Sunday Afternoon Tailgate: Week 16

We're into the stretch run for this season. Only two games left to go, which means it's time for Mina to take a little vacation and for our tailgate squad to do what any good team does at a time like this: call in the back up. In this special Saturday edition of the Tailgate my mom, Barbara Kapcala, opens her kitchen and shares her cooking expertise, as we prepare some belly-warming comfort foods (even if the weather isn't really cold enough for it!).

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"COMFORT FOODS"
A RETURN TO MOTHER'S KITCHEN

Around the Kapcala household, winter is the season for puff pastry, cranberries, and cream cheese--in other words, decadent appetizers that taste good in front of the fireplace. This year's recipe calls for some feta cheese to add just the right amount of saltiness to the mix. (If you're like me, you might even add a pinch of bacon, too.)

​- Kap

CRANBERRY-FETA PUFFS

• 1 box of Pepperidge Puff Pastry Dough (sheet)
• 8 oz. of Whipped Philadelphia Cream Cheese
• 1 c. Feta, crumbled
• 1 c. Craisins, chopped finely (add to taste)
• 2/3 c. Green Onions, chopped
• Bacon, cooked and chopped (optional)
• 1/4 c. Black Walnuts, chopped
• Salt and Pepper, to taste

​Thaw your puff pastry in the refrigerator overnight, if necessary.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

​Lay the pastry sheets out flat and cut into 9 equal squares.

Combine cream cheese and feta and beat until smooth. Mix in cranberries, green onion, nuts, bacon, salt, and pepper.

Spoon 2 TBSP cream cheese mixture onto each pastry square. Fold diagonally and pinch the corners together. Fold the pinched part under and pinch again to seal. (The sides remain open--imagine a short cannoli. See picture here.) 

Place puffs on a parchment-covered baking sheet and bake for 23 min. or until the pastry is golden brown.

Serve warm. The leftovers can be stored in an air tight container and eaten warm or at room temperature.

It's like a before and after picture of me during the holiday season. . . .

If you've been following our blog, you'll know that we are huge fans of flat-iron steak. We marinade it. We use it to top salads. And now this tender, versatile protein is going to get finished with a savory mushroom topping that brings a bit of gourmet class to your weekly tailgate/couchgate (without bringing a gourmet amount of work). Prep ahead and then fire up your winter grill with your closest football buds!

​- Kap

FLAT-IRON STEAK
w/ Mushroom Cream Topper

• 1 large Flat-Iron Steak
• Salt and Pepper, to taste
• 1-2 TBSP Olive Oil
• 2 Shallots, diced
• 3 cloves of Garlic, crushed, minced, and smeared to a paste
• 1/2 lb. Mixed Wild Mushrooms (shitake, oyster, cremini, and baby bella are all good choices, but use a combination of your favorites)
• A few drops of White Truffle Oil
• 1/2 c. Heavy Cream
• 2 Egg Yolks
• A handful of chives
• Parmesan, grated
• 1 sprig of Rosemary

Preheat oven to 475 degrees F.

Heat olive oil in a pan and add your chopped shallots and garlic paste. Simmer for two to three minutes and add the mushrooms, truffle oil, salt, and pepper. Let the mushrooms sweat until they become soft (but not rubbery), a few minutes. Set aside and let cool completely.

​Season your steak with salt and pepper on both sides. Grill your steak just under your desired level of doneness (I like my steak medium-well, so I'd probably cook it about 9 min. per side). Let the steak rest for a minute or two.

While the steak is cooking, in a separate bowl from the mushrooms, whisk your cold cream until it begins taking on the consistency of whipped cream (it needs to be very fluffy). Whisk in your egg yolks.

Add the mushroom mix and chives, and combine well.

Top the steak with the mushroom cream mixture and grated Parmesan. Put your sprig of Rosemary on top and bake in the oven for 7 min.

Remove from oven and discard the rosemary sprig. Slice and serve while hot.

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This recipe is adapted from an recreation of Gordon Ramsay's Fillet of Beef with Mushroom Gratin. (Wrap your head around that for a moment, why don't ya.)

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You've heard of mashed potatoes. And you've had baked potatoes with steak before. These are the best of both worlds--crispy on the outside and soft in the center. Season them with whatever herbs, spices, or shredded cheeses that you'd like.

​- Kap

Smashed Potatoes

• 1 1/2 to 2 lb. Baby Red Potatoes
• Approximately 3 TBSP Olive Oil + 2 additional TBSP
• 2 TBSP Butter or Margarine, melted
• Garlic Salt and Pepper, to taste
• Rosemary, chopped, to taste*
• Parsley, chopped, to taste*

​Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Bring a pot of salted water to boil. Add potatoes and cook until fork tender (about 15 min.).

On a baking sheet, generously drizzle olive oil. Place potatoes on the cooking sheet, leaving plenty of room between each potato. With a potato masher or heavy cup, gently smash each potato. Rotate the masher 90 degrees and mash again.

Mix your remaining olive oil with melted butter, and brush each potato with mixture. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and fresh herbs.

Bake 20 to 25 min. until golden brown.

* You can add or substitute other herbs of choice, as desired.

While I like chocolate and beer as a combination, I've never been a fan of chocolate beers themselves. So when my brother, Moose, brought this from Trader Joe's, I was skeptical. As it turns out, Sam Smith Choco Stout is the exception that proves the rule. This ale is brewed with hard water from an 85-foot well, sunk in 1758, and is brewed with roasted chocolate malt and organic cocoa, giving it a rich, smooth profile and a velvety coppery head. What surprised me most about the beer is that it isn't overwhelming in any way. It smells chocolate-y, but it's flavor isn't cloying. Neither is the beer too thick or bitter. It has a very pure, clean taste (must be that well water!). Imagine a Guinness--only punched with a fistful of milk chocolate.

- Kap

SAMUEL SMITH'S ORGANIC CHOCOLATE STOUT
Milk Stout (5.0% ABV)
Samuel Smith Old Brewery
Tadcaster, North Yorkshire (UK)

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My mom is known for her baking and her desserts, but she'll be the first to tell you that a simple dump cake sometimes just hits the spot. This is, basically, a three-ingredient recipe, but it's guaranteed to get rave reviews if you bring it to your next tailgating party.

​- Kap

Pumpkin Dump Cake

• 1 box of your favorite Cake Mix (we used Betty Crocker Butter Pecan Cake Mix)
• 1 15-oz. can of Pumpkin puree (or you can use fresh pumpkin)
• 3 Eggs
• Pecans, chopped, to taste
• Heath Bits'o Brickle Toffee Bits, to taste
• 1/3 can Cream Cheese Frosting

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Dump the cake mix, pumpkin, and eggs in a large bowl and mix by hand until moistened. Pour into a greased 13" x 9" pan. Sprinkle with nuts and toffee. Bake for 35 min.

Once cooled, heat the frosting in the microwave for 10 seconds. Stir. Transfer to a plastic sandwich bag. Cut the tip from the bag and glaze the top of the cake with stripes of icing.

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PREDICTION

Win vs. Washington!

Here's the thing: someone has to win the NFC East, even if none of the teams deserve it. Will it be Washington? Possibly. I won't even bother mentioning that they are terrible because, frankly, all of the NFC East Teams are. The talent-poor Eagles have a real chance to beat an equally-talent-poor Washington team to take control of their own playoff fate. To do it, they must overcome their dinged up defense though.

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Kap's Season Record: 6-8 (fighting for .500--just like the Eagles)
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Kirk Cousins, DeSean Jackson, and Pierre Garçon take time out of their busy film session to pose for the camera.

Playoff Predictions: With only two weeks left in the season, the battle for the final few playoff spots is getting tight. In retrospect, I would change a few of my Thanksgiving picks. (Hindsight is 20/20, right?). Let's look at a few places where I might have been too hasty:
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• AFC South: I chose the Colts to take this seed. At the time, it seemed like the best choice from a bad conference. My thinking was that Andrew Luck would return and give Indianapolis that push they needed to reach the post season. Now, with the Texans in control of their destiny, I expect them to slip into the playoffs with wins over underwhelming Jaguars and Titans teams. 

• AFC Wild Card: I figured the Steelers were a lock. I'm sticking with them because right now, they are the arguably the best team in the AFC, regardless of their record. (I wouldn't want to face them in the Wild Card round.) I expect them to beat the Ravens and Browns to end the season (two teams that, combined, still don't have a winning record). The Jets face tougher competition against New England and Buffalo, but that wouldn't necessarily surprise me either.

• NFC East: I said (and I quote): "the way they've been playing this season, I just can't pick them [the Eagles] for a playoff berth at this point." So, I picked the Giants instead, despite their tough schedule. After their loss to the Panthers, things aren't getting much easier for the G-Men. Washington holds the position now, but if the Eagles win this week (as I am predicting), that means the Eagles leapfrog them. Then the Birds just have to slay the Giants to enter the playoffs.

• NFC Wild Card: I just kept expecting the Falcons to bounce back late in the season, to show a little fight. I mean, after starting the season strong, they had to have something in the tank, right? Wrong. They've got nothing in the tank. In fact, the conditions that would need to be met in order for the Falcons to make the playoffs are so long I won't even bother recounting them here. The Seahawks face two tough rivals, the Rams and Cardinals--but they could lose both of those games and still make the playoffs. So, I imagine they will.

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Tune in next week for our New Year's Celebration!

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All recipes listed above come from our own imaginations unless otherwise indicated. If you try one of these recipes in your own kitchen, leave a comment below and tell us how it goes. And, of course, share your modifications, enhancements, improvements, etc.