Cooking for the 4th

[astanley]

I'm in the process of my first of three major cooks for the 4th.

Today, I'm smoking 4 chickens (spent 4 hours in a modified buttermilk brine, then 1.5 at 250 with apple for smoke). I'm bringing this to a party tonight.

Tonight I'll smoke 2 pork butts, each 9#'s, rubbed down with my special rub and smoked over hickory and maple mixed together. Those will smoke at 250 for 14 hours. I'll pull them up tomorrow and the meat is the base for pulled pork sandwiches. I'll spend my night on the deck, enjoying a libation or 3 along with a cigar (Partagas P).

Tomorrow I'm steaming 30#'s of lobster (about 15 2#ers), 8#'s of steamers, and 8#'s of mussels. The mussels will have a splash of cheap hooch white wine thrown in the bottom for a little bit of flavor.

We have a big family get-together every summer, the 4th some years, memorial others, and labor day to fill in. It's a big deal, and we all trot out our best. Jessie made her beacon hill brownies and her AMAZING potato salad (it's like crack, I could probably eat my body weight in it).

What are you all doing this weekend?

Cheers,

-Andrew

 

[mikea]

I'm in the process of my first of three major cooks for the 4th.

Today, I'm smoking 4 chickens.

Tonight I'll smoke 2 pork butts...

Tomorrow I'm steaming 30#'s of lobster (about 15 2#ers), 8#'s of steamers, and 8#'s of mussels.

Jessie made her beacon hill brownies and her AMAZING potato salad (it's like crack, I could probably eat my body weight in it).

What are you all doing this weekend?

We're going to your place! What time do you want us there?

 

[astanley]

We're going to your place! What time do you want us there?

SFZ or 1B6, be here for 2PM EST Tomorrow

Cheers,

-Andrew

 

[fgcason]

I'm not doing anything. I'm absolutely definitely not going to the cookout at a friends house. This is an exerpt from her email this morning in reference to a friend of hers:

"She had her second child in April and she sent a photo of her she is sooooo cute. I think I wanna eat her baby."

NOPE! Not going there that's for sure. I might get served up as the main course...

 

[Brian Austin]

Sigh. The Fourth here in Phoenix just isn't the same as back in West Michigan. It's too flippin' hot to do much (112 today) outside. Cookouts are usually just throw a steak on some tinfoil and put it in the sun for a while (ok, just kidding but it's darn close).

I'll probably just stay in and watch the fireworks up north...the real ones, where 800+ firefighters are trying to put out the Cave Creek Complex fire.

Oh, well. At least I'm not shoveling this stuff!

 

[Carol]

We're going to your place! What time do you want us there?

That's what I was going to say

 

[RotaryWingBob]

Tonight - grilling: (lamb) shish kebab marinated in lemon juice, oregano, garlic and a couple of other goodies. Skewered along with baby plum tomatoes, green pepper, mushrooms, small white onions. Maybe a merlot or (red) zin.

Tomorrow - smoking: after taking a neighbor up in the R22 in the morning -- pulled chicken, homemade rub and finishing sauce (Texas style with some jalapino and chipotle to wake everybody up), hickory wood (unless I change my mind and opt for apple). 225 for 3 or so hours. Local corn on the cob. Arrogant Bastard ale and Victory Hop Devil ale (ya gotta have brews w/BBQ!)

Monday - grilling: filets (keep it simple!). Scalloped potatoes, fresh shelled peas. Cabernet probably.

 

[wsuffa]

Oh, well. At least I'm not shoveling this stuff!

I, on the other hand, am cutting it with a knife. It's over 101 here, with humidity about 65%. At least YOU have a dry heat....

 

[ltsykes]

I think you should bring your party here. Beautiful day except for the winds!

You gotta love Michigan!

 

[Anthony]

Andrew and Bob, you guys are making me hungry. Sounds wonderful. Good ole Hop Devil, huh Bob. I gotta tell ya, they have some GREAT beers here in CO. Enjoy!

 

[astanley]

Andrew and Bob, you guys are making me hungry. Sounds wonderful. Good ole Hop Devil, huh Bob. I gotta tell ya, they have some GREAT beers here in CO. Enjoy!

Anthony, I forgot this one - my sister is making them special for you - crab cakes! <flee>

The beers out of Fruitia, Boulder, and the Denver microbrew scene are all pretty spiffy. Lots of hippies usually equals a good deal of good beer.

Cheers,

-Andrew

 

[astanley]

Tonight - grilling: (lamb) shish kebab marinated in lemon juice, oregano, garlic and a couple of other goodies. Skewered along with baby plum tomatoes, green pepper, mushrooms, small white onions. Maybe a merlot or (red) zin.

Tomorrow - smoking: after taking a neighbor up in the R22 in the morning -- pulled chicken, homemade rub and finishing sauce (Texas style with some jalapino and chipotle to wake everybody up), hickory wood (unless I change my mind and opt for apple). 225 for 3 or so hours. Local corn on the cob. Arrogant Bastard ale and Victory Hop Devil ale (ya gotta have brews w/BBQ!)

Monday - grilling: filets (keep it simple!). Scalloped potatoes, fresh shelled peas. Cabernet probably.

Bob, next time you are up this way... give me a holler. I'll trot out the smoker and the beers. The pork butts will be 250 for just about 13 hours (the charcoal is starting as we speak). Sit outside, enjoy the stars, smell the smoke. Easy livin'.

We're serving Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc, Dog Point SB, DeLoach OFS 96 RRV Cab, Groth Zinfindel, Magic Hat Hocus Pocus, Harpoon Summer, Harpoon UFO, and Magic Hat Fat Angel. I'll probably have a bottle Provenance 01 Cab for dinner Monday, a good Rutherford cabernet.

Cheers,

-Andrew

Cheers,

-Andrew

 

[Anthony]

Anthony, I forgot this one - my sister is making them special for you - crab cakes! <flee>

The beers out of Fruitia, Boulder, and the Denver microbrew scene are all pretty spiffy. Lots of hippies usually equals a good deal of good beer.

Cheers,

-Andrew

Like a dagger into my heart. Crab cakes. Yes, the hippies like their brews, but us "regular" folks can still enjoy!

Crab, crab, crab......

 

[Lawreston]

What are you all doing this weekend?

It's after the weekend I'll get some rest. Monday, I'm putting Scottsdale MOM(pictured, below, at her brother's motel in Camden, ME[free room we had for several nights]) on a plane at Portland to go back to AZ. I hope when I'm almost 83 I'll have the get-up-and-go she has. Tellin' ya: she doesn't stop for a minute, and hasn't here, since June 20. But somebody has to get back and take care of my place in Scottsdale that I so seldom see.

HR
(sorry about the size; took it directly off my Photo CD)

 

[Carol]

.....Scottsdale MOM(pictured, below,.....

I can see the family resemblance.

 

[Toby]

Sailing today with friends off the south shore. It's so clear and sunny here. Temps have been in the 70s....ahhhh. Did a lot of flying yesterday, will fly again tomorrow. I'm off to buy ice!

Enjoy your weekends, everybody.

 

[Frank Browne]

No cooking out for us this 4th. Oldest son has moved out after being adopted by a wealthy family. ( Long, strange story. ) B)

Youngest son just started his first job this weekend so it's just me and the wife. We'll probably go to Taco Bell or something.

 

[ladyaviator]

How about the recipe for that potato salad?

 

[terzap]

I'm cooking Atkins Shake mix, myself. I may or may not have it with some home-made, homegrown pesto sauce.

((Bob: I salute you for being an admirer of the black grape Zinfandel in its TRUE FORM. I no longer indulge, but back when I did (I was a retail store wine manager for 14 years) I considered a well-crafted Zin the ultimate American red and despaired of the blush wine craze. (YECCH.) Have you ever tried any of the Zinfandel ports? Ambrosia. At least in my memory.))

Happy Independence Day!!

Teetotaler Terry

 

[gkainz]

Crab, crab, crab......

Anthony, the best I can do to help you out (other than the "Blue Crab Run" in one of the flying mags a month or so ago) is suggest the Fresh Fish Company on Hamden Ave a couple of blocks east of I-25 ... the best fish place in Denver in my opinion (altho I've not been there in a few years)...which isn't really saying much, considering there's only a handful in town, not counting Wahoo's Fish Tacos or Rubio's...

 

[Michael]

No cooking out for us this 4th. Oldest son has moved out after being adopted by a wealthy family. ( Long, strange story. )

Frank,
Care to hook me up with said family?

Michael

 

[Frank Browne]

Frank,
Care to hook me up with said family?

Michael

I'm trying to figure out how I can get in on the deal. A long time friend of ours is the house manger for this family. She hired my 19 year old son about 8 weeks ago to maintain the grounds and do general upkeep around the house. After a month they decided that my son was trustworthy and offered him the one bedroom apartment over their garage. ( 6 cars ). They also gave him a fully loaded '03 Suburban to use whenever he needs it. The small balcony outside his kitchen overlooks the tennis court and the St Johns River. The car and apartment come with the job!B) They also told him that he was welcome to use their sons "old" '83 911 Porshe Targa. He drove that over to our house this morning. Beautiful car! All of this is happening for him at the same time that I have been passed over after 32 years of service for a huge promotion at my job. It's like there is a great tear in space-time fabric. Kinda surreal quality to my life. Weird.

He's also been told to expect some trips on the family yacht.