Tailgating shows Bengals spirit (Recipes included)

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[quote][size=5][b]Tailgating shows Bengals spirit[/b][/size]
[size=3][b]Northern Kentucky fans go all out for team, fun[/b][/size]
BY PAUL MCKIBBEN | COMMUNITY RECORDER STAFF WRITER
When it comes to cheering on their Cincinnati Bengals, some Northern Kentucky fans such as Taylor Mill resident Marc Roden show their spirit with what they bring to the pre-game tailgate party.

In Roden's case, it's his Bengal-orange miniature school bus that he bought from an auction about 12 years ago.

The vehicle is one of dozens of orange-and-black vehicles that fans bring to the various lots near Paul Brown Stadium for tailgating.


The tailgate experience includes food, loud music and crazy fans.

"It gets wild, especially when we're winning, it really gets nice," said Roden who has been tailgating for about 15 years. "Everybody's enjoying themselves."

Roden tailgates at a lot east of Paul Brown Stadium.

One of the louder lots is at Longworth Hall that is west of the stadium.

Florence resident Barbara Mason was there last month with her boyfriend, Scott Williams of Florence, for the first time. She likes Longworth better than other places.

"It's just a lot more people," she said.

Over the years, Roden has collected autographs inside his bus. The signatures include one from former quarterback Boomer Esiason, Hall of Fame offensive lineman Anthony Munoz and Nancy Brown, wife of Bengals owner Mike Brown.

Florence resident Tom Herrmann's tailgating vehicle is a 1977 Dodge military ambulance that he found in Miamisburg, Ohio. He bought the vehicle last year.

"We all meet at the Florence Elks, then ... we all pile in and go from there," he said.

Usually there are 16 people in Herrmann's group. And the rule is if one isn't there for the 8:45 a.m. departure, they get left behind, Herrmann said.

The inside of the ambulance's back has a Wall of Fame that people can sign. There is a storage room and a checklist to have fun while tailgating.

[b]LOTS OF FOOD TO ENJOY[/b]

At Roden's tailgate, the food can consist of more than the usual fare of hamburgers and hot dogs.

Ludlow resident Mike Lindeman, who works as a chef at the Mike Fink Restaurant in Covington, tailgates with Roden. The eats have included shrimp, shish kebabs, wings, filet mignon and soups. But he said the food is mainly hamburgers and hot dogs.

"Everybody brings something sometimes," he said.

Herrmann said he usually has hot wings, peppers, sausage, onions, hamburgers and brats as food. His favorite dish is hot wings. The recipe belongs to his brother-in-law.

"It's a secret," Herrmann said. "He will not tell anybody."

[b]FRIENDS MAKE IT FUN[/b]

And it's the people that makes tailgating enjoyable.

"You meet a lot of nice new people, make a lot of nice new friends," Roden said.

According to Lindeman, "It's just like a day you just can't forget. It's something you're not going to buy."

Joni Roden, Marc Roden's wife, said she's made a lot of new friends.

"It's a great time because I'm a huge football fan. ... It's just a lot of fun with our friends and we all just share in the moment of our team."

Herrmann said the game is a lot of fun "but coming down here early and meeting all of the Bengal fans and walking around and talking and seeing all the different vehicles is fun also, a lot of fun."

Not every tailgate party happens near the stadium. About 30 to 40 people show up outside the Bellevue Veterans Club in Bellevue for home and away games, according to Bellevue resident Shane McCoy. The fun starts around 9 a.m.

"We're just die-hard Bengals fans," he said. "(Bengals coach) Marvin Lewis finally got them going... We love our Bengals."

pmckibben@communitypress.com

283-0404, ext. 225

[b]BEER CHEESE[/b]

1 pound sharp cheddar cheese, finely grated

1 pound mild cheddar cheese, finely grated

1 clove garlic, minced

3 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

4 or 5 drops of hot pepper sauce

1 teaspoon. dry mustard

1 12-ounce can of beer

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Let stand until soft. Beat in electric mixer until fluffy.

Refrigerate in a covered container. Serve with

celery sticks or fancy crackers.

[b]MASON'S CHILI[/b]

1 pound of ground beer

1 onion chopped

1 can of kidney beans

1 can of chili beans

1 can of diced tomatoes

1 small can of tomato paste

1-3 tablespoons chili powder

2 teaspoons garlic salt

pepper to taste

Brown ground beef and onion together until beef is cooked through. Add remaining ingredients and cook, covered, over medium heat for 30 minutes. Good with spaghetti, grated cheese and sour cream.

[b]CHEESE ROLLS[/b]

2 3-ounce boxes of cream cheese

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon dried chives, parsley or basil

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

8 slices turkey or ham lunch meat (deli meat)

Combine cheese, garlic, herbs and Worcestershire. On each piece of meat (you can use four of one and four of the other if you like), spread cheese mixture. Roll meat up, jelly roll style, and secure with toothpicks. Cut between toothpicks in about 2-inch slices. Cover and chill.

[b]PULLED PORK BARBECUE[/b]

1 10-pound pork shoulder

1/4 cup chili powder

2 tablespoons ground cumin

3 tablespoons dried oregano

3 tablespoons garlic powder

2 tablespoons onion powder

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon dry mustard

2 teaspoons black pepper

1 tablespoon salt

[b]CAROLINA BARBECUE SAUCE[/b]

2 cups prepared mustard

1 cup ketchup

2 tablespoons Worcestershire

1/4 cup molasses

2 tablespoons white vinegar

juice of 1 lemon

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon black pepper

Combine seasonings in a small bowl. Rub all over pork rub. Wrap in heavy duty foil and refrigerate overnight. Let come to room temperature before cooking. Prepare grill and heat coals to a low heat (about 250 degrees). Set a drip pan in the middle of the grill, and arrange coals around it. Place the roast, in foil, over the drip pan. Roast for 3 hours, replacing coals as necessary. Remove from roast from grill and take off foil. Replace and add water-soaked hickory chunks to coals. Roast for an additional hour. The surface should be nicely browned and the meat should pull away easily from the bone.

Remove roast, re-wrap in foil and let meat sit for 20 to 30 minutes. Pull the meat from the bone and serve with barbecue sauce.

Feeds 10-12.

Bengals bomb drink

Use equal parts of Red Bull, Jagermeister and Sunkist soda. Mix.

Sources: Staff Writers Liz Carey and Amanda VanBenschoten[/quote]


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