Cooking with Dee

The Fourth

July 1, 2008 · 1 Comment

Menu is being compressed as there are now six. We’re going to our neighbor’s for dessert.

Tonight I made a great indoor burger on a ridged cast iron grill pan. I took 1.5 lbs. 85/15 Angus beef and added 2T finely chopped chives, a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce, a bit of salt and about 14 cracks of pepper. Then I added one egg yolk and enough plain bread crumbs to bind.

Served them on toasted rolls (pickle relish on the bottom, Vermont cheddar on top with Stubb’s BBQ sauce and a touch of good mayo) with fresh corn on the cob. I wanted to make a compound butter for the corn with butter, salt and pepper, chives and basil and cayenne pepper, rolled in parchment and refrigerated, but ran out of time.

Time is a powerful issue. Thanks for being here! D

Categories: Editorial · Recipes

USA

July 1, 2008 · Leave a Comment

I am a product of a Brooklyn boy and Quebec girl. But there is so much more than that. Swiss, German, English, Irish, French-Canadian.

For the past few years we’ve been literally at the heart of the biggest fireworks in the USA but when I went back to the lake and the local fire department displayed its best, one hundredth of what’s done here, that’s what tugs at my heart.

Yes, I’ll be doing dinner for guests before the annual mega-celebration but I’d really rather be back home with a local fire department where I have a cabin on a lake… we can all wish, right?

Everyone is talking today as if religion is their country. I live in the USA and am an American. If anyone around the world asked me my identity, I’m an American. I know everyone has been concentrated on the Second Amendment this past week regarding the right to bear arms, but I believe strongly in the First Amendment and the right to free expression.

I have the liberty not to have to tell others of my religion before my country. I am a United States citizen and that is that.

That settles it. I need to make dinner for ten on July 4th. It’s going to be a melting pot of cuisines because we’re Irish, German, Polish, Scot, Chinese, Jewish, Korean, Czech, Greek, Italian, French, and who knows what else.

Now I have to tweak the menu. Thanks for providing inspiration as we prepare for our nation’s birthday. A special thanks is due to Paula, the fireworks producer for her great work and remembering and petting Zoe every year.

Hope you enjoy seeing this at work… Dee

Categories: Editorial
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Fireworks Menu

July 1, 2008 · 3 Comments

Hello friends,

This is my hudredth post and we have over 2,000 hits in a little over a month! Thanks!

We just found out the folks where we live are against paying for their guests to attend a catered 4th of July event. We paid early-on and thought it was eminently reasonable. So instead of having a few friends over for hors d’oeuvres and beverages pre-fireworks, now I need to create a dinner menu.

We may have vegans and vegetarians with us so my traditional 4th menu for family is out.

So I’m thinking of blue corn chips with mango salsa, hummus and pita wedges, fresh fruit and spicy almonds and cashews.

Perhaps a TX mesquite-smoked brisket (?), a couple of slabs of baby back ribs, roasted chicken with BBQ rub, corn on the cob, coleslaw (with red cabbage and carrots and scallions), baked beans, cucumber salad (see Grandma’s recipe in blog). If they’re not too full, vanilla ice cream with homemade blueberry sauce for dessert. It’s way too much food, I know.

As to beverages, a spread of bottled water, sodas and “fizzy water” from our soda syphon with lemon and lime. Also beer and wine or homemade sangria. And then we go upstairs to see the fireworks. I’ll work on it some more and let you know.

I need time to work it out in my mind, after finalizing the dietary needs of our guests.

Be brave. You’ll never try anything new in cooking or in life if you’re not brave. Dee

Categories: Editorial · Recipe Ideas