Football and food go hand and hand in the South. And with JSU’s first home game Saturday September 22 at Veteran’s Memorial Stadium, we thought there was no better time than to talk gridiron – and grub. Nathan Glenn gives us a “super easy, perfect for tailgating” dish that will wow and impress family and friends.

BBQ SHRIMP BRUSCHETTA
Baguette or loaf bread, sliced
Olive oil & fresh chopped rosemary
Large (21-25ct) shrimp, uncooked
Rooster’s Honey BBQ, ginger added
Thin cut lemon rind and green onion, soaked in ice water to curl

Brush olive oil and rosemary on bread. On an open flame grill, toast bread, 20-30 seconds each side. Stay with it to avoid burning. Set it aside. Add salt and pepper to shrimp to taste and grill 1 minute each side. Brush on sauce and grill each side again, each one minute. Top toasted bread with shrimp, lemon rind and green onion. Garnish with green onion stalks.

Cooking from atop a milk crate in his family’s restaurant since the age of nine, Glenn is a “restaurant lifer” who is also a huge fan of football. “Tailgating, food, a cold drink and friends…it’s a reflection of who we are,” he says.

Glenn says the most crucial thing for a good chef or cook is to start with a good product. “It’s important to know where food comes from,” he says. Starting with locally sourced ingredients, Glenn says, sets a tone. “The sight, the smell and that subconscious idea that someone put it on your table from a local grower makes it that much better.”

After helping to feed the New Orleans Saints when they held training camp at Millsaps, Glenn says this  time of year excites him. “The Majors, the Tigers -  all the way to the Whodat nation: we love it.”

One final bit of advice: keep it  simple, he says. “it’s the recipe for success.”

Nathan Glenn is the owner of Rooster’s and Basils and can be found on the grill in his restaurants’ kitchens most days of the week. But Nathan’s favorite grill is the one on his deck at Fondren Corner. You’ll find him there amongst his fresh herb garden – and a Saints game on his outdoor projection screen.