Customer Reviews

Fan Fare: A Playbook of Great Recipes for Tailgating or Watching the Game at Home

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Fan Fare is not only a great collection of recipes for your next big game, but it is also an entertaining read with fun anecdotes from various tailgating locations (College football games, hockey games, NASCAR races, etc.).

I would recommend the book highly based on the collection of recipes alone, the stories in the book make it even more enjoyable.

This is a great buy for the average tailgater. Not only does it have easy to follow recipes that aren't overly complicated or full of exotic ingredients, it has a host of handy tips for novices. This is particularly helpful for those who are not experienced tailgaters - practical items to pack, how to keep items cool and/or hot, etc...

I find it a little hard to believe that most of us are going to bring this much stuff to an actual tailgate party. The recipes are good, but most of them require a lot of ingredients and steps for preparation. This is fine for say, a Super Bowl party, where you have your whole kitchen to cook in and a big fridge to keep the stuff in once it done...I don't see keeping a lot of this stuff in a cooler or cooking on a bbq grill the size of a shoebox in a parking lot. As i said before the recipes are GOOD, there's no doubt that they are delicious, but the book is more than likely going to be purchased by someone that wants recipes for tailgate parties (in which case, it can be a little to....erm...."yuppified")...still, a good reference if you want ideas for cooking in general!

We bought this one expecting hand-held food, chips & dip, grilled ribs, brats, wings, etc. & were disappointed to find 'very veggie lentil chili' that "even meat-eating fans will be satisfied with" and ground turkey nachos (actual recipe is idiotically called "gobble 'em up nachos") "lower in fat--but don't tell the fellas..."

The title of the book sort of tricked me; just about anything seems to be included; I like cornbread, I like pumpkin mini-muffins, I like baked apples -- but what makes them tailgating foods?

Two stars because the recipes seem fine, they won't kill you, & a couple of them, say pickled okra roll ups, struck me as something I'd like to try. There are a few decent-looking dips, a few chowders, some classic drink recipes.

But please: "crusty bread & tossed salad" for the superbowl? Sounds like no fun at all.

Or 'shrimp and couscous salad'-- I think it seems too fussy for a tailgate, too sloppy for the 'game at home'

The writing in between & introducing the recipes is bouncy & upbeat, but so much so as to come off as breathlessly trying too hard. It also seems remarkably un-informed about sporting events--noon kickoffs & Sunday basketball tournaments are kind of an exception. The Nascar fans that I know would be seriously annoyed with me if the 'assorted microbrews' that Ms. Moose suggests for the daytona 500 didn't include at least one macrobrew...

By the way: thanks for the metric-conversion chart tucked in there just before the index -- but none of the recipes are metric...what the heck is it there for?

Fan Fare: A Playbook of Great Recipes for Tailgating or Watching the Game At Home will appeal to any household where a game player is in residence, and any general public library lending collection catering to them. It packs in easy dishes ranging from nuts and mini-muffins to main courses quick and easy to eat in front of the TV set. While there are no color photos - just illustrations - the easy dishes don't need 'em, with such fare as Teriyaki Tip-Off Wings and Norma's Cool Veggie Pizza providing many excellent options.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch