4th of July Recipes (Vanity)

Or "first, you make a roux."

Well, I'm just heartsick. I went to look for my good old standby recipes, which I haven't needed in quite a while, and they didn't make it to this computer. I'm SOL until further exploration.

I won't be cooking much this 4th of July, but *IF I WERE,* it would be:

.Deviled Eggs - everyone's favorite, mine too - I grate the hot yolks fine; salt & pepper them; mash them with Dijonnaise OR Durkee's OR a little mayo and a smaller amount of yellow mustard; then add cut-up scallions (green onions), a lot of the green included; and a thimbleful of sweet pickle relish. I pipe them into the halved whites and sprinkle with paprika. If I'm transporting them and may not get the platter back, I cut them in half crosswise and put them back in the egg carton, with a little bit of paper toweling placed in each cup.

.Pickled Shrimp - wish I had my real recipe here. You make them at least a day in advance, but more is good. A couple pounds of medium shrimp, boiled with pickling spices or crab boil for just a few minutes; shelled, then layered in a bowl with thin slices of two large onions. Marinated in a mixture of salad oil, white vinegar (2:1 oil to vinegar ratio, but I use more vinegar), several Tbsps of capers with their juice, a scant Tbsp of celery seed, 1-2 minced garlic cloves, 1-2 bay leaves, salt to taste, and Tabasco to taste (not much). Put in a plastic Ziploc in a bowl in the fridge and turn every so often. Drain for serving, provide toothpicks. The onions alone are too die for, so all is not lost when the shrimp are gone!

.Mexican Dip - on a colorful plastic plate or small platter, dump a carton of soft cream cheese and smoosh it out into a pancake about 10" diameter. Pour over it one small jar of Pace Picante Sauce. Sprinkle on next, chopped scallions (about 3-4 green onions); small can chopped ripe olives; optional chopped fresh cilantro, if wanted; small can chopped green chiles; then top with an 8-oz pkg of grated cheddar cheese. (I carry all that with me separately and then do it all when I get to the party.) Provide a knife or be the first to dig into it, so the cream cheese shows. Thereafter, people will dig in with tortilla chips. This disappears first of everything!

.Veggie Pizza or Dip on a Chip - yummy. First, make a batch of Dill Dip or Ranch Style Dip with 8 oz. soft cream cheese and 8 oz. sour cream, plus any dry dip mix you like. I always used Knorr Suisse Dill/Vinegar, but they discontinued it. Ranch Style is fine, or any Dill Dip mix you can find is best. Let the dip meld in the fridge for a bit. Then, take one can of refrigerated crescent roll dough, spread it out on a baking sheet, with the perforations and cuts smooshed together, to make one big sheet of solid pastry dough and bake it at 375° for 10 minutes, until golden. Now, in a food processor, grind together 1 cup of cut-up broccoli florets, 1 cup of cut-up cauliflower florets, 3 cut-up medium carrots, and 1 bunch of cut-up scallions (green onions). Spread the mellowed cold dip on the cooled pastry sheet and then dump the ground veggies on top, and pat and spread them out to cover. Cut into squares, triangles or diamonds and serve promptly - the crust will soften if made too far in advance. This is more delicious than you can imagine!

.Overnight Salad - I've given my recipe for that before on FR.

Happy 4th of July Y'All!

Aunt Naughtius' THE GLORIOUS FOURTH OF JULY BEEF BRISKET

You will need:

A medium sized beef brisket.
An aluminum disposable turkey roasting pan.
A half gallon of Coke or Dr. Pepper (Depending on your regional preference.)
A bag of hickory, cherry, or apple smoking wood chips.
A large bag of nice, innocuous, unflavored charcoal.

Buy a good quality 5 or 6 pound brisket. Not too fatty but not too lean either. (Don't be worried about going oversize, the leftovers are wonderful. I cut them into bitesized cubes, roll them in red chile and cumin, freeze them and use a handful to flavor my chili in the fall.)

The night before:
Thaw your brisket if necessary and then wash it thoroughly in cold water. Pat dry with paper towels. Place in aluminum roasting pan. Pour in Coke or Dr. Pepper until brisket is covered. (It might be necessary to use a frying pan or something similar to hold the brisket under the soda. I use a glass brick.) Refrigerate overnight.

Early in the day:

Fire up your barbeque or smoker. Use indirect heat. Drain and dispose of the soda pop. After the soda pop is drained, shape the turkey pan into a drip catcher or cut down its sides and place the brisket inside fat side up. One way or the other make sure there's plenty of room for smoke and heat to circulate.

Keep a moderate heat (about 150 - 180 degrees) going for several hours. Soak smoke wood chips in water and toss in a handful from time to time. Add more briquettes when necessary. Baste the top of the brisket with pan juices from time to time. Remember though, the more times you open the barbeque, the more heat escapes and the longer the meat takes to cook. You have to use judgment. If you have a thermometer, the interior of the meat should reach 150 degrees. If you don't, the meat should easily tear apart with a fork when it's done.

If your gang is going wild to eat (as mine often does), use a hearty dose of smoking wood for about an hour and then finish off the brisket in a shallow pan covered with aluminum foil in your conventional moderate oven (350 degrees).

Thin slice at about a 45 degree angle to the grain of the meat.

Serve with several varieties of BBQ sauce, white bread, fresh corn on the cob and your favorite coleslaw. Don't forget watermellon, cantelope, etc. on the side.

A Glorious Fourth to All Freepers!

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.