"super bowl" news and stories

While no one knows who will be duking it out in Super Bowl XLV next February in Dallas, the Taste of the NFL celebrity food fest held before the big game is on track to be the largest in history, the Dallas Morning News reported.

Event organizers say they expect to sell more than 3,000 tickets for meals made by at least 45 celebrity chefs, making it a record-breaker over 6 months before the first course is served on Feb. 5, 2011, the paper reported.

"This will likely be our biggest event from a ticket sales standpoint," spokeswoman Linda Bendt told the paper. "Anything over 3,000 would exceed previous events."

It is the twentieth Taste of the NFL event to be held on Super Bowl Eve to raise money to fight hunger.

Organizers say they're trying to limit ticket sales to make sure the chefs aren't biting off more than they can chew.

Animals. Babies. Animals acting like people. People acting like animals and babies. And light beer. Lots and lots of light beer.

It's the simple things that get us buying again -- and few things come simpler than Super Bowl ads. Sure, all the usual themes were there: Men feeling dominated by work/women/the family pet? Drink some Bud Light! Drive a Dodge! Kids/arrested-adolescent men looking for some escapism? Jake Gyllenhaal/Russell Crowe/EA Games can help.

Women ... okay, there was really very little in the spots aired last night for women, unless they wanted to buy some Dove male body wash for their stinky, unkempt mates, or, in an ad that just missed our list, buy a rejuvenating Snickers for their anemic, Betty White-esque boyfriends.

If there was a new, recession-friendly theme last night, it was bargain meals from two big chains: One being Taco Bell, whose $5 meal pack was touted by an intentionally flat Charles Barkley -- at least, we hope it was intentional. The other, well, was by far the most irrationally funny moment of the evening -- we'll save that for a little later.

Drumroll, please, for our top 5 food-related Super Bowl ads, after the jump...

Having a few friends over this weekend? If you usually make the standard chili from the recipe on the back of the can, this is the year to ramp up the richness and complexity with these unexpected additions -- the crowd will roar.

Rich Chocolate
Just a teaspoon of unsweetened cocoa or solid unsweetened baking chocolate will add body and depth and is an essential ingredient in Mexican mole sauce. Add the chocolate toward the end of cooking, starting with one teaspoon and tasting before adding more.

Hit Them with Heat
Chipotle chile adds smokiness and heat at once, so start with just half a chipotle pepper, plus a tablespoon of the adobo sauce straight from the can. Add it after you sauté your onions and garlic and cook for one more minute. I recommend the Morena brand for its mouthwatering adobo.

Each Thursday, we round up a selection of scrumptious links from our friends over at YumSugar. Here's what they've got cooking this week:

• Hot sauce is as Super Bowl as a platter of wings.
• Coach Brown's Buffalo wings are hotter than the big game's commercials.
• Coca-Cola is going for the gold in Olympic carbon neutrality.
• Cellaring wine and beer is common, but do you cellar salt?
• Save some of the nacho cheese and beer for this game-day dish.
• Can affordable Stonemill Kitchens spreads and dips score a touchdown?
• We recommend playing mini-football with your saved corks.

Admit it. When it comes to watching football games on television, you'd rather uncork a bottle of red wine than sip a micro beer. Yet a bag of chips trumps the thought of a fussy four-course meal. That's where we can help. This Sunday's Super Bowl festivities can definitely embrace both wine and traditional game-day snacks. Here are some pairing tips.

There isn't a Super Bowl party out there that won't have a cheesy, creamy dip within the food spread. In terms of matching it with a wine, think bold and robust – like a bottle of Australian Shiraz, Napa Cabernet or Sonoma County Zinfandel. But if whites are your weakness, a dip containing sharp cheddar, Derby or Gruyère will pair just as well with a Sauvignon Blanc. Goat cheese is a popular dip ingredient, and a glass of Chardonnay is a fantastic partner.

With a bag of chips, turn to Riesling, often a favorite pick with Indian and Thai foods. The wine will cut through the salt and spice nicely. Tortilla chips flavored with lime or lemon need a high-acid white to compete with their intensity; we suggest Sauvignon Blanc, Sancerre, Torrontés or Roussanne. A light-bodied red wine – such as Pinot Noir or Beaujolais – is a great selection for salted, roasted or candied nuts. If there are wings at the party, or any kind of barbecued meat, a Malbec or Zinfandel will complement those flavors.