Curry in (Too Much of) a Hurry

Ok,

So the local supermarket had a special on boneless chicken breasts, so I stocked up as I had a couple of cookouts and the Revs tailgate coming up.  Thinking of what I had in my pantry and in my fridge along with what recipes I'd done previously for Revs games, I figured it was time to break out an old favorite - Tandoori chicken.

Now my go-to recipe is from one of those cheap cookbooks that I found on the discount rack at Borders a few years ago.  But you know what, it's got a lot of great stuff in it, particularly when it comes to Asian and Indian food.

Being late on a Friday night, I made an impromptu shopping list and dashed out to Stop and Shop with minutes to spare.  As soon as I got in the door I had to start prepping.  I had friends coming over for a cookout on Saturday afternoon, the tailgate at Revs game Saturday night and another cookout with some friends on Sunday afternoon.  I had to make food for all three events and wanted to go to bed at a halfway decent hour.  I quickly dashed around to collect all the ingredients that I'd need and started to mix everything together.  About halfway through I discovered I made a mistake.

Instead of grabbing my jar of Tandoori paste, I grabbed the jar of hot curry paste.

I thought about it for a minute and came to the realization that despite this inadvertent substitution, the result would probably taste pretty damn good.  And I was right.  The Tandoori paste isn't as spicy as the curry paste, so the added zip was a welcome addition.

Grilled Spicy Curry Chicken
Adapted from 'The Complete Barbecue Cookbook' by Bay Books


4 boneless chicken breasts, butterflied into 2 1/4" thick pieces
1/2 cup Greek style yogurt
2 tbsp curry paste (I use Patak's)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 1/2 tsp garam masala
1 tbsp dried cillantro

Mix all the ingredients, except for the chicken, together in a bowl and add to a ziploc bag.  Place the chicken in the marinade, seal the bag (pressing the air out as you close it) and refrigerate for 2 hours minimum (preferably overnight).

To cook, grill the chicken over medium heat, 3-4 minutes a side until the juices run clear.  Serve warm and enjoy

Notes:
Like I said earlier, this recipe was originally designed to use Tandoori paste instead of curry paste.  To be honest, the jars that I have look nearly the same - same brand (Patak's), same shape, same labels.  The curry paste I used was a bit more spicy than the Tandoori would be.  The tandoori paste imparts a vibrant red color that it is known for as well as a fruitier flavor.  But either way, it will be tasty.

Umami Dearest - Beer & Miso Sirloin Tips

No wire-y hanger steaks, ever!

With apologies to Joan Crawford (sorry, couldn't resist using that line),  I've been on an umami kick recently.  For those who don't know the term, umami is considered the fifth taste people sense on their tongue (along with sweet, salty, bitter and sour).  Often, this is best described as "savoriness".  Usually, it is the presence of chemical compounds known as glutimates that lends foods this savory quality.

Ingredients such as mushrooms, tomato paste and parmesean cheese are naturally high in glutimates.  Fermented sauces such as Vietnamese Noc Cham and soy sauce are full of them as well.  Ever wonder why monosodium glutimate (C₅H₈NNaO₄₎ is added to processed food or Chinese take out?  Think about it.  That's right, its pure flavor enhancement (provided it is added in moderate doses).

Sirloin tips are one of the better cuts of meat when it comes to balancing beefy flavor, ease of grilling and cost.  So when the local Stop & Shop had the family packs of sirloin tips on sale ($3.99 a pound) and the meat was extremely well marbled (even more flavorful), it was a perfect choice for my next tailgate faire.

I've been reading a lot of recipes lately that feature boosting umami flavor.  It really is amazing the difference adding a tablespoon of soy sauce to a crock pot braise or sautéing tomato paste in a stew will make.  So when I got an email from Weber as one of the recipes of the week, "miso marinated flatiron steaks with shiitake mushrooms", I knew I had to check it out.  Sure enough, it was not only delicious, but it was also very easily adapt for using with steak tips.

Sirloin Tips with Beer & Miso Marinade
Adapted from Weber's 'On the Grill' by Jamie Purviance

2 pounds beef sirloin tips, trimmed of extraneous fat and cut into 1" cubes
1/4 cup miso paste
1/4 cup beer, preferable a light lager or ale
2 tbsp hot water
1 tbsp brown sugar
2 scallions, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
pinch of ground black pepper
1 tsp soy sauce

Dissolve the brown sugar in the hot water and add along with all the other ingredients (other then the meat) into a mixing bowl and stir to combine.  Place the meat in a ziploc bag and add the marinade.  Squeeze the air out of the bag and seal.  Refrigerate for 2 hours (overnight at most).

To grill, drain the marinade from the beef and arrange the cubes on a medium hot grill for 4 minutes.  Turn over and grill for another 3-4 minutes for medium.  Let rest for five minutes under a piece of foil (to let the juices distribute) and serve.

Notes:
In order to get the most tender meat, I like to buy the whole strips of sirloin flap meat and cut it myself into cubes, slicing the meat against the grain.

The original recipe calls for light beer.  As you might guess, that's not exactly a staple of my beer fridge. But I did have a few cans of Yuengling lager lying around.  It really makes no sense to use an expensive beer in this recipe (the flavor nuances are diminished by the hight heat of grilling), but the Yuengling has a nice sweetness that adds to the marinade.  Also, I added the scallions to add another layer of flavor and the soy sauce for another flavor boost.  This marinade is not spicy, but really brings out the beefy flavor of the tips.

Four Sliders, One Big Home Run

Ok,

I know I'm wicked late in getting this post done.  Blame it on the Bruins' Stanley Cup Run.  It pretty much consumed my life for most of the month of June.

But amidst my numerous forays into the North Station area, I did manage to make time for another special sporting event.  This one happened to be in Foxboro, though: A rematch of the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup semifinals between the United States Men's National Team and the reigning world champions from Spain.

This was going to be a big game.  The USMNT has become a decent draw unto itself.  But with Spain the opponent, it was a given that this would be a near-sellout at Gillette.  In fact, one could make the case that this was the biggest game the US ever played in Foxboro, despite the fact that it was a friendly (exhibition) match.  It was bigger than US-Holland in 2002.  The only match that could possibly approach it was US-Mexico in 1997.

Nonetheless, when the USMNT plays, it's often a chance for me to catch up with a number of friends from all over the country.  In fact, it was from traveling all over the US for USMNT matches that I made a good number of these friendships.  And as often is the case, this usually involves a massive tailgate party before the game.

Now, as you already know, I live for tailgating.  The food, the friends the camaraderie - it's one of my favorite things in the world.  I try to bring my 'A' game for most Revolution games, but for matches as big as this one, I really like to outdo myself.

So, when it came to planning out my menu, I had to factor in a few things.  Namely, I 'd be cooking for a lot more people, some who have tried my cuisine before and some who have never savored the fruits of my culinary labor.  In addition, while I'd have a significantly longer tailgate than a usual Revolution match, I'd want to bounce around and socialize a lot more as well.  So this meant something that was quick cooking and easy to assemble.  Fortunately, I didn't have to think too hard about what to make, the idea popped into my head right away: Sliders.

The mini-burger craze is alive and well.  And why not?  Restaurants all over are using sliders as a means of offering many different tastes in small bites.  You can have the taste of a burger without making the commitment to having to eat a third of a pound of the the same thing.

Because I like to mix things up and offer a variety of dishes whenever I cook, I chose to make four different types using two different types of meat: ground beef and ground turkey.  I have a bunch of friends who don't do the red meat thing anyways, so the turkey would allow them to be included as well.

I riffled through a bunch of my cookbooks and searched through the Epicurious website and finally came up with my recipes:

• Beef sliders with chimichurri sauce on snowflake rolls
• Beef sliders with roasted garlic confit and blue cheese on garlic ciabatta
• Turkey souvlaki sliders with tzaziki sauce and baby spinach on dinner rolls
• Turkey bratwurst sliders, 'Octoberfest style' with jaeger sauce, sauerkraut and new potato on pumpernickel

Without further ado, here's the info:

Beef sliders with Chimichurri Sauce

Adapted from Joey Altman

1 1/2 lb ground beef
1 bunch flat leaf (Italian) parsley, washed, dried and stems removed

8 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 red wine vinegar
3 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper

12 Snowflake or other small dinner rolls, sliced in half

Season the beef with salt and pepper and form into 12 balls of equal size.  Flatten the balls into patties and grill over medium heat 3-4 minutes a side until pink in the middle.

Meanwhile, add the parsley, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, salt, black pepper and cayenne to a blender and pulse until somewhat smooth.

To serve, place a burger on a roll, top with the chimmichurri and top with other side of roll.

Notes:

Chimmichurri is a staple of South American cuisine. Similar to Italian pesto, but not as thick (there's no cheese to act as a binder), this sauce packs an incredible herbal punch with a big garlic kick.  The oil adds body while the vinegar and lemon juice cuts through the richness.  Fresh parsley is an absolute must here and don't skimp on the olive oil either.  The original recipe calls for sherry vinegar, but I used a combination of red wine and champagne vinegars here.  Extra sauce can be refrigerated and works great on a variety of grilled meats.

Also, make sure to use ground beef that is no more than 80-85% lean, usually ground chuck.  Using anything leaner (90%+) will result in dry burgers with no taste.  The fat content is essential here.

Beef sliders with Roasted Garlic Confit and Blue Cheese

1 1/2 lb ground beef (80-85% lean)

1 lb peeled garlic cloves

1 tbsp Chicago or Montreal steak seasoning

1/2 cup olive oil

kosher salt

pepper

blue cheese
1 loaf garlic ciabatta or rolls

Season the beef with the steak seasoning and form into 12 balls of equal size.  Flatten the balls into patties and grill over medium heat 3-4 minutes a side until pink in the middle.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375° F and heat a small oven-safe saucepan or skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil.  Once the oil comes to temperature and begins to shimmer, add the garlic and season with salt and pepper. When the garlic starts to turn golden, place the skillet in the over and roast for 30 minutes until the garlic is nicely browned.

Remove from the oven and let cool.  Once cooled, removed the garlic and mash into a paste, using the remaining oil as necessary to make a smooth mixture.

To serve, place a burger on on piece of ciabatta.  Top with a 1/2 tbsp of the blue cheese and a spoonful of the confit.  Place the other half of the the ciabatta on top and enjoy

Notes:
The roasted garlic confit sounds complicated to make, but it is anything but.  The key is to buy a 16 oz container of peeled garlic, found in the produce section of most supermarkets.  Its a huge time saver.  The sweetness of the garlic combined with the salty tanginess of the blue cheese works wonderfully with the richness of the ground beef.

Turkey Souvlaki Sliders with Tzaziki Sauce
Adapted from Robin Miller/Food Network

1 package ground turkey (about 1-1/3 lb)
1/4 cup buttermilk
2 slices sandwich bread, crusts removed & diced
1 egg yolk
1 tsp ground allspice
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 16 oz container tzaziki sauce
1 package fresh baby spinach
12 dinner rolls

In a mixing bowl, soak the bread in the buttermilk for 5 minutes and mash into a fine paste.  Beat the egg yolk into the mix and stir to incorporate. Add the spices and mix to incorporate evenly.  Add the ground turkey and mix until all ingredients are evenly distributed.

Using a 2 ounce cookie scoop, portion out the turkey mix into 10-12 balls.  Flatten the balls into patties.  Grill the patties over a medium flame about 3-4 minutes a side.  To serve, slice the rolls in half. Spread each half with tzaziki sauce and layer a few leaves of spinach on the bottom half.  Top with a patty and cover with the other half of the roll.

Notes:
I usually like to make my own tzaziki sauce from scratch using Greek style yogurt, shredded cucumber, minced garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper.  But because of time constraints, I took a shortcut and bought some at the local supermarket.  And to be honest, it was a pretty good substitute.

Also, I took an idea often used in making meatballs by including the bread and buttermilk.  Commonly referred to as a 'panade', the combination helps to keep the rather lean turkey moist during cooking and prevents the burgers from becoming overly dense at the same time.  it also adds another dimension of flavor.

Turkey Bratwurst Sliders, 'Octoberfest style' with Jaeger Sauce, Sauerkraut and New Potato
Adapted from Cooking Light Magazine and Epicurious

1 package ground turkey (about 1-1/3 lb)
1/4 cup buttermilk
2 slices sandwich bread, crusts removed & diced
1 egg yolk
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp ground coriander seed
1/2 tsp rubbed sage
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground ginger
2 new or red potatoes, sliced into 1/4 inch slices
1 package refrigerated sauerkraut
1 package cocktail size pumpernickel bread

Jaeger Sauce (see below)

Arrange the potato slices on a microwave safe plate, brush with vegetable oil and season with salt and pepper. Microwave on high for 4 minutes, flipping the slices over halfway through. The slices should be tender to the touch. If they are not tender, microwave longer, 10 seconds at a time, until done.  Set aside to cool.

In a mixing bowl, soak the bread in the buttermilk for 5 minutes and mash into a fine paste. Beat the egg yolk into the mix and stir to incorporate. Add the spices and mix to incorporate evenly. Add the ground turkey and mix until all ingredients are evenly distributed.

Using a 2 ounce cookie scoop, portion out the turkey mix into 10-12 balls.  Flatten the balls into patties.  Grill the patties over a medium flame about 3-4 minutes a side.

To serve, arrange one slice of bread and spoon a bit of the jaeger sauce on it.  Place one slice of potato on top of the sauce and then a patty.  Top the patty with a spoonful of sauerkraut and another slice of bread. If desired, use cocktail toothpicks to hold the slider together.

Barbecue it Like Beckham - Lemon Miso Chicken

....And we're back!!!

Hello again.  I know it's been a while, but such is the life of a multi-sport season ticket holder in New England.  With the Bruins making it all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals, most of my free time has been spent at the TD Bank Garden (and the Four's).  It's not that I don't care about the Revs - far from it.  It's just that Jon's rule of conflicting sporting events has had to be invoked more than ever in the last month and a half.

For those unfamiliar with this edict, it's quite simple:  When you have tickets to two or more sporting events that take place at the same time, the game with more on the line always takes precedence.  Playoff game vs. regular season? No question - always the playoff game.

And speaking of the Bruins, I was at game 7 against the Lightning Friday night. Simply put, it was one of the greatest nights of my life, sporting-event wise.  And because I was in such a good mood, I stayed out late to celebrate.  I may have even had a celebratory libation or two (or eight).

Alas, when Saturday morning rolled around, I was hurting.  I was happy, but man was I hungover.  And with the Revs-Galaxy game that night, I hadn't prepared any food yet.  Hurting and empty-handed, what to do?

I had a bunch of chicken tenders I picked up earlier in the week on sale at Market Basket.  Already trimmed, they would need minimal preparation.  But I needed a marinade.  Something easy (my head was pounding and I wanted to get back in bed), but tasty.

So I popped open Weber's Real Grilling and literally opened it right to the poultry section.  Even better, I  came across a recipe I hadn't ever seen before - Lemon Miso Chicken.  Ever since I picked up a container of white miso on my last trip to H-Mart in Burlington, I've been looking for recipes with which to use it.  So this was a great find.  But how would it taste?  There was only one way to find out.

Lemon Miso Chicken
Adapted from Weber's Real Grilling by Jamie Purviance

1-1/2 to 2 lbs chicken tenders or chicken breast sliced into 1" strips
2 tbsp miso paste
2 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 tbsp toasted seasme oil
1 tbsp chili oil
1 tbsp siracha or hot sauce
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tbsp ground black pepper

Place chicken in a ziploc bag.  In a bowl, combine all other ingredients and pour into bag.  Seal the bag, pressing the air out as you close it.  Mix the contents to distribute the marinade evenly.  Refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours (overnight works best).

To cook, grill over medium heat, 4-5 minutes a side, flipping the chicken over once.  Chicken should be moist and the juices running clear.

Notes:
The original recipe called for red miso, canola oil and tabasco.  I only had white miso on hand.  The red miso will have a deeper flavor, but the white worked just fine here.  I replaced the canola oil with the chili oil to give the marinade a little more kick.  And I just could not bring myself to use tabasco in an asian style marinade, so I used siracha, which gave a nice, gentile spice kick at the end.  If you have chili garlic sauce on hand, I'm sure you could use that as well.

This came out amazing.  The meat was nice and juicy and the marinade was just so very different from other soy based marinades I've used in the past.  The siracha gave a very gentile heat to the dish.  This recipe was so good, in fact, that I made it again the next day for my Memorial day cookout.

Victory in Defeat, Part II: Pork Ain't Just a Verb

As I mentioned in Part I of my postgame recap, I had a whole lotta pork loin, courtesy of Mandy.  I halved it into two equal 28 once portions and decided to go with a West Indian spiced marinade for the first half.

But what to do with the second?

When I'm in bind as far as finding a recipe, my go-to cookbook has often been Steven Raichlen's "The Barbecue Bible".  Perhaps it's because this book is stocked with a myriad of recipes with influences from all around the world.  Maybe it's the fact that it has separate sections devotes to marinades, sauces and rubs.  Or it could be the fact that Raichlen is a fellow member of the tribe who loves to barbecue and grill pork.

In any case, I came across a recipe that I hadn't tried before: Pork with Moorish Seasonings. As he explains, it's a hybrid recipe; The spices have a heavy North African influence (read Muslim) but the meat is a Spanish favorite - pork. A quick perusal of the ingredient list indicated that I had everything on hand in my pantry, so it was a pretty easy decision to make.

Pork with Moorish Spices

from The Barbecue Bible, by Steven Raichlen

2 pounds pork loin, cut into 1 inch cubes

1 medium onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 tablespoons minced fresh flat leaf parsley

1 tablespoon Spanish paprika

1/2 teaspoon crush red pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon saffron threads, crumbled

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons dry sherry

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

In a small bowl, add all ingredients except pork and mix well.  Place pork in a ziploc bag or covered container and add marinade.  Toss to coat well and seal, removing as much air as possible if using a bag. Refrigerate 3 hours minimum, preferably overnight.

To cook, remove pork from marinade and remove excess. Grill over medium heat 3-5 minutes. Turn over and grill 2-3 minutes longer, until meat is moist and slightly pink in the center.  Remove from heat and let rest for 5-10 minutes.

Notes:

With the copious amount of parsley mixed with garlic and olive oil, this marinade is reminiscent of an Argentinean chimmichurri.  Fresh parsley is an absolute must here.  The herbaceous flavor is the foundation for the marinade.  If possible used whole cumin and coriander seeds and grind them yourself.  The essential oils will add additional pungency to the dish and the small amount of extra effort is certainly work it.  

Saffron in one the most expensive spices in the world.  But a little goes a long way.  And it is a key ingredient if you are looking to preserve the Spanish influence on this recipe. If you desire additional heat, feel free to add extra crushed red pepper flakes as I did.  Also, I used dry sherry.  If you don't have sherry, feel free to use a dry white wine instead.

As good as the West Indian pork was, this upped the ante big time. This is definitely a meal I will be making over and over again.  

Victory in Defeat: Revs get Porked, Riders get Pork

Saturday was my first chance to actually tailgate before a Revs game this year. I made it to the home opener, but I went to the Bruins-Rangers game at the Garden earlier in the afternoon. But with the Revs starting at 4:00, I just barely made it down to Foxboro in time to see kick-off.

I pulled another double-header, having attended the Bruins-Senators game in the afternoon. But this time I knew I'd have plenty of time to spare as the Revs game had a 7:30 kickoff.  So, as soon as the horn sounded signaling the end of the Bruins 3-2 victory, I hightailed it out of the Garden and onto the Orange Line at North Station to get my car at Sullivan Square.

As I got on 93 south, I rolled down the windows and popped open the sunroof.  It was sunny and 65 degrees. Ideal grilling weather. Even better, there weren't really any major traffic slowdowns to deal with, so I got down to the Stadium in about 30 minutes.  The only problem was that it was 4:30 and I'd had a half an hour to kill until the gates to the lot opened. So I did what I always do: hang out in the parking lot at the liquor store up the street.

So once 5:00 rolled around, I pulled into the Riders' lot. Now, as some, if not most, of you already know, the Riders have a new setup this year. Our lot has moved back to almost the same spot we used to have when Gillette opened back in 2002. So I pulled into a space along the back row and quickly set up shop. Get out the grill stand, get the grill out, uncover it and fire that baby up.

So the big question entering the week was what was I going to cook? Fortunately, the answer was easy to find. I had been gifted with a four plus pound center cut pork loin a few weeks ago by my friend Mandy. Sadly (for her) pork was no longer appealing for her in her pregnant state. So she offered it up gratis. And what's the first rule of schwag? Never say no to free schwag!

Now sometimes you could view this as dealing with house money - you can do anything you want with it and throw caution to the wind.  Or you could do it up right.  I chose the latter.  I love pork loin.  It's a perfect neutral medium, low in fat and cooks fast.  However, some of these benefits are also its undoing. It can be bland if not seasoned properly.  It can dry out like nothing.  And if a bunch of your friends keep kosher or are vegetarians, they won't eat it.  Not really a problem, but I needed a third drawback there.

I sat down in my dining room with a stack of cookbooks from my kitchen bookshelf and set out to find a couple of recipes.  Having found pounds of meat to prepare, I figured it might be nice to divide it in half and make two separate items.  I like variety.  And if one recipe didn't pull its weight, the other had a chance to make up for it.  Alas, this is the first recipe I came up with:

Grilled Pork Kebabs with West Indian Flavors
Adapted from The Cooks Illustrated Guide to Grilling and Barbecue


2 lbs boneless pork loin, cubed into 1 inch pieces

1/4 fresh lime juice

1/4 cup vegetable oil

3 scallions, sliced thin

3 cloves garlic, chopped

3 serrano chiles, stemmed, seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon dried or 1 teaspoon fresh thyme

1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon allspice

Place all ingredients except pork in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth.  Place pork in ziploc bag or plastic container and add marinade. Cover and marinate in refrigerator for at least three hours (preferably overnight).

To cook, remove pork from marinade and remove excess.  Grill over medium heat 3-5 minutes.  Turn over and grill 2-3 minutes longer.  Remove from heat and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes.  Pork should be moist with a slightly pink center.

Notes:

This marinade is very much like a modified jerk seasoning.  There's a lot more lime juice and not nearly as many spices (much less allspice, no cinnamon).  The original recipe called for half of a habenero chile.  Sadly, my local supermarket was out of them, hence the serranos.  Being cautious, I omitted the seeds and ribs from the chiles.  But I think next time I'll leave a little bit in so as to add a little more heat. The citrus flavor of the limes really shined though.  It is essential that fresh squeezed juice is used.  The brightness and acidity are key.

A New Season Awaits...

I started a cooking blog about a year ago to chronicle my various charades in my my kitchen.  I was inspired by a good number of friends, most notably my friend Kaela and her Local Kitchen blog, who wrote about all sorts of tasty treats with innate detail and supplemented with wonderful photography.

It was my first ever attempt at blogging and while I thoroughly enjoyed the concept, the execution left much to be desired, at least in my mind.  I tried having a design formula so that each post would be nothing more than updating a template that I had laid out with various categories with witty titles.  Having had no prior blogging experience, I had to learn how to navigate Blogspot's website and design scheme, as relatively straightforward as they may seem.  But the biggest hinderance was that I had no set schedule for posting.  I'd cook at random times and post recaps haphazardly.  Pretty soon, my posting trailed off.

Fast forward to the 2010-11 NHL season. I've been a Bruins season ticket holder for 13 years now and I figured that it my be fun to document my experiences all season long as I went to games.  I'd share what I did on gamedays, including pregame festivities at the local watering hole, the trials and tribulations of my hockey family from our seats in Section 307 of the Garden, the overall vibe at the game, and most notably, photographs of obscure hockey sweaters, centered around with my funky fixation on sports uniform design.

The result of all this was my blog The Bear Maximum.

With 40 some-odd games and a set schedule, I challenged myself to keep up with the blog on a timely basis.  Save for a small stretch in December and a few recent posts that I've yet to publish, I've pretty much accomplished my goal.

Which brings me to here.

As April comes around, so does the Major League Soccer season.  Like the Bruins, I have season tickets to the local MLS franchise, the New England Revolution. I've actually had season tickets to the Revs longer than I've had them for the Bruins, having bought my first set for the 1997 season.  Only college and work commitments, along with a bit of naiveté, prevented me from buying season tickets earlier in the inaugural MLS season in 1996.

But I was able to go to a good number of games in that first season.  Prior to then, I had never watched professional soccer in any way, shape or form, live or on TV.  But the Revs were the new local entry into the brand new Major League Soccer and my friend Tim was a huge fan of the sport.  Tim and I had been going to all sorts of Sox, Bruins and Celtics games pretty much ever since we became friends and I trusted his judgement when he recommended hitting up the new guys in town.

Back then, at the old Foxboro stadium, fans had to pay for parking.  Being the college students that we were, Tim and I used to be cheapskates and would park south of the stadium in a gravel parking lot.  There were closer lots, but none cheaper. It was only $5, versus the $10 or $15 we'd have to pay for something closer.

It was in that lot, where Bass Pro Shops now stands, where I learned of the concept of tailgating.  Having never been to a Patriots game at that point, it was an unfamiliar notion - showing up well before gametime, cooking out of the back of your car, having a few drinks and just chilling out with friends.  It was fun.  It was novel.  It was straight-out addictive.

At first, Tim and I brought subs with us.  But we noticed the plethora of people bringing grills of all sizes, portable and full-size, gas and charcoal, cheap and expensive.  We wanted in on the fun, and fast.

So I went out to a CVS and picked up a cheap charcoal grill for us.  Now we needed something to throw on the fire.  Not content with such bourgeois treats as hot dogs and hamburgers, Tim and I set the bar a bit higher with marinated steak tips and chicken.  With the Butcher Boy butcher shop at our disposal near Tim's house, we had access to a variety of tasty pre-packaged meats to choose from.

That 1996 season was a learning experience for the Revs on the pitch.  But just as much, it was one for us as well.

As the 1997 season rolled around, Tim and I decided we'd make the plunge and get season tickets.  The first home game of the year was going to be huge: The Revs' home opener against the Tampa Bay Mutiny, preceded by the United State's Men's National Team taking on Mexico in a World Cup Qualifier for the 1998 FIFA World Cup.

Knowing this was going to be a big deal, Tim and I decided we'd live large and spend the $15 to park in the main lot on the east side of the Stadium.  Furthermore, we'd decided to tailgate with the Revs' main supporter's group, the Midnight Riders.  We'd had noticed them standing in the north endzone in section 2 whenever we went to games in the prior year.  Back then, we sat in the midfield sections, sometime splurging for the fancy chairback seats down in the 100 level.  But for some odd reason, we decided that we wanted to be in section 2 for the upcoming year, quite possibly because those wear the cheapest season tickets in the house, but probably because we wanted to be part of the scene over there.

So we got to the lot, not really knowing anyone, but welcomed into the group nonetheless.  We were brand new members of the Riders, but they made it seem like we had been there already.  Food and drinks were proffered.  New friends were made.  I had a blast.

So much so, that we kept coming back to that lot.  For years upon years, even as the location shifted slightly with the construction of the new stadium.

There were many constants: friends, general misery over the teams' on-field performance, good beer and food. Oh, the food.

What I first noticed is that this group, as a whole, tended to raise the bar over traditional backyard grill fare:  Sausages, steaks, grilled figs stuffed with marscapone cheese, even pots of mussels steamed in white wine.  Right up my alley.  So I was inspired to up my game.

Eventually, Tim went to the dark side and became a member of the soccer media.  But my friend Skip jumped in to take the second ticket.  Like me, he loved to cook.  Often, we'd get together on Thursday nights to prep food for games on Saturdays.  We'd gather recipes wherever we cold find them and try out things we'd never even considered tasting.  We did buffalo and ostrich steaks. Funky marinades for steak tips. Stuffed pork tenderloins.  It was a learning experience and wonderful all the same. And now with my wife Jen and an expanded group of friends, I continue to try new things all the time.

All the while, I continued to gain knowledge of the sport of soccer.  And I made new friends as I went along.  Traveling with the Riders and Sam's Army on roadtrips all over the country and even outside of it introduced me to an even greater set of friends.

Which brings me to today.

With this blog, I am endeavoring to chronicle my tailgating experiences for this season and beyond.  Food will be the primary focus, but I'll try to give a flavor of the atmosphere and surroundings as well.

It's going to be a learning experience for me, bound to change here and there as I go along.  But it's my hope that you'll enjoy the ride as much as I will.