Because neither of the NFL teams from Houston or Dallas made it to this year's Super Bowl, we Central Texans have a decision to make: which team to cheer for in next Sunday's Superbowl. Some will no doubt pick the New Orleans Saints, whose quarterback Drew Brees is a local graduate of Westlake High School, and whose team is located closer to Austin only 513 miles away. Others will choose the Indianapolis Colts, whose quarterback Peyton Manning is acknowledged as one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game. Indianapolis is twice as far from Austin as New Orleans if that makes any difference. You could flip a coin or you could consider the cuisine of each region and let your taste buds determine who to applaud come game time. If you can't decide, watch the game anyway and cook for both.

"By the time you reach the Super Bowl, you're probably tired of chips, burgers, hot dogs, chicken wings and traditional football game food," says Sandy Sheahan, Owner of The Freckled Chef. "You've been eating the same grub every weekend since August. This is your chance to break out of your tailgate rut and try something new."

Mardi Gras falls on Tuesday, February 16, this year and the Superbowl may just be the excuse to break out the seafood a little early. Taste buds are sensitive to four types of taste: sweet, sour, salty, or bitter and when shrimp, crab, garlic, onions and red pepper get together they'll to do a little touchdown dance on your tongue.

GoodHealth.com asked Sandy, a chef and Dallas Cowboys fan who has plenty of time on her hands now that her team didn't make the big game, to help us with some recipes from each team's region. The Freckled Chef, as she's known, supplied us with quite a few recipes. If some of your guests will be fist bumping for the Colts while the rest are chest bumping for the Saints, you can make them feel right at home with a dish from each region.

New Orleans Recipes

The distinctive variety of Cajun food owes it's American Southern heritage to a mix of French, Creole, Irish, German, Haitian and African influences. The proximity to the Mississippi River watershed and the plentiful seafood of the Gulf of Mexico guaranteed a mix of saltwater and freshwater dishes.

An authentic Cajun meal is made from three dishes, with the main dish, one combined with steamed rice or cornbread and the third being from whatever vegetable is abundant and available. Chefs often refer to the bell pepper, onion, and celery as the holy trinity of Creole and Cajun cuisines. These vegetables are usually finely diced, sauteed, similar to the mire poix in traditional French cuisine except bell pepper replaces the carrot as the third item. Seasonings of bay leaf, green onions, parsley and cayenne pepper are added to taste.

Cajun Seafood Balls

Serves: 8

Ingredients:

1 lb fresh crabmeat, drained
1/4 lb small shrimp
1/4 lb crawfish
3 medium potatoes, cooked and mashed
1 medium onion, minced fine
1 clove garlic, minced fine
2 Tablespoons fresh minced parsley
2 Tablespoons fresh minced green onions
1 Tablespoon fresh minced jalapeno pepper
1 1/2 cups plus 1/3 cup sifted all-purpose flour
1 egg, beaten
2 to 4 Tablespoons skim milk
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
2 cups peanut oil

Directions:

• Combine crabmeat, shrimp, crawfish, potatoes, onions, garlic, parsley, green onions and jalapeno peppers. Add 1 1/2 cups flour, mix well. Add egg, milk, salt and pepper, stir until well blended.
  
  
• Shape into 32 balls using about 2 tbs of mixture for each ball; roll balls in remaining 1/3 cup flour.
  
  
• Fry in 2 cups peanut oil at 350F for 5 minutes or until golden brown, drain well.

Cajun Caviar

Ingredients:

2 cans black-eyed peas, drained
1 medium jalapeno pepper, minced
1/4 white onion, minced
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1/3 cup Italian salad dressing
2 Tablespoons ground cumin
Cajun seasoning to taste
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions:

Indianapolis Recipes

The Midwest offers what some may call more traditional American cuisine. Casseroles (the word is French for "saucepan") combine pieces of meat, such as chicken, beef or tuna, with various chopped vegetables and a starchy binder such as flour, potato or pasta. Usually a crunchy topping is usually added just before the dish has finished cooking. Breaded pork tenderloin sandwiches are a staple of Midwest eating.

Chicken Noodle Casserole

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked chicken, diced
1/2 pound egg noodles
2 Tablespoons butter
1 Tablespoon olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups milk or light cream
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
2 egg yolks, slightly beaten
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1/4 cup onion, chopped
2 Tablespoons sherry

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350F.
  
  
• Cook egg noodles in boiling water according to package directions. Drain, rinse in cold water and drain again.
  
  
• In a skillet, melt butter in olive oil. Saut onion, garlic and mushrooms until lightly golden. Stir in 2 tablespoons flour until absorbed. Gradually pour in chicken broth and milk or cream, while stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Remove from heat and allow cooling for 5 minutes.
  
  
• In a small bowl, beat egg yolks lightly. Stir in a few tablespoons of the mixture from the skillet to temper the eggs so they won't scramble, and then add the egg and broth mixture to the skillet along with remaining ingredients. Mix well.
  
  
• Transfer to a large, buttered casserole dish. Sprinkle the top with dots of butter, Parmesan cheese and buttered breadcrumbs (optional).
  
  
• Bake at 350F for 20-25 minutes, or until top is golden brown.

Beef and Noodles

Serves 6

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups baby carrots, halved crosswise
1 package extra-wide noodles
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
1 clove garlic, minced
1 pound boneless beef chuck roast
4 cups beef broth
1 bay leaf
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil

Directions:

• Trim fat from meat. Cut meat into 3/4-inch cubes.
  
  
• In 5-quart Dutch oven, brown half of meat in hot oil. Remove. Brown remaining meat with onion and garlic. Add more oil, if necessary. Drain fat. Return all meat to pan.
  
  
• Stir in broth, bay leaf, thyme and pepper. Bring to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, 1 to 1 1/4 hours or until meat is tender.
  
  
• Stir in carrots and noodles. Bring to boiling. Reduce heat and cook, covered, about 10 minutes or until noodles are tender. Remove and discard bay leaf.

Breaded Pork Tenderloin Sandwiches

Ingredients:

2 - 3 pork tenderloins
4 Tablespoons butter
1 cup flour
1 cup cracker meal
1 egg
2 cups milk
Hot oil in deep fryer

Directions:

• Cut tenderloins lengthwise to butterfly, then cut into 3-4 inch sections. Place each piece on waxed paper, cover with plastic wrap and pound to 1/4 inch thickness.
  
  
• Combine egg with milk in small flat bowl. Dip tenderloin pieces in milk mixture then roll in flour. Dip again and roll in cracker meal.
  
  
• Fry in deep hot fat (375 degrees) until golden brown. Drain on absorbent towels.
  
  
• Season to taste.
  
  
• Serve buffet-style with rolls, onion, tomato, lettuce and condiments.