Sunday is usually a spiritual day today, so I'll continue with something called the Super Bowl. Of course, this event is not today, for Super Bowl 59 will play next Sunday. The game itself, for me, is incidental to what I drink and eat before and during the TV spectacular. I do this for special TV sports events like the Kentucky Derby.
- A long time ago, growing up in Honolulu, I listened (only radio available) to the San Francisco 49ers. So they were my team.
- Then, I went to Stanford University in 1958, and I was pleasantly surprised to see that the 49er's games were televised in our dormitory TV. In black and white.
- Returning home to work in Hawaii, games were not televised live.
- 1965/6/7 was a monumental period for viewing football.
- Just in time, satellite Lani Bird was launched into space.
- Both teams came in undefeated, and left still undefeated, for the score ended up 10-10.
- Interestingly enough, this game was not shown on national TV because of certain limitations.
- The game was in black and white, but during halftime, color images of Waikiki were broadcast to the mainland.
- Hawaii had a special interest in this game because Michigan State had two Hawaii players, Bob Apisa and Ed Kenney.
- Super Bowl One (the AFL-NFL World Championship Game) was held on 15January1967. The NFL Green Bay Packers defeated the AFL Kansas City Chiefs, 35-10.
So much for history, but here I am 58 years after that game, and have refined my cuisine to mimic what those attending the games will have available. Actually, one more blast from the past, for SB59 will be held in the Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana.
- Note for correctness that it is Super Bowl, but Superdome.
- This stadium was previously called the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, but is now known as Caesars Superdome.
- Still looks kind of new, but this structure opened for play half a century ago, 1975, and was called the Louisiana Superdome.
- It still is the largest fixed domed structure in the world.
- A pro-football franchise was awarded to New Orleans mainly in anticipation of this marvel, and in fact, Super Bowl 9 was scheduled to be played in the Superdome.
- But because of the 1973 oil crisis and other delays, it was not ready in time.
- The Saints opened the 1975 NFL season at the Superdome, and lost to the Bengals, 21-0.
- Super Bowl 12 was played here.
- The stadium cost $165 million to build, which is the equivalent of a billion dollars today.
- Has now hosted seven Super Bowls, with the 8th to be SB59.
- You might remember that in 2005, the Superdome housed thousands of people seeking shelter from Hurricane Katrina.
- The Sugar Bowl is played in here.
- It was 2008, Hawaii lost to Georgia 41-10 in the Sugar Bowl.
- As I went to school at LSU, I was very familiar with New Orleans, the Mardi Gras and Pat's Hurricanes in the French Quarter.
- I took a tour of the environs of New Orleans. The city had not yet recovered from the 2005 hurricane damage. The Super Dome cost a billion dollars. Hurricane Katrina was responsible for nearly $200 billion in damages.
- Sodexo Live! national executive chef Carmen Callo and his team are getting ready to feed the 75,000 fans on game day with 5,000 alligator sausages, 6,500 pounds of shrimp, 12,000 oysters, and over 50,000 baguettes from the local Leidenheimer Baking Co.
- Among some of the specialty sandwiches that will be served up at concessions include three different types of po’ boy sandwiches, alligator sausage, lobster karaage (right), Cajun beef brisket, and "a vegetarian twist" on Vietnamese bánh mì.
- There will also be New Orleans-themed menu items like jambalaya.
- Callo is hyping up a surf n’ turf po' boy as being a standout dish. The sandwich features five colossal gulf shrimp and nine-hour smoked short rib—as a clever nod to the 59th Super Bowl—finished off with mornay and remoulade sauces, lettuce, and tomato on Leidenheimer bread.
- Sodexo has brought in 150 employees from around the country—plus two from the United Kingdom—to supplement 2,850 local employees.
- For those looking to knock back a few, in addition to the usual game day beers there will be signature cocktails such as a loaded spicy Bloody Mary that comes garnished with everything but the kitchen sink, including olives, pepperoncini, spicy green beans, celery, cheese, bacon, and spicy okra.
- Another vodka-based cocktail, the Black Magic (the yellow one), features lime juice, jalapeño syrup, and mango purée with a dehydrated lime wheel and black magic cajun seasoning.
Quite a challenge for me. I can't imagine finding alligator sausage in Honolulu, I'm allergic to shrimp and really don't like oysters.
Jambalaya is possible, for I've been to a couple of Louisiana Jambalaya Festivals, and
Jambalaya by Hank Williams is one of my favorite karaoke songs. However:
The Cajun/Creole “holy trinity”: Celery, onion and green bell pepper (although for some extra color, I’ve also used red and yellow bell peppers).
Jalapeño and cayenne: For heat. Feel free to add more or less of either, depending on your heat preferences.Garlic, Creole or Cajun seasoning, bay leaf, thyme: Some of my favorite seasonings.Chicken, shrimp and Andouille sausage: Or whatever proteins you prefer. Feel free to choose one or two, or you can use all three like I do.Chicken stock: If the rice needs more liquid as it cooks, feel free to add in more.Crushed tomatoes: For flavor.White rice: Long grain is traditional, but short grain white rice also works.Okra: Fresh or frozen; we will use this to help thicken the jambalaya.Salt and Black Pepper: Very important! Don’t forget to taste and season with salt and pepper to taste at the end.Maybe I'll simplify by making my special Bloody Mary, and get a baguette Subway sandwich.
- Only $20 for the Super Bowl experience from Monday through Friday night, 5-10PM. You can check out the Superdome. There will be live entertainment and food you can purchase, and, who knows, maybe some players will be there.
Shaq's Fun House, on Friday from 7-9PM, featuring DJ Diesel, Ludacris and more at Mardi Gras World. $400 ticket with a 6-hour open bar, which means it must start earlier than indicated.
- Got $750? Taste of the NFL on Saturday from 4-7PM at the World War II Museum. Features food from 25 New Orleans chefs. Benefits GENOUth's End Student Hunger Fund.
- Of course, these are mere examples. For the full list.
A few other details:
- Should you really want get a ticket to the game.
The cheapest tickets are currently listed at over $4,000 on Ticketmaster, over $3,600 on StubHub and over $3,400 on Vivid Seats, all of which could include additional fees, over $5,100 on SeatGeek, including fees, and over $4,500 on TickPick, including fees. - However, Time magazine says the average resale ticket now stands at $10,417. It was $12,128 last year. Also, the most expensive ticket with Seat Geek is now $20,674, but only $17,842 from Ticketmaster.
- Prices should actually fall by game day.
The Super Bowl is the only thing on television I stay to watch the commercials, and go to the restroom during the game. However, more and more media get those ads and reveal them early. So if you want to be surprised, avoid this article touting the
best Super Bowl ads of 2025.
- These ads are expensive, but this is partly because there is a huge viewing audience, 123.4 million last year. The most expensive ones cost $8 million for 30 seconds.
- Most Appetizing: Hellmann's. To watch this, and others, click on the article. Remember the 1989 film, When Harry Met Sally, with Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal? Well, they're back, and in ecstasy, Meg appears to be having an orgasm. Click on that link and watch a nearly one hour program with Ryan discussing the original production now more than a quarter century old.
- Click on that article to see the rest. Me? I'll stop here and wait for Super Bowl day.
I'll add another Super Bowl posting later in the week to bring you up to date on things like propositions and the injury status of Pat Mahomes. To end, watch the
cold opening of Saturday Night Live last night, with the unreal Donald Trump, hawking his cheesy products. Well, turned out there was no SNL last night, and there won't be one either next week. They are gearing up for their 50th year anniversary special on February 16 at 8PM. And, incidentally, as part of their celebration, they will follow at 10PM with the
debut episode of 11October1975.
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