You Are What You Eat

Eat, Drink, and Be Merry!

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Tasty Tailgating



Lisa Hockenberry
Jolie
September 2008
RSVP: Tasty Tailgating

It is a rite of passage when your tailgating plans transform from collegiate fraternity gatherings to all out gourmet spreads. When the Friday night before the game is spent preparing rather than partying, and first-time dishes turn into traditions. Whether your team wins or loses, the joining of good food and good friends is just as much a part of the day as the final score.

The ideal day begins with a car loaded up with icy coolers, a tent for shade, and plenty of chairs. A buffet table is the staple base for a hearty spread. Colorful table cloths in your team’s colors are covered with an assortment of dishes. Grandma’s silver platters make the perfect serving tray for Bojangles crispy fried chicken and buttery biscuits. Colorful ceramic dishes add a spirited addition when painted with your alma mater’s colors. A well stocked bar is also key to a first-rate time. “A good tailgate will always have the stereo pumping beach music the entire time,” recommends Wofford Alum Donnie Santos. And any respectable Gamecock tailgate will have the endless playing of “2001”.

Keep it simple. Don’t spend hours preparing food for your tailgate. A wide variety of festive food is available from our local restaurants to help make your tailgate stand out from the crowd. Sandy’s Famous Hot Dogs in Columbia is selling their 5lbs bags of hot dogs, buns, pints of chili and slaw, and gallons of tea. The items are available individually or in a $25 Tailgate Special. That’s one dog-gone good deal! Cromer’s has been guaranteeing their popcorn and peanuts, “Worst in Town” since 1935. One whiff of the fresh popped corn and you bet will be leaving with the really big bag! Congaree Grill in Five Points will be packaging their homemade pimento cheese and chicken salad, which perfect to pair with Rising High sweet black bread, and don’t forget to try their delicious Southern Style Salsa. Y’all have a drink on their new deck bar as they project the away football games on the outside wall. Doc’s Barbeque prepares classic Southern dishes for dine-in, take-out, or delivery.

“At Clemson, we very rarely have a night game. So we are really big on breakfast! We now have an adult variation on college’s Kegs and Eggs,” explains Clemson alum, Carter Willis. She adds, “A great hint to keeping your dish warm is to have a hot cooler. You heat bricks wrapped in aluminum foil in the oven and place then into your cooler. Wrap your casserole dish in heavy newspaper. It will stay warm for hours!”

Your tailgate will always be a success if you keep the food heavy, the drinks flowing, and the music playing. And remember these wise words of USC alum, Christy Frisby, “Just make sure that you have enough people to help take down your tent at the end of the game!” Sounds like a story there. One I personally know too well. Gamecock Country sells the bases for tents individually, just in case yours gets bent or broken. Lastly, and most importantly, have fun but please don’t drink and drive. And Go-o-o-o-o-o Cocks! (What can I say, my blood runs garnet!)

RULE THE ROOST ‘RONI DIP
Courtesy of Christie Abernethy Causey

This former Gamecock cheerleader serves up this yummy appetizer for her former USC football player hubby…

For the pizza dip: First, smooth 2 packages of cream cheese into a small Pyrex dish.Then smooth a generous portion of pizza sauce on top of that. Next sprinkle grated cheddar cheese all over the pizza sauce and then top it off with pepperonis, as many as you want. Lastly, throw into the oven at 350 for 20 minutes and then you have a wonderful tailgate dish, we use tortilla chip scoops with it!

WOFFORD TERRIER TOUCHDOWN TEA, serves one
Courtesy of Tommy Price, Congaree Grill

1 oz Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka
½ oz Grand Marnier
Dash of sour mix
Dash of sprite
Garnished with a lemon

“SC STATE” SMASHED DOGS
Recipe courtesy of Paula Deen, www.foodnetwork.com

Texas Style Chili: 3 pounds ground chuck 1 pound hot bulk sausage 3 onions, chopped 4 garlic cloves, minced 1/4 cup chili powder 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon sugar 1 tablespoon dried oregano 1 teaspoon salt 2 (28-ounce) cans whole tomatoes, chopped 3 (16-ounce) cans kidney beans 4 hot dogs 4 hot dog buns 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
Using a Dutch oven, combine the ground chuck, sausage, onions, and garlic. Cook over medium heat until the meat is browned, stirring the meat to break it up as it cooks. Drain the pan drippings. Stir in the chili powder, flour, sugar, oregano, salt, and stir well. Cover pot and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Add the tomatoes and beans, and simmer for another 20 minutes. Preheat a grill. Grill hot dogs until done, approximately 5 minutes. Place the buns on the grill to warm them. Place hot dogs in the bun. Put the hotdog on the plate with split side facing to the side. Smash the hotdog until flat with your hand and ladle chili on top. Top with cheddar cheese.

BAKED TIGER TOAST
Recipe courtesy of Carter Willis McElveen

1 cup Maple Syrup
1 loaf French bread
3 Eggs
3 Egg Whites
1 ½ c. skim milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 9x13 casserole dish with Pam. Pour syrup into dish. Slice French bread into 2” slices. Place bread over the syrup. In a bowl, combine eggs, egg whites, milk, vanilla, and one teaspoon cinnamon. Beat until well mixed. Pour over bread. Sprinkle remaining cinnamon over dish. Bake 40-45 minutes until golden brown. Serve with syrup. Pair with cinnamon rolls, blueberry muffins and skewers of fresh fruit. Enjoy with an “orange” mimosa!

1 comment:

Susan said...

Lisa! Olivia and I tried your roni dip for a tailgate and it was super YUMMY! Everyone wanted the recipe... we are defintiely putting that one in the recipe index.