Photo by Troy Fields

A bowl bigger than 10 stomachs.

At last count, only three people had tackled the spicy crawfish pho challenge at LA Crawfish -- and all three had failed. My friend Tucker O'Bannon was determined to be the fourth challenger, and the first winner.

Tucker eats ghost peppers like potato chips. He finishes large bowls of pho in five minutes flat. He hosts backyard crawfish boils with the best of them. If anyone was going to finish the 24-inch stainless steel mixing bowl full of crawfish pho, it was going to be Tucker.

I paid the $21 entrance fee and we waited on tenterhooks while the LA Crawfish crew scooped a batch of ultra-spicy, ghost pepper-laced pho into the bowl. A manager, Joe, paraded it through the food court at 99 Ranch to our table, where a crowd of onlookers quickly gathered to cheer Tucker on.

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Photo by jhritz

Super Bowl Sunday is most definitely a day of indulgence. Beer, wings, nachos, sliders -- it's all so good, but so, soooo bad. Normally. Have no fear -- with just a few simple tweaks, you can still enjoy these game-day favorites, and with only a fraction of the guilt.

Check out our secrets to making 5 Super Bowl Favorites Lightened Up:

See also:
-Take-Out Fake-Outs: 5 Favorites Lightened-Up
-Take-Out Fake-Outs: 5 More Favorites Lightened-Up

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Photo by jasonlam

Note: This is a rerun of a post from earlier this year in which Eating...Our Words blogger Brooke Viggiano shares a favorite tailgating recipe in honor of game day.

When it comes to game-time snacks, there's really nothing better than hot wings and nachos.

...or is there?

What's the only way to make two classics better? Combine them! I mean, c'mon -- it's a story as old as peanut butter and jelly, milk and cookies, MTV and The Jersey Sh...wait a minute. Okay, maybe this only works with food.

Anyway, there's a new kid in town, and his name is Chalupa Batman MacArthur Buffalo Chicken Nacho. And he's the best game-watching snack ever: a heaping plate of loaded, cheesy, spicy, chicken nachos. How does that sound? Freaking fantastic? Yeah, thought so.

Here's how to make them:

See Also:

Game Day Snacks: Spinach Dip Bread Bowls
Game Day Snacks: Cheesy Pepperoni Puffs
Game Day Snacks: Baked Tequila Lime Wings
Game Day Snacks Lightened: Lemon & Garlic White Bean Dip

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No more sharing the bowl.

Football -- it's finally here! I could not be more excited to throw on a jersey, stress over my fantasy team and get a nice buzz while watching the games every weekend. But equally as important -- the food!

While I love me some spinach dip, I loathe having to crowd around the bowl and fight for a spoonful...or maybe I just hate sharing.

Either way, these Mini Spinach Bread Bowls are the perfect solution; you get a good amount of cheesy, creamy spinach dip, plus crusty, buttery bread, in every bite.

I used some extra homemade pizza dough that I had on hand, but you can use store-bought dough, pastry cups or even crescent rolls. Whatever you think would taste the best.

Here's how to make them:

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Photo by j-dub1980

I'm not going to lie ... one of my favorite parts about football season is getting to cook and bake different foods to help my family and friends cheer on our team. Whether it is the Super Bowl or just a regular season game, there's always something you can whip together for everyone to munch on throughout the game.

The key to at-home game day food is to make it easy, yet delicious. You don't want to be cooking all day long in order to prepare for the game and you most certainly don't want to be cooking during the game. Keep it simple.

Here are a few of my favorite game day foods you can enjoy while you watch your favorite NFL or college team ... sic em Bears!

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wjarrettc

The Dynamo have some of the rowdiest fans you'll find at a US soccer match.

BBVA Compass Stadium, the new Dynamo stomping grounds, is set to open in 51 days. According to the website, it "will be a state-of-the-art, open-air stadium designed to host Dynamo matches as well as additional sporting and concert events. When it opens in 2012, the 22,000-seat stadium will be the first soccer-specific stadium in Major League Soccer located in a city's downtown district."

This is a prime opportunity to promote Houston as not only a sports mega-market, but as an exciting, unique food town, a town that loves to eat, loves to party and loves its sports teams.

As of this morning, City Council has approved an amendment to a law which effectively banned tailgating in Houston's central business area. The amendment will now allow an exception for public consumption at sporting events. Tailgating is a necessity for any sport, and it's great to see the city support the franchise.

Being able to get drunk before the game is a great start, but there are a few other things that the Dynamo (and the city) could do to solidify their fan base and offer a truly great soccer experience.

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AlphaTangoBravo/ Adam Baker

Remember when people used to go to Astros games?

Spring training is just around the corner. The players are oiling up their gloves, creasing their brims and preparing to chew, spit and rearrange themselves through another 162 games.

I love baseball.

I don't care that it is the slowest and most idiosyncratic of all professional sports. The only game more involved and meticulous in nature than baseball is golf, but golf is just aristocratic enough as to be out of the common man's sphere of influence. Historically, golf is a game largely played by wealthy white men, and in recent years and smaller numbers by wealthy men of other races.

The purest aspects of baseball are icons of Americana, of all the things that I as an American love: teamwork, high-fives, crotch grabbing, firm pats on the ass, afternoon drinking and-- most of all -- hot dogs.

There is no Cousteau without the Sea, no Jackson 5 without Michael and there is no Baseball without the Hot Dog.

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Photos courtesy Theo Peck

National Food Experiment

Do your friends rave about your cooking? Are you convinced you have an award-winning dish in your arsenal of recipes? Do people--other than your mom--constantly tell you to become a professional chef? Here is your chance to prove you've got what it takes.

Enter to compete in the Houston Beer Experiment on March 4 at Fitzgerald's, and have your dish judged by local food rock stars Chris Shepherd (Chef, Underbelly), Adam Dorris (Chef, Stella Sola), and Jenny Wang (Producer, Southbound Foods). Your food will be served to the crowd along with the judges, and the winner will be flown to Brooklyn to compete in the National Food Experiments Championships on December 16. (Long underwear not included.) The 16-city competition kicks off in Houston and, in keeping with its Brooklyn Brewery sponsorship, the theme for the March 4 event is beer. This is the chance your beer sauce/broth/glaze/soup has been waiting for.

We sat down to chat with Food Experiments co-founder Theo Peck about his concept and why he thinks Houston is a great destination for his ever-expanding competition.

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Candlelight. Yeahhh...now some music. Bawawawchikkawawaaa...let's rhyme 'love' with 'above,' and 'rain' with 'again.' Yeah, nice. Now some body chocolates and champagne. Ohhhh...now a Build a Bear and some face-to-face action followed by catching up on your DVR back catalog.

Cordey

I have a feeling the woman is much happier than the dog.

Valentine's Day: What a sham. Sorry, but it's a total pile of bantha poodoo. Heart-shaped boxes of chocolates and 50 percent off Groupon deals for sensual oils and/or dinners at marginal restaurants. Fooey. No thanks.

I can get down with one thing, though. Here are some ideas to make your Valentine's more intimate.

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Photo by Mel Sharlene

Touchdown!

Earlier, we brought you a Super Bowl Buffalo Chicken Dip big enough to feed a game day crowd. Now for the sweets (I mean, you need something to counteract all of the spicy wing dip and beer, right?). With only four ingredients, these Oreo Truffle Footballs are delicious, so simple to make and even easier to shop for.

A sort of heaven-sent hybrid between a cake ball, a cookie and a truffle, these little guys make the perfect bite-size sweet.

Here's how to make them:

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