ready to use them.

Dips: If you have been following along, we've been posting a Dip-a-Day here at Slashfood, and almost all of them can be prepared the day before.

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"Mediterranean" is a broad enough term that you could include paella from Spain all the way to falafel in Iran, with lots of Greek souvlaki in between. Since it's the Super Bowl and we want mess-free fingers foods, dips are always a great idea, espcially since they can all be made the night before.

Nothing shrieks "Mediterranean" more than pita bread to me. To make the pita bread easier to dip, rather than relying on a knife or spoon to spread, use pita chips instead of plain pita. You can either bake pita wedges that have been brushed with olive oil in a 375 degree oven until crisp (Nicole adds spices to hers), or you can run over to the market and buy the pita chips that are deep-fried. I think I know what you want. Here are some suggestions to serve up Mediterrranean-style dips:

• Hummus -  nothing is easier than whizzing garbanzo beans with tahini, lemon juice, and garlic in the food processor. Stefania has already given us her recipe, and I've got mine.
• Baba ghanouj - hummus doesnt have to be the only dip. Baba ghanouj is a super easy roasted eggplant dip. Simply cut 2 large regular eggplant in half lengthwise, generously brush the cut side with olive oil, put them cut-side down on a baking sheet, and roast fo 45 minutes in a 400 degree oven until super soft. Scrape the flesh into a food processor, add 1 Tbsp tahini, 2-3 cloves chopped garlic, 3-4 Tbsp lemon juice and salt to your taste. Whiz until smooth. I also add a few dashes of cumin to give it a smoky flavor.