Packers? Steelers? Everyone roots for wings.
Winners save some for next-day chili
Chicken wings and football are one of the all-time great American pairings. It’s messy fare and though they’re only wings, they’re hard to get right at home. What you want is skin that is dark, glazed, and very sticky. Some supermarkets sell wing parts called wingettes, in which the drumstick-like pieces (drumettes) are separated from the section with the two small bones. If you buy whole chicken wings, cut them into three parts, reserving the tiny tips for chicken stock. Here, the wings are glazed with a mixture of apricot preserves, Sriracha sauce, and honey. Line the pan with foil, and set the wings on a perforated pan. That way, they brown nicely and you won’t be stuck at the sink later scrubbing off cooked-on glaze.
Set out the wings and do what any sensible host who wants leftovers does: Hide some. Otherwise they will all disappear. Appetites seem to have no end when wings are on the table. Add leftover meat to a pot of red-bean chili.
Maybe your favorite team didn’t play. Maybe your next favorite team didn’t win. But you still have to eat.
Lisa Zwirn can be reached at lisa@lisazwirn.com. 
