Last fall, I got a call from someone wanting to know if I was willing to be auctioned off as a prize for a charity. The idea was that I would cater a tailgate party at a football game for the winner. I haven't been to a football game (or watched one) since I was in the high school marching band. I love picnics, though, and that's essentially what a tailgate party is. I readily agreed.
Parking [at ballgames] was limited, so you had to arrive early to get a good parking spot. Why not take advantage of that early arrival and eat while waiting for the game to start? The idea caught on. Although picnics are often family affairs, tailgating has become very much a social activity.
Picnics were a common feature of my childhood. Whenever we took a road trip, whether for a day or, in one case, three weeks, at lunch we'd stop, pull down the tailgate on the station wagon, and my mother would unpack sandwich fixings, paper plates and napkins. The tailgate is a perfect buffet table.
Around that time, the 1950s and '60s, people began taking meals to ballgames. Parking was limited, so you had to arrive early to get a good parking spot. Why not take advantage of that early arrival and eat while waiting for the game to start? The idea caught on. Although picnics are often family affairs, tailgating has become very much a social activity.
Joe Cahn is the self-declared Commissioner of Tailgating and possibly the only person in the world who makes a living traveling from game to game around the country promoting tailgating. Cahn calls a parking lot full of tailgaters "the last American neighborhood" and refers to the parties as "the new American community."
The character of the event seems to vary somewhat from locale to locale depending on the city and team. In some places, there's a great deal of food sharing and tasting; in others, the meal itself is more private. Whatever the case, it's a party.
Although grilling isn't required (sandwiches and cold fried chicken remain popular), it is common. A few companies specialize in tailgating equipment, including grills that are mounted on an SUV's trailer hitch and swing out to the side for use. You can also buy flags, tablecloths and other paraphernalia with team logos. My favorite tailgate gadget is a cooler that doubles as an electric scooter.
Even if you plan on grilling, the bulk of the meal needs to be made and packed in advance, and this strongly influences food choices. For fall games, when it's likely to be chilly, a thermos or two of hot soup is a great way to take the edge off your appetite and stay warm while waiting for the food to be ready. I recommend smooth soups that can be sipped from a Styrofoam cup. They're more convenient when you don't have a table and less likely than a plastic bowl to spill.
When grilling, choose foods that don't require a knife. Having to cut a steak on a paper plate balanced on your lap is an invitation for a spill. Hotdogs and hamburgers are good, if predictable, choices.
Kebabs are my favorite. You can do chicken, beef, lamb and pork with a wide variety of seasonings, and the meat is already bite-sized so it cooks quickly and is easy to eat with just a fork or fingers.
If you're grilling, you can always toss a few vegetables such as sweet onions, winter squash or potatoes on the grill, but they should be prepped in advance. For winter squash and potatoes, it's helpful to parboil at home then finish cooking on the grill. Make sure the vegetables are already bite-sized.
Salads -- green, potato, pasta -- are always a good addition. Early in the football season, local tomatoes and cucumbers are often still available. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil, lemon juice and salt, and you have a wonderful side. I also like having a bowl of marinated mushrooms and artichoke hearts, and some pickles and olives just for munching on.
Cookies are a popular dessert and another finger food. The best dessert I ever had on a picnic/tailgate was homemade fried peach pies, but that's a lot of work. Cake is also a good choice, though it requires a fork.
Whether you're a sports fan or just someone who enjoys eating al fresco, think advance prep, think bite-size, think knife-free -- and go team!
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.