Game Day
Yes, the food, the cheers, the big plays, and the frequent victories have formed the heart of my stacks and stacks of Game Day memories, some of my most treasured life moments.
There’s a combination of factors—a smell, a taste, and a few distinct sounds, mixed with a certain air temperature and seasonal sun position—that unlocks one of my favorite core memories. The photos attached to this article reveal one element of the memory, which is the food. Not just any food; this is Game Day food.
While working on this project, positioning and styling my food for the photoshoot, my husband made the mistake of saying, “This is the perfect tailgate spread.” “No,” I said, “this is NOT a tailgate project—this is a GAME DAY project.” Yes, tailgate food can be used for a game day party and some Game Day food surely is appropriate for a tailgate—but this is not a tailgate. There is a world of difference between the two.
You see, the combination of factors I introduced earlier leading to the formation of my core memory? They’re specific to a Game Day sometime in the fall of 1987 … give or take a year. Truth be told, over the years the Game Day menu would fluctuate a bit and, in Oklahoma, the air temperature is always a variable.
My Game Day core memory was fashioned on a cool fall Saturday afternoon. There was a big box TV and speakers turned way up, blaring their message toward the perfectly positioned La-Z-Boys in my childhood living room. Dad, of course, had the best seat in the house, mom was either stress-cooking in the kitchen or (if the game was really close) stress-ironing in the back bedroom, and my brother and I had eyes locked on the game with a plate full of Game Day food in hand. My dad had the best laugh and the loudest cheers, and when it came to a good play made by his Sooners, his bellows and hurrahs and occasional deafening whistle knew no restraint. Yes, the food, the cheers, the big plays, and the frequent victories have formed the heart of my stacks and stacks of Game Day memories, some of my most treasured life moments.
Now, some 40 years later, I’m certain that setting from my youth is singularly responsible for the fact I presently claim college football Game Days as my favorite holidays of the year. Certainly, some things have changed over the years, but what I love about a core memory is it doesn’t require every single element to be perfectly accurate to be relived. So, on fall Saturdays, I relive my best life.
Are you ready to make some memories of your own? You’ve got the game, you’ll invite your people, and the weather forecast is, perennially, to be determined. Let’s talk about the food. A key element for a good Game Day spread is to keep it simple; whether choosing simple recipes or making food ahead or ordering takeout, the food should allow the game and your guests to hold center stage, rather than be a messy, stressful distraction. After all, the goal is for more positive core memories to be made, right?
