Going green…. and orange

Yes today is labor day but today is also the day that University of Miami plays against Florida State University in college football.  Today is also the opening game of the season and is being played in Florida State territory.  


For those of you who know that I am not exactly a sports fanatic let me explain why today is special.  Well, of the few sports I do enjoy, football is one of them.  I am through and through a Miami Hurricane and the 3rd real date I had with my husband was to see UM play FSU at the now demolished Orange Bowl stadium in Miami.  We always watch this game together and the kids really get into it.


Ever since I can remember my brother and I waited for this game. We watched as the Canes took us to victory, we watched and cried as sometimes it did not go the way we wanted. During the 1980s and ’90s, the FSU-Miami game decided which team would play for — and often win — college football’s national championship. The Hurricanes won five national titles from 1983 to 2001; the Seminoles finished No. 1 in 1993 and ’99.

We have been waiting for years for the Canes to do it again, watching and waiting and then all of a sudden, there it was.  The blood pumping excitement, the nail biting, hold your breath, can’t look but you have to moments.  Last night was one of the amazing football moments that my children will remember and hopefully they will not have to wait very long to see it happen again.

Of course we are foodies and the food did not play second fiddle to the game. We made the usual football foods, fries,hotdogs, chips, ham croquets but Poppa bought some yuca and I know exactly what he wanted… yuca fries!!  I also made a very yummy garlic lime mayo dipping sauce to go with it.  

Combine all ingredients and pop in the fridge for an hour to let all the flavors blend.  You could also add some cilantro in the food processor but I was all out.

Here is the recipe: 

6 to 8 garlic cloves, 2 bay leaves, 2 tablespoons salt, 3 to 4 quarts water, 1 1/2 pounds yuca (washed, peeled, and sliced into fries)  corn or peanut oil for frying

Preparation:

1. In a saucepan , combine garlic, bay leaves, salt, and water. 2. Bring the mixture to aboil. 3. Add the Yuca, reduce the heat to medium, and simmer until yuca is tender, but not sticky or falling apart, about 30 minutes. 4.Drain the yuca on paper towels. When cool enough to handle, pat the yuca dry. 5. In a fryer or deep skillet, heat the oil to 375 Fahrenheit. 6. Fry the yuca until golden, drain on paper towels, sprinkle with salt, and serve hot.

Garlic lime sauce
1 cup mayo, 1/2 a squeezed lime, 4 garlic cloves minced, 2 tsp salt

One Response to Going green…. and orange

  1. Melody September 9, 2009 at 5:10 pm #

    Oooohh! Those yuca fries look yummy. Thanks for the recipe – I want to try those.

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