It's an odd holiday this year, on Wednesday, smack in the middle of the week. Sis wasn't even be home because she had GS camp (I know, odd; it was a quiet day for us and I missed being part of a big gathering of family, friends, food, and fireworks). So we saved our big meal for late in the day, which is just as well because Mama took Bud on a sushi date, an early birthday present for just the two of them (you won't believe what they inhaled: squid, octopus, tuna, salmon, ikura/salmon roe, tobiko/flying fish roe, sea urchin, freshwater eel, unagi and anago/fresh and seawater eels, shrimp, jumbo sweet shrimp, crabstick, salmon skin handroll . . . and dessert for his birthday, a tempura ice cream!). I stayed home, making food and hanging out. When Sis got home at 5 pm, we started with nachos and later had our indoor July 4th picnic, including:
- Shish kebabs, actually just the chicken because the kids weren't up for the rest and we were cooking indoors
- Oven fries--we ate two whole trays of this! And that's without Bud's help.
- Sumi Salad--Bud's favorite red cabbage slaw, from a recipe at our new church
- Pasta and Bean salad--very good with red kidney beans and tri-color penne
- My adaptation of the mint iced tea we had at the Greenmarket last weekend
- Strawberry Soda Ice Cream--Wow! This was the best strawberry ice cream I've ever had
- Chocolate sorbet--this didn't freeze well because we overworked the machine but since it's just chocolate sugar-water, we're gonna try again tomorrow. Sis likes the mix, though.
To mark the occasion, we talked about patriotism (love of country vs. nationalism, belief in your country's exceptionalism and superiority) and what was special about the USA--freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom to gather, votes for women, some state legalization of same-sex marriage, the new changes in healthcare law and immigration (that executive order that resembles in part the Dream Act), the gumbo (not melting pot) of diverse religions and ethnicities, the beauty of the land, the rich history--but also noted that many other countries have such rights and resources (cue "Finlandia" here--"But other hearts in other lands are beating/with hopes and dream as true and high as mine"), mentioning though the countries that didn't have such freedoms (Saudi Arabia, Iran, Uganda, China, etc. We also talked about things that we wished we could change about our country, desiring full nationalized healthcare, federal same-sex marriage rights (like Canada or Denmark), maternity leave, the full Dream Act and other issues. More than that, we wished for peace at home and abroad, more equality (racial, gender, economic) and compassion.
Then we ate ice cream.
The kids are in bed and we're watching some of the televised celebrations, just enjoyed John Williams conduct (I saw him once conduct his famous movie scores in Houston), was touched by Javier Colon (a local CT boy, whom we saw open for the Indigo Girls a few years back) singing "Stand By Me," and looking forward to Megan Hilty (oops, missed her in the opening and saw her on DVR--great!) and Amber Riley.
And to waving at the crowd at the Macy's fireworks in NYC, somewhere within which is dear Mrs. S.!
(Maybe next year, we'll cover the myths of July 4th!)
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Authentic Texas Nachos
bag of corn chips
block of sharp cheddar cheese
jalapeno slices, if desired
Spread chips in single layer across a large cookie sheet. Put a single, thin slice of cheese on each chip and a jalapeno slice, as desired. Do NOT dump a bag of grated cheddar cheese on top of the chips. (And if you want cheese sauce, well, that's queso and a different recipe--melt a lb. block of Velveeta with a can of Ro-Tel tomatoes, eat with chips . . .or a spoon!)
Broil until cheese bubbles and turns slightly golden.
Eat immediately, careful not to burn yourself on the edge of the tray.
Mommy Hungry
Shish Kebabs
2 pounds
meat (peeled shrimp, chicken, or beef)
1 dozen
cherry tomatoes
16 oz.
pineapple chunks
1 dozen
small fresh mushrooms
2 green
peppers cut in 1” squares
½ cup
chopped parsley
½ cup
vegetable oil
½ cup fresh
lemon juice
½ cup soy
sauce
1 teaspoon
salt
½ teaspoon
black pepper
Place in a mixing bowl with the oil,
lemon juice, soy sauce, parsley, salt, and pepper, and mix well. Add the meat, pineapple, mushrooms, and green
pepper, and mix well. Let it marinate
for one hour, stirring now and then.
Mount everything on skewers, which have been soaking in water. Leave a little space between them so the heat
can circulate; otherwise something may come out raw. Place over hot coals for five minutes, basting
them with the marinade now and then.
Turn them over, baste some more and cook for five minutes more.
Gommie Hungry
Oven Fries
Slice into strips washed, but not peeled, potatoes.
Place potato strips in ice water in refrigerator for 10-15 minutes.
Drain water.
Toss 1 tablespoon of oil in potatoes, totally covering.
Place potatoes on greased (Pam-sprayed) cookie sheet.
Bake at 450°F for 15 minutes or until brown.
Sprinkle with Lawry’s season salt.
Sumi Salad
3-6 oz. packages shredded red cabbage, or 1/2 head of firm
cabbage, chopped
1 package Ramen noodles, crushed while in package (save the seasoning packet)
1 bunch scallions, sliced
1 tablespoon sesame oil
3 tablespoons slivered almonds
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup sesame oil
6 tablespoons rice vinegar, plain, not seasonred
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 package Ramen noodles, crushed while in package (save the seasoning packet)
1 bunch scallions, sliced
1 tablespoon sesame oil
3 tablespoons slivered almonds
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup sesame oil
6 tablespoons rice vinegar, plain, not seasonred
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon salt
In small pan, heat 1 tablespoon of sesame oil. Add sesame seeds and almonds. Brown, stirring constantly. don't let burn. Set aside. Chop scallion, using tops as well. Combine crushed Ramen, scallion, and cabbage in a large bowl. Mix together. In another bowl, whisk the vegetable oil, 1/2 cup of sesame oil, rice vinegar, sugar, seasoning packet, salt, and pepper. Combine all, stirring well. Store covered in refrigerator overnight. Stir a few times during the day before serving. (*I'm working on using less oil and substituting olive oil in this recipe).
Church cookbook
Pasta and Bean Salad (Seed Savers' Heritage Bean Salad)
1 1/2 cups dried beans
(I've used a mixture of heirloom beans from Laurel Hill; Seed Savers calls for
Lena Cisco's Birds Egg)
1 box pasta, cooked al dente according to directions (any shape, I used tri-color penne)
Vinaigrette -
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup sugar
2 t. Dijon mustard (I used spicy brown)
1 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup sugar
2 t. Dijon mustard (I used spicy brown)
1 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
Cook dried beans (I soaked them overnight in salt
water) by bringing to a boil for five minutes and then simmering for about 1
1/2 hours. Cook pasta al dente. Prepare vinaigrette. Add dressing ingredients while beans and pasta are still
warm. Chill for several hours. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
Add corn, red onion, chunks of fresh mozzarella, red/yellow bell pepper, celery, olives, or whatever sounds good.
Mommy Hungry via Seed
Savers
Mommy Hungry's Greenmarket Mint Tea
2-3 cups mint leaves
2-3 tablespoons sugar, to taste
juice of 1/2 large lemon
Steep mint leaves and sugar in 2 cups hot water. When water is much cooler or even room temperature, add cold water to fill pitcher (1 liter+) and lemon juice.
Mommy Hungry
Strawberry Soda Ice Cream
Just saw this in Food Network Magazine and it reminded me of the Big Red soda we made at camp (sans strawberries)! It was delicious. We also made root beer ice cream at camp, which was also awesome. This recipe, below, makes about the best strawberry ice cream I've ever had.
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 cups half-and-half
3/4 cup red cream soda (Big Red!) or regular cream soda
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 cup frozen strawberries, thawed and mashed
Whisk the condensed milk, half-and-half, cream soda, cream and strawberries in a medium bowl. Churn in ice cream maker. Transfer to an airtight container and freeze until firm, at least 2 hours.
Laura Duckworth, Food Network Magazine
Chocolate Sorbet
2 cups water
1 cup sugar
1 cup unsweetened (or Dutch process) cocoa powder
1 cup unsweetened (or Dutch process) cocoa powder
Combine the water and sugar in a heavy saucepan and place over medium heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Whisk in the cocoa and bring the mixture to a simmer. Simmer for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
Remove from the heat and pour through a fine strainer into a bowl. Chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours. Stir the cool mixture, then freeze in your ice cream maker. When finished, the sorbet will be soft but ready to eat. For firmer sorbet, transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze at least 2 hours.
Bruce Weinstein, The Ultimate Ice Cream Book
