of July.

In Plymouth we start celebrating the Fourth on the Third

Flag Rock back-story via a recent Boston Globe story

On the Fourth, Plymouth celebrates with

a big ole PARADE (wicked local photo gallery here)

and some Food For Thought

and of course …….

FIREWORKS

Then on Sunday the Fifth

Brother #4 fired up the grill for an impromptu cookout. There were

Burgers & Dogs

Sausages

Buns and Cheeses

Condiments

Salads

Potato and Green

Brother #2 came with his youngest, and on the distaff side there was a significant other, a spouse, Mamma and me.

And what was our conversation, our table talk, as it were?

What else?

FOOD

Highlights:

• Lots of hot dog talk

Uncle Al used to work in a hot dog factory – we remember it as Maple Leaf brand, but Old Tyme Kayem taste closer….the times are a -changing……. The BEST part of the Uncle Al dogs were that you got to pick one out that was just the right size for you. I used to pity the poor souls who could only buy packages where each dog was the same size, As if everyone wanted the same amount of hot dog. As If! …we never called them ‘ends’ or ‘remains’ – they were couture and just for us! We were lucky dogs! And they were fantastic without being cooked, too.

• And we had the not right buns….becoming so common we didn’t even talk about them.

• And what’s the deal with hot dog eating contests? Why would you want to eat 62 hotdogs with buns in 10 minutes?????? There are better ways to make a buck.
• 
• I made frankfurters from Mrs Beetons recipe (c. 1900) a long time ago. The moment we added the spice, it smelled like HOT DOG. What was that spice? The real secret is to make a meat mousse and then put in the casings.
• Potato Salad – ours was store bought BUT
  • Potato Salad can always be improved with a little pickle relish.
  • If you’re making Potato Salad pickle juice is the killer secret ingredient
  • Red Bliss potatoes make great potato salad
  • Onions should be avoided in Potato Salad – they should be sliced and put on the burgers. No discussion.

• What’s the big dealio with coconut water? It may be fashionable, but it tastes like drek (a polite substitute for the 4 letter word I would prefer to use). I just don’t get it. Perhaps I was born in the wrong zipcode code. I did Google it…..and according to Wikipedia (a quick source, not necessarily a through one…):

“The Documentation Center of Cambodia cited the practice of allowing untrained nurses to administer green coconut water during the Pol Pot regime as a crime against humanity.^[7]” .

Wellllllll……..

• Olives and Mushrooms have Lovers and Haters, and no middle ground. They will always be on the table, they will never be on every plate. Which works out just fine.
• More people ate the green salad at the end of the meal then a the beginning. There was salad, more salad and enough salad.
• The table was cleared and bowls of fruit came out – pineapple, cantaloupe and watermelon.

and then………

• We didn’t Barbeque Cheetos, but it was a real good party anyway!