534360 Tue Jul 01 04:16:12 -0700 2008 14 31 Home Cooking 0 3828944 Hi, I am going to a music festival this weekend along with some friends - one of whom is from the US. I'd like some ideas of what I could take with me to help celebrate 4th July with her. It has to be a simple bbq or picnic kinda thing as there will be very limited facilities! Any help very much appreciated. Tue Jul 01 04:16:13 -0700 2008 197512 thebigblackpudding 1 3829083 A few simple foods and a cooler to keep the food cold, to start with. Here's a sample menu I would bring: Oven fried chicken, Potato salad with a vinaigrette instead of a mayonnaise dressing, Chocolate chip cookies, Lemonade. Tue Jul 01 05:52:56 -0700 2008 3828944 75332 Gio 1 3829086 In our family, the traditional 4th picnic menu consisted of cold fried chicken (which was surprisingly good) and/or my mother's tuna salad (depending on how many folks we were feeding that day) and my mother's potato salad. The only difference between my mother's potato salad and her tuna salad was tuna instead of potatoes (or vice versa). Both had chopped hard boiled eggs, celery, onion, celery seed, and Hellman's mayo (only Hellman's, nothing else had the same taste). My mom would fry the chicken the night before and put it in the fridge for the the next day. Also, a watermelon, a huge one, that was kept in the cooler after lunch came out of the cooler, and was sliced up and served later, big ole slices that made a huge mess. :) But then us kids would just go jump in the lake to wash off the melon stickiness. :) Thanks for bringing back fond memories from my childhood. *missing Grampa's lake house* Tue Jul 01 05:53:19 -0700 2008 3828944 119275 Morganna 1 3829190 Every year we go to the block party in our neighborhood and bring dessert. To celebrate the US colors (red, white & blue), I bake a large yellow sheet cake, frost it with white buttercream, and decorate with strawberries & blueberries to simulate the US flag. Tue Jul 01 06:33:02 -0700 2008 3828944 15139 Diane in Bexley 1 3829266 Strawberry shortcake- very simple. Cut up strawberries and macerate with a bit of sugar and, if you're feeling fancy, an orange liquor like Grand Marnier. Make a lightly sweetened shortcake (could substitute scones if that's easier). Bring whipped cream (homemade is best, IMO but if it's available there, so many people in the US are used to the stuff in the can, that might seem more like "home" to her). Slice the shortcake, top with strawberries and cream. Tue Jul 01 07:01:19 -0700 2008 3828944 10027 Chris VR 2 3829852 I agree. the shortcake topped with whipped cream, stawberries, and blueberries. Red, white, and blue, and very common at 4th of july celebrations. Tue Jul 01 09:59:28 -0700 2008 3829266 157661 hollyd 3 3834843 Yep, great idea. Your friend will be touched to have such a thoughtful pal. To jazz it up, macerate the strawberries and blueberries in balsamic vinegar and sugar w/ a splash of fresh lemon juice. Wed Jul 02 18:44:08 -0700 2008 3829852 71241 lynnlato 1 3829524 Deviled eggs always say USA/summer to me. Tue Jul 01 08:19:08 -0700 2008 3828944 56762 LulusMom 1 3829731 It's tricky, because there's not a really traditional menu like there is with Thanksgiving, though your constraints of bbq/picnic are perfect, really. I'd agree with watermelon, certainly a traditional summer treat. But potato salad, while traditional, is also controversial -- should the dressing be mayonnaise, vinaigrette, or something in between, should there be hard-cooked eggs or not, celery and onions or not, etc. And I find cold fried chicken to be vile, not a treat, so watch out! Grilled hamburgers or hot dogs would certainly be appropriate. Your best bet might be to go with Diana's suggestion of a flag cake decorated with strawberries and blueberries. It says Fourth of July, it's tasty, and it might even be part of her family's tradition. I've certainly seen it served on multiple occasions. In my experience, the 'frosting' has usually been whipped cream, which I like better with the fruits than buttercream, but does require keeping it in a cooler. Flag cake picture: http://www.gardenguides.com/how-to/recipes/cakes/flagcake.asp Tue Jul 01 09:22:29 -0700 2008 3828944 19542 Karen_Schaffer 1 3829822 I concur with the lemonade, watermelon and the flag cake idea. Individual tastes vary quite a bit as regards the traditional summer potato salad, devilled eggs, etc. But everyone likes cake! If heat is a concern, you can use store-bought ready-made frosting, or marshmallow creme. If you can't find great berries, use jelly beans or other candies. It won't taste as good as the "original" but half the appeal of the flag cake is its appearance and spirit. If she's got a good sense of humor, you could make a Union Jack instead. ;-) Tue Jul 01 09:50:43 -0700 2008 3828944 159317 greygarious 1 3833449 You might be amused at this article from Epicurious on Fourth of July ideas. It's most of what's been suggested already, albeit 'gourmet' (i.e. non-traditional) versions of most: http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/holidays/july4/july4?mbid=RF Wed Jul 02 11:23:11 -0700 2008 3828944 19542 Karen_Schaffer 1 3834774 I watched a humorous TV essay on how Martha Stewart does July 4th better than other Homo sapiens. They showed an old clip of her "flag watermelon". Halve it lengthwise, preferably with zig-zag edges. Using a melon baller, scoop out 2 or 3 rows for the "stripes", then use the baller to make balls from banana and fit them in to form the white stripes. A blueberry square on the top left, with more banana balls for stars. Wed Jul 02 18:17:12 -0700 2008 3828944 159317 greygarious 2 3834852 Jesus, she is completely psychotic! I know folks love her but I just don't see the appeal. She creeps me out in a superficial, shallow & ice cold kinda way. :-) Wed Jul 02 18:47:12 -0700 2008 3834774 71241 lynnlato 2 3836259 I saw the clip again - it wasn't just rows scooped out for the white stripes. The whole inside was balled out, then refilled with the balls, with the stripes, stars, and blueberries as the top layer. Thu Jul 03 09:35:12 -0700 2008 3834774 159317 greygarious 3 3836295 We didn't go to those lengths, but we always have a watermelon basket, and then you fill the hollowed out watermelon with fruit salad, including melon balls made from the discarded watermelon. For your American friend, I'd second the strawberry-blueberry combination, which would be very thoughtful. Lemonade is a nice touch and if you could track down some sparklers or a little American flag, your friend might like that! Thu Jul 03 09:41:46 -0700 2008 3836259 83766 brendastarlet