The playoffs are almost over, and soon you will be planning that Super Bowl bash. The cornerstone to any legitimate football buffet is a big platter of chicken wings, and it's time to decide on which flavor you will be featuring.

You can obviously do the traditional Buffalo-style wings, but in case you'd like different color sauce stains on your jersey there are lots of variations to try. Personally, I like nice sticky and spicy ginger garlic wings. But, no matter which recipe you decide on you should do a few "practice" batches before the big game.

I also suggest "testing" the beer you will be pairing with the wings to ensure a perfect match. Much like the teams going to the Super Bowl the key is a carefully thought-out game plan, and precise execution honed by lots of intense practice. Now, let's get out there a win one for the chicken!

Photos (c) John Mitzewich

We Americans are often criticized, deservedly so, for our too large portions and tendency to "super-size" things. To help counter this trend I suggest you try these delicious lamb sliders with creamy cucumber-yogurt sauce.

In case you're not familiar with "sliders," they are nothing more than mini-burgers. While usually made from beef and other traditional burger fixings, this slider recipe features lamb topped with a tasty Greek-style sauce.

This recipe is adapted from the Sunday Night Football Cookbook, and would make a great halftime snack. Enjoy!

Photo (c) Sunday Night Football Cookbook

Cabbage is a common ingredient on winter produce lists, but it's usually considered to be a cooked vegetable during the cold months. I just posted a winter apple coleslaw recipe that had me thinking - just because it's cold outside doesn’t mean we should forget about proper menu planning. I'm referring to contrasting textures.

One tendency the home cook sometimes falls into is serving too many similar textures in the same meal. Consider a dinner of braised, fork-tender meat, mashed potatoes, and soft, sweet, roasted carrots - a delicious array, but all similar in texture, or "one note" as chefs sometime describe it.

What about the same meal with this fresh, crunchy apple coleslaw instead of the carrots? Still sweet and savory, it adds a crisp counterpoint to make the meal even more mouth-watering. Give it a try, contrast and compare.

Apple Coleslaw Photo (c) John Mitzewich

I had some leftover prime rib sizzling on the grill, and was trying to think of what to serve with it. The "au jus" was long gone, and none of the obvious choices were moving me. What I really wanted was a dollop of béarnaise.

Béarnaise is a classic sauce made with egg yolks, shallots, tarragon, vinegar, with lots of melted butter emulsified into it. Made correctly it's heaven in sauce form. But, while I wanted the flavor of béarnaise, I didn't necessarily want a heavy butter-laden lunch.

So, in a moment of culinary madness I decided to make a butterless béarnaise sauce, and I was surprised at how decent it turned out. My secret weapon was a tangy tarragon Dijon, which when whisked with the yolks and vinegar over low heat turned into a very light, very tasty béarnaise-esqe sauce.

Disclaimer: There is no substitute for butter.

Butterless Bearnaise Photo (c) John Mitzewich