In New Orleans, Olivia Manning, mother of quarterbacks Eli and Peyton, is considered the "First Lady of Football." It makes sense that she has some thoughts on game-day parties, especially since Super Bowl XLVII is being held in her backyard.

Manning has hooked up with Zatarain's, the maker of Cajun food products (which just happens to be owned by Sparks-based McCormick), to share party tips and New Orleans-style recipes for Sunday's Har-Bowl.

The football mother leans toward hearty, make-ahead dishes like jambalaya and chicken wings. I like her idea of setting up a jambalaya bar with add-ins like sausage, seafood, peppers, and onions so guests can customize the rice dish.

Manning also jazzes up wings with Creole mustard, chili sauce, and pineapple juice, "her husband's favorite," a press release says. Hubby is Archie Manning.

Visit Zatarain's Facebook page to check out all the game-day recipes.

Here's the recipe for Olivia Manning's Ultimate Jambalaya Bar to get you started. The recipe can be doubled.

2 cups water

2 tablespoons vegetable oil (optional)

1 package Zatarain's Jambalaya Mix, original

1 pound meat or vegetables of your choice (see note)

Bring water and oil to boil in three-quart saucepan. Stir in rice mix; mix well. Return to boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 25 minutes or until most of the water is absorbed and rice is tender.

Remove from heat. Let stand five minutes. Fluff with fork before serving and adding in choices of meat, seafood, and vegetables. Serves six.

Note: For meats, options include smoked sausage, thinly sliced; cubed chicken or ham; or peeled and deveined shrimp, cut into bite-size pieces. For vegetables, bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, zucchini, or fresh chopped tomatoes can be used. All meat, seafood, and vegetables (except tomatoes) should be cooked properly before adding into prepared jambalaya.

Photo of jambalaya bar, courtesy of Zatarain's 

Not just the Ravens and 49ers will be competing in New Orleans on Super Bowl weekend. At the Taste of the NFL, chefs from every football city will be serving up a regional specialty on Feb. 2 in The Big Easy.

Chef/owner Nancy Longo. pictured, of Pierpoint in Fells Point will meet San Francisco's Chef Gaines Dobbins in the culinary showdown that benefits food banks. She'll be serving crispy Louisiana blue-crab gyoza (pot stickers) with lemongrass oyster stew and crispy leeks.

Chef Dobbins will be preparing smoked Piedmontese brisket on rainbow cabbage slaw with Sharon's BBQ sauce.

The Taste of the NFL isn't a competition, but I'm rooting for Nancy's dish to draw a crowd. It sounds great.

Wayne Kostroski, founder of the NFL food gathering, predicted that both dishes would be popular with the guests. "The Super Bowl teams' stations are always a highlight of the evening," he said in a press release. "Guest can stop by ... to enjoy some regional cuisine and discuss their game-day predictions."

Nancy, who has been part of the Taste of the NFL for 16 years, will be sharing the Baltimore food station with former Ravens Qadry Ismail as part of the fan event.

Go Nancy and Qadry! Go Ravens!

Photo courtesy of Pierpoint's website 

A Ravens win on Sunday equals a free burger on Monday at the White Marsh Z-Burger location. I hope the restaurant is ready. Of course, we're going to beat the New England Patriots.

Here's the deal: After we topple the Patriots, fans can go to the Z-Burger at The Avenue at White Marsh between 11 a.m.-2 p.m. on Monday and get their choice of a hamburger, cheeseburger, or veggie or turkey burger on a purple, pictured, or plain bun.

The purple bun has drawn some response in the Twitterverse with folks like @phillydesign writing: "Even if I was a Ravens fans, not sure I'd eat this purple-clad burger."

I have to agree. Some foods are not meant to be purple.

There's also a small catch to get the freebie. While there's no decoder ring, there is a secret password—"Super Bowl"—to receive the burger. I think we can all remember that.

Go Ravens!

Photo courtesy of Z-Burger's Facebook page 

These vices promise to be decadently delicious at Christopher Daniel's "7 Deadly Sins Dinner." The cleverly conceived meal includes a first course of wrath and, no surprise, ends with a dessert course of gluttony.

The seven-course, prix-fixe menu is $125 a person inclusive, with wine/beer/cocktail pairings. The event starts at 7 p.m. on Feb. 22 at the Timonium restaurant. For reservations, call 410-308-1800.

Here's the wicked menu:

Passed hors d'oeuvres—Truffle popcorn and whipped goat cheese and mascarpone bruschetta with strawberries and basil. Served with a signature Five martini and Elyse Vineyards rosé.

First course: Wrath—Salt pond oyster on the half shell, topped with crispy-basil-and-tomato caviar. Paired with a spicy clear Bloody Mary shooter.

Second course: Envy—Cornmeal-crusted rainbow trout with asparagus and mushrooms, finished with a lemon-thyme beurre blanc. Paired with a Madrigal Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc.

Third course: Pride—Black chicken roulades stuffed with goat cheese and red-beet purée, topped with a poached quail egg. Paired with a signature Christopher Daniel old-fashioned.

Fourth course: Sloth—Crispy pork belly with tomato-bacon jam and pickled veggies, finished with pork au jus. Paired with a double IPA.

Fifth course: Greed—Sous vide and seared buffalo heart with truffled duck risotto, finished with a duck aioli. Paired with Silkwood Wines Syrah.

Sixth course: Lust—Cherry tart with cherry foam. Served with a cold, spiked hot-chocolate shot.

Seventh course: Gluttony—Candy-cane bark, whipped peanut-butter cup, chocolate-covered vine strawberry, chocolate-espresso bread pudding with whipped cappuccino, and a layered chocolate truffle. Paired with a glass of Prosecco.

Sinning will never taste this good.

Photo courtesy of Christopher Daniel's Facebook page. 

Towson is angling to be the area's next restaurant destination. Three restaurants—Nando's Peri-Peri, La Tagliatella, and On the Border Mexican Grill & Cantina—will be part of the Towson Square entertainment complex, it was announced today.

They are the first of eight restaurants that will join Cinemark Theatres in the project being developed between East Joppa Road, Pennsylvania Avenue, and Virginia Avenue, the Baltimore Sun reported.

The other five restaurants will be unveiled later this year. The complex, pictured, is expected to be completed in 2014.

Another restaurant, Cunningham's—a New American, farm-to-table concept—is scheduled to open this summer in the Towson City Center. It is part of the Bagby Restaurant Group, which operates Bagby Pizza Co., Ten Ten, and Fleet Street Kitchen near Harbor East.

Architectural rendering courtesy of architizer.com. 

The Cabaret at Germano's Trattoria presents Bon Appétit, a short opera, on Sunday, Jan. 13. The menu will reflect the performance.

The operatic monologue, performed by mezzo-soprano Jennifer Blades, pictured, was inspired by a PBS special, Julia Child: Cooking with the Masters.

It showcases cookbook and restaurateur Lidia Bastianich cooking pasta with broccoli rabe and sausage and risotto with porcini mushrooms.

In addition to the dinner and opera, Blades will portray Julia to performer Alessandra Fabiani's Lidia in a piece about the camaraderie of the two chefs.

The "Julia Child Meets Lidia Bastianich" event begins at 6 p.m. at the Little Italy restaurant. The cost is $39, excluding liquor, tax, and gratuity. For tickets, call 410-752-4515.

Photo by Edward S. Davis

Who's participating? Baltimore County's Winter Restaurant Week kicks off tomorrow and runs through Jan. 27 at 44 restaurants, including The Milton Inn, Towson Tavern, and Patrick's of Cockeysville.

Diners will find prix-fixe meals, featuring one to three courses. Some restaurants also offer lunch deals.

The pricing varies at each restaurant. For instance, Cafe Troia in Towson has a three-course dinner for $35.13 and a three-course lunch for $20.13.

At Mari Luna Latin Grille in Pikesville, the price is $30.13 for a three-course dinner and includes a glass of house wine or sangria. The lunchtime special is two courses for $15.13, including a soft drink, coffee, or tea.

Check out all the participating restaurants at the County Restaurant Week's website.

Then, plan for Baltimore's Winter Restaurant Week from Jan. 25-Feb. 3.

There goes the New Year's diet.