Dear Chef Kathleen,

Our dear friends and neighbors have invited us along on their weekly tailgating trip.  I am new to the area and have never tailgated before.  What should I bring and what should I expect?

Trish


Dear Trish,

Tailgating is an art form that has been around for longer than anyone can remember. Americans have been enjoying food and football together since the turn of the last century. Several universities have laid claim to starting tailgating but only in recent years has it grown to the extreme measure that you can see around the country today. Just because the game is on Saturday at 3:00 doesn't mean that is when the party starts. During some of the larger rivalry games, you will see people showing up on Wednesday and some not leaving until Sunday.

The main ingredients in any good tailgating event, aside from football, are food, drinks, fun. The whole point is to have a good time with friends and maybe even enjoy a little bit of the game.  This means that the food and drinks should be easy to prepare so that the fun can begin early and run late. Since most of the food preparation will be taking place in a parking lot with no refrigeration and the only electricity is that which you can generate from your car battery, food must be a top priority.

Food Safety First
Prepare food items as much as you can at home and bring them in a cooler filled with enough ice to last as many hours as you plan to be there and maybe even a few more. Keep drinks in a separate and clean cooler from foods. Bring plenty of zipper lock and garbage bags to get rid of any dirty food containers as soon as you are done with them. Pack most of your prepared foods in zipper bags so that you can just throw them away and not worry about the dishes. Wet wipes and hand sanitizers are a must to clean up after cooking and restroom breaks. 

Just because simplicity is what you're striving for does not mean that you need to stick with plain hot dogs, hamburgers and beer. You can if you like, but you may want to go gourmet or upgrade from the usual standard fare. Spruce up hamburgers by seasoning them with minced or caramelized onions, a dash of grill seasoning and top with Swiss cheese and Buttery Soy Mushrooms. To prepare mushrooms, sauté button, brown or shiitake mushrooms in a little butter and soy sauce the day before. Season with fresh ground pepper to taste. Store in a zipper bag. Warm on a piece of tin foil set on the grill just before serving. Caramelized onions can be made the day ahead and re-warmed the same way. 

Spruce up the Hot Dog Platter with Homemade and Specialty Sausages
If you're looking to trim calories and fat from the menu, try a sampling of the various chicken sausages at your favorite butcher. You can usually find Italian and Polish flavored chicken and turkey sausages and if you're lucky, a few fancy flavor combos too such as spinach and pine nut or my fall favorite; apple cherry. From experience, I can tell you that once you add grilled peppers and onions to a toasty grilled bun along with good old fashioned yellow mustard, no one will be able to say leaner (healthier) sausages are not as good as the "regular" kind.

Drink and Be Merry But Don't Drink & Drive
Drinks are an easier but equally important decision to make. According to avid MSU fan and long time tailgater, Betsy Jones, of Commerce Township, Michigan, "We try to keep our tailgate clean and simple.  Mostly it revolves around the music and the beverage of choice the day."  This can include anything from a nice bottle of wine to festive mini mixed drinks. For early games Betsy swears the "must have" beverage to kick off your morning tailgate parties is the "Melon Ball"—1 part vodka, 2 parts Midori and 4 parts orange juice. If you're not a fan of fancy fruit drinks, there's always the traditional Bloody Mary or the classic, Champagne and freshly squeezed orange juice, Mimosa. If you have power, pitchers of Margaritas and fresh fruit smoothies are crowd pleasers and can easily be made without alcohol to please everyone in your group.

However you decide to celebrate at your tailgate, keep the fun at a maximum and the consumption at a dull roar. Make sure that you do not try every drink and hors d'oeuvre that comes your way. Save some for the next game. Enjoy yourself with your friends and GO TEAM!

kd@chefkathleen.com