In honor of Halloween coming up, we will treat you to a spooky Saturday night special this week. We will look at one football game and pair it with a recipe for a delectable snack you can enjoy during the game.
Like last week, this week’s football game is a mere pretense for the meal. For most Washington Huskies fans, they would just as soon put this season out of its misery. But like the monsters in the graveyard in the B movie, they just keep coming back from the dead.
And since the Huskies have to travel down to The Farm to face the Stanford Cardinal, things could get especially ghoulish. And it’s not even that Stanford is good this year, though they were good enough to upset Oregon in overtime and all but ruin the Ducks’ College Football Playoff chances. But the way Washington is playing, anyone good enough to beat Oregon in any manner is likely good enough to beat the brakes off the lowly Huskies.
Right now, Husky nation is in disarray. It didn’t have to be this way, they say to themselves. Jimmy Lake was supposed to be a good coach. Our quarterback was supposed to be really good. Unfortunately, none of those things look true right now. The program has regressed to something pre-Chris Petersen, which is not something anybody wants to see.
But what makes this game worth watching is that they are playing it on Saturday night. The kickoff is after seven o’clock in the evening. See where we’re going with this?
It’s Pac-12 After Dark, baby!
If you haven’t partaken in the strange subculture of Pac-12 After Dark, you are missing out on one of the best parts of college football. Once the sun goes down—especially on Halloween Eve—things can get downright spooky!
The teams, the announcers, fans, and others involved contribute to the uniqueness of the tradition. It just feels different, and everybody knows it. The weather is often good, fans are laid back, and it constitutes a vibe unto itself.
So this Saturday night, dim the lights, bust out a few candles, and settle in for what will likely be a very entertaining but ultimately meaningless event. Sounds perfect, right?
We follow the loosest of guidelines here at Food and Football (or none), but one we try to follow is to feature a food or dish with some association with the home of either football team.
On that note, let’s whip up a super easy batch of smoked salmon dip! It doesn’t even involve any actual cooking unless you want it to. And though, as of late, we have been starting things off by sharing an external video, please follow along this time with your mind’s eye. It couldn’t be simpler:
- Buy a pouch or can of smoked salmon. Not lox or anything requiring refrigeration. You want the smoky, crumbly stuff
- Also buy a shallot or two, some fresh chives, and a pound or two of good cream cheese, a lemon, and Worcestershire sauce if you don’t already have it at home
- A major decision to make is what your dip vehicle will be. Your favorite sturdy cracker will do; or pita chips; or baguette that you slice, oil and bake until crispy. Pick something up that you really like for dipping
- The method of preparation is straightforward. Use a bowl and a spoon or a mixer. Chop the shallots and chives, juice the lemon, and mix it all together until it’s smooth and pink. Season with salt, pepper, Worcestershire, or whatever else you like
We don’t get to celebrate much on the West Coast in terms of college football victories, at least not on the national stage. The Pac-12 has been in a multiyear slump. But we do get to enjoy the quirkiest kind of college football—the kind that happens after the sun goes down. Take every last bit of advantage of it while you can.
