The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series begins its post-season, the first of ten races to determine the championship, at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois for the GEICO 400.
The twelve Chase drivers – Denny Hamlin, Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart, Brad Keselowski, Greg Biffle, Clint Bowyer, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Matt Kenseth, Kevin Harvick, Martin Truex Jr., Kasey Kahne, and Jeff Gordon – will be vying for the title from now through November.
Chicago, apart from being a relatively new venue for the Cup drivers to race (it opened in 2001), is a town world-famous for its cuisine. Far different from New York or Californian fare, Chicago is a mid-western city that boasts delicacies unique to its area.
Finding recipes was not the problem, narrowing down my choices was! Try these as you prepare to watch the first Chase race from Chicago. These foods all lend themselves easily to watching sports… go figure!
Chicago-Style Hot Dog
Recipe found on http://allrecipes.com/recipes/usa-regional-and-ethnic/midwest/illinois/chicago/Top.aspx
Provided By: bonmot
"The Chicago Dog is a Windy City classic, and a big favorite with sports fans! The frank must be all-beef, the bun must be poppyseed, the ingredients must be piled onto the bun in the order specified. And whatever you do, don't spoil the splendor with ketchup!"
Ingredients:
1 all-beef hot dog
1 poppyseed hot dog bun
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
1 tablespoon sweet green pickle relish
1 tablespoon chopped onion
4 tomato wedges
1 dill pickle spear
2 sport peppers
1 dash celery salt
Directions:
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Reduce heat to low, place hot dog in water, and cook 5 minutes or until done. Remove hot dog and set aside. Carefully place a steamer basket into the pot and steam the hot dog bun 2 minutes or until warm.
Place hot dog in the steamed bun. Pile on the toppings in this order: yellow mustard, sweet green pickle relish, onion, tomato wedges, pickle spear, sport peppers, and celery salt. The tomatoes should be nestled between the hot dog and the top of the bun. Place the pickle between the hot dog and the bottom of the bun. Don't even think about ketchup!
As autumn rustles into the calendar, football games and Chase racing continue. Days are filled with work and school and the crock pot becomes, once again, a trusted friend pressed into service. The smells that waft from it as one enters the house are worth the price of admission!
Slow Cooker Italian Beef for Sandwiches
Recipe found on http://allrecipes.com/recipe/slow-cooker-italian-beef-for-sandwiches/detail.aspx
Provided by: MAUREENBURR
"This makes a sandwich similar to one I used to get at a local restaurant when I lived in a suburb of Chicago. My all time favorite! Serve on crusty rolls with roasted sweet or hot peppers, if desired."
Ingredients:
3 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon onion salt
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 bay leaf
1 (.7 ounce) package dry Italian-style salad dressing mix
1 (5 pound) rump roast
Directions:
Combine water with salt, ground black pepper, oregano, basil, onion salt, parsley, garlic powder, bay leaf, and salad dressing mix in a saucepan. Stir well, and bring to a boil.
Place roast in slow cooker, and pour salad dressing mixture over the meat.
Cover, and cook on Low for 10 to 12 hours or on High for 4 to 5 hours. When done, remove bay leaf, and shred meat with a fork.
As a person who grew up on New York-style pizza in my native New Jersey, it is difficult to wrap my brain around Chicago-style pizza. But I know that this is a mainstay in the diet of many from the Windy City and its surrounding areas. With this recipe I am anxious to widen my palate and add this pan pizza to my “loves”.
Chicago-style Pan Pizza
Recipe found on http://allrecipes.com/recipe/chicago-style-pan-pizza/detail.aspx
Provided By: JAIME5025
"This is the best Chicago-style pizza that I have ever had. Make sure that you use the Parmesan in hard triangle form. It tastes so much better when you grate it yourself."
Ingredients:
1 (1 pound) loaf frozen bread dough, thawed
1 pound bulk Italian sausage
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
8 ounces sliced fresh mushrooms
1 small onion, chopped
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fennel seed
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Press the dough into the bottom and up the sides of a greased 9x13 inch baking dish.
Crumble the sausage into a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir until evenly browned. Remove the sausage with a slotted spoon, and sprinkle over the dough crust. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese evenly over the sausage.
Add mushrooms and onion to the skillet; cook and stir until the onion is tender. Stir in the tomatoes, oregano, salt, fennel seed and garlic powder. Spoon over the mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the top.
Bake for 25 to 35 minutes in the preheated oven, or until crust is golden brown.
Lastly a dessert was needed to round out the menu. My son’s sixth birthday is today (Happy Birthday, Boy!) so I wanted to include a cake. This one seemed to fit the bill perfectly. Enjoy!
Atomic Cake
Recipe found on http://www.grouprecipes.com/60709/atomic-cake.html
Provided by tippystclair
“I saw this cake in a Chicago newspaper, so I cut out the recipe and have had it with me for years. It's wonderful.”
Ingredients:
1 layer banana or yellow cake
1 layer chocolate cake
1 layer white cake
Fresh bananas, sliced
1 small box Jell-O banana Pudding
fresh strawberries, sliced
Grated chocolate
1 small box Jell-O chocolate pudding
1 small box Jell-O vanilla Pudding
whipped cream
How to make it:
Set the banana (or yellow) cake layer on a cake plate.
Top with sliced bananas, then spread banana pudding over the top to hold the bananas together.
Spread whipped cream over pudding.
Place the chocolate cake layer on top.
Sprinkle with grated chocolate.
Top with sliced strawberries, then spread chocolate pudding over the top.
Spread with whipped cream.
Place the white cake layer on top.
Spread with vanilla pudding.
Frost top of cake with a generous amounts of whipped cream.
Refrigerate.
Wishing you all joyous eatings as you explore and sample your way through these scrumptious Chicago-style offerings on Tantalizing Thursday!
Please join me tomorrow for the week ending and always popular interactive Friday Music Blog on Chief 187™Chatter.
BOOM!!!!
ReplyDeleteDANG!!!!! That cake is making me hyper already,,, and I haven't tried it yet, LOL. Happy B day to the youngun!!!
ReplyDeletemaking me miss Chicago!! :) love a Chicago style hot dog and never never never put ketcup on a hot dog, Bozo's use to make the best but I didn't run across any the last time I was up there, Chicago style roast beef sandwiches are the best, as my brother and brother in law say you gotta hit up Taylor Street for the best and Chicago style pizza is the bomb! love the cuisine and culture of Chicago, hate the over abundance of people and the crowded conditions and the go go go hurry up attitude, I much prefer the laid back attitude where I have time to appreciate what is around me, the cake sounds yummy, Happy Birthday to your son
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