I grew up not far from the old Yankee Stadium, where the New York Giants played before they moved to the Everglades in New Jersey.

On Sunday, we braved the winter wind, often with gusts of wind, gathered in Babe Ruth Park opposite the stadium, listening to the game with a small transistor radio-more importantly, cooking hot dogs on the sad little kebab And hamburgers, there is hardly enough surface to accommodate a few dogs, and then a few breads.

Nevertheless, we followed closely behind and participated in a great American tradition that was more important than the game in its own way. Anyway, despite the cold outside temperature, we drank beer, cheap canned beer, which was the most important part of the ceremony. Well, listening to the cheers of the crowd in the stadium, every time quarterback YA Tittle dropped a bomb.

Little did we know—and we do not know today—we were participating in a ceremony that began during the American Civil War, when civilians gathered near Washington, D.C., to watch the first Bull Run battle—and cheer for the Alliance. The army or allies. (They will certainly not wage war like before!) "Fans" actually brought a picnic basket, which is said to be filled with minced meat, apple pie and plum pudding. There is also whiskey. Lots of whiskey.

It was not until 1869, when Rutgers University played against Princeton University, that the still unnamed tailgate became the standard for college football. During the game, more suitable fans appeared, and they would take peppers, pork and corn from the carriage to eat. Wash with whiskey. But there is also beer-it promptly replaced whiskey as the drink of choice.

In a game of the Green Bay Packers in 1919, fans showed up in pickup trucks, parked them around the venue, and sat on the backsplash-eating ham and potatoes, drinking a lot of alcoholic beverages, because it was forbidden The last year before the order.

Over the years, rear-end games have become as interesting as the game itself-if not more interesting. This is a big event in a professional football game. But more importantly in college competitions, a recent survey of students listed the most popular tailgate foods—from peppers and ribs, to hot dogs and hamburgers, fried chicken and nachos, and most importantly , French fries and dipping sauce. And beer. Always beer. Lots of beer. (Of course, except for designated drivers.)

Many dishes can be pieced together easily. But for those who enjoy a lazy weekend, the idea of ​​getting some carefully crafted backsplash food from a delicious master is very attractive.

And, because I still need to make some beloved dishes myself, I have included the recipe.

Of course, the beer is up to you. But for the best in your hood, on your way to the big game, consider choosing these beer-friendly options. ...And team up!

There are entire aisles in supermarkets throughout Southern California, with nothing but snacks. We live in a snack paradise, with dipping sauces and fries everywhere. But for me, there is really only one choice-I often call it The Salt, Fat & Sugar Store store. Of course, I'm talking about Trader Joe's. Although it has many healthy eating options, it is essentially a pure, unabashedly indulgent destination—new snack foods are always on the shelves.

When it comes to dipping sauces, the list is long and extends to cooking distance: 5-layer dipping sauce, caramelized onion dipping sauce, buffalo-style chicken dipping sauce, artichoke and jalapeno dipping sauce, Tzatziki creamy garlic cucumber dipping sauce, roasted garlic chick Refried beans, blue cheese roasted pecan dip, ricotta cheese and parmesan truffle dip. I can easily continue.

When it comes to chips, there are almost as many options. I found happiness in bags of salt and vinegar potato chips, nacho cheese nachos, potato crisps, white truffle chips, organic corn chips, ghost pepper potato chips, multi-seed soy sauce rice crackers, and so on. Their reproductive speed will make cicadas proud.

Since I was in TJ last weekend, there may be dozens more. No market is close.

At Britt's BBQ (408 Main St., El Segundo, phone 310-640-0408, www.bbqelsegundoca.com), salads are on the menu-a concession for those who cannot live without salad Although the grilled jalapeño salad is served with a variety of bacon, it seems to make it more like a plate of meat with vegetables rather than vegetables with meat.

More important are the feeds listed under the heading "Meals"-barbecued bean bowls made with hot links, pork, and brisket; and barbecue tacos, with choices of pork, beef brisket or chicken, and two sides.

The menu is very thoughtful and can explain the difference between rib cuts, although I am still confused. There are ribs. There are also St. Louis ribs, ribs with the tip of the rib cut off. We were told that the baby's back was "fillet steak with spare ribs". There are also rib tips. Pictures will help. Or, you can get to the point and order a combination of two, three, or four pieces-everything, including smoked chicken.

My attitude towards spare ribs has always been that if they are in front of me and they are tender, I will eat them all. However, if I want to relax, pulled pork, pulled chicken and sirloin sandwiches are very delicious. The same is the bacon slider-a small sandwich that makes you pretend that you don't eat much.

Blazin' Hens Nashville Hot Chicken (Slider Stop, 2315 Artesia Blvd., Redondo Beach; 310-214-5200, www.blazinhens.com), chicken has six degrees of spiciness and should be taken seriously. It ranges from plain (flavored with salt), to mild (Guajiro pepper), medium (cayenne), hot (Havana), x-hot (ghost) and Blazin' (Carolina Reaper).

The last type is the legendary pepper. A fool will stop breathing after swallowing the pepper and even be sent to the hospital. The menu also offers Scoville spiciness. Guajillo scored 5,000. The harvester is 1,539,300. Severely hot. It can be fatal.

The chicken, when it arrived, was a fascinating creation. The crust, and there are many, is reddish. In fact, most of the heat seems to be in the earth's crust. It's crispy and very good. The chicken inside is also properly moist and not bad.

I really want to see it as a novelty, but this is a good roast chicken. I always stay at the low end of the spiciness level, which allows me to really taste the chicken. (In the past, I ventured into the super spicy field. It didn’t open your taste buds because it would kill them. And you can’t really taste anything at high temperatures. If I just want an order of hot bread— —Well, someone might provide this kind of service somewhere. But what's the point?)

The chicken menu is not much. There are children and French fries, there are several ways. (Including truffle oil, which seems weird.) There is jalapeno coleslaw. And soft drinks to cool the fire, which is a pity, because beer is really needed.

There are waffles for dessert. I prefer ice cream, but it is there.

Since the space is not just functional, you may want to take the chicken home. It seems good enough to travel. But usually, it's best to be fresh from the deep fryer. It always does.

Hopdoddy Burger Bar (The Point, 830 S. Sepulveda Blvd., El Segundo; 310-414-2337, www.hopdoddy.com) is not the kind of fast food restaurant where you might expect a bunch of nut barrel cocktails. But they are there-for those who need a bit of liquid courage before facing the afternoon, or just some kickbacks after a tough day on the laptop.

There is also Skinny Dip, described as "a 7-ounce Coronita poured into a frozen Margarita goblet"-a bit like a new age boiler maker. There is a variant of Bloody Mary called Hey, Neighbor!, made from tomato and beet juice. There is a cactus-flavored martini whose name is problematic for family newspapers.

Speaking of the name, it is not "Hopdaddy". It's "Hopdodi". What the menu tells us is "the perfect combination of beer and burgers...locally brewed beer,'hops' and'daddy', which are the nicknames for the local cows in Aberdeen." Black Angus cattle in Aberdeen, Scotland Known as "cunning", not in my trivial pursuit series. This seems to be a good answer to a crossword puzzle; I will pay attention. If I did a crossword puzzle.

The burger starts with The Classic-Angus beef, red leaf lettuce, sliced ​​onion (white instead of red, a bit vintage), sliced ​​steak and tomato, secret sauce (called Sassy Sauce; a bit grilled). You can add cheese and/or bacon as needed.

Then, there is a Good Night/Good Cause Burger made with Tillamook cheese, of which $1 is used on Dream Street, "a free camp for children with chronic and life-threatening diseases." There is a chance to eat well and make it well at the same time.

Terlingua is made with chili sauce and burrito; magic mushrooms with Laura Chenel goat cheese (awesome!); Diablo with Pepper Jack, Habaneros, Celanos, Salsa Roja and Mexico Chili mayonnaise; K-Town Belly with braised pork belly, kimchi and "Korean rice crisp."

There are "Sushi Grade" Ahi Tuna Burger and Black Bean Tortilla Vegetarian Burger. Just to remind us that this is 2021. There is a kale salad with arugula, feta and watermelon; a spinach and arugula salad; and a Caesar salad called "Hail Caesar" made with spiced fried chickpeas . So why not?

Of course there are French fries, made from Kennebec potatoes and packed in cones. (The burger is on a metal tray and covered with brown paper. The style is cool!) There are also truffle fries and truffle mayonnaise. There is a side dish of quinoa. There are two plates of melted cheese and French fries, a bit like American broth, one plate is green chili and the other is chili sauce.

I insist on making my own chili, using this Schindler’s typical chili recipe:

Put all the ingredients (including beer) into a large pot and cook for two hours. Add onions and green peppers and cook for another four hours. Just before serving, add cheese to thicken the mixture (the effect is much better than you think). Add lime juice and tequila. Stir well. Service 24.

I also made a baked bean casserole:

Cook the bacon in a pan until it is almost crispy; add the onion to the water droplets and continue to cook until tender. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. If the frying pan is not oven-safe, transfer the mixture to a greased baking pan. Cover and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes. Service 6.

If I am in a hurry, there will always be my real instant Caponata Dip:

In a bowl, mix the canned carbonata and sour cream together. Serve with biscuits. Then do more-no one can resist these things. Feed a lot.

Merrill Shindler is a freelance dining critic in Los Angeles. Email mreats@aol.com.

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