Wednesday, October 24, 2012

FOR THE LOVE OF THE GAME DAY...BART GREGORY

TIDEFAN FARE PRESENTS:
SAY WHAT? WEDNESDAYS
When compiling fun facts for "the fans" for Southern Livings The Official SEC Tailgating Cookbook, I had the opportunity to ask several notables a few questions in regards to Southern food and game day in general. There wasn't room to run it all in the cookbook but I thought you may be interested in what they had to say...to you, the fans!

The sweeter the better when it comes to
how Bart Gregory likes his iced tea.
Photo courtesy of mstate athletics.com
 BART GREGORY
Mississippi State Bulldogs Men's Basketball Color Analyst

1. Is there one food or recipe in particular that it just wouldn't be game day without?

Bart: My wife makes a bacon-wrapped sausage appetizer for all football games. It's one of my favorite things in the world to eat but she only makes it during football season because she says it's bad for me...but I don't care if it's bad.

2. What is the most memorable SEC game you've ever been to?

Bart: I would say the Mississippi State-Arkansas game in 1998. Wayne Madkin led a long drive to set up Brian Hazelwood, who kicked a last second field goal to send us to Atlanta for the SEC Championship game.

3. What Southern food does mama make best?

Bart: The Chicken and Dumplings she makes from scratch. I used to help her roll out the dough as a kid. Best comfort food there is.

4. Who is the greatest football player, coach, or icon of all time from Mississippi State?

Bart: We've had some great players and coaches at Mississippi State, but since I work in radio, I'd have to say Jack Cristil. He's a true icon who broadcast football and basketball for over a half-century.

Check back on Wednesdays to learn what other notables had to say on the subject of tailgating, football, and Southern food faves.

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

FOR THE LOVE OF THE GAME DAY...BARBARA DOOLEY

TIDEFAN FARE PRESENTS:
SAY WHAT? WEDNESDAYS
When compiling fun facts for "the fans" for Southern Livings The Official SEC Tailgating Cookbook, I had the opportunity to ask several notables a few questions in regards to Southern food and game day in general. There wasn't room to run it all in the cookbook but I thought you may be interested in what they had to say...to you, the fans!

Vince and Barbara Dooley
Photo courtesy of Mercy Medical.
BARBARA DOOLEY
Wife of former University of Georgia Head Football Coach Vince Dooley
Mom to University of Tennessee Head Football Coach Derek Dooley

1. Do you have any superstitions you practice before or the day of a football game?

Ms. Dooley: I think all of us in coaching have some superstitions. In fact, Vince had a sweater that he wore and was convinced that he had to have that sweater before kick off. He took his team to Madison, Georgia to spend Friday nights of home games and he remembered that he forgot his sweater. About 8:00 on Friday evening, a patrol car came down our drive looking for his sweater.

2. It isn't an SEC game day unless...

Ms. Dooley: We can hear the band practicing on Friday evenings, the campers rolling in for the game, and the traffic picking up to a frenzy. Game weekend turns our town into a a really exciting place to be. It's a Happening.

3. Do you wear something in particular on game day?

Ms. Dooley: For many years, I would have a "new" red and black outfit to wear each home game but I always wear red and black whether it's new or old. Now that our son is at Tennessee, I have incorporated Orange into my wardrobe, but Vince will not let me wear it until I cross the state line.

4. What Southern food does mama make best?

Ms. Dooley: Fried chicken...and for some reason I cannot make it taste like hers...So I depend on KFC!

Bonus: Is there one food or recipe in particular that it just wouldn't be game day without?

Ms. Dooley: The only thing that made me know it was game day was that I was so nervous that I couldn't eat!

Check back on Wednesdays to learn more of what other game day notables had to say on the subject of tailgating, football, and Southern food faves.

Sunday, October 14, 2012

WHISKEY RIVER-DARK CHOCOLATE BROWNIES... SHOT OF BOURBON OR DESSERT, YOU DECIDE

You'll wish you could cram these easy to make treats into a flask and sneak them into the game they're so rich, and well...smooth. Oven-ready in just 10 minutes, go ahead and let you're guests think you spent all day preparing these INTENSE gems.

Whiskey River-Dark Chocolate Brownies
Makes about 2 dozen
Prep: 10 min., Bake: 40 min.

Game Plan: Make the day before and plan to cut them just before serving. Use a bench scraper, pushing straight down, for party-perfect edges.

1 (8-oz.) package unsweetened chocolate, chopped
3/4 cup salted butter, cut into pieces
2 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1/4 cup whiskey
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp table salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line bottom and sides of a 9-inch baking pan with foil, allowing 2-inches to extend over the sides; lightly grease foil.

Microwave chocolate and butter in a large glass microwave-safe bowl at HIGH 1 1/2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds until smooth. Whisk in sugar. Add eggs, whiskey, and vanilla bean paste; whisk until smooth. Add flour and salt; whisk until smooth. Pour mixture into prepared pan.

Bake for 40 minutes or until puffed and just set. Cool completely on a wire rack. Lift brownies from pan, using foil sides as handles. Remove foil, and cut brownies into squares.

Enjoy.

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

FOR THE LOVE OF THE GAME DAY...MARCELL DAREUS (PART 2)

TIDEFAN FARE PRESENTS:
SAY WHAT? WEDNESDAYS
When compiling fun facts for "the fans" for Southern Livings The Official SEC Tailgating Cookbook, I had the opportunity to ask several football notables a few questions in regards to Southern food and game day in general. There wasn't room to run it all in the cookbook but I thought you may be interested in what they had to say...to you, the fans!

Marcell Dareus speaks in a press conference after winning the
BCS Charmpionship game against the Texas Longhorns.
Photo courtesy of Kevork Djansezian/ Getty Images NA.
MARCELL DAREUS
(PART 2)
Former Alabama Crimson Tide Defensive Lineman
(Questions in reference to when he played football for The University of Alabama)

1. What is the most memorable SEC football game you've ever been to?

Marcell: I'd have to say any game against Florida. I hated Florida with a passion. That time we lost against them in the SEC Championship...man, those offensive linemen would talk a lot of junk on the field and try and get in your head.

2. What's your favorite Southern food?

Marcell: I love it all.Mac and cheese, cornbread, mashed potatoes...loaded. And fried chicken.

3. Sweet tea or unsweetened?

Marcell: Sweet! I have to have it at every meal, especially when I eat barbecue. That and lemonade. You know, everyone says they like Dreamland and it's ok and all, but I am a Full Moon fanatic. I just love it.

4. What is your favorite Southern saying?

Marcell: I've got you covered like a blanket. It's like when someone asks you to do something, you say, "Man, I've got you covered like a blanket." My godfather taught me that.

Check back on Wednesdays to learn more of what other game day notables had to say on the subject of tailgating, football, and Southern food faves.

Sunday, October 7, 2012

COOKIE MONSTER ALERT: SO EASY FUDGE BROWNIE COOKIES

I LOVE COOKIES-- the perfect little treat to make your day go from good to great. There are dozens of recipes I'm dying to try on my long-ish short list and this was one of them.

I draw inspiration from everywhere and found the recipe on a blog that credited it back to the original published source...and stiff SL competition, I might add. I fully intended to prepare the cookies as written however found the recipe needed a good bit of tweaking for success. Get ready to receive compliments galore. These are sinfully Divine!

Fudge Brownie Cookies
Make 1 1/2 dozen
Prep: 30 min., Bake: 12 min. per batch

Game Plan: Bake these cookies the night before. Package each cookie in translucent glassine bags and decorate each bag with ribbon in your team colors using a hole puncher.

8 oz. Ghirardelli bittersweet chocolate morsels
1/4 cup Land o Lakes butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. table salt
2 large eggs
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 (12-oz.) package Ghirardelli semisweet chocolate morsels
Note: Use the brands suggested for the best results.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Microwave bittersweet morsels and butter in a medium glass bowl on HIGH 1 minute, stirring every 30 seconds until smooth. Cool 5 minutes.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.

Beat eggs, brown sugar, and vanilla in a heavy-duty stand mixer with a paddle attachment on medium-high until whipped, fluffy, and smooth. (Mixture will be the color of a cafe au lait.) On low speed, add melted chocolate mixture and beat until well blended, stopping to scrape down the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add flour mixture and semisweet chocolate morsels on low speed and mix just until combined. Let cookie dough stand 15 minutes.

Portion dough into 18 pieces and place 6 per parchment-lined baking sheet. Slightly flatten mound of dough. Bake one pan at a time for 11 to 12 minutes or until centers of cookies are just set. Do not over bake. Cool on pans 10 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Enjoy.

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

FOR THE LOVE OF THE GAME DAY...MS. TERRY SABAN (PART 2)

TIDEFAN FARE PRESENTS:
SAY WHAT? WEDNESDAYS
When compiling fun facts for "the fans" for Southern Livings The Official SEC Tailgating Cookbook, I had the opportunity to ask Ms. Terry and several other football notables a few questions in regards to Southern food and game day in general. There wasn't room to run it all in the cookbook but I thought you may be interested in what they had to say...to you, the fans!
University of Alabama Head Football Coach
Nick Saban and his wife Terry (a.k.a. Ms. Terry)
Photo courtesy of Saturday Down South.
TERRY SABAN
(PART 2)
Wife of The University of Alabama Head Coach Nick Saban

1. Do you have any superstitions you practice before or the day of a football game?

Ms. Terry: Nick makes sure that he eats two Little Debbie Oatmeal Cream Pies that morning...even when we travel, I make certain to pack them. I also make sure that our daughter has given him his lucky penny before the game! There have been times that we have had to ask a police officer to track her down right before game time, and other times she has had to run out onto the field to hand it to him! She has been giving him a penny before the game since she was 12 years old. She is 21 now. She named her little dog Penny!
2. Is there one food or recipe in particular that it just wouldn't be game day without?

Ms. Terry: Nick loves carrot cake and our local friend Karler Hughes makes the best carrot cake in the South! So Karler has the schedule of games and makes sure we have a carrot cake on hand for Nick and our company! We even serve it at every recruiting party...but don't tell the other schools our secret!

3. It isn't an SEC game day unless...

Ms. Terry: ESPN starts the day as we have a houseful of company, all the children are wearing their cheerleading outfits or favorite team jersey, Aunt Fran and Uncle Sid help with last minute errands, we are distributing tickets and parking passes, and we all eat a hot dog as we watch the band warm up!

4. Sweet tea or unsweetened?

Ms. Terry: Would love to say sweet, but for the past few years, I've had to say "UN!" Too many recruiting dinners!

Check back on Wednesdays to learn more of what Ms. Terry and other game day notables had to say on the subject of tailgating, football, and Southern food faves.