COOKING : Tailgate Parties: Easy Does It

This is the time of year when passing the pigskin can have different meanings.

One involves goal posts, helmets and Joe Montana. The other refers to munchies at a tailgate party. Or as Peter L. Brown, who teaches a class on the subject through UC Irvine Extension, says, the art of tailgating. His version goes way beyond deep-fried pork rinds.

The best ingredients for a tailgate party, he suggests, are simple foods prepared beforehand and ready to eat (he’s not a big fan of barbecues because of the mess and time it takes to prepare food when you could be socializing).

Soups, hot or cold, fill the bill well for the main course, he says. Among his favorites: a hearty Italian variety, such as minestrone, which can be made with a creamy base or a consomme base, with a beef stock and crunchy vegetables. It’s nutritious, filling and can be complemented with a crusty bread.

If the game happens to fall on a hot day, make a spicy tomato soup, let it cool, then add a dash of horseradish just before serving it. (Brown’s quick and dirty version of this is V-8 juice enhanced with some beef consomme followed by the dab of horseradish.)

You can make the soup a day or two before the event, then just before leaving pour it into a preheated wide-mouthed insulated container.

If soup is not your style, Brown suggests you consider a stew or potato casserole filled with pieces of ham and cheese. Or cook a ham or beef roast, slice it, then double-wrap it with aluminum foil, set it back in the oven to heat up the whole shebang, then pop it into the picnic basket just before you leave.

Fresh vegetables with assorted dips are easy to transport and somehow taste especially good when eaten outside, he says.

Sandwiches make a great tailgate take-along. Brown suggests that each friend bring a different kind, then share for varied taste treats.

Cold pasta dishes, or variations on them, may be out of culinary style, but they go great on a tailgate, Brown says. He suggests this fishy version: Cook up some Chilean sea bass or red-lipped white fish (which can be found at Trader Joe’s), then mix it with a small type of pasta. Season it with oil and vinegar and lots of fresh chopped parsley.

For desserts, avoid sticky and gooey items such as cakes. Who wants to sit through a whole game with a big chocolate stain on their pants? Opt instead for fruit and cheese or cookies--something that can be taken into the stadium for a halftime treat.

Don’t let the lack of a tailgate itself stop you from having the party, Brown says. Just bring along folding chairs and tables. And you can be kind to the environment by bringing dishes, knifes and forks from home rather than using paper plates. Just make sure to pack a jar of soapy water for cleanup.

Brown recommends you give yourself ample time to enjoy the most important ingredient: the company of friends.