Food Bowl

We usually go to a friend's house to watch the Superbowl and everyone brings food. The week before the game I start thinking about what to bring that goes with the teams playing. Sometimes it's easy: When the Bears were in, I made Chicago style hot dogs. For New England I made seafood chowder (clam chowder plus crab and scallops).

Indianapolis presented a challenge. The only "traditional" Indiana food I could find on the internet was a pork tenderloin sandwich. Wow, what's as boring as a pork tenderloin sandwich? - oh, I know: Central Indiana. So it's perfect.

This year we are having people at our house for the game. It was just after Arizona beat Philadelphia that I started thinking about the menu. I was rooting for Arizona - for Kurt Warner and against Philly - so I was happy they had won. Then I realized that Philly cheese steaks were now off the menu. Damn! There are some good Arizona foods, but cheese steaks, mmmmmmmmmmmmm.

So we started watching Pittsburgh and Baltimore. Somehow, as much as I hate the Steelers, I root for them against Baltimore. "But," my wife argued, "if Baltimore wins, we can have steamed crabs. Crab cakes. Crab salad. Crab dip. What foods go with Pittsburgh?"

Well, there's...uh...steel cut oats? Check the internet again. Here are traditional Pittsburgh foods: the Clark Bar, the Klondike Bar, Heinz ketchup, and any kind of meat sandwich with fries and cole slaw shoved into the sandwich. So now I am rooting for the Baltimore crab. "Come on, Crab Cakes! Smash those Clark Bars!"

Right now it's 13 - 0, Pittsburgh. I'm thinking of having pierogies.

(I think there may be as much controversy about spelling pierogi as there is about Hanukkah)

Have any suggestions for the menu? Put them in the comments. Thanks!