Tailgate Dip

Classic Cheese Spread
Refrigerated, this spread keeps well for several days. Serve with crackers or crisp apple and pear slices, dipped first in lemon juice, pineapple juice, Sprite, or 7Up to prevent browning.

2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 jar dried beef, sliced into small pieces
1/2 small can chopped black olives (about 2 ounces), drained
half bunch green onions, thinly sliced
chopped pecans, minced parsley, or paprika

Combine all ingredient except pecans, parsley, or paprika. Mix well, cover, and chill for several hours or overnight. Shape into a ball, log, or even a football shape if you’re really into the game.

Coat with chopped pecans, parsley, paprika, or a combination of all three.

Tailgate Time

Southeastern Conference football is steeped in tradition: boisterous cheers, annual campus pilgrimages, the pageantry of Homecoming, and hyped-up ESPN coverage.

I remember as a child traveling to Starkville to watch the Mississippi State Bulldogs play. The air seemed electric and it was so exciting Lan and I could hardly contain ourselves. The feeling was contagious, I think. My mother was a majorette at State and loves being there so much she can hardly stand it, either.

The campus seemed full of good-natured people ready to have a good time and the marching band warming up somewhere in the distance added to the invigorating feel in the air. And if it was Homecoming, big sandwich board signs lined the way to the Union, urging students to vote for this candidate for Homecoming court. Girls were dressed up and wore corsages and all in all, it just seemed like a wonderful place to be. I decided right then and there that this college business was going to be fun.

When I think of those game days, the sun was always brightly shining, the sky always crisp and blue with a sharp sweet taste of fall in the air, and the Bulldogs always won. Obviously, the golden patina of time has made my memory quite selective.

The next time you go to a college football game, try to get there early in time to watch the tailgaters set up. It’s fun to watch different families pull up and get out their supplies. For some it’s intricate and elaborate, and I do mean elaborate – linen tablecloths, crystal pitchers, candelabras, floral arrangements, and a lavish spread of gourmet food. Others go to the opposite extreme – a red and white checked oilcloth tablecloth, a bucket of fried chicken, and a cooler of canned soft drinks. It’s probably safe to say that the majority of tailgaters fall somewhere in between, although the school colors are almost always seen at every spot in some form or another – from disposable napkins to pompons to other color-coordinated accessories.

For some families, tailgating is a big tradition that dictates certain foods be served. The menu almost becomes a good luck charm for the game.

At many schools, the social aspect of tailgating is as big a reason for attending as the game itself. Often, the grassy areas are still filled with fans -- visiting, chatting, and exchanging stories -- long after the game has begun.

Whether you’re driving to your alma mater or watching the game on TV, this is a great spread to snack on.


Excerpted from Culinary Kudzu: Recollections & Recipes from Growing Up Southern

Keetha's Classic Sugar Cookies with Royal Icing

You may remember from your readings here that we promised the recipe of the sugar cookies we made and decorated to take to our friends who welcomed us into their tailgates with open arms. Some of you dear readers may remember seeing the recipe here, with a slight variation.

When your ready to bake your cookies, begin working with a small ball of dough at a time. Keep the rest of it in the fridge as it will be easier to work with when it's cold. Lightly flour your workspace and rolling pin. Roll out the dough slowly until it's about 1/4" thick. Keetha tells me that anything thicker and your cookies run the risk of not cooking all the way through. Dip your cookie cutter into flour, and cut away! Try to put the same size cookies together on the same baking sheet for the best results. Finally, bake the cookies at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes.

To decorate the cookies, we mixed up a batch of royal icing.

1 pound of confectioners' sugar
3 tablespoons of meringue powder*
4-6 tablespoons of warm water
2 teaspoons of flavoring, if desired (we use vanilla, but you could use almond, lemon, butter, etc...)

*meringue powder can be found at cake decorating supply shops or heaven forbid, large discount stores!.


(Sorry about the photo, Blogger is being difficult!!! Just cock your head to the right and MAYBE you can get the picture!)

Start by sifting the confectioners' sugar into a mixing bowl. Add the meringue powder and mix thoroughly. Set your mixer on medium speed, and add the warm water 1 tablespoon at a time. Then add any flavorings that you may wish to use, and any more warm water to get the consistancy that you need. The icing should be fairly thick for outlining, but have somewhat of a thinner consistancy for large fill areas.

Start off with the outlining. This will create sort of a damn for the fill area, if you chose to do so. Keetha suggests using squeeze bottles (like those neat, old soda fountain ketchup & mustard bottles) to ice as they are a little easier to handle for those of us (and by that I mean ME!) that have trouble using a piping bag. The icing can be stored at room temperature for a pretty good while as long as the container is sealed very well.

Let your decorated cookies dry completely, and then you can wrap them in small celophane bags and tie with a nice colored ribbon. Something to this effect...


(This photo used courtesy of Write Kudzu...Thanks Kiddo!)

We had a great time in Starkville this past weekend, and already have plans set for this weeks game! Stay tuned in to the Kudzu Kitchen and Write Kudzu for updates about GAMEDAY! GO DAWGS!!

PS... These recipes and MUCH, MUCH more can be found in Keetha's books, Culinary Kudzu and More Culinary Kudzu. Go on over to Pecan Street Press and take a look!