Food
March Madness Made Easy With Perfect Appetizers
By @BrenHerrera
More by Bren
Bars will be packed to the seams during March while college basketball franchises battle it out for that golden national championship title. Some women, but mostly men, will flock to local restaurants to cheer on their favorite team, dog the underdog, and order food to their hearts’ content. It will be too late when they realize they’ve picked up the tab for the party on the other end of the bar. It happens.
March Madness is no different from all the other American social events occurring annually, where the night’s activities are built around the food options. But if you opt out of bar-hopping and eating greasy foods, I have some delightful dishes you can make for the party you’ll host, or take to your alma mater’s gathering.
You’ll feel better if you go this route. The options are super-creative and perfectly situated for enjoying at home.
I almost forgot about onion dip, believe it or not. I do remember making some when I was a teenager with those packets you stir into mayonnaise. But I recently came across this really good-looking homemade dip. Make it chic by serving in a hollowed-out bread bowl. Center your veggies or fruits around it!
Unofficial medical statistics about the amount of bacteria in those nut bowls at bars across America should give you every reason to make these crunchy and filling wasabi cashews. They’re super-easy to make and will keep your friends wondering how you came up with their greatness. They’re spicy, though, so have plenty of sweet liquids around.
Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings with Mango Habanero Sauce
Chicken wings are America’s sweetheart. They’re everywhere. And depending on where you are in the US, you’ll find them on every corner, much like Starbucks. These tangy lemon-pepper ones are good on their own, but they’re gloriously screaming for mango habanero sauce to dip into. They’re muy caliente, but muy bueno!
These personal-sized pizzas may require a little more work, but they’re so worth the trouble. The avocado, the chicken bits, the jalapeños, are all so perfectly paired. But there are other toppings to choose from, like shrimp, your favorite tomato salsa, and cheese.
Chicken Fritters with Plantain
Peruvian food is one of my favorite Latin cuisines, so it’s no surprise these fritters made the list. The finely shredded green plantains are really the icing on the cake with these simple bites. They also have avocado but what I love most is the roasted eggplant and spicy yellow pepper paste mixed with mayonnaise.
This delectable dip is great for shrimp and spicy-food lovers. Easy enough to make with your choice of cream cheese and hot sauce. Make it as creamy or as spicy as you like. You can cut heat with fresh and crisp celery sticks, or pita bread.
Bren is a Latin-fusion private chef and avid world traveler, always looking for the next best adventure. As a writer, she documents her own food experiences with her camera and notepad and then shares on her blog, Flanboyant Eats.You can also check out her lifestyle and fashion expertise on her blog B So Chic!