I love the Superbowl.  The parties, the game, the commercials… did I mention the parties?  My hubs and I have been throwing a party every year for at least the past 10.  Each year we invite a big group of people over to watch the game and laugh at the commercials.  It’s always a blast.  But the thing that I enjoy most is coming up with the menu.

We always have a crudites platter.  There’s always chips, salsa, and homemade guacamole, and of course there’s always a variety of beer.  But the past couple years, I’ve changed things up a bit.  I was tired of trying to come up with a new version of a seven-layer dip or some new take on nachos.  So a couple years ago, I decided to make an appetizer my mother’s been making for years – marinated mushrooms.

Boil everything except the mushrooms.

Here’s why I love marinated mushrooms: they’re super easy to make, you can make them at least a day ahead of time and they’re something out of the ordinary.  People are always surprised when they see them on the table, because they look so gourmet and aren’t something you automatically think of when you think of party food.  But my favorite thing about these tasty morsels is that they can be made in advance.  

Add the mushrooms to the pot.

In my opinion, the most important aspect of throwing a party, is that you have fun.  And while it’s true that most of the time people end up congregating in the kitchen during said party, I want to be in the kitchen because I choose to be, not because I have to be.  There’s nothing worse than missing your own soirée because you’re stuck in the kitchen cooking.  These mushroom won’t make you miss your party.  As a matter of fact, they’ll be ready to go and on the table before the first guest even arrives.

So if you’re hosting a superbowl party, or trying to figure out what to bring to one, give these delectable treats a whirl. Neither you or your guests will be disappointed and best of all, you’ll be able to sit on the couch and cheer for your favorite team with everyone else.

Marinated Mushrooms

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup red wine vinegar
• 2/3 cup olive oil
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• 2 tsp Kosher salt
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar
• 2 pounds button mushrooms

Directions

1. Place everything except the mushrooms in a 3 qt sauce pan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
2. Reduce the heat to low and add the mushrooms.  Simmer for 5-6 minutes.
3. Transfer the contents of the pan to a large container.  Cover and chill for at least 24 hours.  Can be made 2 days ahead.
4. Using a slotted spoon, transfer mushrooms and onions to serving bowl and serve with toothpicks.

Last week I got a wonderful invitation from my friend and fellow food blogger, Rachel over at La Fuji Mama.  She had been invited to do a tasting of a new food truck and wanted to include a few Los Angeles-based food bloggers.  So I loaded up the hubs and baby and together we drove into Koreatown for a fun afternoon of deliciousness.

Cheer Burger is a brand new Korean-American burger truck that will be coming to a town near you in the very near future.  They have a variety of burgers, buns, sides and drinks and every single thing I tasted was awesome!  I’ve ordered food from several food trucks and the menu from Cheer Burger is easily in the top 10 of LA-based food trucks.

Here’s a sampling of some of the spectacular food we tasted:

The Cheer Burger

The Cheer Burger is a deliciously greasy cheeseburger with lettuce, tomato bacon and egg and a wonderfully sweet sauce they call their “cheer sauce”.  I know the bacon and egg sound like a lot, but surprisingly it works.  I could easily eat this burger for lunch or dinner.  I could even have it for breakfast. I mean, there is a fried egg on it.

Their Rich Burger is a hearty garlic cheeseburger with lettuce, tomato and onion.  But instead of cheer sauce, they use balsamic vinegar.  And while I loved the Cheer Burger, the Rich Burger was my favorite.  I can’t tell you why, maybe it was the hint of garlic in the meat.  But most likely it was the balsamic vinegar.  I love anything with balsamic on or in it.  I never thought of using it as a condiment on a hamburger before, but now that I have, I think I’ll be doing it a lot more often.

Cheer Burger's Seasoned and Sweet Potato Fries

Then there were the sides.  Their seasoned fries are a perfect compliment to any of their burgers.  And if you like sweet potato fries, you’ll love theirs.  My son did.

The Yam Pop

For dessert we got to try 2 different things.  Their yam pops and their Red Bean Buns.  Both were scrumptious.  Their yam pops were mashed sweet potatoes with melted mozzarella wrapped in a won ton and deep fried. Yum! And the Red Bean Bun was light and sweet, the perfect end to a delightful meal.

But while the food was delicious, one of the best parts of Saturday was finally meeting all the bloggers I’ve been following for the past year.  So thanks to Rachel for finally introducing me to Gaby from What’s Gaby Cooking, Kate from Savour Fare, Kristina from Former Chef, Sharon from Nicklemoon, Jen from Devour the World, Nancy from A Communal Table and Lisa from Epicurean Expressions.  It was a blast hanging out with all of them and discussing food and recipes. 

I really hope I get to do something like this again with all these wonderful women.  And if you see a big green food truck in your neighborhood with the name Cheer Burger plastered on its side, grab some cash and run, don’t walk, to try their food.  You won’t be disappointed.

I absolutely love polenta. It’s just so yummy! It’s good as a cake or as a thick and creamy side dish.  But up until recently I’d only had it in restaurants.  Whenever a restaurant had polenta listed as a side dish, I ordered it.  That’s how much I like it.  Even if my entree came with a side, I still ordered the polenta.  It’s that good.  But it’s also the perfect side dish when you’re not in the mood for potatoes.  Or rice.  Or even a vegetable.  But I’d never made it before.  I didn’t even know you could make it, let alone how.

Boiling the half-and-half, chicken stock, rosemary, and garlic

Then a very good friend of mine made some.  As a matter of fact she makes it all the time.  It was so creamy and delicious, I asked her where she bought it.  I was surprised to find out that she’d made it herself.  Well, of course I wanted the recipe.  It was Ina Garten’s Rosemary Polenta.  So, I came home, found the recipe online and tried making it myself.  It did not go well.  As a matter of fact it turned into a gloppy mess. 

Whisk in the corn meal

After chilling it for a couple hours I was supposed to be able to cut it “like brownies” and fry it up.  But it didn’t cut like brownies.  And as for the frying, well it definitely didn’t turn  into the pretty cakes you see in the top picture.  It spread all over the pan and turned into, well, a kind of soup.  There was just too much liquid.  I didn’t understand what I’d done wrong.  I’d followed the recipe to the letter.  So I e-mailed my friend and asked her how she made it.  She told me she’d made some changes, but was still using the seven cups of liquid the recipe called for.  I knew there was no way I was going to get those nice cakes if I used seven cups.  So I took my friend’s changes and made a few of my own and came out with delicious, creamy polenta cakes.  I was so excited.  And the best news is, I now have a new side to add to my repertoir.  

Adding in the Parmesan cheese

So the next time you’re making a nice dinner, but don’t want to do potatoes, rice or even a vegetable, give this polenta a try.  Whether you choose to make cakes or a creamy side, you won’t be disappointed.

YUM!!

Rosemary Polenta

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) of butter
• 1/4 cup of olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 Tbsp rosemary
• 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
• 3 cup chicken stock
• 3 cups half-and-half
• 2 cups corn meal
• 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Heat the butter and olive oil in a 3 qt sauce pan over medium-high heat until the butter is melted.  Add the garlic, rosemary, salt, and pepper and saute for 1 minute.

Add the chicken stock and half-and-half and bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat to low and gradually add the corn meal to the milk while stirring constantly with a whisk.  Continue stirring for 2-3 minutes until thick and bubbling.

Remove from heat and add the Parmesan cheese while stirring with a whisk. 

At this point you have two options:

1. You can serve it in this hot, creamy form or…

2. You can transfer it to a 9×13 pan to make little cakes.  If you’re making cakes…

Pour the hot, creamy polenta into a 9×13 pan and chill for at least 3 hours or overnight. 

Cut the chilled polenta into squares, like brownies.  Lift each one out with a spatula and cut into triangles.  Dust each triangle lightly with flour. 

Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil and 1 Tbsp butter in a pan over medium heat and cook the triangles in batches for 3-5 minutes, or until browned on the outside and heated inside.  Add more butter and oil as needed to finish making the polenta cakes.  Serve immediately.

The other day I had a serious chocolate craving.  The kind where I had to have chocolate immediately and I didn’t care what form it came in.  I’ll get these cravings every once in a while and my husband knows enough to stay out of the way.  If I have to cook, okay.  If I have to run out at 11:30 pm, fine.  Never any questions, just do whatever I have to to feed the beast.

Melting the chocolate chips

Well, I wasn’t in the mood to run out.  So I started scouring my kitchen for something. I looked in the fridge, the freezer, the cupboards, there was no chocolate anywhere to be found.  All I had were a couple bags of semi-sweet chocolate chips and while I seriously debated tearing open one of those bags and downing every single chocolate chip inside, I decided there had to be a better way.  So I started doing what any sane (maybe not) food blogger would do and began hunting through some of my favorite foodies, most of whom you can find in my blog roll, to see what they had that I could whip up with my chocolate chips.

Stuffing the cookies with mini-marshmallows

I landed on these amazing Chocolate Ganache-Stuffed Cookies from Amy over at Sing For Your Supper.  I’d made them once before and while they were awesomely delicious, there just wasn’t enough chocolate in them to satisfy my craving.  But those cookies got me thinking…  I remembered I had some mini-marshmallows and I love the taste of melted marshmallows.  And then I thought of those wonderful Scotchmallow chocolates from See’s Candies which are marshmallow and caramel covered in dark chocolate and the idea came to me.  What if I reversed Amy’s brilliant concoction so the chocolate was on the outside and those delicious melted marshmallows were on the inside? There’d be plenty of chocolate to sooth the beast screaming inside of me and I’d get a chewy, gooey surprise in the middle as an added bonus.

Sealed and ready for the oven

The result was better than I ever could have imagined. Amy’s hubby came up with the name “Transformer Cookies” for her delicious creation.  Well, if hers are the decadent Optimus Prime, then mine are the evil Megatron. (Excuse the geekiness, my husband’s starting to wear off on me.)  Both are worth eating - one’s just a little more villainous than the other. 

Marshmallow-stuffed Chocolate Cookies

• 1 12 oz package of semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp Kosher salt
• 1/2 cup mini-marshmallows

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Pour the chocolate chips into a glass bowl.  Microwave on medium-high until melted, stirring every 30 seconds. Cool.

In a large bowl, mix together the butter and the sugar until thick and creamy, about 1 minute.  Gradually mix in the melted chocolate until well combined.  Mix in the eggs.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Gradually add the dry ingredients to the chocolate mixture until just combined.  Chill for at least 30 minutes.

To assemble: Scoop out a spoonful of the chocolate cookie dough and flatten with the palms of your hand.  Place 3 or 4 mini-marshmallows in the middle and cover with another scoop of flattened chocolate cookie dough.  Seal the edges.  Place each cookie a couple inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet, as they will spread while baking.  Bake for 12-15 minutes.  Let them cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes and serve.