Sarah Gim says Pittsburgh kicks Seattle's butt. OH YEAH? I'll take Pike Place over Polish sausage any day. Here's why:

1. Costco was born right outside of Seattle. You're talking the world's largest* producer of bulk butter, deli counter muffins, five-pound logs of goat cheese, and free samples. Top that, Giant Eagle!
2. Sure, a Polish sausage might beat up an oyster in a fight. But a 10-pound wild salmon would beat up both of y'all. It swims upstream, avoiding bears and dangerous man-made obstacles, just to procreate. Even the most impressive sausage... is just a bunch of ground meat wrapped in pig intestine! Eww!
3. Iron City beer is better than Starbucks coffee... when you're coming home from the swing shift at the steel factory. Those smarty pants at Microsoft and Amazon.com need coffee to wake up in the morning for a hard days' work dominating the universe! Yeah!
4. Seattle's cuisine is influenced by Vietnam. Pittsburgh's cuisine is influenced by Poland. My Communist cuisine is so much better than your post-Communist cuisine!
5. Right, Pike Place Market! They throw seafood there. Do they throw seafood at you in Pittsburgh? I didn't think so.
6. Smoked salmon dip or Heinz ketchup - which would YOU rather dip your chips in? That's what I thought!
7. Let's have a cheese off: I'll take Cougar Gold, you take... umm... American cheese?
8. You think Washington apples are boring? Try a Walla-Walla Sweet onion. Slice one, cook it up reeall slow in butter over medium-low heat, add a 1/2 teaspoon of paprika and 1/4 teaspoon of chipotle pepper, mix with 1/2 cup mayonnaise and 1 cup sour cream in Cuisinart, salt to taste, and wow! Seattle Onion Dip.

* I have no evidence to back up this claim. [Photo Sarah Gilbert]

If you're planning your menu for the Super Bowl this coming weekend, we have been, and will be, putting up our favorite snacks, desserts, drinks, and party ideas all week. Here they are so far, all in one lovely Super Bowl buffet, including some links to other good stuff:

Party Ideas
Spanish Tapas
Tokyo Touchdown
Walk the Dog - Hot Dog Bar

Snacks
Nutty Cheese Ball
For Kids: Ants on a Log
Easy Artichoke Dip
Spicy and Sweet Fruit Salsas
Tortilla Bake
Walking Taco

Drinks
Touchdown Tea
A Noob's Notes on Beer

Desserts:
Chocolate Football Peanut Butter Cupcakes

Sarah G.'s Seahawks vs. Sarah G.'s Steelers
Seattle: Oysters
Pittsburgh: Pierogis

Tips, tricks and what-not: 
Ingredient Spotlight: Avocadoes
Keeping Guacamole Green
Proper party portioning
Watch out for fart-inducers!
Super Bowl in the UK, part 1 and Part 2

Ants on a Log is a kids snack food that has been around for a long, long time. Though I never personally saw the resemblance, it gets its name from the fact that the raisins dotting the celery are supposed to look like ants. On a log, obviously.

These are very simple to make and your kids should be able to make them by themselves (with a dull knife or spoon, for safety) without supervision. Simply wash and dry several stalks of celery. Spread some with cream cheese and some with peanut butter, then dot them with raisins and dried cranberries, though any kind of dried fruits will work beautifully. The Ants on a Log can be prepared at the last minute or in advance and they're a great addition to party food. Not only are they a fairly healthy snack for the kids, but the grownups will enjoy them too.

[Photo by Nicole Weston]