Special Feature: Super Bowl Party Snacks

the appetizer:

Planning a Super Bowl party? Then don't miss this article, with links to recipes like Cinnamon-Spice Nut Mix and Crispy Comino Chicken Wings, plus many more.

Special Feature

Super Bowl: The Big Crunch

by Kate Heyhoe

Super Bowl XLII (43) will be played in Florida at Tampa Bay's Raymond James Stadium on Sunday, February 1, 2009.

Is it possible to watch football without eating crunchy, munchy food? I don't think so, especially the Super Bowl. I suppose an ascetic viewing is possible, but only for those considering the cloisters.

Other sports can be enjoyed right out of the can, so to speak, without any embellishments. Tennis, the Tour de France, and those gut-wrenching golf tournies do just fine without popcorn, chips, or nachos. But not football. Or pro basketball, or any team sport with nail-biting, adrenaline-pumped matches that cause sportscasters to make statements like this gem, by football commentator and former player Joe Theismann in 1996: "Nobody in football should be called a genius. A genius is a guy like Norman Einstein." Well said.

Warning: Scientists suspect there may be a relationship between beer and stupid outfits. If you drink beer and wear cheesehats, paint your body (including beer belly) in team colors, or haul banners made from your bedsheets to stadiums with your buddies, you may be suffering from ale-keehol poisoning. Go home, turn off the TV, hide the remote, and read a book. Any book, until symptoms disappear.

Back to the crunchies. As I write this, I have no idea which team will win the Super Bowl. But I do know that armchair quarterbacks and football widows alike will indulge in some crispy, crunchy munchy fare this Sunday. And my goal, in the spirit of the best sportcaster jargon, is to make sure your mouths are as fulfilled as your mind on Super Bowl Sunday. Here's the game plan:

In my book Macho Nachos I presented 50 ways to take nachos from ordinary to extraordinary. Try the recipes below to see for yourself.

Next, check out the other crunchable recipes below, from chips to dips, crispy calamari, nutty nuts, and wonderful wings.

Finally, if you're up for a fifty-yard feast, look at the replays of my past Super Bowl columns for victory-worthy snacks, spreads, and post-game wrap up sweets.