Tailgating

Larry the Cable Guy's done some tailgating in his day. Naturally, he's got some advice to offer. "First off," says Larry, who will be at M&T Bank Stadium this Sunday to tailgate with Ravens fans as part of a promotion for Prilosec OTC heartburn medicine, "you always wait about an hour before you lick the grill. That's always a priority. " Wise words, indeed. Anything else? Larry thinks for a moment. "You know it's a good tailgate," he offers, "when you actually miss the game.

While the en papillote ("in parchment") method of cooking might sound a little too fancy for tailgating, Mark Graham, in his Dinner Tonight column for the Chicago Tribune, has suggested that it's really nothing more than food wrapped in parchment paper and cooked. What may sound intimidating turns out to be a handy method for cooking at a tailgate or other outdoor party. The packets can be easily assembled at home and then grilled at the tailgate party. They travel well in a cooler of ice. Instead of parchment paper, which can be tricky for first-time users, his recipe uses foil for these salmon-and-veggie packets.

On Thursday afternoon, as most of America fusses over basting and trussing, Tracey Despeaux will be pulling into Ravens stadium with a movable feast. From the back of her purple-painted bus, she'll unload turkey, yams, string beans and corn, pies, ham, rolls and potatoes. She'll arrange the bounty around festive dried husks and pumpkin-scented candles. Then she and the rest of the Pasadena Ravens Roost will gather round fold-out tables to enjoy Thanksgiving. "Everybody sitting down together," Despeaux says.

So it's Thanksgiving Day, and if you are a football fanatic lucky enough to have a ticket to the Ravens game tonight, as well as a pass from Grandma, you may well be having your Thanksgiving feast in the parking lot at M&T Bank Stadium . Undoubtedly, there will be tailgaters out there cooking up traditional Thanksgiving fare like whole turkeys and ham, firing up their grills and deep fryers outside of the stadium. If, however, deep-frying or grilling a whole bird in the parking lot feels bit daunting, why not consider making a big pot of turkey chili or something as simple as turkey burger sliders?

Is football — more specifically, Thursday's Ravens-49ers game, the first time a Baltimore NFL team has played on Thanksgiving in 46 years — threatening to overshadow your holiday meal plans? Instead of fighting the game, why not embrace it? To help, we've recast the traditional Thanksgiving foods with a tailgate twist. You can still have your turkey, your stuffing, your potatoes, your greens, your pie, but in a game-friendly way. Think of it as a tailgate party at your table.

Adam Eagan, managing partner at the Empire Brewing Co. in Syracuse, N.Y., knows a thing or two about good food and beer. It is, after all, what he does for a living. At least four or five times during the football season he packs up his car and makes the 51/2-hour trek from upstate New York to Baltimore, where he lived for 28 years, to join some of his buddies for a "killer" tailgate in Lot H1 at M&T Bank Stadium. He was introduced to this group of foodie fans some years ago by his best friend from high school, Mark Maloney, and was impressed with what they were putting together for food and beverage at their tailgate.

Tailgating the Har-bowl? You can enter to win a Thanksgiving Tailgate Package from the Classic Catering People. The grand prize winner will Ravens Thanksgiving Tailgate Package for 10 for the November 24 game. The package includes: roasted turkey breast with gravy, steamed shrimp with cocktail sauce, festive salad, sweet potato crumble, cranberry orange relish, assorted dinner rolls, deep dish apple pie, painted football shaped cookies and assorted beverages. Some rules apply.

Don Schline, a senior sales advisor with Mackenzie Commercial Real Estate in Baltimore, and his buddies really know how to throw a tailgate party. The core group of 15, organized and motivated by their friend Scott McClure, are all friends from their high schools days. The group has been tailgating together in Lot H1 at M&T stadium at every home game, rain or shine, since the Ravens played their first game there. They are united by their passion for their hometown team and their love of good food.

This deal probably jumped out at me because of the Ravens win yesterday over the Texans and my doppleganger Matt Schaub. Anyways, check out all the deals at  http://www.dickssportinggoods.com  including favorites:   Tailgate Gear Sport Seat Cushion   $2.97 Tailgate Gear 14" Charcoal Table Top Grill  $7.22 Tailgate Gear Heavy Duty Oversized Arm Chair  $8.50 Tailgate Gear OS Dual Arm Chair ...

The clerks at the Days Inn of Westminster know that every Friday night before a McDaniel College home football game, a bearish guy with a thick New York accent will appropriate their refrigerator and fill it with 150 cubes of yellow and green Jell-O — spiked with a little something extra. "Everyone knows that if you want a Jell-O shot, you come to the camouflage tent at the 50-yard line," says a beaming Joe Timpanaro, whose son plays wide receiver for the Green Terror (the team colors correspond with dad's Jell-O)