The Fourth of July falls on a Wednesday this year, which slightly diminishes one’s patriotic zeal. Who wants to have a single day, in the middle of the week, for all that socializing, cooking, flag waving, face painting, popcorn popping, mosquito swatting, baseball playing and fireworks watching only to have to show back up in the office the next day? Even those of us who work from home will be blinking back at the vast blank stare of the computer monitor the next day, bright and early. Not a very cheery prospect, I fear.
This year on the Fourth we will have to rein in our usual commemoratory and pyromaniacal gusto, and wait for the weekend for our barbequing bliss, and testing those tempting rib recipes that Bon Appétit is featuring this month. The Tall One will be here then, and that is our plan. The Spy Test Kitchens will be redolent with the sweet elixirs of barbecue sauce, with perhaps a subtle wafting of cole slaw and garlic-y roasted potatoes. We will bake a nice, big, old-fashioned sheet cake, covered with whipped cream, strawberries and blueberries, too. Just in case there was a sweet tooth or two, or three, in the house.
https://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2012/07/best-ever-barbecued-ribs
In the meantime, we will be testing some patriotic and spirited cocktails, which are easily prepared, for which we must be truly grateful.
Red: Champagne Punch
Martha does have a deft touch with summer cocktails. This is quite divine, and mustn’t be saved just for company. The Spy firmly believes that every good kitchen should have a bottle of Prosecco on hand in case of emergencies. You can fancy it up and use Champagne, if you must…
https://www.marthastewart.com/274560/summer-cocktails/@center/276959/cocktail-hour#/257353
White: Gin Fizz
1 ounce simple syrup
½ ounce lemon juice
½ ounce lime juice
1 ½ ounces gin (Keep Calm, Drink Boodles Proper British Gin – not a product placement – but I do like their print ads)
2 ounces cream
1 egg white
Mix all the ingredients in a shaker, and shake vigorously. Add ice and shake again – for about 2 minutes. Strain into a chilled glass. Garnish with seasonal fruit. (Have you seen all those ripe blueberries and strawberries at the markets? Wowser!) You can have protein, alcohol and exercise, too. A veritable model of an efficient nutritional plan…
Blue: Blue Sky
Ever since Violet Beauregarde ran smack into her blueberry fate in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory I have been a little leery of blue foods. They don’t often occur in real life. And remember Bridget Jones’s blue soup? A little off-putting. But I suspect that by the light of the sparklers this will be a very celebratory cocktail.
1 ounce Blue Curaço liqueur
6 ounces of milk
Pour both ingredients into a cocktail shaker, with ice. Shake well, pour into a highball glass with ice cubes. A straw might be in order.
Planning for your fireworks:
Centreville: https://www.townofcentreville.org/events/event-detail.asp?artid=814
Chestertown: https://www.chestertown.com/events/july4th/ctown4th.php
Rock Hall: https://www.rockhallmd.com/events/july4/
Georgetown: https://www.kentcounty.com/events/kent4th/georgetown.htm
Saturday, June 30 – dusk: St. Michaels Fireworks New location – the open field bordered by Yacht Club Road, North Talbot Street, and Perry Cabin Drive. Rain date Saturday, July 7. To contribute to fireworks, call Ted Doyle at 410-745-3077.
Tuesday, July 3 – dusk: Oxford Fireworks Watch the display from The Strand. Rain date is July 5.
Wednesday, July 4-dusk: Easton Fireworks at the Easton Carnival (behind Target)
“Where liberty is, there is my country.”
– Benjamin Franklin
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