USF alumna creates tailgating cookbook

When USF alumna Candace Davison was in college three years ago, she loved to tailgate.

Now, Davison has published a tailgating cookbook, “Collegiate Cookbook: USF Gameday Edition,” which has over 40 recipes to make tailgating more memorable and spirited for USF fans.

“You’re not just a spectator,” she said. “You’re part of the party. Win or lose, it’s a great time. I wanted to cultivate more of that culture.”

Davison came up with the idea for the cookbook after launching her website, collegiatecook.com, which is dedicated to helping broke college students prepare basic meals.

“I got more and more interested in creating a cookbook, or spinning it off into something printed and tangible,” she said.

Some recipes are special to USF, such as the “Raging Bulls Mojito,” and “Rocky’s Unstoppabull Snack Mix.” One of the most fun recipes Davison said she has created is the “That’s BS! Cookies.”

“If you go to a USF game, there is always this colorful phrase that fans throw out whenever things don’t go their way or when they feel the ref made a bad call,” Davison said. “I had known about these chocolate cookies that have kind of a gross name. They’re called cow pie cookies.”

Thinking that the cow pie cookies went well with the “colorful phrase,” Davison gave the cookies USF colors by adding green M&Ms and chocolate peanut butter chips.

“So instead of cursing, stuff your face with a cookie,” she said. “That’s my philosophy anyway,” Davison said.

The book, sold only through Amazon for $9.32 or on Kindle for $4.99, contains full-color photos taken by Davison’s husband, Nathan. Like his wife, Nathan loved tailgating when he was a USF student and said he wants the cookbook to be a reason to celebrate USF games, whether victories or losses.

“The goal is to create this community cookbook we can rally behind,” Nathan said. “This is our first year publishing a cookbook, but we hope to make this an annual tradition.”

Davison said other universities have contacted her, requesting a cookbook special to their school.

Davison said she wants to continue making cookbooks with a USF twist. She hopes to contribute ideas from other USF alumni and make an even bigger edition next year.

The Honors College will receive 25 percent of proceeds.

For the purpose of full disclosure, Candace Davison is a former editor of The Oracle.