Projo Football Food and Spirits

Seriously Simple Holidays: Recipes and Ideas to Celebrate the Season by Diane Rosen Worthington doesn't just address worries at Thanksgiving. She offers advice on how to organize a home bar or host a lovely brunch. Worthington’s dishes can be used for football parties and who isn’t thinking about that with the playoffs just around the corner. Here are two of her football recipes.

DRIED FRUIT AND CHOCOLATE BAR COOKIES

1 1/4 cups chopped dried apricots
1 1/4 cups dried cranberries
2 cups boiling water
1 cup chopped walnuts
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate (70 to 75 percent cacao), coarsely chopped
4 ounces white chocolate, coarsely chopped

Place the dried fruit in a medium heat-proof bowl and pour in the boiling water, making sure to cover the fruit. Let stand for 30 minutes. Drain well.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the walnuts on a baking sheet and toast for 7 to 10 minutes, or until lightly browned. Let cool.
Butter and flour a 12-by-17-by-1-inch jelly-roll pan.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice. Add the walnuts and mix with a fork.
In another large bowl, beat the butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Gradually add the sugar, continuing to beat until very light. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla and mix again. With the mixer on low speed, beat in the flour mixture along with the dried fruit until just combined. Add the chocolate pieces and carefully blend into the batter with the electric mixer.
Evenly spread the batter in the prepared pan. Bake for about 45 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out almost clean and the top is golden brown. Let cool for at least 1 hour. Cut into bars and serve.

SEAFOOD GUMBO
Roux
1/2 cup canola oil or other high-heat cooking oil
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Base
1 large onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
2 celery stalks, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
2 tablespoons tomato paste
6 cups chicken broth or fish stock
2 bay leaves
2 1/2 to 3 tablespoons Cajun creole seasoning blend
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound Andouille sausage, cut into 1-inch slices
2 pounds large shrimp 13 to 15 per pound), peeled and deveined
1 pound lump crabmeat
1 teaspoon file powder
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley for garnish
Hot pepper sauce for serving

Make the roux: In a 4-cup glass measuring cup, stir together the oil and flour until combined, making sure no lumps remain. Microwave on high for 2 minutes. Using pot holders to protect your hands, stir the roux with a wooden spoon. Repeat 3 times until the roux is dark brown or almost black (for a total of 8 minutes on high). You may need to microwave the roux for 1 minute longer. Again using pot holders, transfer the roux to a large pot.
Make the base: Place the pot over medium heat. Add the onion, bell peppers, and celery and sauté for 8 to 10 minutes, or until softened, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute.
Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, broth, bay leaves, seasoning blend, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to a low simmer, and cook for about 20 minutes, or until slightly thickened.
Add the sausage, shrimp, and crabmeat and cook for 3 minutes or until the sausage and shrimp are heated through. Add the file powder and cook for 1 minute. Remove the bay leaves and discard. Taste and adjust the seasonings.
To serve, ladle into bowls. Garnish with the parsley and pass the hot sauce at the table.

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