Happy Birthday to our nation! Our democracy is 245 years old this Sunday! That is certainly something to celebrate, especially with the decrease in new COVID-19 cases and the easing of mask mandates and social distancing requirements.
If you’re like us, your 4th of July celebrations center around food and fun. We like to get grilling in the outdoor kitchen and play games in the pool. Many of us have favorite dishes we make each 4th of July.
If you’re interested in adding something new to the mix, take a look at some of our favorite foods for the Fourth.
Sydnie, our Lead Designer, shares a recipe that she absolutely loves from Bon Apetit — Grilled Chicken Skewers with Toum (Shish Taouk).
“Toum, an intense garlic sauce usually paired with shawarma, is used as both a marinade and a condiment in this Lebanese chicken dish.”
And, as a side dish, she likes to pair the chicken skewers with a rustic heirloom tomato salad. Though Sydnie says she’s not a “dessert girl,” she loves popsicles on a hot day. We can all agree with that, right?
Our company president, Bill, loves a good dessert. His pick: Bananas Foster. This dessert is perfect for the grill. Sturdy bananas will hold up well and pair deliciously with vanilla ice cream!
Bill’s also a fan of grilled shrimp with al dente asparagus. Check out this video from Andrew Zimmern to get preparation, grilling, and eating tips!
Sean (from our sales team) shares his favorite grilling recipe for barbeque pork ribs from Katie Lee Biegel and red potato salad.
Not to be outdone on the dessert side of things, Sean also shared this recipe for the dessert that has captured his heart: Pineapple Upside-Down Cake!
“This cake tastes best warm, so while you still want it to cool a bit, I don’t recommend waiting too long to dig in!”
Can you tell that dessert is popular around here? Connie, our Client Care Coordinator, pulled this recipe for Grasshopper Pie from a well-used cookbook in her kitchen. The best thing about this recipe is that it doesn’t require an oven. Just set it and forget it!
By the way, Connie’s favorite non-dessert dish is grilled salmon. Chef Geoffrey Zakarian tells you exactly what to do and shares a few grilling hacks, too. Check out the video below to learn more.
“You want to make sure you have a very even piece of salmon.”
We certainly hope you are able to spend some quality time with friends and family over the 4th of July weekend. Whether you’re grilling up a storm in your outdoor kitchen or hosting a phenomenal pool party, have fun and stay safe.
And if you’re in the market to improve your outdoor living space, contact us for a consultation. We work with homeowners throughout much of Maryland, DC, and northern Virginia.
