Friday For Fifteen: Football Edition

About time for another Friday for Fifteen, don't you think? This one is for your good man, the one who joined you for all the foreign film Fridays. For those who don't know, this Sunday is Super Bowl XLVII, Ravens vs. 49ers. To get warmed up for that event, today is going to be a football Friday. So here we go:

The Entertainment: A football movie. I heartily recommend Invincible (2006), the true story of a south Philly bartender who defied the odds to become a Philadelphia Eagle at the age of thirty. As a thirtonian myself, it's nice to have a little "anything is possible" story pick-me-up. If you don't know what I'm talking about, you probably aren't thirty yet, but you are probably human so you will probably love this movie despite any age defects. Some other good choices are We Are Marshall (2006), Remember the Titans (2000), and Radio (2003). Rudy (1993) and the Blindside (2009) are also good films, but is it my imagination, or has everyone already seen both of those?

The Food: Buffalo Chicken Wing Dip. I associate football with pizza, wings, and dips that feature cheese and cream cheese in prominent roles. This dip is the best of most of those worlds. My husband, who is something of a wing expert (isn't everybody who is born and raised in Buffalo a wing expert?), gives it his hearty approval. I, on the other hand, am not crazy about wings and I also give it my approval. A real winner. There are many slight variations of this dip floating around out there on the internet. I recommend that you make it like this:

Preheat oven to 350. 

Mix together 2 (eight oz.) packages of cream cheese and 3/4 cup pepper sauce (you can definitely go generic, as long as it is in the style of Frank's Red Hot, and less if you're not a fan of spicy). 

Then add 1 cup bleu cheese dressing (again, generic is fine), 2 cups diced, cooked chicken, and 1 cup shredded cheese (both cheddar and mozzarella work great, or a mix of the two). 

Mix. 

Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray, spread in the dip, and bake for 30 minutes. 

Serve with crackers or tortilla chips, and fresh carrots and celery.

The Drink: Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA ($8.49/6pk). Now I know that you don't come here to with my sisters for beer education, but just know that this is a great American style India Pale Ale that brims with citrus and hop flavors. You may think you don't like the flavor of hops because of the bitterness, but give it a chance! Bitter compounds open the tastebuds, causing you to salivate in anticipation of food, really whetting the appetite. The strong flavor also, paradoxically, tempers the spicy intensity of the Wing Dip.

{source}

Now doesn't that make you thirsty?

What is your favorite football, food, drink combination?