Get Cookin': A Tailgating Feast

What’s the difference between a tailgate party and a picnic? An historian might riff on the decline of civilization as we know it typified by the internal combustion engine. How it encroaches upon the revered tradition of al fresco dining immortalized by poets and artists. Try to picture it from his angle: a painting of an idyllic countryside, cows in the background, refined men and naked women...hunkered around the business end of a Vista Cruiser? Fighting over barbecued bratwurst?

But then, sports fans claim eating out of the back of the car as one of the sacred rites of football season. In truth, tailgating, the party version, not the road-rage kind, simply means gathering with your pod near a softball diamond, an inner-city park, maybe even your local polo field. Since you don’t have to hike in to some secluded, inaccessible spot with your grub on your back, you circle the wagons, break out the camp chairs and a portable grill, grab a cool one and share great food and tales of athletic prowess. Today’s menu takes care of the vittles. The tall tales are up to you.

A Word About Summertime Cooking

On a drowsy July evening, wake up your taste buds with a little culinary heat and likely you’ll feel energized all over. But don’t just look to chile peppers to shake you out of the doldrums. Adding ginger, mustard, peppercorns, and hot radishes to your food will do the trick, too. And don’t be afraid to enliven every dish on your menu with something hot and spicy as in today’s menu. In summer you sometimes need a good jolt to feel perky again. You can always look forward to cooling off later with a pitcher of iced tea.