Cooking with Canes

Alfonso Dager, alumni grad of 2007, prepares The Ultimate Omlette during the Big Breakfast Tailgate on Saturday. For breakfast Dager and friend Gary Kapit cooked omplettes, breakfast sandwhiches, nachos, fried chicken wrapped in freshly made waffles and much more. Marlena Skrobe//Photo Editor

 

Alfonso Dager, alumni grad of 2007, prepares The Ultimate Omlette during the Big Breakfast Tailgate on Saturday. For breakfast Dager and friend Gary Kapit cooked omplettes, breakfast sandwhiches, nachos, fried chicken wrapped in freshly made waffles and much more. Marlena Skrobe//Photo Editor

For University of Miami alumni Alfonso Dager (2007) and Gary Kapit (2009), tailgating plays just as critical of a role in game day as good defense. The two have created a YouTube channel called “Cooking with Canes” that showcases their tailgating recipes.
“We believe firmly that the better you tailgate, the better the Canes will do,” said Dager, who hosts the series.
Their videos demonstrate both their dedication to the Canes and their spin on the typical tailgate menu. They meet throughout the week to decide what to cook, said Kapit, who co-produces and films the videos.
“It is practically a committee meeting,” Dager said.
Their menu often incorporates South Florida culture and their Hurricane pride. One dish they cook at their tailgates and that is featured in one of their videos is Miami favorite arroz con pollo, which is cooked with sauteed onions, peppers and garlic. In addition, they also cook up dishes that are named for Miami football history.
“We have one recipe called ‘The Schnellen Burger,’ named after Howard Schnellenberger, the first coach at UM who won a national championship,” Dager said. “We cook those nice and slow, and layer the burger with a slice of pineapple, cooked mushrooms and cheese. On top, we have orange and green peppers in the shape of the U.”
One ingredient used in the recipes is Fat Cat brand hot sauces, which was co-created by alumnus and fellow tailgater Deborah Moskowitz. Through support of the Fat Cat company, the two have been able to get the word out about their videos.
“We have been doing it through grass roots, through the Fat Cats website and Facebook,” Dager said. “We have been hearing from people that we graduated with years ago, and haven’t spoken to since, that they tried [one of our] recipes and it was delicious.”
To see the duo in action, watch their videos at YouTube.com/user/FatCatFood, or find the them in the Sun Life Stadium parking lot cooking up a storm before the football games in their Canes gear.