a decidedly cuban fourth of july

This year's Fourth of July Cuban celebration was, if I do say so myself, a huge success. A house full of family and friends and a sweeping table set up in the yard to accommodate them all, guests piled their plates high with a group effort of Cuban treats. After a long, lazy, yet wild and crazy day of boating in the Long Island Sound, we dragged our sun kissed bodies back inland so that I could get my contributions to the feast underway. Gargantuan-sized shrimp were quickly boiled, chopped, and then immediately tossed in a ceviche marinade full of lime and lemon juice, garlic, red onion, jalapeno, avocado, and cilantro. Then the spread for the cuban grilled corn was whipped together with mayonnaise, chipotle in adobo, chili powder, and lime zest and juice: to be lightly brushed onto the hot grilled corn and covered in crumbled queso fresco and a side of sliced limes for squeezing. This was all to be served alongside a cuban slow roasted/grilled pork, black beans with coconut brown rice infused with ginger, and sweet and salty tostones.

A quick jump in the shower to somewhat regrettably wash off the salt water and into a festive blue cocktail dress and I was ready to enjoy the holiday.

Mint-tea infused mojitos were then hastily prepared in a large pitcher and immediately poured over a generous amount of ice and just like that, party-mode was in full force.

Then it was off to the town fireworks to lay back, relax, digest, and watch the sky light up with fantastic bright lights, our bodies feeling the smooth vibrations of every crack, sizzle, and pop.

Happy Fourth of July, everyone.

feasting on the fourth

When faced with planning the menu for this year's Fourth of July celebration, burgers and dogs didn't even cross this girls mind. Not once did I consider whipping up my favorite potato salad or perhaps giving Bratwursts a try. Nope, not this year. Because this year? Well, I decided to go Cuban.

I suppose it's not so much of a surprise given the affair that's turned into a committed relationship between Cuban cuisine and I this year. There's something about the flavors and the overall feeling of happiness and festiveness that this food genre most literally brings to the table that I thought would be perfect for a Summer party. And when faced with the skeptics who say, the Fourth is an All-American holiday, well I'll quickly have their lips zipped. Because as our friend Donna said, there are plenty of Cubans living in America. And with that, I got to planning.

MENU

Roasted Pork Shoulder Cuban Style (orange, lime, garlic galore)

Coconut Brown Rice with Black Beans

Shrimp and Avocado Ceviche

Cuban Grilled Corn (à la Cafe Habana)

Tostones (fried plantains)

Homemade Mango Sorbet

Mojitos (lots and lots of Mojitos...maybe Mango Mojitos)

But the special thing about this year's spread is that I have delegated out the dishes amongst three of us (the other two are seriously well-seasoned cooks that ALWAYS deliver phenom food). A hard thing for me to do, I will admit. But I'm thinking about it this way: the more I get out of the way the night/morning before, the longer I get to lazily lounge in the sun on my good friend's boat laughing the day away with the best of company. In other words, Saturday could not come soon enough.

So with that, I now ask you: What are your BBQ plans for this year's Fourth??