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Score some super party ideas here

By SHARON KENNEDY WYNNE
Published February 4, 2005

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Cheese steaks and chowder must be on the menu if you are planning a Super Bowl theme party.

Or, with teams named Patriots and Eagles, what better way to show the terrorist thugs that Americans cannot be defeated than by having a patriotic theme for teams that represent the official national symbol and the heart and soul of the Revolutionary War?

Okay, that's probably stretching it. But if you want to throw a theme party, we've got some ideas.

Super Bowl Sunday is considered the biggest in-home party day of the year, according to folks who collect such random statistics. But realize that you don't have to knock yourself out too much because Super Bowl parties are the ultimate in casual dining with buddies where the TV is the center of attention.

Philadelphia

Are the long-suffering Eagles fans going to have another heartbreak like the long-suffering Red Sox fans did year after year? Or are they on the brink of a Boston-style breakthrough? They certainly have a good sandwich, even if they have the underdog team.

The famous Philly cheese steak is perfect for eating in front of the tube. Start with thinly sliced beef, a high-quality Italian roll, some fried onions, peppers and mushrooms and slices of American, provolone or the Philly favorite, Cheez Whiz. Fry your steak until brown but not crispy or burned. Mix in the fried vegetables. If you elect American or provolone, place the cheese on the meat until slightly melted. If you choose Cheez Whiz just smear it on the roll. Place the roll over the meat/cheese/vegetables and scoop it into the sandwich.

Other Philly food choices: soft baked pretzels with yellow mustard for dipping and cheesecake, of course, for dessert.

Download the Rocky theme (Gonna Fly Now ) to play as guests enter or every time the team gets a first down. Check out the July 4 supplies at the party store for Eagle cutouts and Liberty Bell decorations. You can probably get them on sale.

New England

The Patriots appear ready to declare themselves a dynasty. So throw out that home-of-democracy stuff and hail the kings of the gridiron.

Clam chowder -- pronounced "chow-duh" -- can be kept warm in the crockpot while you concentrate on the game. For a New England twist on nachos, add some lobster -- pronounced "lob-stuh" -- and shrimp to a pile of chips, cheese, salsa and sour cream.

Other New England food choices: Boston baked beans, beer-steamed lobster tails and Boston cream pie for dessert.

Serve a Patriot martini, a mixture of blueberry vodka, red liqueur and chilled vodka, and have lots of cold Sam Adams beer, made by a true patriot.

General football themes

Drinks: Since the Super Bowl is being held in Florida, serve up hurricanes and see if your guests can weather them. Or serve Jell-O shots in your team colors of choice. That's deep green for the Eagles and red, white and blue for New England.

Touchdown cake: Take a sheet cake covered in green icing (or make it a chocolate cake sprinkled with green-tinted coconut for grass) and pipe white grid marks with frosting. Use pretzel rods to make goal posts by melting white chocolate chips in the microwave. Dip large and small pretzel rods in the melted chocolate and form a goal post on wax paper and let cool.

For the table: You can buy fake turf by the yard. Use it as a table runner.

Anti-Super Bowl party

Go the other extreme with wines, sparkling waters and punch. Make your fancy-schmancy appetizers or food you actually have to sit down and eat with a knife and fork. You could even set aside a separate part of the house for non-fans.

Rent a movie, start a game of Pictionary or just throw on some good music and talk. When the game's over, the football and antifootball groups can get back together for dessert and get to know each other again now that football season is over.

- Sharon Kennedy Wynne wynne@tampabay.com

[Last modified February 2, 2005, 13:29:09]