No menu planned for me. I am working tommorow night. So whatever I come up with on my way to work. I was invited to my sisters house, where they WILL be grilling. Burgers,hot dogs, and chicken with mac and cheese,tater salad, and a bunch of different dips with chips. Probably some fresh fruit and veggies too. She really only wants me to come so I can make the mac and cheese and spinach artichoke dip,because mine are INFINITELY better than hers,if in do say so myself...... not happening though.

Just the two of us. Ribs (Jim's Uncle Bud's secret sauce), Mexican grilled corn, baked beans, potato salad, and maybe some cuke/onion/yogurt salad. And before dinner, a gin and tonic on the patio.

There will be someone at the grill, but not me! My contribution is buttermilk biscuits and, if I get around to it, watermelon sorbet.

On Sunday, however, I'm serving my own Americana meal: Chili and cornbread. It will include Ben Franklin's nominee for national bird (turkey) and the meat will be ground, not cooked to death and pulled. Not sure yet whether I'll adulterate with beans.

OTOH, I will put out all the condiments that make American chili so much fun. Sour cream, grated orange cheddar cheese, shredded iceberg lettuce, diced tomatoes, diced avocados, salsa picante and salsa picante-er, maybe oyster crackers though I don't know if they're needed with the corn muffins. Etc. Maybe I'll just put some canned beans out for those who want them. :)

Also, an actual salad, or maybe some grilled veg.

Or maybe I'll do the sorbet then.

For some reason our 4th has grown to 14+ people so I have a deboned and pieced chicken soaking in buttermilk (to be fried with flour and panko), a deboned but whole chicken brining (to be grilled over rosemary), some salmon (to be sousvided for two pescatarians), a mess of ribs in the pressure cooker (to be cooked, chilled, then q'd). Leaving everything else to tomorrow. I've the 4th off, then am going to take the 5th off as well.

Over the weekend, I and others lost a huge political battle over some state legislation. So I'm sort of stepping back and taking some time to cook, eat, lick wounds, before the next battle.

Simple picnic classic here: organic hot dogs simmered in beer with all the fixings, potato chips, cole slaw, chickpea/cucumber/tomato salad, chocolate cupcakes, ice cream cones

Lobster rolls tonight

Rare 4 day weekend. Party tomorrow. Prep today.

-Salad Bar, veg quick pickles, snip-your-own-greens, slaws, potato salad, grain salad, bean salad, pasta salads, seaweed salad, tomato salad, dolmas, succotash

-Ribs, sous vide then smoker/grill

-Chicken thighs, Korean bbq, smoker/grill

-Whole smoked chickens, picked up 4 (very small pasture raised)

-Shrimp wrapped salmon/scallops, lightly smoked

-Homemade sausage spirals, one rather bland, one nicely spiced

-Corn-on-the-cob

-Watermelon, mini ice cream sammies

Everything is pretty much prepped, rubbed, washed. Mustards, sauces, dressings made over the last few days. All 5 hobs going at the moment with grains, beans, pasta....round two and almost done. Ribs 150 12-14 hours, (all day today), ice down then fridge overnight.

DH is playing golf this afternoon - won't be home until 7 or so. We met on the Bicentennial so it's our 43rd anniversary. It's just the two of us this year. We're planning to go out to eat since a lot of people will be outdoors watching fireworks and we should be able to get into our local pub.

Ribs cooked, cooled, now refrigerated and marinating in sauce. They'll get thrown on the grill when folks arrive. Although I'm thinking about deep frying them instead, as that will be faster and more reliable. My grill has very uneven heat and the ribs at the back always end up incinerated and embarrassing.

The brined chicken will shortly be pulled from the fridge, dried off, then dry rubbed and laid out to dry some more before grilling. Grilling a whole deboned chicken is about the easiest and most reliable thing you can do on a grill. No stress there.

The buttermilk-soaking chicken pieces are awaiting their play date with flour, panko, and spices, then their bath of hot oil. I'm rather nervous about this as my fried chicken skills are poor. Worse yet, one guest told me last week "I can't wait to have your fried chicken again" which left me wondering when I ever made fried chicken for her and how I did it, because I don't think I've ever made fried chicken that was better than a B-. DD makes great fried chicken and I'm guessing she was doing the cooking that day.

Salmon is quick-curing in sugar, salt, basil, and garlic. I'll add some oil to the bags and drop into the sous vide pot later.

This will be an odd 4th for me as I'm only allowing myself one beer - for carbohydrate reasons, not substance abuse reasons, I hasten to add. Trying to figure out when to drink that ration.

We're having carryout pizza from a local Italian restaurant. No grilling, no baking, no worries and leftovers for tomorrow.

John Liu - perhaps you think that there is NOTHING more embarrassing than incinerated ribs HAH!, I do like my grill stuff on the black-ish side. Carcinogens anyone? Always have loved them/it though and not diagnosed as of yet.

Since is it just me and DH today we are busy making stuff for family get together Saturday. Trying my hand at homemade mascarpone (you just try finding pasteurized and not ultra-pasteurized heavy cream!) and lady fingers (made those before but perhaps high humidity tomorrow may make them soggy fingers but Kahlua is forgiving), for huge pan of tiramisu. Going artsy with chocolate leaves and squiggles to stick in the servings. Then endless chopping for a two-color coleslaw with radicchio, tart lemon soused apples, dried montmorency cherries, and red onions. Should make their mouths dance. I made a tasty ginger limoncello cream bundt cake the other day but too much leftover for the two of us so it'll be fancy sliced and topped with stabilized whipped cream roses. And, for pick up apps - some mini cuke slices with jalapeno/artichoke spread topped with hot pepper pearls and jal slices. Other family is doing the boring grilled ribs (no sauce!!!), ho-hum deviled eggs, spinach/strawberry salad, and store bought fake-cake. <<sigh>> They are HIS family. Since this is stressful for me I am making gravlax to come home to.

Sounds like fun all the way around. HAPPY 4th from your special neighbours to the north. You are blessed to live in the second best country in the world

; )

Sharon

LOL! Thanks, Sharon! I'm sorry. I totally missed the dates between June 26 and July 2. Therefore, I was unaware that July was happening and missed saying Happy Canada Day to you and all our northern friends. I hope it was a great holiday!

Nancyofnc, you totally had me until the end Are pepper pearls the little pointy Peruvian bright red peppers? (Love those.) Or something else? And what is a "jal slice"? Oh! A thought! Is that jalapeño? (My mind's sotto voce alter ego keeps muttering "Japan Airlines", like that's helpful...)

We have several choices at most stores here for pasteurized (not ultra) cream, both conventional and organic. Therefore, it does exist somewhere. The question is how to get it near you. If you want to proceed with cheesemaking, you might try calling around to stores you don't usually shop at. I like the localish (in state, anyway) pasteurized organic milk and cream for making cheese and ice cream. They have the best non-specialty butter too. There are also some boutique dairies, some of which deliver. Keep looking!

pillog - the little peppers are Delallo Sweet 'n Tangy Pepper Drops - yes, from Peru - the expensive little devils I like to pop in my mouth for a tiny snack (figures out to $12.50 per pound). I will tell my grands that the jalapeno appetizers are Japan Air Lines' specialty. Laughs from me that they won't have a clue about. They all think I'm wacky anyway. DH's family eats totally boring plain food and have no imagination or sense of adventure into the huge world of flavors so when I bring stuff they want to know exactly what is in it and many of them won't even taste it, frown and shake their head like I'm trying to make them sick. So sad. We'll see how they react to my non-traditional coleslaw!

The simplest July 4th meal in many years. Chicken wings, corn-on-the-cob, potato salad, and garlic bread.

Good grief that's pricey! I've only gotten them from the olive bar at Whole Foods. I suppose they might cost the same, but I've just bought, like, half a cup or less.

Too bad about the family. I think you're cool. :)

Walnut Creek...my dream menu. Wings are my guilty pleasure...fried crispy , hot sauce on the side. My absolute favourite meal bar none....how embarrassing is that !

Ooo. I think I need to make wings soon. May be having some people over Sunday night, in fact.

@Chase, not embarrasing at all. At least IMO. I know many people who have that once a week as their delicious, guilty pleasure meal and, like you, with the hot sauce on the side.

Now why should anyone feel guilty about eating wings?

Walnut, once a week would probably not make my cardiologist happy...so I limit myself to once a month" ish" .....not that I tell him .

Hey FWIW, I make baked Buffalo style wings that we love. They come out juicier than the deep fried ones, which I often find to be kind of dried out and stringy.

I generously season a pound or so of wings, whole or separated, with salt & pepper and bake in a single layer about 30-40 minutes @ 400F until browned & cooked through, then toss, while still hot, in a bowl with a sauce made from a couple of Tbs. melted butter, 1/4 cup hot sauce (we like Crystal), and a Tbs. or 2 of cider vinegar.

You can put them back in the oven to crisp up a bit, but we usually eat them right away.

Not as bad as deep fried, I think...

Maybe should start a wings thread ........but these are my all time favourite baked wings. Recipe courtesy of Shaun....a lovely person. Hot sauce on the side of course. Am I the only only who doesn't like sauce softening the skin?

Chicken Wings - Shaun CF

1/3 Cup salt

1/3 Cup paprika

1/3 Cup cayenne pepper...I use less

2 Cup flour

Chicken Wings (she used drumettes)

Mix coating ingredients together in a ziplock bag.

Pat wings dry. Shake in mixture.

Spray cookie sheet w/Pam, put chicken on, spray top of chicken w/Pam

Bake 375 - 40 mins flipping over half way thru.

Note Cathy cooked for 50 minutes at 500

Note: makes 8 pounds of wings so only use what you need and save the rest..lasts forever

My wings are very simple. Steam wings to render out fat, then salt and into oven at 400F until brown and a bit crisp. Melt butter, cayenne, salt. Dump wings from oven into a large bowl, drizzle melted butter, toss to coat, and serve right away.