John Madden's Ultimate Tailgating w. Beef on a Weck, Tabasco Sesame Noodles, Venison Stew & more

Vintage Cookbook TBT

Vintage Cookbook: John Madden's Ultimate Tailgating, John Madden and Peter Kaminsky

Publication Details: Viking Books, 1998

With the NFL season just under way I thought I would take a look at this very fun cookbook from 1998.

Before his retirement from broadcasting in 2008, John Madden, with his affable and over-sized personality, was one of the most famous faces in the football world. He traveled across the US in his bus -- he disliked flying -- and was known for his devotion to all things related to the game, including food.

He continues to be a household name due to his association with the Madden video game franchise.

This cookbook featured tailgating recipes from various NFL cities and their team fans. Tailgating, if you do not know, is the practice of eating and drinking with other folks in the parking lots before the game. As you would expect there are a lot of over-the-top dishes as well as dishes aimed at large groups of people. Obviously there is not any tailgating going on this year.

Madden was known for popularizing the outrageous "Turducken", and there is a recipe in the book for that, though it is several pages long.

There are also lots of stories about the dishes and stadiums accompanied by many photos.

Here we have included a few classics like Buffalo's Beef on a Weck and cooking a whole suckling pig, as well as, of course, a chicken wing and a chili recipe. There are many others.

We have included one of Madden's personal favourites, Tabasco Sesame Noodles.

I had to include a sardine dish as well, just because.