A nice new friend asked me today which team I was rooting for in the Super Bowl. My reply was simply, "I'm just rooting for my hometown and hope they take in a lot of revenue for the city." The Lions suck, so what do I care about those other teams?
Anyway, since most people don't know much about Detroit beyond Motown, cars, and crime statistics, I thought it would be fun to suggest some recipes to give your Super Bowl party a little authentic flavor. I have a feeling there are still some of you out there planning last minute dishes to add to your party, so I hope this helps.
There are also some links to where you can buy some authentic Detroit food and beverages. I know it's too late for the Super Bowl, but if you're an ex-pat or just curious you should check them out.
If you are lucky enough to live in a state that sells Vernor's Ginger Ale that is definitely your first beverage of choice. The tickle-your-nose distinctive taste of this soft drink is like a "madeleine" to a Motown-American. One sip, and you're a little kid watching The Friendly Giant and drinking a Boston Cooler. For future reference, you can get Vernor's from BeverageDirect.com
Another thing you can do is whip of batch of Michigan Hot Spiced Apple Cider. When I was kid, we'd go on a school trip to the Franklin Cider Mill every fall for donuts and fresh cider. Yum!
And for food, you can try:
Coney Island Dogs: One of Detroit's most famous foods is the Coney hot dog which is not to be confused with a Nathan's hot dog on the boardwalk in Brooklyn. A Coney Island hot dog is smothered in chili, diced onion, and mustard. I found a fascinating discussion about the "secret" sauce recipe on the RoadFood.com web site.
Greek: The Coney Island restaurants were started by Greek immigrants, but Detroit's also really famous for Greektown, a strip of Greek restaurants and shops lining Monroe street. The owner of the New Parthenon restaurant claims to be the inventor of saganaki, an appetizer that's actually flaming cheese (I am not kidding). Here's an easy recipe for flaming saganaki or if you don't want to set your house on fire accidentally, you can try this safer version.
Soul Food: Detroit has a wealth of soul food restaurants and barbecue joints. I couldn't find any sites with Detroit-specific recipes, although I did find one for Aretha Franklin's Queen of Soul Ham (note that the ginger ale for the glaze is listed as "preferably Vernor's"). Ribs, wings, or fried chicken, with collard greens, potato salad and some sweet potato pie for dessert will be served in a lot of Motor City homes during the game, so be authentic and cook up some recipes from SoulFoodCookbook.com. If you're not big on pork or chicken, try the meatless recipes at BlackVegetarians.com.
Polish: My dad used to play with a polka band, and I even got to tag along with him to a few Polish weddings in Hamtramck. In honor of Detroit's Polish heritage, you can whip up some kielbasa -- I found a recipe for the Hamtramck Special. And for dessert, you can serve Paczki...if you don't live in a city with a Polish bakery, you can try your hand at baking them from scratch. And after you've eaten all that, I'd recommend running up and down the equivalent of the length of Ford Field at least 25 times -- you'll have a lot of calories to burn!
Michigan is also famous for delicious fudge, maple candies, and chocolate covered cherries.
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