What do you eat on the Fourth of July?

There are many traditional things that folks consume on the Fourth -- burgers, hot dogs, potato salad -- but everyone must also have their own traditions -- for instance in my family every Fourth of July was also my cousin' Vicki's birthday so we always had home made ice cream with cake -- and that ice cream was always lemon custard. It was the most amazing ice cream I've ever had, eggy, a little nutmeggy, just a pale lemon color and smooth as silk. Unfortunately, it's pretty much lost to history now because no one ever wrote down the dang recipe! I remember many Independence Days where my grandfather would take HUGE spoon fulls and then have a very visible ice cream head ache (dramatic too!) afterwards. He always made us laugh.

So I'd love to hear about others' traditions....

shannon

I don't have any traditions that are set in stone. ALthough, we usually have to go to my in-law's cabin on Diamond Lake in Cassopolis, MI. Usually hamburgers that could be substituted for hockey pucks grilled by my BIL. Condiments include mustard, ketchup, and if I ask I and there are some there I can get some onion slices.

Today I did have one of, if not the best 4th of July meal in my life. I was privileged to have lunch with my wife, Gwiv, Evil Ronnie, and The Lovely Donna at Little Three Happiness.

Pan Fried Noodles with Pork
Clams with Black Beans and thin fried noodles extra crisp
Crispy Fried Chicken
Salt & Pepper Shrimp
Snails in black bean sauce
Shrimp toast

Nothing American about this meal, except the Diet Cokes. Although, I opted for the Heinekein. I must say that one of the joys of America is the great selections of ethnic foods we can enjoy throughout this great country. Thanks to the founding fathers.

Always something different on the grill, but the grill always features in the July 4th celebration. In addition, corn-on-the-cob is customary, as well as the best of the seasonal berries. Other than that, it's pretty much all about family, flags, and being grateful for our freedom.

Although, I will say that there is no one in my family who wouldn't be glad to have had the LTh lunch in place of this year's load of meat on the grill.

. . . so it was pho and spring rolls at Pho 888 for a late breakfast/early lunch and roast-pork bahn mi sandwiches from Ba Le for dinner.

For the 5th, it's homemade Cajun boudin.

Cheers,
Wade

After driving home from Michigan, we went to the Mount Prospect annual fair and fireworks.

The pickings at their "taste of Mount Prospect" were pretty slim this year: aside from the Lions Club's Corn ($3) and drinks ($1.50 for a can? I know it's a fundraiser for the Lions, but that's a little steep, guys) stands, they had Peeties (a sandwich etc. shop) serving burgers and dogs, Olympos Gyros serving Italian Beef and Gyros, Mount Prospect Chop Suey (sic), with fried appetizers, Tuccio's serving pretty lame-looking Pizza, Dave's Gormet with Strawberry Shortcake and Swedish Meatballs (!?!), and the place that had all the lines, Monica's Mexican Restaurant. The Mount Prospect Fair page lists a couple more, but I didn't see them there.

My current favorite local taqueria takes the prize: Burritos for $4, tacos for $1.50, fresh guac and chips for $3. They served orange-melted-cheese nachos, forgivable for this crowd, they're much better at their Prospect Heights HQ.

The burrito was as good as at the restaurant, with lots of steak, and blazingly hot pickled peppers and carrots available, along with two salsas. MrsF had a taco al pastor, not off a spit (they don't do it that way anyway), but pretty good nevertheless.

I topped the burrito off with a corndog from the fair's booth ($3, plus a hot cocoa $1 that warmed MrsF on that cool night). I like a firmer, spicier dog, but the hand-dipped breading was sweet and crunchy. MrsF had a funnel cake, a weakness of hers, which was also sweet and crunchy and $3.

I spent the Fourth smoking chicken for the family (and, yes, the rolling papers were hard to find), but I had my own private celebration of our independence from empire in my "office": popcorn and Jack Daniels, and on the tube, Apocalypse Now, on mute; on the stereo, "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," various artists.

David "Feel Like I'm Fixin' to Die" Hammond

I already posted about our Patriotic, All-American Casino Dinner, but I would also like to point out that we enjoyed icy, shaken, bruised-bourbon Manhattans, several hours of successful gambling, convenient municipal fireworks across the Des Plaines River, and an in-room movie presentation of Steve Martin's remake of the Pink Panther. Wish we'd had some Jack and popcorn for the last.

Bruce wrote:I don't have any traditions that are set in stone.

Bruce,

Lunch at 'Little' Three Happiness seems a good tradition to start. Very enjoyable lunch, great company and, in addition to the usual suspects, the snails in black bean sauce were really on.



Maybe they will catch on with the rest of the country, snails replacing burgers and dogs as 4th of July festive fare.

Enjoy,
Gary

G Wiv wrote:Maybe they will catch on with the rest of the country, snails replacing burgers and dogs as 4th of July festive fare.

Where do you think we are, France?

G Wiv wrote:

Bruce wrote:I don't have any traditions that are set in stone.

Bruce,

Lunch at 'Little' Three Happiness seems a good tradition to start. Very enjoyable lunch, great company and, in addition to the usual suspects, the snails in black bean sauce were really on.



Maybe they will catch on with the rest of the country, snails replacing burgers and dogs as 4th of July festive fare.

Enjoy,
Gary

I'm game for the annual 4th of July LTH lunch. Nice place to be away from downtown. We had a great time.

BTW, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TOMORROW (July 9).