Thursday, June 30, 2011

Preparing for the fourth

We are going ahead with our July 4th party this year, despite the fact that I don't have undergraduates studying with me this time round.  It's going to be the tenth year in a row we've held the party, and it's a tradition I'd like to continue.
As always, we'll go all out.  So far the menu includes (bearing in mind that it's a potluck, so others will be bringing food too)

Barbecued pork ribs, chicken wings and drumsticks
Vietnamese-style chicken salad
Coleslaw
Pizza (for the kids: pepperoni, pineapple, cheese)
Flat breads (garlic, cheese, onion)
Hummus (perhaps one roasted pepper, the other cumin and coriander)
Tapenade
Allioli (spicy, with sriracha chili sauce)
Smoked trout and smoked mackerel pates
Harvest mix salad (about which I've written recently)

Crustless cheesecake
Roulade au chocolat

In previous years there would also have been sausage rolls as a staple, and I probably would have gorged mainly on them.  One of the changes I've made over the past few weeks and months is that I don't immediately think of preparing them for every party.  They may well get added to the menu still, in particular if the children request them, but they're no longer an automatic entry.

Yours, thinking that about half of the menu is rather healthy, and feeling that the other half is allowed on a feast day
N.

No comments: