Making Tailgating Elegant and Easy

Sept. 1, 2006 — -- What goes great with football, NASCAR, concerts, and days at the beach?

Tailgating, of course.

Tailgating no longer means half-cooked hot dogs and warm soda, though.

You can eat good food in a civilized manner, without spending more time serving than enjoying the day.

Nancy Soriano, editor in chief of Country Living magazine, has the latest gadgets and tips on more elegant, yet easy, tailgating.

Portability: Everyone says they'll plan ahead, but they usually end up throwing things in the car at the last minute the morning of the tailgating party. You don't need to bring a lot. Make a few smart choices about what you need and make sure everything you bring is easy to move.

Serving: Just with any kind of entertaining, you'll need tools to cook and eat with, as well as additional surfaces for food preparation and eating. That's why pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles are so great for tailgating -- your prep table and buffet come with your car. You might want to bring a fold-up table and chairs, and some compact plates and utensils.

Packing: The keys here are speed and space efficiency. You want packing to be fast so you can get to the game. Use folding or collapsing items, which make packing and storage easier.