yoso-silly: The New Football Food???

College Football season has arrived, and even better the Warriors of the University of Hawaii is on National TV. The bad thing is that they're playing #1 ranked USC. This doesn't bode well, UH had the second worse defense in the NCAA last year. Oh-oh.....

So what I decided to do this year was to watch the game at home, so any cathartic moments of pain and grief will be expressed in the privacy of my own home. You see last year, I watched two of the games "outside", the first at a sports bar, and Boise St ripped UH 69-3, it was hard to watch the other customers yelling for the Broncos to "pile it on...", the second was at Sammy's, and Sam and I watched Fresno St crush UH 70-14. I sat there in my University of Hawaii shirt, watching the others around me chanting, "go for a hundred..". Much to my chagrin, I stayed home to watch UH beat Michigan St, that's my luck.....

So I had to make a decision with regards to "grinds". Pizza? Nah, I can have pizza anytime, plus, delivery would be pretty bad today. "Wings?" Bor-ring! I finally settled on Ba Ren. How's that for "football food"?

So I drove down and ordered a few cold dishes from Ba Ren. Starting with a combo appetizer:

This was (from the right counter-clockwise) Fuqi Feipian, the famous "husband and wife" dish, dried beef with peppers and peppercorn, and Sichuan Peanuts (just for you Jo).

The fried peanuts were a nice combination of nutty, salty, spicy, and sweet, with those crunchy little fishes. This is a really good "pu-pu", I think this a a gametime regular for me.

The beef slices were nice and hot, with the assertive "ma la" (numbing hot) flavor with chilies to add another layer of heat:

One of my favorite things is to have a nice glass of ice water with this. After eating a few bites, it "becomes carbonated water".

I'm a Fuqi Feinpian addict. I love the textural combination of the brisket, tendon, and Chinese celery. Positively addicting:

This wasn't all. After all I needed an entree, right? So I chose the Cold Chicken with Spicy Sauce:

Nice and numbingly hot, with the combination of sweet, salty, and spicy, this dish is very addicting and one of my favorites. The addition of crushed peanuts and sesame seeds gives the dish an added "nutty" dimension. The layers of heat in the dish is measurable. Delici-yoso!!!

By the end of third quarter I was sweating harder than the players on the field!!!

Oh, the game. USC 63 Hawaii 17, but all is not lost, I got some really good food, and Hawaii's defense didn't look as bad as I thought, there was a time where Hawaii was down only 28-10, before collapsing. I think I'll do  a different "pu-pu's for the game" for the Televised UH games I watch this year. Stay tuned!

Comments

[kyle]

Kirk,
Glad I stayed home too. I remember last year in Hawaii watching the Boise game at Side Street Inn. I think we were chanting for 100 too. Was pathetic too when TC got the interception record before the passing record. Auwe. Thats okay, to be the best gotta play the best!

[clare eats]

I still can't belive your footballers wear all that padding and you have seperate teams for offence and defence crazy!

I haven't had any of those dishes before

[RONW]

I tell you if those people in Oz keep playing football without wearing helmets, someday they'll jambalaya up their brains. There's currently a rumour too that in Oz there's no such thing as soccer mums.

[Kirk]

Hi Kyle - I know it was kind of a harsh! Side Street was one of my favorite places back home.

Hi Clare - I'd say the same thing about Football back there! LOL! These are just the routine Sichuan appetizers - really good stuff! If you like chilies, this is the way to go!

Hi RONW - I think for many, someday has already arrived! What are you trying to say about "sock-her" mums?

[milgwimper]

Kirk,

I am so hungry looking at your pictures....AHHHHH I love spicy snacks, but football, nyah not a fan.

[Kirk]

Hi Mills - I use Football as an excuse to eat alot. Ba Ren, where I got all this spicy stuff is our fav!

[clare eats]

Ron if you mean mums who get overenthusiastic at the matches... I don't think they are that bad here... but my only kid is Kiri.

In AFL how could they make huge Marks if they were tied down with hekmets?

(most Aussies think your guys are wusses ;) ) hehhehheh

[Kirk]

Hi Clare - I guess that's why the only Aussies I know playing in the NFL are punters, eh? Actually Matt McBriar is an Aussie who played for Hawaii, now with the Dallas Cowboys....double hehehe!

[clare eats]

lol :)
http://droppunt.com/moty/markindex.htm

hehehe then you will see why they don't wear heavy stuff :)

for a mark you have to catch a long kick which is why they are good punters ;)

rugby league is a whole different story (even though I am from NSW I don't like Ruby league :p)

[Kirk]

Hi Clare - Just how long are these player careers????

[clare eats]

32 is old, but some extra special guys last longer. They get too slow and injured cause they run alot and don't wear padding!
The field is 185 m (give or take abit)
They have 4 20 minute (clock stops for stoppages) quarters which averages to 30 mins a quarter, no time outs etc. Only 3 sub players and the game doesn't stop for them.

They aim for almost constant play.

BALLPARK FIGURES
Average speed the ball travels during an AFL game: 25.5 kmh
Forward speed of play: 13.7 kmh
Average length of play between stoppages: 28 seconds (finals: 21 seconds)
Collisions per quarter: increased from 12 in 1960 to 27 in 2000
Scoring shots per team per quarter: 6.1 (kick through main goals 6 points, kick through outside goals 1 point)
Average team score per quarter: 23.4 points
Body mass index (ratio of weight to height) of average AFL player: 23.5.
Heavier, slower games feature bulkier BMIs; rugby league averages 32, and American football 35

most Afl players are over 6 foot tall

hows that? You can watch highlights on afl.com.au as you are an "international" :)

[Kirk]

Hi Clare - I'll check it out! I never knew you were such a stat person!

[clare eats]

I am a biologist... I love stats :P

not actually that bigger AFL fan.... casey was a victorian(sports mad) so it is learn or suffer when it is on anyway :)

[Jo]

Thats a pretty darn impressive recitation there Clare! Sounds like watching a game your way is more "man" watching than it is here. These days watching American footballers is more like watching a flab fest. Guys raised on white toast, kool-aid, and KFC and then everyone wonders when they drop dead after running a few feet in their first "real" game. Heck, probably the first time they ever actually had to really run!?!! =o(

[clare eats]

lol
I did have to look those stats up though ;)

no they are athletes that's for sure! Tall and Muscley with no fat :) with very short shorts ;)

[Kirk]

Hi Jo - Did ya' like those sichuan peanuts???

Hi Clare - Short, shorts, eh? I think I know why you enjoy watching this sport....

[clare eats]

:)

[Jack]

Boy, go away for a few days and now I am left to drool over the computer! This looks great...now if only my heartburn will ever go away.

[Kirk]

Hey Jack - Was the heartburn from the UH game or just an intolerance of spicy food? BTW, if you want heartburn, I've got a silly post coming up!