Chip Dip, Buffalo Quesadillas and Spicy Chicken Wings from Brooklyn’s

On Super Bowl weekend, more than a billion wings are consumed by Americans, making them America’s favorite party food.  In fact, there are several books written on just wings, such as Debbie Moose’s book, Wings.  She writes, “A whole wing comes in three clearly defined parts:  the ‘drumette,’ which looks like a miniature drumstick; the pice with the two small bones, called the flat; and the pointy tip, called the flapper.”  We like the drumettes, which you can buy in an already-cut-up package.  In addition to wings, these are our favorite game-day recipes:

Mex Chip Dip – from Mom

Mix the following in a blender: 1 avocado, 8 oz. cream cheese, 4 oz. sour cream, 1 T. lime juice, dash salt and Tabasco.  Spread on large platter.  Top with layers of finely chopped lettuce, onion, tomato, and shredded cheddar cheese.  Serve with tortilla chips and salsa.

Buffalo Quesadillas – Brooklyn’s

Sauté 1 T. olive oil, 2 t. minced garlic, ½ c. minced yellow onion, 1 minced jalapeno, 2 stalks celery minced,  over medium heat.  When onions are translucent, add 1 lb. ground buffalo until browned.  Season with Mexican seasoning.

In sauté pan, place tortilla with one side buttered and spread 2 oz. meat mixture and 2 ounces cheese onto tortilla just long enough to melt cheese.  Add second buttered tortilla and flip.  Cut into wedges and arrange on platter with shredded lettuce, sour cream, cilantro, and picante salsa.

Spicy Chicken Wings – Brooklyn’s

Our favorite wing recipe comes from Brooklyn’s, and it is a combination of the two most common techniques, baking and frying, which we think gives just the right texture and crispy skin to make these wings delicious.  Another technique is grilling, where thawed wings, turned frequently, usually take 15-20 minutes.

• 5 lbs. frozen chicken wings
• 1 ½ T. coarse ground black pepper
• 1 T. white pepper
• 1 ½ T. Kosher or sea salt
• 1 T. granulated garlic
• 12 oz. bottle Louisiana brand hot sauce
• 6 T. melted butter
• Habanero Tabasco

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Arrange frozen wings on a baking sheet.  Mix dry ingredients and sprinkle over wings.  Bake 45 minutes.  Heat a few cups of vegetable oil in a wok until almost smoking.  Fry wings for 4-5 minutes to crisp.  Mix butter and hot sauce, together with some Tabasco and toss.  Serve with blue cheese and ranch dressings, carrots and celery.