This would be a good time to explain what was happening, and what will happen.

The College of Arts & Sciences (A&S) hosts several home game tailgates. When we got here, Good and Organized Dean and his wife, together with Good and Very Organized Ass’t Dean and his wife, ran the show. Throughout the season, different A&S departments sponsored a tailgate. Some departments loaded up on Chilk-fil-A, some did the chili cook-off, others did a yearly sausage grilling. Other tailgate goers brought apps, side dishes, and desserts.

As you are starting to appreciate, Mr. Big Food and his department did a thematic tailgate, based on the opponent’s mascot or geographical location. Hence, for the Arkansas Razorbacks (2012), we featured pork.

Good Dean retired and he and his wife moved away. Good and Very Organized Ass’t Dean retired as well, but they didn’t move, and so still went to tailgates but with no official standing other than to be helping hands. Good and Organized Dean was replaced by Good and DISorganized Dean and his wife. This is a very nice couple, friends of a certain sort, who know very well how to entertain small groups. Unfortunately for them, A&S tailgates are not small affairs, but with some help, and continuing the department sponsorships, they managed.

About this time, the Game Day folk–the people who control traffic, road closing, parking, etc.–decided to become less hospitable and more … how shall I say? … jerk-like. It became more and more difficult for people to bring in food in. And at this same time, Good Disorganized Dean moved.

The thing to know about both Deans is that their management style was such that they tried to create an atmosphere in which others could do best what they did well. Good Disorganized Dean was replaced by a person … again, how to say? … who did not share this managerial style. Nor did he and his wife have a flare for hosting tailgates of 100+ people.

As part of the unofficial transfer of of power, in the summer of 2016, Good Disorganized Dean strongly suggested to Helpful but Authoritarian and Somewhat Indecisive Dean that Mr. Big Food take complete control of the tailgate. The whole entire sheebang, not just the cooking. There were plenty of folk who helped, of course. But beginning Fall 2016, it was our show.

Meanwhile, back to 2013…

Time for Another Season of ‘How to Cook for / Feed 150 People’

Published on October 3, 2013 by Marica 

Season 3

This is the third year in a row Mr. Big Food & Co. will be hosting a tailgate for a State game. This one’s before the LSU game so he’s doing a shrimp boil– shrimp, potatoes, corn cobs, sausage, seasonings (without shrimp and sausage for the vegans).

Tomorrow, Mr. Big Food and I will go to the Piglet to pick up a few things (!) and A. Leland will travel to Tupelo to pick up the shrimp. We are curious to see what 50 pounds of shrimp looks like. Tomorrow evening we’ll shuck 96 ears of corn.

We anticipate problems– not the least of which might be Karen [an impending tropical storm]– but then, we’d be fools to not. This is not our first rodeo.

Last year we did sandwiches. Sounds easy, right? Wrong and wrong and wrong again. Here’s Part One of Episode 2:

Mr. Big Food & Co. are hosting a tailgate after the MSU / Auburn game which kicks off at 11am central next Saturday.
We expect about 150 people. Here’s what we’ve done so far.
We have procured 28 pounds of beef brisket.
We have procured 28 pounds of pig sholder.
We have procured 35 pounds of turkey breast.
We stored it in the Deep Freezer.
That was Day One. We visited all three of the Big Grocery stores in S’vegas.
On Day Two– this morning– we went to Walmart to procure the rest of the list.
30 Vadalia onions & such.
Stay tuned. There’s some smokin’ comin’ up.

Part Two; Part Three, Part Four; Game Day.

Check the blog archive for September 2012 for the recipes for the smoked meats and for the giant pot of red beans

Big Garden, Big Food, Big Life launched with Episode 1. 260 Pieces of Chicken. Remember?