Hokie Tailgating, Pumpkin Style

Andrew and his girlfriend Karen were meeting up with some long-time friends to watch the Virginia Tech - Miami football game, and wanted to take some traditional tailgating food that would also incorporate pumpkin. Hokie colors are Chicago maroon and burnt orange, so pumpkin food is really showing their colors. We decided on a menu of pumpkin nachos, pumpkin hummus and pumpkin pie shooters. It was kind of a spur of the moment idea and came together amazingly quickly and easily.

We looked at several pumpkin nachos recipes, but decided to make up one with what we had in the house. I tossed diced pumpkin with cumin, salt, pepper, oil and a pinch of cayenne and then roasted it. They layered it on chips with cooked crumbled chorizo, pepper jack cheese, tomatoes, green onions and avocado and baked it in the oven.

For the drinks, we used a professional recipe rather than the Baileys, Kahlua and cinnamon schnapps recipe that was everywhere on the web. It calls for a cooked pumpkin syrup for the base, and then add liquor and cream.

The pumpkin hummus recipe was given in the blog in November. After we packed it up, they left for Brian and Sara's house and the game and the rest of this blog belongs to them.

A - The nachos above were the finished project. While the pumpkin was a great addition, the stars of the show were the chorizo and the cheese. Both added spice in addition to depth and texture. As well as being delicious, the nachos turned out visually impressive and presented well from the baking tray. Find a more pretentious description of nachos on the internet and I will be impressed. 

K - It's nice that we begin our recounting of the night with a bit of class as things will quickly digress from here...

K - The hummus turned out great as well. Smooth and flavorful with just the right amount of pumpkin.

A - I prefer a savory hummus and the pumpkin still remained a pleasant addition. Now on to the good stuff...

A - Shown here are the four main culprits. The syrup was easy to prepare and really added a lot to the drink. We chose vanilla vodka and it mixed together perfectly.

K - Using light whipped cream and half and half instead of full cream did nothing to negatively affect the taste of the shot. They tasted great, perhaps in the case of a few individuals, a little too great...

A - Look innocent, don't they? We thought so too after the first 5 or 6. Brian's head cleaning up spills in the background should provide some clues otherwise (sorry Sara, it was Karen, not me). Here's a tip when preparing the shots: don't try to layer - the syrup and the cream are too thin. Instead mix the syrup, cream and vodka together, pour and add the whipped cream on top.

K - It was Andy.

K - The boys look great. Full of nachos and ready to cheer on the Hokies and dive into their first (and certainly not last) pumpkin pie shot of the night. I remained dilligent in my duties as head chef, photographer and ultimately...designated driver.

A - Wide eyed and full of wonderment. Would the Hokies crush Miami? Yes, yes they would. Were there any nachos left? No, no there weren't. Two trays were demolished within minutes save for a pittance of crumbs Brian was able to wrestle from the mongrels for poor Sara, still at work. Would I later lose my voice playing Rock Band 3. Maybe some questions are better left unanswered.

A - My two favorite things about fall are pumpkins and football. Throw in friends, nachos, booze and hokie beatdowns and you have a winning combination for a great night. Thanks to Jo for all her help in preparation and thanks to my friends for being such willing guinea pigs.

K - A great night with great friends. Can't wait to do it again soon!