Welcome to Dishing it Out, ParentDish's weekly food column. Rob Barrett is a dad who knows his way around the kitchen; his web site, Cooking For Dads, provides simple video recipes for dads (and moms!). You can read all the Dishing it Out posts here.

It's that time of year again when otherwise normal men and women lose all their inhibitions and paint their faces the colors of a local football franchise. (Remember Seinfeld's David Putty?) Apparently, in January and early February there are two sets of cultural norms, one for everyday life and one for football games.

I love football (although the Vikings are already out of the playoffs). But I don't paint my face. I also don't get a group of my friends together, each paint a letter of the team's name on our bellies and lift up our shirts when the TV camera falls on us. Call me old fashioned. But if you want me on a Sunday afternoon, I'll be in the big chair downstairs half watching the game and half unconscious. There's a subliminal sign over my head -- Please Don't Disturb.

As much as I love watching football, I enjoy getting a group of friends together to watch big games, especially the Super Bowl. (Of course, we don't watch the game as much as the commercials.) Here are some easy ideas for snacks and appetizers to make for those big testosterone laced events.

(During the making of this video we had some problems, but just like in real life, you have to press on. See if you can find the mistake.)


You can find part two -- the onion rings -- here.Game Day Onion Rings Recipe

1 large yellow onion
1 quart of butter milk
gallon of canola or peanut oil.
corn meal
flour
salt and pepper
Paper towels and 049 or Fantastic for cleaning

Cut a big yellow onion in to thin slices. Break apart. Soak in butter milk with a spoonful of salt for at least 15 minutes. Mix three handfuls flour and one handful cornmeal, two spoonfuls of salt and a little pepper. Heat up at least one inch oil in a wide frying pan. When you drop a little onion in and it sizzles then the oil is hot enough. Take a couple of onion rings, shake off excess butter milk, dip in flour mixture and place in frying pan with oil. When they are light brown remove and put on paper towels. Work in small batches, just a few rings at a time. Put finished ones on a plate in the oven at 200 degrees. Eat hot and enjoy. Don't forget to clean up!


Game Day Dip

1 can Hormel chili, no beans.
1 brick of Philadelphia cream cheese
1 small onion
1 tomato
Some raspberry jelly a
large bag of tortilla chips

In a medium sauce pan on medium heat, add chili and cream cheese, stir until cheese is melted and color is even throughout. Cut up tomato and onion in to small pieces. You need about a fistfuls worth of each, don't put in too much. Add to dip and stir. Finally, add 2 spoonfuls of raspberry jelly and stir. Serve hot with chips.