Customer Reviews

ESPN Gameday Gourmet: More Than 80 All-American Tailgate Recipes

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I got this book because I'm a really big college football fan and I like the idea of learning how to cook better, but, truth be told, I'm not really very good at it. (I've never tailgated in my life, but love the bbq!) There are good tips in it for beginners without it feeling like the writer is talking down to you and the recipes that I've done have all come out GREAT without a lot of fuss. And the little sidebars by the ESPN guys are really funny, so I even read the whole thing. Who sits down and reads a COOKBOOK? Well, this one you can. I recommend it highly.

With a foreword by Mike Golic, former NFL and Notre Dame defensive tackle, now of Mike & Mike fame, this book starts off perfectly. Nothing fancy should be at tailgates, and ketchup doesn't belong on a brat (Golic agrees). The rest of the 174 pages of this magnum opus to tailgating do not disappoint.

The entire production of Gameday Gourmet is perfect for the sports fan. Both the recipes and technicalities of tailgating are broken down like box scores. Nothing complicated, and very in order. The guide is not, however, stuffy and purely regurgitated ingredients; in fact, there is a ton of humor within. If it's not the "All-Time Tailgating Team" (e.g. Porkchop Womack, Refrigerator Perry, Jerry Rice, Jack Ham), it's the creatively named dishes and the sidebars with helpful information about the intricacies of pregame events.

More than a simple recipe book, there are guides for the novice tailgater. What to bring, how to cook it, what's essential for set up, who to be on the lookout for, and even the basics of an indoor tailgating experience. This is the definitive guide of tailgating, the top of the pantheon, and everyone who follows the guidelines is well on their way to MVP status.

A few favorites from the recipes
Breakfast: Sticky Fingers Monkey Bread - Like cinnamon rolls, but with nuts and more sugar. Perfect for the early morning starts on the west coast.

Dips: Hurry up Black Bean Dip - A bit spicy, a pregame must for Big 12 games

Liquids: LSU Tigers Milk Punch - Essentially a milkshake with whiskey, a delicacy spawned from the insanity that is SEC football

Grilling/Barbecuing: First of all, if you don't know the difference between grilling and barbecue, you need to buy this book if you plan to tailgate. As for the my favorite from this book, easy, brats in beer.

Long-cooking: Fighting Irish Beef Stew - The prep work is minimal, and it produces a delicious concoction with tons of ingredients. Could be similar to Bachelor Stew (i.e. grab a ton of stuff from the fridge and throw into crockpot).

Casseroles: Hashmark Hash Brown Casserole - Stay away if you don't like cheese with your cheese.

There's even a small section of salads and desserts, neither of which belong at a tailgate. These two sections are the books only failing, and directly contradict Golic's advice in the foreword.

Great book. Put on pounds like the big boys. POT ROAST!

Jason Elin

My husband and brother-in-law are both huge college football fans and love to cook so this was perfect for them. Love the way the book addresses individual teams instead of just lumping the usual tailgating favs together. Also liked having the commentators I'm used to seeing throw their 2 cents in. Would definitely recommend to friends!