Whether you're down with the New England Patriots or upholding the Seattle Seahawks, you and your friends and family can chow down on Super Bowl Sunday with harmonious gusto. Because no matter which team you root for, everyone will get behind a spread of Southwestern noshes.
Fun, casual food is always a given for Super Bowl parties. This year, though, set your theme in Arizona, site of Super Bowl XLIX at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale.
Two snacks that speak of Arizona: A lively dip made with native white tepary beans, and Sonoran hot dogs, the near-iconic frank of the Grand Canyon State. What, you might ask, is a Sonoran hot dog, aka hot dog estilo Sonora?
Bruce Kraig describes it in his book, "Hot Dog: A Global History," as "one of the more interesting cross-cultural hot dog creations; found in the Mexican state of Sonora and in neighboring Arizona."
This bacon-wrapped hot dog is grilled and, according to Kraig, dressed with "pinto beans, grilled onions, hot red or yellow pepper, grated cheese, chopped onions, chopped coriander, chopped tomato, hot chili sauce, mayonnaise and mustard."
Mayonnaise? Yes, and it's as much a must-have ingredient as the bacon, beans and hot sauce, according to Michael Stern, co-author of "Roadfood" and other books chronicling America's dining traditions. "In terms of flavor, there's a wonderful, surprising balance to the spiciness," he said. "It's a sweet, rich, dairy, eggy thing — a seemingly minor character but without it the Sonoran hot dog is different."
The rest of the condiments can vary from recipe to recipe. The bun can also differ. A Mexican bolillo roll is the standard, but Stern says any "nice, big soft roll" will work. No matter the bun or the topping, the result should be "the proverbial 'gut buster,' " declares "Man Bites Dog: Hot Dog Culture in America," a book co-authored by Kraig.
Gut-busting is certainly an asset for many Super Bowl snackers.
But Gwen Ashley Walters, an Arizona-based cookbook author and blogger (penandfork.com) offers a white bean dip as an equally lively if less filling option, especially when it comes to what you choose to use as edible scoopers.
"For my husband, I would do carrot sticks or celery sticks," she says. "For me? I would have the best corn chips I could get my hands on."
Walters deliberately chose tepary beans for the dip because the beans are from Arizona. "They grow very well because they don't need much water," she says.
