Banger’s Bar and Pizza Keeps Upping Their Food Game.

 Banger’s Bar and Pizza

 315 US-491

Dove Creek, Colorado, 81324

Phone: (970) 677-2465

Hours of Operation:  Monday thru Saturday, 11 am to 9 pm; Closed Sunday.

 

In every home cook’s weekly developing of meals, there comes a time of, “I am not in the mood to cook!  I do not want to reheat leftovers, that is cooking!  I do not want to microwave anything, that is cooking!  I do not want to cook!”.  When I get like this, the go-to meal is likely a bowl of cereal, Cap n’ Crunch being, still, my utmost favorite. However, there happens to be another living in the home, and my idea of a go-to meal is not on his list.

Choice?  He can fend for himself, or he can garnish favor by calling for take-out.  After many years together (we are about to celebrate year number 21 this October), he knows what foods put me into my happy place.  Off in his Jeep he went, to Dove Creek, and Banger’s Bar and Pizza.  Their menu selections change occasionally, but still offer up the favorites that locals crave, and visitors to the area drool over.

 

While there is a selection of specialty pizzas, the create-your-own gives a wide choice on sauces, cheeses, meats and vegetables.  We both believe the Banger’s Sauce is killer good on top of that crispy crust pizza dough with an Italian cheese blend.  No, cheddar does NOT make it better!  We are talking pizza here, not a grilled cheese sandwich.  Anyway, I tend to lean towards extra sauce on my pizza as an addition, so we always end up doing a half and half.  I can have my “purist” pizza and Roy gets either a half of loaded pepperoni, or veggie, or both. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There are also create-your-own calzones, again, with a variety of sauces, cheeses, meats and veggies.  Our go-to, every time, is Banger’s sauce (told you it was killer good), Italian cheese blend and meatballs.  Now the meatballs are not house made, but they use a brand that is close to homemade as it can get. 

 

 

 

Alright, one item that I have suggested, and still would love to see on the menu, is ricotta cheese.  First off, it is one of the basic ingredients for white pizza.  White pizza?  It is as the name suggests, simply a layer of ricotta cheese, covered in hot and gooey mozzarella only, or an Italian cheese blend, plus garlic.  No tomato sauce touches this pizza, and for those who happen to be allergic to tomatoes, or just do not like them, this is a pizza meant for them.

 

Is Banger’s only about the bar and pizza?  Oh no; they have a variety of appetizers, salads, sandwiches and pasta dishes.  Weekly, owner Shelly Jean comes up with innovative specials to draw us in by our senses, mainly sight, smell and taste.  The sauces and dressings are mostly house made, and from experience, we can tell you that the buttermilk ranch dressing, and house bourbon sauce, are so good, you will be licking the plates.  Since I mentioned salad, Banger’s is definitely not chintzy when it comes to portions.  Side salads are larger than the average salad plate size, since they are loaded with cheese, veggies and croutons.

 

Oh, do not forget to order a basket of the house made potato chips; darker than usual potato chips and full of crunchy potato flavor.  You will find yourself ordering a bag to go.  

 

 

Since I did mention the house bourbon sauce, make sure to order wings (boneless or bone-in) and try out this sauce; you will not regret it.  The wings are meaty and have the perfect crunchy texture to hold onto any sauce they are drenched in.  Of course, if wings are not your thing, try one of the other appetizers listed on the menu.  

 

 

 

Wanting to get away from the home for a relaxing night out, and a great meal, definitely think Banger’s in Dove Creek.  The atmosphere is welcoming and laid back, no one rushes you to order, eat and get out, like many other places tend to do.  There are big screen televisions to watch sports, or another type of programming.  A gaming machine area to try your hand at, or even a small area with comfy cushioned seating to just sink into and forget that hard day you had.  Or, do not want to go out, but do not want to cook either, order take-out like we did!

Mary Cokenour

 

Delicious Ideas for Vegetable Surplus.

Here we are, almost to the end of August and Labor Day begins the month of September.  Farmers’ markets are laden with surpluses of homegrown vegetables, or baked goods, jams and jellies.  One of our friends dropped off several bags of yellow squash, zucchini and cucumbers which, of course, got me in a creative mood.  

 

Again, we do not have a lot of storage space in our small home, so while I froze shredded zucchini and yellow squash for dessert bread making, the rest was eaten.  First off was a refreshing cucumber salad which can be eaten by itself, or used to make those dainty, English style, cucumber sandwiches served with tea.

 

Cucumber Salad

Ingredients:

2 large cucumbers

½ cup mayonnaise

1 Tbsp. dried dill

¼ tsp. salt

Option: Adding diced or julienned red onion gives added crunch.

Preparation:

Cut ends off cucumbers (discard and put in composting bin), and cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices.  Place in medium sized bowl, add mayonnaise, dill and salt; gently fold to not break up cucumber slices.

Makes 2 to 3 cups of salad, depending on how large cucumbers are.

Note: Remove the skin?  That is strictly up to you.  You can remove it all, or use a peeler to remove skin in waves to make it more decorative.

To make cucumber sandwiches, use square white or wheat bread, and cut off edges.  Spoon one layer of salad onto one slice of bread, top with other slice; press down slightly and cut into 4 triangles.  Let rest for about 5 minutes to make sure salad is adhering to the bread.

So, when you are having friends over for a tea party, serve these little sandwiches along with scones and fairy cakes.  Your guests will be quite impressed with your English flair for the fancy.

What about using vegetables in casserole making?  That is where some of the zucchini and yellow squash surplus comes in handy.  This is also where all-time favorite recipes are reinvented into something extraordinary.  Take, for example, Broccoli and Cheese casserole.  This recipe can be so simple by using butter and melted cheese only; to creating a creamy sauce that coats the tongue in a rich blanket of flavors.   While same old, same old is easy to do, try thinking, “Let’s try something different this time!”

 

Vegetable Casserole

Ingredients:

16 oz. chopped mushrooms

2 Tbsp. butter

1 Tbsp. saltless seasoning mixture

3 medium sized zucchini, chopped

3 medium sized yellow squash, chopped

1/2 cup mayonnaise

3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt

3/4 cup ranch dressing

2 eggs, beaten

12 oz. package shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, divided in half

1 tsp. ground black pepper

6 oz. package French fried onion strips

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350F; spray a 2-quart casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray. In a large skillet, medium heat, sauté' mushrooms in butter for five minutes. Add seasoning mixture, zucchini, yellow squash; mix together, sauté' for additional minute and remove from heat. While mushrooms are cooking, mix together, in a medium bowl, the mayonnaise, yogurt, ranch dressing, eggs, half the shredded cheese, black pepper and onion strips.

Into a large bowl, put in the vegetable mixture; add the wet mixture from the medium bowl and mix to coat the vegetables evenly. Spoon all into the casserole dish; cover with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes.

Remove foil, sprinkle remaining half of cheese evenly over top and bake for an additional 15 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Makes 8 servings.

Want something without having to use dairy products?  Make a vegetable stir fry that is a kaleidoscope of colors, using exotic ingredients that will excite the taste buds.  This is a basic recipe and vegetables can be changed according to tastes, or availability.  Using a Wok is preferred, but if not available, a large nonstick skillet will do.

 

Vegetable Stir Fry

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp. sesame oil (if not available, use peanut)

1 small red onion, slivered

1 small red bell pepper, cut into strips

1 small zucchini and yellow squash, cut diagonally into ¼ inch slices

1 cup snow peas (if not available, use sugar snap peas)

1 tsp. minced garlic

½ cup diced tomatoes

¼ cup each soy and hoisin sauces

½ tsp. ground ginger

Preparation:

In a Wok, or large nonstick skillet, heat oil on high.  Sauté onions and bell pepper till they just start to soften; about 5 minutes.  Add in zucchini, squash, peas; cook another 5 minutes before adding in garlic, tomatoes, sauces and ginger; mix together thoroughly.

Reduce heat to low, cover and let simmer for 10 minutes.

Makes 4 servings; can be served as is, or with rice or Asian noodles.

Want more protein in this meal, add cut up tofu, chicken, beef or pork while sauteing the onions and bell pepper, then add the rest of the ingredients to complete.  If using a seafood item, usually they cook better within the last five minutes of completion.

Have a vegetable surplus as summer slides into autumn, now you have some delicious options for your dining table.  …and here’s a novel idea, if you happen to have a lot of one type, and neighbors also have only one type, get together and have a cooking party.  It is a pleasant way of, not only learning new recipes, but getting to know each other in a unique way.

Mary Cokeour

One Bite Should Be All It Takes

 “Crash Goes the Hash”, 1944, featuring Moe, Larry and Curly aka The Three Stooges. Disguised as servants, the trio infiltrates a party at Mrs. Van Bustle's residence held in honor of a visiting prince.  The Stooges unintentionally disrupt the event by presenting hors d'œuvres that are deemed unappetizing, featuring dog biscuits accompanied by canned peas (told to serve canapés which does sound like can of peas), and a turkey housing a live parrot within its cavity.  While trying to carve the turkey, the parrot begins squawking and takes flight, still inside the turkey.

Hors d'œuvres and Canapés, most people today have no idea what these terms are referring to. 

The following definitions come from Wikipedia.

Hors d'œuvre in French literally means 'outside the work', that is "not part of the ordinary set of courses in a meal". In practice, it is a dish which stands on its own as a snack or supports the main course.  

A canapé (French: [kanape]) is a type of starter, a small, prepared, and often decorative food, consisting of a small piece of bread (sometimes toasted) or cracker, wrapped or topped with some savory food, held in the fingers and often eaten in one bite.  

Ah, but there is a third term which relates and that is Amuse-bouche which is a single, bite-sized hors d'œuvre.  Amuse-bouches are different from appetizers in that they are not ordered from a menu by patrons but are served free and according to the chef's selection alone. These are served both to prepare the guest for the meal and to offer a glimpse of the chef's style.  

Even though these three items do not like to be compared to an appetizer, considering how and when they are eaten, they do belong to that category.  According to Oxford Dictionary, an appetizer is a small dish of food or a drink taken before a meal or the main course of a meal to stimulate one's appetite.  Go back and reread the definitions and you will see that each one has a characteristic that fits the appetizer profile.

Way back in time, when the rich, famous, and organizations seeking patrons and donations had elegant dinner parties, it was not unusual to have waiters walking throughout.  They would hold trays of champagne, and platters of delectable, sweet and savory single bite foods that one could pop into the mouth, chew, swallow and accept another of a different type.  Two bites were deemed rude, and if a sauce was served, double dipping was a social Faux pas.  Posh weddings, depending on the locale, would have roaming waiters, but I remember many an Italian wedding with towers of one bite appetizers.  There would be so much offered to sample, that when dinner was finally served, many a meal was left untouched.

However, especially in America, more is more and these one bite appetizers grew into more than one mouthful.  The concept of the Amuse-bouche became a trend when celebrity chefs opened up restaurants and wanted to wow patrons that could afford it.  Chain restaurants provided cheaper, yet more plentiful, fare to patrons that brought families, held business luncheons/dinners, and offered catering.  Roy and myself are huge fans of ordering two or three appetizers and a salad to have as a complete meal.  We could share and enjoy different items, and still have room to split a dessert.

If you ever have the opportunity to travel to a state which has a Chinatown, such as New York, Philadelphia or San Francisco, make the attempt to find a Dim Sum restaurant.  The word dim sum comes from the Cantonese tim sam, "appetizer," or literally, "touch the heart."  This type of restaurant specializes in one bite appetizers that are steamed, pan fried, or deep fried, wrapped in dough or rice paper.  Examples are Har Gow – shrimp dumplings or Shumai – ground pork/vegetable mix.   If in the mood for Thai, try Kha Nom Jeeb which is very similar to Chinese Shumai.

Har Gow - Shrimp Dumplings

 

Kha Nom Jeeb - Thai Dumplings

At home, you have probably popped many a one bite appetizer in the mouth while watching sports or movies.  Maybe friends were over for card or board game night, so heating up mini quiches, pizza rolls, buffalo or barbecue sauced chicken bites, or mini pigs in a blanket (San Juan Record – June 21, 2023) did the trick.  Holiday time, small button mushrooms can be stuffed, baked, and quickly browned under the broiler for an oh so fancy, but easily made appetizer.  Essentially, these one bite foods can be easily eaten by using a toothpick or tiny “appetizer” fork which allows the fingers to stay relatively clean.  That’s important when playing card or board games for sure!

 

Mini Quiches

Mini Pigs in a Blanket

 

So, here we are in August, all grades of schooling will be going back soon, and there will be parties to celebrate anything from homecoming to pledging a fraternity or sorority.  Ball games will be aired, and nothing wets the appetite more, for subs, chili and beverages, than a plate of one bite treats.

 

 Crab Stuffed Mushrooms 

Ingredients:

24 white button mushrooms or cremini mushrooms cleaned  

1 box (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened

½ cup Italian seasoned dried bread crumbs

¼ cup finely diced red onion

¼ cup finely diced red bell pepper

¼ tsp. ground black pepper

1 cup lump crab meat

¼ cup olive oil

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 

Remove stems from mushrooms, and finely dice.  Arrange mushrooms, cap side down inside a 9” x 13” baking dish.

In a large bowl, mix together diced mushrooms stems, cream cheese, bread crumbs, red onions, red bell pepper, ground black pepper and crab meat.  Scoop about one teaspoon of the mixture into each mushroom; drizzle olive oil over mushrooms.  Bake for 20 minutes; turn on broiler for one minute to brown the tops lightly.

Makes 24.

Mary Cokenour

Topping Off Those Doggies.

“Take me out to the ball game,

Take me out with the crowd.

Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jacks,

I don’t care if I never get back.

Let me root, root, root for the home team,

If they don’t win, it’s a shame.

For it’s one, two, three strikes, you’re out,

At the old ball game.”

Written in 1908 by Jack Norworth (“Shine on Harvest Moon” fame) and Albert Von Tilzer, this became an iconic anthem sung at every baseball game in North America.  Its popularity became immortalized in the 1949 film, of the same name, when Hollywood idols Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra crooned to captive audiences.

While the song does mention peanuts and Cracker Jacks (yeah, I still eat them too), what food item, that is still served to this day, is not mentioned…the hot dog!  Oh, I remember going to my first ball game, Yankees vs. Mets at, where else, Yankee Stadium.  Footlong hotdogs, spicy brown mustard and choice of sauerkraut or spicy onion sauce.  We would all get two, so we could have one with sauerkraut and one with onion sauce, as who could choose only one?  At that time, the dogs were $2 each, not the $8 “gourmet” ones they serve now.  Depending on the area the games are at, the brand of dogs used might be geared to that area.  Traditionally, Nathan’s Famous are used by most of the teams of the leagues, however, some stadiums serve Ballpark Franks instead.  In Boston, Fenway Franks and New England style top split buns are used.  Many stadiums also serve brats and sausages as game-goers want more hardy fare. 

 

Spicy Onion Sauce or Pickle Relish?  Don't forget the Baked Beans.

 

Across America, there are hundreds of brands of the dog; Angus beef, all beef, chicken/turkey/pork mix, turkey, plant based (Sorry, but Roy and I are very much anti-spooge; except for Twinkies), and the list goes on.  So, what I am going to be focusing on is not the dog, but its coating, in other words, toppings.

First let me get to the first two I have already mentioned, sauerkraut and spicy onion sauce.  Sauerkraut, in German, means "sour cabbage" or "sour vegetable." and is essentially chopped cabbage plus salt that is fermented by naturally occurring bacteria.  Now get ready for a “Wow, had no idea” moment.  Once the cabbage becomes sauerkraut, it was found that it also converted into a healthy addition to the diet, good for the heart, digestive system and bone health.  Sauerkraut contains fiber, probiotics, vitamins A, B, C, and K, and get ready for the mineral list: iron, potassium, iodine, calcium, magnesium, manganese and sodium along with trace amounts of phosphorus, chlorine, cobalt, fluorine, silicon, boron, copper, zinc, sulfur and selenium.  Sauerkraut is basically one of the best health foods around, and its origin is not Germany.  The origin can be traced back 2000 years to China, and the Korean version, Kimchi, is just as healthy, just spiced up to give more heat to the taste buds.

Spicy onion sauce is known by a variety of names: New York Hotdog Cart onion sauce, Spanish onion sauce, Vidalia onion sauce, Red onion sauce…are you seeing the trend?  The two major characteristics are onions and sauce.  Two brands, if you can find them, that are classic and very tasty are Boar's Head Sweet Vidalia Onions in Sauce, or the Sabrett brand (I recommend their spicy brown mustard as well).  Health benefits?  Well, ummm, yeah, not too much. Onions contain organic sulfur compounds that can help reduce the level of cholesterol, and may help break down blood clots, lowering your risk for heart disease and stroke.  But once they become part of a sauce mixture, that healthy component basically goes out the window, like baby with the bath water.

 

Spicy Onion Sauce

 

Ingredients:

1 and ½ tsp. olive oil

1 medium onion, sliced thin and chopped

1 cup water

1 tsp. cornstarch

1 Tbsp. corn syrup

2 Tbsp. tomato paste

½ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

¼ cup white vinegar

Preparation:

In a large sauce pan, heat oil on medium heat; sauté onions till softened, but do not brown.

Dissolve the cornstarch in the water; add to the onions with rest of ingredients, except the vinegar. Mix together and bring to a boil; reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes. Add vinegar and continue to simmer for an additional 10 minutes or until sauce has thickened.

Makes 1 ½ cups.

Now you may have heard about the Coney Island hot dog aka Coney, but have you tried one?  Sonic Drive-In often advertises them, and while mainly associated with New York, they are a very big deal in Michigan…the Coney, not Sonic.  The Coney has toppings of an all meat (ground beef) no beans chili, diced white onions, and yellow mustard.

 

Coney Island Hotdog aka The Coney

 

Coney Island Chili Sauce

 

Ingredients:

1 lb. lean ground beef

1 small onion, minced

1 Tbsp. minced garlic

1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste

1 cup tomato puree

1 cup water

1 Tbsp. each dry mustard and chili powder

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

½ tsp. each of celery seed, cumin and ground black pepper

Preparation:

In a large sauce pan, on medium-high heat, brown ground beef; halfway through, add onion and garlic; drain excess oil.

Add all remaining ingredients; mix and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and let simmer for one hour; stirring occasionally.

Makes 2 ½ cups.

Last, but not least, is relish, and for hot dogs it is pickle relish that hits the sweet and tangy spots of the tongue.  Relish is a condiment made from chopped vegetables, fruits, or a mixture of, and mixed with vinegar, sugar and salt.  While relishes of all types have been around for eons, and a basic condiment in most countries round the world, it was the Heinz company that created pickle relish in 1889.

This condiment can be found, from the smallest local market, to the hugest supermarket chain.  Recipe wise, while the main vegetable used is the cucumber, red or green bell pepper, hot peppers, garlic and onions can be added for more texture and taste.

 

Cheesy Baked Beans and Hotdogs Ready for the Oven.

After 30 Minutes at 350F.

So, grill up those dogs, top with as many condiments and sauces as you desire, and root, root, root for the home team!