The day when the Super Bowl is played is now considered by some a de facto American holiday known as Super Bowl Sunday. It is the second largest day for food consumption in the U.S., after Thanksgiving. To help our readers prepare for the fun, the Gazette-Journal staff held a pre-Super Bowl XLVIII party and are sharing the recipes, in time for you to enjoy the game on Sunday.

Looking to past Super Bowl games and to professional football players from our area, we find Stuart Anderson of Mathews playing for the Washington Redskins as a linebacker in two Super Bowl games. In 1983 when the Redskins won over the Miami Dolphins and in 1984 when the Washington Redskins lost to the Los Angeles Raiders. Anderson spent two seasons with the Redskins 1982-1984, 1984 with the Cleveland Browns, and returned to Redskins in 1985.

Jamie Wilson of Gloucester spent three years as a professional as a backup offensive lineman first with the Carolina Panthers (2 years) and then with ...