By GRACE STRAHAN
Are you counting down the days to the first college game of the season? Starkville is brimming with excitement for our first home game and the start of tailgate season. For seasoned tailgaters, the counting down of days is much like the excitement of Christmas coming. While I understand nothing about the sport of football, I love a good party and a good tailgate might be my favorite.
My friends Nikki Buss, and her husband John, are accomplished tailgaters. They mastered this art long before we knew each other. There are two things that you can count on at every home game: corn dip and sliders. I’m not sure which I anticipate more.
When heading out to campus, one can always spot the tailgating pros. These are the people that set up early and well relaxed in their favorite chair long before kickoff. These are the people lounging in front of their generator powered TVs and grills going. I think it is one of the best ways to spend a Saturday in Starkville. If you are not a Bulldog native, make it your goal to come out just one Saturday. You’ll be hooked. And yes, it is great fun, even for the football impaired.
At every tailgate, there are rules involved. In case no one has ever explained this rule to you, don’t take Nikki’s chair. It is not up for grabs. She might, however, determine that she likes your chair better than her own and take yours. Trust me, if this transaction occurs, don’t try reclaiming your territory. Fair or not, she did bring the corn dip!
Every week, somewhere between setting up and hearing an unnamed person ask, “Who’s winning?” both the sliders and corn dip are gone. And so goes another Saturday.
As you gear up for the first game, the recipe below is for the Nikki’s dip that she so graciously shared. John keeps his slider recipe a little more under lock and key. So, I’ll leave that to you. But you can take this dip that might become your group’s new staple. Whip up a batch, pick out your favorite chair and head out to campus for that first home game. Go Dawgs!
Corn Dip
1 can of Fiesta Corn, drained
1/2 cup mayo
1/2 cup sour cream
3 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated
green onions, to taste
salt to taste
Mix all ingredients above and chill overnight. Serve with your favorite corn chip. Frito’s Scoops seem to be a favorite. You may also want to serve this in a container with ice underneath to keep it cool before the weather starts to turn.
Grace Strahan is a contributing food columnist for Starkville Daily News. Email her at gstrahan@SynergeticsDCS.com [2].
Links:
[1] http://starkvilledailynews.com/sites/default/files/STRAHAN.jpg
[2] mailto:gstrahan@SynergeticsDCS.com
