I am a huge Super Bowl fan, but not for the reason you might think.

I’m in it for the food, hilarious ads and half-time show. When the conversation in my Barrington living room is sprinkled with terms like fumbles, interceptions, punts and illegal procedures, my eyes soon glaze over. But ask me to help you plan a crowd-pleasing party menu and you have my rapt attention.

My list of favorite Super Bowl party foods consists of casual, fun finger foods and lots of them: chips and dips, mini pizzas, taco bars and foot-long grinders. But the number one draft choice to propel your party into Super Bowl stardom is chicken wings. And I’m not alone: Wings are always on the "top 10" list of Super Bowl party fare because they’re easy to make, fun to eat and appeal to die-hard fans and those who love them.

The humble chicken wing is also amazingly versatile. Switch up the marinade and you’ve got an entirely different experience. Chili heads gravitate to Buffalo, Tex-Mex and barbeque wings. For the sweet crowd, Asian-inspired teriyaki wings fit the bill. Southern folks love them battered up and fried. Others throw them on the backyard grill for a smoky flavor. The possibilities for a chicken wing are limited only by a cook’s imagination.

Here are some tips and tricks for scoring a touchdown with your party wings:

• Chicken wings love garlic. Save time by chopping up a bunch of cloves and storing in the refrigerator for another time. Or buy prepared minced garlic in jars at the market.
• For an Asian-inspired marinade, add fresh ginger. To peel fresh ginger easily, scrape the surface with a spoon and it comes off like a charm. Store fresh ginger in the freezer to use another time.
• Honey is an ingredient in most sticky wing recipes. Spray a measuring cup with cooking spray before adding the honey and it will pour easily without scraping.
• After preparing your marinade and before adding the chicken, always taste it first. Then adjust the seasonings as you like. If the marinade tastes good to you, then whatever you marinate in it will taste good, too. Remember: A recipe is only a road map. Feel free to add a pinch of this or a dash of that to make the dish your own.
• When working with chicken, prevent cross contamination by using a separate cutting board for meat and poultry. Having two cutting boards that are color-coded is a good thing: a green one for fruits and vegetables, and a red one for raw meat and poultry.
• After slicing your chicken wings into drumettes, sterilize your cutting board and surfaces with a solution of one tablespoon of bleach to one gallon of warm water. First, wash the cutting board with detergent and rinse. Then apply the sanitizing solution. Let it sit for two minutes before wiping dry with clean paper towels.
• Plastic cutting boards are safer than wooden ones, which can harbor bacteria in the crevices. You can also sanitize plastic cutting boards in the dishwasher.
• It’s always a good idea to sanitize your sponge after working with chicken. Wet the sponge and heat it in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time until it’s hot. Then remove it with tongs and set it aside to air dry.

I prefer my wings sweet, tender and slightly spicy. If you do, too, you’ll love this recipe. The wings are so good, you’ll need to make room for your party guests to do a 5-yard flip into the end zone.

Super Bowl Party Wings

After years of experimenting with chicken wing marinades, I have found that this particular combination of ingredients produces the tastiest wings.  For the most intense flavor, marinate them overnight in the refrigerator. Line the baking pan with heavy duty foil for easy clean-up.

5 lbs chicken wings, cut into “drumettes” with wing tips removed

1 bottle teriyaki sauce

1/2 cup honey

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1/4 cup vegetable oil

8 cloves garlic, chopped

1/4 cup fresh ginger, chopped

1 tablespoon Tabasco sauce

1 teaspoon Chinese 5-spice powder

Black pepper, to taste

• Wash chicken wings thoroughly. 
• Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. 
• Add chicken wings, cover with  plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator several hours or overnight. Turn wings over every few hours.
• Line a large baking sheet with foil and pour wings and sauce onto sheet. 
• Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 30 minutes. Then turn wings over and continue cooking and basting for another 30 minutes until wings are golden brown. 
• Remove from oven and transfer wings to a serving platter. Serve the extra sauce along with the wings for your guests to dip. 

 Yield:  About 10 servings