Craig’s Corner

I write this as a homage to all the Riders who headed down to dirty Jersey last weekend. This is for the men, women, and children, who threw themselves into the pit, simply known as The Swamp.

Now I have traveled to this gloomy destination as many times as my young life would allow, and each time it has fit its bill tremendously. Overcast skies, cold rain, and dumpster aroma, all contribute to this aura of awesomeness. And by awesomeness, I mean complete dump. Lets face it, Giants Stadium got its nickname because it was literally placed in the middle of the Jersey swamplands. Even the infamous Addams Family refused real estate there.

OK, I will save you sanity and get to what you want to hear.

The Revs finally get to host a match for MLS action, slated for Saturday night against a struggling FC Dallas club. This means the Midnight Riders get to host their first tailgating extravaganza. All we need is a little bit of cooperative weath… well, we cant have everything can we. Like many a time before, this season opener invites more to the game than players, coaches, and fans. Fortunately for you, I have the recipe for success in order for you and your team to have a great tailgate this weekend. At the end I will give you a recommendation of what to go for this weekend. Here’s tailgating 101:

The Actual Tailgate

Not to be nitpicky, but this is kind of important to the whole tailgating experience. You need a home base, headquarters, a temple to start the whole experience. Most of you have this part down pat, so we wont cover any more basics, like having a good, crisp sound system, fold down rear-seats, a hatch (whether it be a SUV or coupe or hatchback), and room for a cooler and grill. Basically, make whatever you have work for you.

The Grill(e)

This is where choices reach the headache level. Do you choose charcoal or propane? Do you want to spend little or do you want to splurge? How long of a cleanup do you want? All these should be questions you ask yourself when it comes to tailgating. Now anyone who is a fan of food will tell you a charcoal grill with Kingston charcoal is a hands-down no brainer. People like myself can take a little bit of sacrifice for effectiveness and choose propane which gets a sure light every time. Some, especially nowadays, are going green and using electric. Others go for whatever they can afford. Only you can prevent tailgate failure.

The Food (and Beer)

Again, this is all on personal preference for you, so do you want a meal or snacks? How about some game meats? Rather dive into something sweet? Want to drink for taste or for fun? You can’t go wrong with your typical hamburgers/hot dogs, bag of chips, and a cold brew of choice.

The Recommendation

Here’s what I am aiming for this weekend:

Tailgate: My 2007 Scion tC. The hatchback works great, especially with my folding split rear seats. I also have some stash space beside the spare in the back. I also have an input for my iPod, so i can plug that directly into my cars speakers. Space for a cooler (or 2), my game of oakie, and a grill.

Grill: I am actually going to buy one Friday night after work. I’m leaning towards propane because the mess is minimal, the start is guaranteed, and its just easier (for me at least). Strong brands include Coleman and Weber.

Food: I am making special turkey burgers, of which I mentioned in my last post. Ground turkey (93% lean), chopped onion, chopped peppers, Goya’s Adobe spice, and Kraft’s honey bbq sauce. Get the peppers and onions chopped as small as you can without pureeing it. It’s important to keep the mixture as dry as possible. Simply take your chopped veggies and pound them into the meat, working in your spices (a little salt and pepper works too). Slowly add in a tablespoon of the bbq sauce and work it into a patty. Grill as you would any normal burger. The bbq sauce will actually help hold the burger together, as it will sear a tiny little bit. If you put too much, it will resemble more a sloppy joe than a burger. I prefer bulkie rolls over buns, and always add a slice of white American cheese. Thats it! I will be washing it down with some variety of Sam Adams, and chowing down on a side of chips or something. I’m getting hungry so I need to stop this. . .

I hope you all have the brain capacity to take what was thrown at you in this post. If you must, read it twice or even three times. As always, leave a comment or send me your idea for a recipe or tailgating game (which I opted out of this week) to fierogt20@yahoo.com. See you in the lot!