Book Review: Julia’s Ultimate Guide To Tailgating & Celebrations

Recently I had the opportunity to read the book Julia’s Ultimate Guide to Tailgating & Celebrations written by Julia Ciaccio. At first glance you would think it is just another tailgating recipe cookbook we have all seen before. Yet again, you can’t judge a book by its cover. Although there are some very good recipes that you may not have tried either at home or on the road while tailgating, the book is much more than that. Julia’s Ultimate Guide To Tailgating and Celebrations covers the full gamut of enhancing the tailgating experience. The book is more of an idea book that inspires you to use some of Julia Ciaccio’s tailgating ideas and encourages you to add in your own tailgating creativity.

While reading this book, the first thing that jumped out at me is that Julia does not lay out recipe after recipe that we all have seen or tasted some time during a tailgate party. Rather than bore you with recipes, the author offers up tailgating menu ideas based on the type of game you are anticipating. Whether it be a quicker and faster menu gear towards those rivalry games that tend to eat up more of your tailgating time or a tailgating breakfast menu for those earlier kick-offs, the book offers up ten different menu ideas based on the day’s events expected.

Julia’s Ultimate Guide To Tailgating and Celebrations has also received some big time support from numerous celebrity chefs and coaches. University of Texas Head Baseball Coach, Augie Garrido appears in this book. Garrido offers up a Texas Longhorn tailgate party menu idea that includes such Texas staples as venison sausage, grilled marinated quail and even peach cobbler with vanilla bean ice cream for a tailgating desert. Other coaches that appear in Julia’s Ultimate Guide To Tailgating and Celebrations include former UCLA Head Coach Terry Donahue, Texas Women’s Basketball Coach Gail Goestenkors and other notable chefs from restaurants as far away as San Jose, Costa Rica.

Julia’s Ultimate Guide To Tailgating and Celebrations has been gaining a lot of media recognition lately including an article in the Dec. 30, 2007 edition of The Daily Pilot published out of Newport Beach. Julia also appeared on a local New York television program called “New Realities” and you can view that episode on YouTube.com.

If you are in the Southern California area (or in San Jose, Costa Rica) you can also buy the book at the locations listed below. For more information check out Julia Ciaccio’s website, UltimateGuideToTailgating.com.

The Ritz Resturant and Garden
880 Newport Center Drive
Newport Beach, CA 92660
(949) 720-1800

Michael Kang’s Five Feet Restaurant
328 Glenneyre Avenue
Laguna Beach, Ca 92651
(949) 497-4955

The Cannery
3010 Lafayette Road
Newport Beach, CA 92663
(949) 566-0060

The Bungalow
2241 E. Coast Hwy
Corona Del Mar, CA 92625
(949) 673-6585

The Golden Truffle Resturant
1767 Newport Blvd
Costa Mesa, CA 92627
(714) 645-985

White House
San Atonio, Escazu
San Jose, Costa Rica
(506) 288-6362

Salon L
1040 Bayside Drive
Newport Beach, CA 92660
(949)718-0951

Fletcher Jones Mercedez Benz Of Newport Beach
3300 Jamborre Road
Newport Beach, Ca 92660
949-718-3000

Isold It!
1280 Bisoon Avenue
Newport Beach, Ca 92660
949-945-1177