The Edible Bracket 2011

Temple University Owls (Philadelphia, PA): Soft Pretzels

Fri, 25 Mar 2011 12:05:26 -0400

Any thought we had that we absolutely had to make cheese steaks to represent a Philly team was dispelled by a recent episode of Top Chef, when Dale stated “when you think of Philly, you think of cheese steaks and pretzels,” proving that pretzels are a completely legitimate symbol of Philadelphia cuisine. According to Wikipedia, pretzels were not actually invented in Philadelphia, but date back to the 7th century (way before Philadelphia’s founding in 1682), and were brought to the United States by the Pennsylvania Dutch. Who knew?

We brought these pretzels, along with Election Cake, to a party, and they were gobbled up almost immediately. While making pretzels is labor-intensive, it is also an incredibly fun process, which involves dunking the adorable uncooked pretzels in a baking soda bath prior to cooking. And when we had an unexpected visit from the FDNY during pretzel-making (due to some scarily low-hanging wires in our backyard), one of the firefighters remarked “smells good in here” as he traipsed through the kitchen, before quickly declaring the wires to be no risk (“don’t even bother coming to look at them,” he told the rest of the firefighters dismissively).

Miniature Soft Pretzelsfrom Smitten Kitchen

2 cups warm (not hot) water

3 tbsps. sugar, divided

1 packet active dry yeast

5 cups flour

1 tbsp. salt

vegetable oil (for lining bowl)

1/4 cup baking soda

1 egg

coarse salt

1. Mix warm water with 1 tbsp. sugar. Add yeast without stirring, and let yeast sit about 10-15 minutes, until yeast foams up.

2. Add 1 cup of flour to yeast mixture, and mix until well combined. Add salt and mix. Add remaining 4 cups of flour bit by bit and mix until well combined. Continuing adding flour by the 1/2 cup until mixture is no longer sticky and can be kneaded. Knead dough a few times until fully combined, and place in large oiled bowl. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm spot for about an hour, until doubled in size.

3. Punch down risen dough to remove bubbles and divide into around 30 balls (for miniature pretzels; if you want your pretzels really small you could probably divide the dough into around 40 balls).

4. Cover two baking sheets with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray. Roll out each ball into a strip about 18 inches long, and twist into pretzel shape (google “how to make pretzels” for helpful diagrams). Place each pretzel on the baking sheets and allow to rise slightly.

5. Fill a large pot with about 2 inches of water and bring to a boil. When water is boiling add 1/4 cup baking soda (careful, it will foam up) and 2 tbsps. sugar. Place 5-6 pretzels in the boiling water and boil on each side for about a minute. Remove pretzels and place back on the baking sheet.

6. Beat together egg and 1 tbsps. water, and brush pretzels with egg mixture and sprinkle with coarse salt. Bake about 15 minutes, until golden. (I flipped the two baking sheets halfway through cooking since the pretzels toward the top of the oven were browning much more quickly.)

*For a delicious (albeit less authentically Philadelphian) alternative, omit the salt in step 6, melt butter over the pretzels when they come out of the oven and dip in cinnamon sugar.

THE EDIBLE BRACKET

Fri, 25 Mar 2011 12:05:00 -0400

We’ve spent the last several months cooking, boiling, baking, pickling, frying, mixing, drinking, slurping, sipping and digesting our way through the 64 teams in this year’s NCAA tournament.

A food or drink representing each of the 64 teams below has been prepared by Laura or Anna. Some of them are delicious, some of them are wacky, some of them are downright disgusting. All of them, however, were consumed.

Click on the team names below, which link to a blog post for each of the teams (and also indicate Anna’s bracket picks—go Kansas!).

Bon appetit!

Round One

Ohio St. Buckeyes v. UT San Antonio 7-Layer Dip —> Buckeyes
George Mason Freedom Fries v. Villanova Nova Lox on Brown Bread with Dill Spread —> Nova Lox
W. Virginia Golden Delicious Maple Syrup Apples v. Clemson Brown Rice —> Apples
Kentucky Mint Juleps v. Princeton Pancakes —> Mint Juleps
Xavier Suppe v. Marquette Brats —> Brats
Syracuse Orange Juice v. Indiana State “Put a Bird on It” Fig —> OJ
Washington Onion Soup v. Georgia Chocolate Pecan Pie —> Onion Soup
UNC Moravian Sugar Cake v. LIU Long Island Iced Tea —> Sugar Cake
Duke Bleu Cheese Deviled Eggs v. Hamptons-Style Lobster Rolls —> Deviled Eggs
Michigan Toast with Tart Cherry Spread v. Tennessee Nancy Drew Cocktail —> Nancy Drew
Arizona Black Bean Corn Salad v. Memphis Elvis Sandwich —> Black Bean Salad
Texas Hamburgers v. Oakland Golden Delicious Apple Pie —> Hamburgers
Cincinnati Cincinnati Chili v. Missouri St. Louis Gooey Butter Cake —> Gooey Butter Cake
UCONN Election Cake v. Bucknell Bison Burgers —> Election Cake
Temple Soft Pretzels v. Penn State S’Mores —> Soft Pretzels
SDSU Deconstructed Burrito v. N. Colorado Coors Light —> Burrito
Kansas Wheat Bread v. Boston University Boston Baked Beans —> Bread
UNLV Tequila Shot v. Illinois Caramel Popcorn Clusters —> Tequila
Vanderbilt Vanderbilt Cocktail v. Richmond Ham and Cheese Sandwich —> Vbilt Cocktail
Louisville Old Fashioned Cocktail v. Morehead St. Kentucky Eggnog —> Old Fashioned
Georgetown Chili Hot Dog v. VCU Lamb Burgers —> Chili Hot Dog
Purdue Boilermaker v. St. Peter’s Baked Ziti —> Boilermaker
Texas A&M Chili v. Florida St. Mimosas —> Mimosas
Notre Dame Hoosier Pie v. Akron Fried Okra(n) —> Hoosier Pie
Pitt Pittsburgh Wedding Soup v. UNC-Asheville Sweet Potato Curry —> Wedding Soup
Butler Classic Hot Dogs v. Old Dominion Old Dominion Soda —> Soda
Kansas St. Poppy Seed Cake v. Utah St. Fry Sauce —> Fry Sauce
Wisconsin Grilled Cheese Sandwich v. Belmont Tennessee Whiskey —> Grilled Cheese
St. John’s La Famiglia MSG Fiery Pizza v. Gonzaga Pickled Onion Hot Dogs —> Pizza
BYU Green Jell-O v. Wofford Mushroom Rice Casserole —> Jell-O
UCLA Chicken Tacos v. Michigan St. Rice Krispie Treats —> Tacos
Florida Gatorade v. UCSB California Rolls —> Gatorade

Round Two

Buckeyes v. Nova Lox —> Buckeyes
Apples v. Juleps —> Apples
Brats v. OJ —> OJ
Onion Soup v. Sugar Cake —> Sugar Cake
Deviled Eggs v. Nancy Drew —> Deviled Eggs
Black Bean Salad v. Hamburgers —>Hamburgers
Gooey Butter Cake v. Election Cake —>Election Cake
Soft Pretzels v. Burrito —> Burrito
Bread v. Tequila —> Bread
Vbilt Cocktail v. Old Fashioned —> Old Fashioned
Chili Hot Dog v. Boilermaker —> Boilermaker
Mimosas v. Hoosier Pie —> Hoosier Pie
Wedding Soup v. Soda —> Wedding Soup
Fry Sauce v. Grilled Cheese —> Grilled Cheese
Pizza v. Jell-O —> Pizza
Tacos v. Gatorade —> Gatorade

Round Three

Buckeyes v. Apples —> Buckeyes
OJ v. Sugar Cake —> Sugar Cake
Deviled Eggs v. Hamburgers —>Hamburgers
Election Cake v. Burrito —> Burrito
Bread v. Old Fashioned —> Bread
Boilermaker v. Hoosier Pie —> Hoosier Pie
Wedding Soup v. Grilled Cheese —> Wedding Soup
Pizza v. Gatorade —> Gatorade

Round Four

Buckeyes v. Sugar Cake —> Buckeyes
Hamburgers v. Burrito —> Burrito
Bread v. Hoosier Pie —> Bread
Wedding Soup v. Gatorade —> Gatorade

Final Four

Buckeyes v. Burrito —> Burrito
Bread v. Gatorade —> Bread

Championship

Burrito v. Bread —> Bread

Duke University Blue Devils (Durham, NC): Bleu Cheese Deviled Eggs

Fri, 25 Mar 2011 12:02:38 -0400

We definitely wanted to make Deviled Eggs to use for our entry for the Duke University Blue Devils. And then our friend, Rachel, had the brilliant idea of making BLEU CHEESE Deviled Eggs, thereby making these even more Duke-ish and even better tasting. Seriously, these were a rich, cholesterol-laden delight (see ingredents below and recipe after the jump).

We used a modified version of Mark Bittman’s recipe for Deviled Eggs:

4 hardboiled eggs
salt
2 tablespoons mayo
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
paprika or parsley for garnish

We subsituted bleu cheese for paprika/parsley. And we made a dozen of these suckers while Mark’s recipe is for 4 eggs only.

UC Santa Barbara Gauchos (Santa Barbara, CA): California Rolls

Thu, 24 Mar 2011 22:15:00 -0400

UCSB is a member of the Big West conference, a conference made up entirely of teams from the state of California. So to celebrate UCSB—the conference champ—we decided to make a food inextricably linked with the great state of California: California rolls.

California Rolls

1 cup sushi rice, liberally seasoned with rice vinegar

2 crabs sticks, cut into long strips

1 avocado, cut into long strips

1 peeled cucumber, cut into long strips

sheet of nori

Cover a sushi mat with plastic wrap and cover with a thin layer of rice. Place a sheet of nori on top of the rice. Lay one strip of crab, one strip of cucumber, and one strip of avocado on top of the nori. Roll everything together with the sushi mat. Cut into pieces.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish (South Bend, IN): Hoosier Pie

Thu, 24 Mar 2011 21:49:55 -0400

This may well be the weirdest, most state-specific, food item we make all season. Hoosier Pie is, as its name implies, an Indiana specialty. Basically, the pie is made by mixing together sugar, cream and vanilla. We ate one slice of this and it tasted OK (could anything with sugar and cream not?), but the pie seemed so unhealthy that the remaining 7/8 of the pie sat uneaten in our refrigerator until we finally bothered to throw it out. Suffice to say that this is probably not a recipe we’ll be making again.

Hoosier Pie (from What’s Cooking America?)

1 9-inch pie crust
3 tbsps. flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream, at room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Nutmeg, for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 425. Place pie crust in pie pan. Place flour and sugar in pie crust, then add whipping cream and stir with your finger until ingredients are blended. Add vanilla and stir until blended, again using your finger. Sprinkle the top with ground nutmeg.

Bake for 10 minutes at 425, then reduce heat to 325 and keep baking another 45 minutes or so (until outside of pie is set, and center is still somewhat liquid; pie will set more as it cools). If pie isn’t setting, refrigerate pie.

Fun Fact: Hoosier Pie is also known as “Finger Pie.” Apparently using a spoon, or any other utensil, can whip the cream, which isn’t good for the pie. Here’s Anna demonstrating proper mixing technique.

Old Dominion University Monarchs (Norfolk, VA): Old Dominion Soda

Thu, 24 Mar 2011 21:47:54 -0400

We were a bit stumped when it came to Old Dominion. But then Google told us of a lovely company called Old Dominion Brewing. Trouble was, they only distributed in Maryland and Virginia. Laura got on the phone, called up the very nice people at Old Dominion Brewing and they overnighted us a 12-pack of soda (unfortunately, we weren’t able to order up some beer because of state liquor laws). We got 6 Ginger Ales and 6 Root Beers. And they were DELICIOUS. Fit for a Monarch.

Thank you Old Dominion Brewing!

Long Island University Blackbirds (Brooklyn, NY): Long Island Iced Teas

Thu, 24 Mar 2011 21:47:08 -0400

The Blackbirds play about 10 blocks from Edible Bracket HQ, so we were hoping they’d make it past round 1 (alas!). But we did (re-)discover our love for Long Island Iced Teas while making this drink in the Birds’ honor. Seriously, why did we stop drinking these after college? Even Guest Pug Millie got in on the fun.

Long Island Iced Tea

1 ounce vodka

1 ounce gin

1 ounce tequila

1 ounce triple sec

1 ounce rum

2 tbsps. lemon juice

1/2 cup coke

Mix everything except coke together, with several ice cubes, and shake well. Add coke.

University of Akron Zips (Akron, OH): Fried Okra(n)

Thu, 24 Mar 2011 21:21:00 -0400

We’ll admit this is a bit of a stretch. But okra is delicious, and also reminds us of our friends Emma and Krishna’s beautiful cat. And okra sounds kind of like Akron, no? It’s not quite an acronym, but perhaps it’s an Akron-nym.

University of Washington Huskies (Seattle, Washington): French Onion Soup

Thu, 24 Mar 2011 21:18:00 -0400

We had wanted to make some french onion soup for a while. It’s so delicious and rich and during these winter months, proved a surefire bellywarmer. When we learned that onions (particularly Walla Walla onions) are the state vegetable of Washington state, we knew we had to make a special french onion soup for our bracket and to support the local economy of Washington.

French Onion Soup (from epicurious)

2 lbs. yellow onions, cut into small pieces
6-7 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp. salt
pepper
2 tsps. flour
1 cup white wine
4 cups beef stock
2 cups water
sliced bread (we used a small baguette)
3 tbsps. butter
grated Gruyere cheese (a whole block; about 2 cups)

1. Melt butter in heavy saucepan over low heat. Add onions, thyme, bay leaves, salt and pepper. Cook for about 25 minutes until onions are very soft, stirring occasionally.
2. Add flour and cook for another minute. Then increase heat and add wine. Let wine simmer 2-3 minutes until liquid is somewhat reduced.
3. Add beef stock and let soup simmer for about 25 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, if needed.
4. Heat the bread slices in the oven until they are crispy.
5. Pour soup into ramekins, and place bread slices in each ramekin. Add a thick layer of grated cheese to each ramekin, and place ramekins under the broiler for 3-5 minutes until cheese is golden.

Oakland University Golden Grizzlies (Rochester, MI): Golden Delicious Apple and Dried Cranberry Pie

Thu, 24 Mar 2011 19:24:00 -0400

For the golden grizzlies, we cooked a dish that highlights the unique color of OU’s mascot: apple pie made with golden delicious apples. We like to think that the Golden Grizzlies would enjoy eating this apple pie, which also has dried cranberries in it, while walking through the woods in search of a more meaty treat.

Apple Dried Cranberry Pie

Adapted from Bon Appetit

We used a pre-packaged pie crust to save time. Bon Appetit recommends making the crust from scratch, of course.

3.5 lbs. golden delicious apples, peeled, cored, and cut into small slices
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1. Preheat oven to 375, and combine all ingredients except the butter in a large bowl.
2. Place bottom of pie crust into 9-inch pie pan and trip overhand.
3. Place filling into pie.
4. Lay top of pie crust over filling, crimp edges decoratively, and cut some holes in the top of the pie.
5. Bake pie for 30 minutes, then put foil around edges of pie crust to prevent browning. Cook about an hour-an hour and 15 minutes more.

Photo

Thu, 24 Mar 2011 16:23:30 -0400

Purdue University Boilermakers (West Lafayette, IN): Boilermaker

Thu, 24 Mar 2011 16:20:47 -0400

Much like the Ohio State Buckeyes, the Purdue Boilermakers were just begging to be included in the Edible Bracket. A boilermaker is apparently a “trained craftsman who produces steel fabrications from plates and sections” (weird mascot, no?), but it’s also a surprisingly delicious beer cocktail. Opinion differs on whether a boilermaker is a shot followed by a beer chaser, or whether the drink involves dropping the shot INTO the beer. We went with the latter, for dramatic effect, as demonstrated in the accompanying slideshow.

UNC-Asheville Bulldogs: Sweet Potato Curry

Thu, 24 Mar 2011 16:13:41 -0400

Did you know that more sweet potatoes are grown in North Carolina than in any other state? It’s true—approximately 38.5% of the country’s sweet potatoes are grown there. So for late entry UNC-Asheville we cooked up a food that highlights the bounty of North Carolina: sweet potato curry.

Sweet Potato Curry

1 lb. sweet potatoes
1 can coconut milk
1 to 2 tsp. Thai red curry paste
1/2 cup cilantro
1 carton tofu

1 tbsp. oil
6 shallots, chopped
1 bunch bok choy, chopped

1 lime, quartered
some mint
soy sauce

Dice sweet potatoes and steam till soft. Reserve steaming water.

Heat milk with 1 cup steaming water in a skillet. Stir in curry and
cilantro. Add potatoes and lower the heat.

Skillet fry the tofu. Season with soy sauce. Add to the coconut milk.

Add 2 tsps. oil to the pan. Saute shallots for 3 to 4 minutes and add
salt. Add the bok choy and stir fry. Add this to the curry and serve.

Brigham Young University Cougars (Provo, UT): Green Jell-O

Thu, 24 Mar 2011 16:01:40 -0400

Did you know that green Jell-o is Utah’s state snack? DID YOU?! Well, it is. We thought BYU had high hopes this year with their Jimmer and their Jell-0. Until this happened.

Indiana State University Sycamore Sam (Terre Haute, IN): "Put a [Larry] Bird on It" Fig Bird

Thu, 24 Mar 2011 12:01:00 -0400

OK, go with us on this one. This Indiana State food art has many meanings, many layers. Let’s unpack it together.

1. Ficus sycomorus, sometimes called the sycamore fig, sycamore, or sycomore, is a fig species that has been cultivated since ancient times. Thus, the fig represents the Indiana State mascot, Sycamore Sam.

2. Larry Bird was an Indiana State star and a major NBA star. Bird was born in Indiana and also coached the Indiana Pacers. Dude is all around Indiana star. The fact that the figs have been shaped into a bird (um, sort of) is an homage to him.

3. Finally, and also, we love Portlandia, a show starting Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein, which features a hilarious skit called “Put a Bird on It.”

We wanted to put a [Larry] Bird on it. So we put a bird on this sycamore fig. Get it?

This is definitely our weirdest entry.

University of Memphis Tigers (Memphis, TN): Elvis Sandwich

Wed, 23 Mar 2011 22:53:00 -0400

Rumor has it that the King himself loved this sandwich. And who else do you think of when you think of Memphis? Well, maybe you think of the Tigers now. But Elvis still lives; he’s still the King of Memphis. And we must bow down to the King and bring him an offering. This is our offering, our Elvis sandwich: banana, bacon, and peanut butter.

All three of these ingredients are disgusting to Laura. And yet she ate it. For the bracket.

George Mason Patriots (Fairfax, VA): Freedom Fries

Wed, 23 Mar 2011 22:39:53 -0400

About 5 years ago, the U.S. Congress quietly gave up its silly idea of calling French Fries Freedom Fries (an idea thought up by some Republican congressmen when the United States was mad at France for not wanting to invade Iraq). But we think if there’s one team out there that’s sticking to calling them Freedom Fries, it’s be the George Mason Patriots. Not only are they called the Patriots, but GM’s law school is one of the most conservative in the country, and the school’s econ department is full of libertarian free-market enthusiasts—just the type of people who would go to the school cafeteria and order up a plate of Freedom Fries.

St. Peter's College (Jersey City, NJ): Baked Ziti

Wed, 23 Mar 2011 22:21:31 -0400

For us, St. Peter is associated less with Jersey City (home of St. Peter’s College), and more with the City of Rome, where a basilica stands in his honor. We’re not sure what the Romans ate when Jesus and Peter were hanging out, but we like to think it was classic Italian dishes like baked ziti.

Baked Ziti

1 pound ziti

1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes

4 cloves of garlic, minced

2 tbsps. olive oil

1 ball of fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350 and grease a 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Boil a pot of water, and cook ziti according to package instructions.

2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet, and cook garlic over low heat for a few minutes until fragrant.

3. Add tomatoes and cook until pasta is done.

4. Mix tomato sauce and pasta in a large bowl. Place half the pasta/sauce mixture in pre-greased pan.

5. Place half the mozzarella on top of pasta, and sprinkle half the parmesan cheese over that.

6. Repeat with another layer of pasta, mozzarella and parmesan.

7. Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until mozzarella is golden brown around the edges.

Hampton University Pirates (Hampton, VA): Hamptons-Style Lobster Rolls

Wed, 23 Mar 2011 22:00:00 -0400

We have to admit we’re a little New York-centric here at Edible Bracket HQ. So when we think of Hampton, we think of the Hamptons out on Long Island. And how do the Hamptons roll? With lobster. Yum.

Wofford College Terriers (Spartanburg, SC): Mushroom-Rice Casserole

Wed, 23 Mar 2011 22:00:00 -0400

We’ve already noted how South Carolina grows a lot of rice. But we wanted to get a little more creative with our rice cooking this time around. So we made a modern twist on a classic casserole in which rice is king. Sort of like a nicer version of the kinds of dishes served in college cafeterias all around the country.