Superbowl cooking with Nick

We had the pleasure of having Nick (Gus's brother) cook for us on Superbowl Sunday.  The menu? No wings were to be found at Trader Joe's, so drumsticks and nachos it was.  Nick made two different sauces for the chicken: traditional hot wing sauce and a peanut soy sauce. Both were ah-maze-ing.  The chicken was baked, making it juicy and tender and slightly crispy on the outside. The hot wing sauce had a lip-smacking bite; and adding slurry gave it the perfect consistency. The peanut soy sauce was incredibly savory and by far my favorite.  I literally licked the entire bowl.  And the nachos were nachos, the perfect accompaniment.  See below for the recipes and more pictures.

Creamy Artichoke Dip

Happy Superbowl Sunday! Despite my limited interest and comprehension in the sport, I've always appreciated the game-watching event for the shared social experience - and for the excuse it offers to make slightly naughty finger foods and appetizers.

And so I bring you a favorite standby - a classic recipe for creamy artichoke dip. There are innumerable recipes for artichoke dip; some getting unnecessarily complicated, involving sautéed ingredients or eggs or chicken stock.  This recipe, slightly adapted from Bon Appétit, keeps it simple and tasty. I substituted sour cream with Greek yogurt and cream cheese with the reduced guilt alternative Neufchatel.  You can make more substitutions by using low-calorie mayonnaise or part-skim mozzarella; but let's be honest, this recipe is meant to be a little glutinous.