Making a sporting event as big as the Super Bowl exciting for the ladies means making a few simple changes to your traditional Super Bowl party. Who better to deliver a touchdown at your upcoming Super Bowl party than Donatella Arpaia, celebrity chef, restaurateur and Iron Chef America” and “The Next Iron Chef” judge or Miami Dolphins wide-receiver and longtime food and wine enthusiast, Jimmy Cefalo.
TIPS FROM JIMMY CELFALO
Coming from an Italian American family with a strong emphasis on our heritage, and food, we typically nix the American wings, chips and dip and instead dish out starters like an Italian antipasto platter.
- Have fresh bread and crackers to eat along with Italian meats (Prosciutto,Mortadella) and Italian cheeses (Mozzarella di Bufalo, Pecorino)
- Buy olives and serve in small bowls
- Nothing to cook or heat up makes this very simple
- Get festive and look for football shaped dishes to make the presentation more athletic
With these salty foods you’re going to need something to quench your thirst
- Typically beer is the winning game-day beverage but a more lady friendly option is sparkling wine. Try an Italian Prosecco or sparkling rose wine, both of which pair well with the salty meats and creamy cheeses.
- MARTINI is one of the most iconic winemakers and so I naturally gravitate to MARTINI Prosecco, MARTINI Sparkling Rose and MARTINI Asti – all of which come in mini-sized bottles.
- MARTINI Prosecco’s gentle frizzante bubbles deliver a quick spark on the tongue with light and delicate flavors to pair with your starters.
- MARTINI Sparkling Rose delivers fruity flavors with bright citrus notes – also pairing nicely with the light snacks
- MARTINI Asti is ideal for the lady with a slight sweet tooth. Made from 100% Italian moscato grapes, the Asti delivers a delicately balanced sweetness.
- Fill-up ice-buckets, or better yet use helmets as ice-buckets and keep your minis chilled on game-day.
If you are at home, turn clean-up into a game that no one wants to lose! Have the people who rooted for the losing team on clean-up duty!
TIPS FROM DONATELLA ARPAIA
MUST DO PRE-GAME
- Positioning: Arrange the living room so that each person has a comfortable seat and good viewing of the TV. Position the buffet table near the TV so your friends don’t have to miss out on the action if they’re hungry. Also have another area for guests who aren’t there for the game and want to chat and just watch the commercials!
- Buy plastic – it’s the only time I would dare say this but for Super Bowl you don’t want to be stuck doing a ton of dishes at the end of the night. Opt for good quality plastic napkins, plates and fun colored solid tablecloths but use REAL utensils and glasses! We are adults after all!
- Clean up fridge (everyone is going to be opening and shutting it). You may even want an easy access cooler in the living room but make sure to put down plastic under and empty out the garbage
- Present a KEY BOWL to all upon entering so that everyone drops their keys in before they start drinking
Have enough to drink and make sure it’s cold!
ALCOHOL
Alcohol when hosting a Superbowl is very important! Have at least 3 types of beers: a light beer, a regular and a specialty beer. For women, I love to set up Prosecco mini bottles, MARTINI is my favorite, but to keep it casual just have straws so the women can drink from bottle as well!
FOOD
(the below selected recipes are very easy and simple to make except for meatballs from Donatella’s cookbook: Donatella Cooks: Simple Food Made Glamorous). Skip the pretzels and wings but still make food appealing to all your guests.
- Instead of pretzels and chips try my recipe for popcorn and serve it in a trifle bowl instead of plain old white plastic bowls! I promise you both men and women find my recipe addictive (Donatella popcorn )
- Instead of chips and salsa try my recipe for Pecorino fonduta along with strip of rustic grilled Italian bread rubbed with garlic and olive oil
- Bagna Cauda (my updated version of the vegetable platter)
- Mixed Salumi with artisanal Jams (pg 12)
- Sautéed spicy cracked olives (pg 13)
- Stuffed shells recipe or Donatella mac and cheese
- Meatball sliders
- Dessert: Ricotta cheesecake!
- Set up an ice cream bar
- Complete with cones and large cookies and various toppings like sprinkles and shredded coconut but instead of chocolate and vanilla go for more gourmet gelato flavors! Your guests will love it!
GAMES
- It always adds an element of fun when you put a bit of competition in the mix. Start with the classic football game grid but take it a step further and vote on the best commercials and the best show during half time.
- One friend of mine, gets all his guests (normally 20 people) do pitch in $50 and he buys a 60 inch TV. Then at the end of the night, whoever wins the football grid gets the TV. Great for the guests and even better for the winner!
DÉCOR
- Have fun with team colors, buy AstroTurf and use as table runner or coasters it’s very inexpensive!
We hope these tips make your Superbowl Party much more enjoyable. Always remember to drink responsibly!
