The Last Tailgate of the Season

This past Saturday was
the annual IU vs. Purdue (hiss) game,

otherwise known as the Oaken Bucket game.

The winner of the game gains possession of 

the Oaken Bucket for the next year.

Each year, a link with the winning team's initial

on the chain is added to the bucket.

Then, the winning team's initial is proudly displayed

outside the oaken bucket until it is claimed by the

next winning team.

Enough of the football:

on to the food.

Our theme this week was "Thanksgiving Leftovers".

So I adapted my recipes to match that theme.

First up:  Brie en Croute.

1 puff pastry sheet

1 8-ounce round of brie

3 to 4 tablespoons F.R.O.G (Fig, Raspberry, Orange, Ginger) Preserves

Allow the puff pastry sheet to thaw and roll out to a square.

Place the brie in the center.

Spread enough preserves on top to mostly cover the top of the brie.

Then, gather the corners of the pastry together and tuck in "artistically".

Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

Normally, one would let this sit for 20 to 40 minutes before serving with sliced apples and/or crackers, but this is a tailgate.  At this point, the baked brie en croute went into the refrigerator.  I will heat it back up over low flame on the mini grill at the tailgate.

Next up are the Krab Bites.

I sliced each fake crab leg into four sections.  Then the "pre-cooked" bacon is cut in half crosswise.  Each crab section is wrapped with a half piece of bacon and secured with a tooth pick.

The final dish of the day was Ina Garten's French Apple Tart.

1 puff pastry sheet
3 Honeycrisp apples
1/2 cup sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup F.R.O.G. (Fig, Raspberry, Orange, Ginger) preserves
2 tablespoons rum

After thawing the puff pastry, roll out on a sheet of parchment paper on a baking sheet.

Peel, core, and slice the apples and arrange in diagonal rows on the pastry.

Sprinkle with sugar and dot with the cubed pieces of butter.

Bake in a 400 degree oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour, turning halfway.  If the pastry begins to puff up, stab with a knife (gently, not like Norman Bates would stab Marion).

Let cool for a few minutes before gently (there's that word again) prying off the parchment with a spatula. Wait any longer and you run the risk of the tart becoming one (and not in a good way) with the parchment.

Heat the preserves and the rum together until melted.  Pour over the top of the cooked pastry.

After the tart has cooled, cut with a pizza cutter.

We really need to work on figuring out a way to prevent the spillage of the sugars over the edges, resulting in burnt caramelized edges.  Ina doesn't address this problem.  Well, this isn't the first time I've had problems with an Ina recipe.  Too bad I don't work for her, because I could save her much embarrassment.

Can you believe it?  The last Saturday in November and the temperatures were in the low 60s.

The feast is spread.  Besides our contributions, our tailgate buddies brought regular chili and chicken chili, sliced BBQ pork loin, turkey, stuffing, iced pumpkin bars (cake, really), apples with caramel, and cheese spread and crackers.  Later, more food arrived with more tailgate buddies.

Already, half the French apple tart has disappeared.

The crock pots are working their magic.

This is a mighty feast.

Meanwhile, our tailgate neighbors had made their famous spam and bologna egg sandwiches for breakfast and later had venison/beef burgers and brats.  Sadly, I missed out on the venison/beef burgers. 

Once again I opted to stay outside instead of going into the game.  This allows the others to know that I am there to guard things while they are watching the Hoosiers lose once again, I was able to sit outside without fear of getting another migraine (after just finally getting rid of a month-long one) I had the chance to get some writing done. 

After writing for a bit, I grew restless and wandered next door.  Our very nice neighbors invited me over to watch the game on their TV and to eat some food.

And back to some food.  I love stuffing.  This stuffing was super moist and very well seasoned.

On the left is the brie en croute.  It may not look pretty, but it is oh, so delicious.  Especially on a thin slice of apple.

The tailgates were going strong.

Everywhere you looked.

Except for the student section.  Seems that many of the kids were still at home with their families. 

Despite a few sprinkles and a bit of wind, this was a wonderful day for a tailgate.

And yes, IU managed to lose yet once again.  But hey, we almost managed to have a perfect season!  A perfect losing season, that is.  We won one game against a minor team from South Carolina.  Whoot?

On the bright side, downtown is brightly lit.

I'm already looking forward to next year.  Maybe we'll even have some wins to go with the good food and great company?

Tailgate Time!

The last Saturday in October dawned clear and cold.

It was a balmy 32 degrees when we arrived at the tailgate

just after 8 am.  

The Foodie Daughter was due to start work at 9,

so we needed to be there early for her.

The trees are wearing IU red.

The feast is spread.

But let's go back a couple of days

so I can show you how I made my offerings

for this veritable banquet.

First up is Ina Garten's Homemade Marshmallows.

The ingredients are:

3 packages unflavored gelatin

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1 cup light corn syrup

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Confectioner's sugar, for dusting

Dissolve the gelatin in 1/2 cup water.

Meanwhile, combine the granulated sugar, corn syrup, salt

and 1/2 cup water in a sauce pan.

Cook over medium heat until the sugar dissolves.

Raise the heat to high and cook until the temperature reaches

240 degrees.

Make sure that the thermometer is not touching the bottom.

You want to be taking the temperature of the liquid,

not the pot.

The gelatin is ready for the candy mixture.

Once the mixture has reached 240 degrees, 

slowly pour into the gelatin while

the mixer is running on slow.

It would be best if you had a stand mixer,

but it is entirely possible to make these with a hand mixer.

Just a bit tiring.

Continue mixing for 15 minutes.

After five minutes the mixture begins to turn white.

At the 15 minute mark the mixture is thick and 

the mixer is struggling.

And why is it that when you want an appliance to die

it just keeps on going and going,

but when you are trying to keep something alive

it croaks if you even look at it?

Add in the vanilla and mix in until well-blended.

I like this picture.

I hate the shadows in my kitchen, though.

Despite what Ina says, 

a dusting of confectioner's sugar is not enough to 

keep the marshmallow from sticking to everything and anything.

I recommend placing parchment paper in the 8" x 12" pan

and spraying that with cooking spray to keep the 

marshmallows from sticking.

Trust me on this.

Dust the surface with confectioner's sugar.

Let sit out overnight to dry out.

Spray a pizza cutter with cooking oil

and after turning the marshmallow out

of the pan, cut into squares.

Roll all sides of the cut squares in 

confectioner's sugar.

Store in an air-tight container at room temperature.

The second dish was also from Ina Garten.

This was my riff on her French Apple Tart.

I opted to substitute a sheet of puff pastry 

instead of making the pastry as I was also making several

other things that day.

I also changed out a few other items,

such as substituting honeycrisp apples for

Granny Smiths.

I don't like Granny Smiths. Period. Dot.

I also didn't have apricot preserves,

but I do have F.R.O.G. preserves.

(Fig, Raspberry, Orange, Ginger)

The ingredients:

1 puff pastry sheet

4 honeycrisp apples*

1/2 cup sugar

4 tablespoons butter, cut into small cubes

1/2 cup F.R.O.G. preserves

2 tablespoons rum

*3 apples would have been enough.

Another nice thing about honeycrisps is their 

resistance to browning.

We snacked on the leftovers and had the rest for dinner.

I rolled out the puff pastry sheet to about 10" x 14" 

on a sheet of parchment paper.

Ina suggests trimming the edges so that the 

tart looks pretty,

but frankly I think that is a waste of good pastry

and doesn't that defeat the purpose of "homemade" anyway?

Homemade should look wonky and out of square.

Place in the fridge while prepping the apples.

Peel, core and slice the apples.

Arrange in a nice diagonal pattern on the pastry.

Sprinkle with the sugar and the small pats of butter.

Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

I found that the tart was done after 45 minutes.

But your mileage may vary.

Ina suggests turning the pan halfway 

during the baking process

and to prick any areas that are puffing up.

I forgot to do that, but life goes on.

The sugars caramelized as they seeped over the edge of the tart.

Heat the preserves and the rum before pouring over the tart.

Gently lift from the parchment and allow to cool.

The tart can be served either warm or at room temperature.

Another dish that I made was sloppy joes.

I started from a Rachael Ray recipe 

and jumped off the deep end from there.

The ingredients:

2 pounds ground chuck

2 cloves garlic, grated

1/4 cup onion, grated

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 (14.5 ounce) can tomato sauce

1 tablespoon steak seasoning

1/2 cup barbecue sauce

Cook the meat in a pan over medium-high heat, 

crumbling it as it browns.

Add the onions and the garlic and cook for two more minutes.

Drain off the excess fat.

Add the remaining ingredients to the pan

and simmer for 15 minutes to meld the flavors.

I reheated this dish in a pan on the grill at the tailgate

before putting it in a chafing dish.

The final dish was marinated mozzarella and tomatoes

which is a riff on this recipe.

I started with small mozzarella balls and grape tomatoes.

Then I added extra virgin olive oil and chopped

fresh parsley and oregano.

Allow to sit and let the flavors marry.

Homemade marshmallows.

Even pandas love these.

It's true!

After everyone else left for the game

a panda wandered over and hugged me - twice.

It turns out that pandas are very friendly and he asked

if he could try some of our food.

I gave him a marshmallow and he said I should start my own

company.

I don't think Ina Garten would approve,

but it was a nice compliment, 

coming from a panda.

The finished apple tart.

Everyone loved this.

This recipe is a keeper.

Our tailgate buddy always makes "Touchdown Brownies".

Maybe she needs to put the opposing team's logo 

on the brownies?

As she noted, "At least we are losing better now."

And yes, IU did lose once again.

Other dishes on the banquet were sausage and biscuits,

meatballs,

pulled pork,

Buffalo chicken spread,

spinach dip,

chips and pico de gallo.

Pico de gallo is essentially uncooked,

or fresh salsa.

This is my preferred dip.

We also had a pumpkin cake.

The student tailgate fields are ramping up.

As this was both Homecoming and Halloween weekend,

the police and rescue were kept busy.

The ambulance had to stop twice across from us to help

injured or passed-out students.

The band marches across the still mostly empty parking lot.

It was early; it was cold.

We had fun looking at the different costumes.

Sadly, our tailgate neighbors were absent this week,

so the port-o-potties seemed that much closer.

A gaggle (giggle?) of clowns.

And an "old" lady.

I don't think these kids need more energy.

I looked up in the pine tree to see an oak seedling growing 

in the crotch of the tree.

Squatter.

Pretty clouds.

Pooh and Tigger ride away.

I didn't know Poohs could drive.

Two More Tailgates or Wish You Were Here

Indiana University may not be winning lately,

but they have not been visiting our tailgate, either.

Coincidence?

I think not.

A couple of weeks ago we had our breakfast tailgate.

We prepared Honey Vanilla Poundcake

with berry glaze.

I used Ina Garten's recipe for the pound cake.

Since it can be difficult to find extra-large eggs,

I suggest using large eggs, but adding one extra egg

to compensate.

Do as I say and not as I do.

Follow the directions and take the pound cake out 

after 60 minutes, max.

I hesitated, based upon reviewer complaints 

and left it in for 70 minutes.

It was too well-done.

One cannot determine if a pound cake is done by using a tester.
It will always come out gooey with batter.

Pound cake is a dense cake,

a gooey cake,

not a fluffy cake.

The Foodie Daughter made the berry glaze.

I had also made my world famous 

Good Morning Casserole.

Hearts soared,

crowds cheered

and the Hoosiers still lost.

Guess they should have come to the tailgate.

Coach Wilson, are you listening?

From one Miami alumnus to another...

Miami something, er assistant head coach,
just saying.

Breakfast burritos, courtesy one of our tailgate chums.

I recently had a dip at a Master Gardener meeting

that I just had to get the recipe for.

Artichoke Dip

1 cup mayonnaise (do not use light mayo)
1 8-ounce block cream cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon dill
1 garlic clove, grated
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 15-ounce can artichoke hearts

Not shown: paprika

Either in a food processor or with a mixer,

blend together the cream cheese,

mayonnaise, Parmesan, dill, garlic and 

Worcestershire sauce.

Chop the artichoke hearts as finely as desired.

Warning: with some brands it will be necessary

to remove the choke from the artichokes

before chopping.

Stir in the chopped artichokes.

Spread into a 8" round or square baking pan.

Sprinkle with paprika.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes,

or until bubbly and a little brown.

Serve with crackers or on sliced French bread

or another sturdy bread.

Fast forward a week and we find that our spot has

been usurped by Habitat for Humanity.

That tree is our usual spot and if we had set up the

tent there,

then our tailgate neighbors would not have had room to set up.

So we moved over so they would have room.

The tables are set with food.

This week it is a seafood extravaganza

complete with our offerings of

shrimp rolls,

krab bites

and artichoke dip.

Our friends brought 

crab rangoon,

spicy shrimp,

teriyaki shrimp,

cheesy meatballs

and gravy and biscuits.

Our tailgate neighbors had to set up closer to the street.

They were serving up breakfast sandwiches,

with over easy eggs, fried spam and bologna

with fried crispy crowns (think flat tater tots) on top.

They generously offered me a sandwich.

Delicious and filling.

They were also serving up jambalaya,

fried chicken wings, jalapeno poppers

and marinated pork sandwiches.

I hear the jambalaya was good,

but as it had chicken in it, I had to pass.

Fabian Seafood visited town again this week

so I purchased more shrimp.

Lovely shrimp for this delicious and different recipe.

Shrimp Rolls

1 small lemon

2 tablespoons sweet chili aioli*

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

2 tablespoons red onion, chopped

1 pound shrimp, sauteed and chopped

1/2 cup celery, diced

2 eggs, hard boiled and diced

salt and pepper to taste

4 hot dog buns or New England style buns

4 lettuce leaves

*For the sweet chili aioli,

combine 2 tablespoons mayonnaise,

2 teaspoons lemon juice, 

1 teaspoon sweet chili sauce

and 1 tablespoon sugar.

Mix well.

This aioli also works well as a salad dressing,

or a condiment for fish.

Grate 1/2 teaspoon lemon rind form the lemon.  

Squeeze lemon to measure 1-1/2 tablespoons juice.

Combine lemon rind, juice, mayonnaise and onion

in a large bowl.

Add shrimp, eggs and celery: toss gently.

Salt and pepper to taste.

Crab rangoon and teriyaki shrimp.

Marinated pork.

Cooked perfectly.

I complemented the chef on a job well done.

But the pork was not well done 

- it was cooked medium -

and that was perfect!

He told me that the pork was marinated in teriyaki sauce.

This is the Habitat for Humanity house 

that was being built across the way. 

They spent just over a week building it 

and it will be moved to its permanent location 

for the proud new homeowners.

The Marching Hundred.

Cheerleaders.

It's a sea of red.

Having fun.

Hair twirling.

I found my husband back here.

I wonder why?

Scottish bagpipers.

Emergency run!

If you've never tailgated, 

you don't know what you are missing.

Go out and support your local sports team,

be it high school, college or pro team.

Even if they lose - again.