Best Fourth of July, Independence Day Recipes

After more than two hundred years of independence for the United States, when you think about the fourth of July, the day we set aside to celebrate our "Independence Day," it brings to mind all of the fun events that have become a part of how Americans celebrate the birth of our nation. Streaming ribbons of red, white and blue can now be seen stretched across our nation, along with the high-flying stars and strips of the American flag in honor of Independence Day.

It's hard to think that all these events and celebrations arise out of the very solemn and brave acts of our nation's forefathers who gleaned their inspiration from the author Thomas Paine through his widely-distributed pamphlet "Common Sense." Honoring Thomas Paine, as the preeminent founder of the United States of America, The Thomas Paine National Historical Association was founded January 29, 1884 in New York City. It is among the oldest historical associations in the United States. The association's mission is to educate the world about the life, times and works of Thomas Paine. The website can be found at www.thomaspaine.org.

Although his beliefs and ideas inspired the growth of our great nation, Thomas Paine himself was not so popular. He died with very few people even attending his funeral and due to a series of unfortunate events; even the whereabouts of his remains are unknown. In his biography of Thomas Paine, popular businessman, politician and writer, Robert G. Ingersoll wrote:

Thomas Paine had passed the legendary limit of life. One by one most of his old friends and acquaintances had deserted him. Maligned on every side, execrated, shunned and abhorred - his virtues denounced as vices - his services forgotten - his character blackened, he preserved the poise and balance of his soul. He was a victim of the people, but his convictions remained unshaken. He was still a soldier in the army of freedom, and still tried to enlighten and civilize those who were impatiently waiting for his death, Even those who loved their enemies hated him, their friend - the friend of the whole world - with all their hearts. On the 8th of June, 1809, death came - Death, almost his only friend. At his funeral no pomp, no pageantry, no civic procession, no military display. In a carriage, a woman and her son who had lived on the bounty of the dead - on horseback, a Quaker, the humanity of whose heart dominated the creed of his head - and, following on foot, two negroes filled with gratitude - constituted the funeral cortege of Thomas Paine.

- Robert G. Ingersoll, Thomas Paine, written 1870, published New Dresden Edition, XI, 321, 1892. Accessed online at thomaspaine.org, 17 February 2007.

Events celebrating Independence Day are not just a remembrance of our country's struggle for freedom, but also a celebration of the tenacity and upbeat, fun-loving nature of the American people. Celebrations include many of our nation's favorite pastimes like: playing baseball, eating hot dogs, pie contests, fireworks, parades, barbeques, carnivals, and picnics.

The fifty-six signers of the Declaration of Independence were not just politicians that had a common cause. Signing the Declaration of Independence was considered an act of treason. Many of the representatives had family ties to each other before ever signing the declaration, therefore it can be said that under threat of execution, the birth of our nation was a family affair. Independence Day is not just a celebration; it is a family gathering for an entire nation. The best recipes for the Fourth of July are family favorites. Why not include some of their family recipes along with yours to honor their memory and give thanks for their sacrifices?

Below are some historic family recipes and also some recipes from members of our current administration. There are also links to historical cookbooks from the years of early American cookery that provides interesting reading for those who like the idea of learning history and early American customs through food preparation.

Martha Washington's Great Cake(One of Mrs. Washington's favorite recipes)

Take 40 eggs and divide the whites from the yolks and beat them to a froth. Then work 4 pounds of butter to a cream and put the whites of eggs to it a Spoon full at a time till it is well work'd. Then put 4 pounds of sugar finely powdered to it in the same manner then put in the Yolks of eggs and 5 pounds of flour and 5 pounds of fruit. 2 hours will bake it. Add to it half an ounce of mace and nutmeg half a pint of wine and some fresh brandy.

Notes on making Martha Washington's Great Cake:

In making the great cake, Mount Vernon's curatorial staff followed Mrs. Washington's recipe almost exactly. Where the recipe called for 5 pounds of fruit, without specifying which ones, 2 pounds of raisins, 1 pound of currants, and 2 pounds of apples were used. The wine used was cream sherry. Since no pan large enough was available to hold all the batter, two 14 layers were made and stacked (note: the original was one single tall layer). The layers were baked in a 350 degree oven for 1.5 hours. Should be iced with a very stiff egg-white based icing, flavored with rosewater or orange-flower water. SOURCE: From the Mount Vernon website at: http://www.mountvernon.org. NOTE: This cake feeds large numbers.

Martha Washington's Crab Soup

Ingredients:

1 tb Butter
5 ts Flour
3 Eggs, hardboiled; sieved
1 Lemon, grated rind
1 pinch Salt
1 pinch White pepper, freshly ground
4 cups Milk
1/2 lb Steamed Crabmeat
1/2 cup Heavy cream
1/2 cup Dry sherry
1 dash Worcestershire sauce

In a 2 qt saucepan, combine butter, flour, sieved eggs, lemon rind, salt and pepper. In a separate saucepan, bring milk to a boil, remove from heat. Gradually pour in the hot milk into the egg mixture, stirring with a wire whisk. Add crabmeat, and cook over low heat for 5 minutes; do not boil. Add cream and remove from heat. Stir in sherry and Worcestershire sauce and serve piping hot. Serves: 6. SOURCE: From the Mount Vernon website at: http://www.mountvernon.org

Cranberry Pudding

2 eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons sugar
Pinch salt
1/2 cup molasses
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/3 cup boiling water
1 1/2 cups sifted flour
1 1/2 cups cranberries, cut in half

Combine eggs, sugar, salt and molasses. In a separate container, put 2 teaspoons of soda in 1/3 cup boiling water. Add to egg mixture. Stir in flour and cranberries. Steam in a buttered rice steamer for 1 1/2 hours. Serve warm with the following sauce.

Sauce

2 sticks butter
2 cups sugar
1 cup half and half

Melt butter. Add sugar and half and half and stir until sugar is dissolved. Pudding and sauce serves 6 to 8. SOURCE: The White House Family Cookbook by White House executive Chef Henry Haller with Virginia Aronson accessed online at: http://www.usa.gov/

Dorothy Hancock's Plain Yeast Rolls

4 cups milk, warm
¼ cup yeast
5 cups flour
1 egg, well beaten
2 Tbsp butter
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp sugar
½ tsp baking soda
Flour to suit

Make sponge by blending milk, yeast and flour in large wooden mixing bowl. Cover bowl with thick towel or cloth. Set aside in warm place to rise. When light (risen), stir in beaten egg, melted butter, salt and sugar. Dissolve baking soda in a little hot water and add while stirring. Put in sufficient flour to make soft, pliable dough. Cover as before and set in warm place to rise for about 4 or 5 hours.

Roll these out to ½" cakes. Fold cakes, not quite in center, like turnovers. Or simply shape with hands into balls. Set cakes or balls close together on shallow, buttered pan. Cover once again and set aside in warm place. Let dough rise a third time for about one hour.

When risen, cut deeply across top of each roll with sharp knife. Put into quick oven (425 degrees). Bake about thirty minutes or until tops of rolls are lightly browned. SOURCE: "Baking Recipes Of Our Founding Fathers" By Robert W. Pelton accessed online at: http://www.books.google.com.

George Washington's Beer Recipe

(Note: Following this recipe exactly will result in a beer with an alcohol content of about 11 percent -- making it at least twice as potent as most of today's commercially brewed domestic beers.)

To Make Small Beer:

Take a large siffer full of bran hops to your taste-boil these 3 hours. Then strain our 30 gall[o]n into a cooler put in 3 gall[o]n molasses while the beer is scalding hot or rather draw the molasses into the cooler. Strain the beer on it while boiling hot, let this stand till it is little more than blood warm. Then put in a quart of ye
SOURCE: (Recipe courtesy Precious Book Department, New York Public Library. Spelling and punctuation have been left in their original form.) Accessed online at the National Public Radio website at: http://www.npr.org.

Thomas Jefferson's Squash Doughnuts

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter
1-1/4 cups sugar
2 eggs, well beaten
1 cup squash, cooked
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup milk

Cream the butter and sugar in a large wooden mixing bowl. Then stir in the eggs, squash and vanilla. Sift the flour with salt, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add this alternately with the milk to the first mixture. Blend well and set aside to chill. When the dough is cold, turn it out on a lightly floured surface. Roll out to a 1/3 inch thick sheet. Cut with a floured cutter and deep fry in hot grease until brown. Drain on absorbent paper or cloth before serving.

President and Laura Bush's Deviled Eggs Recipe

Ingredients:

12 large eggs, boiled hard and peeled
1 Tbsp (plus) soft butter
1 Tbsp (plus) mayonnaise
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp Yucatan Sunshine Habanero sauce
Salt to taste

Cut eggs in half and set aside. Put egg yolks in food processor and add all ingredients. Process for 20 seconds or until mixture has blended. Check for taste and increase mustard, salt or Habanero sauce if desired. Place mixture in piping bag with star tip and pipe into egg halves. Sprinkle with paprika and chopped parsley. Chill for about an hour before serving.

Note about Yucatan Sunshine Habanero sauce: Habanero is a type of hot sauce, which can be substituted with Tabasco sauce. Yucatan Sunshine and other brands of the sauce can be purchased at most local supermarkets nationwide. The Bushes used the Yucatan Sunshine Habanero when living in Texas, and now the White House chef uses the sauce in a variety of recipes.

President and Laura Bush's Guacamole Recipe

Ingredients:
8 ripe avocados
4 lemons, juiced
7 shallots, finely chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1/2 bunch cilantro, finely chopped
1 tsp black pepper
1 Tbsp salt

Halve and pit avocados and scoop out flesh into a bowl. Mash to desired consistency and mix in remaining ingredients. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about an hour before serving. Serve with tortilla chips.

Secretary Snow's "Land of the Free Cole Slaw"

Ingredients:

1/2 small head white cabbage
1/2 small head red cabbage
3 inch piece of daikon radish (half dozen red radishes may be substituted)
Combine finely sliced cabbage and roughly grated radish

Dressing:

2 cups mayonnaise
1/4 cup horseradish
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon grated onion
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Mix all ingredients and pour over cabbage/radish mixture.

Secretary Evans' "Enchiladas Verde de 1776"

Ingredients:

1 dozen corn tortillas
1 lb. Jack cheese, grated
1 8oz. Can salsa verde (Herdez)
1/2 pt. Whipping cream

Preparation:

1. Heat tortillas, one at a time in a warm skillet. Use a little Pam as needed to keep moist.
2. Roll a small amount (large tablespoon) of cheese in each tortilla. Roll as tightly as possible. This can be done as the next tortilla is heating.
3. Pack the enchiladas tightly in an 8x10 pan.
4. Cover with balance of the cheese.
5. Mix the salsa and cream and pour evenly over the top. Do not mix until ready to use or it will curdle.
6. Sprinkle ripe olives over top (optional).

Bake in 350 oven until cheese starts to brown.

Greg Mankiw's "Fourth of July Coq Au Vin"

Brown chicken pieces (thighs on bone are my preference) in butter
Put chicken with drippings in dutch oven
Add chopped ham, onions, mushrooms, thyme, garlic, bay leaf, salt and pepper.
Flame a small bit of brandy and pour flaming brandy over chicken
Add about a cup of red wine
Cover and bake about 2 hours at 275 degrees
Serve with rice or couscous

Dale Haney's Yankee Doodle Dandy Ambrosia Salad

Ingredients:

1 container sour cream
1 large container Cool Whip
1 large can crushed pineapple
1 can mandarin orange
1 bag miniature marshmallows
1 handful Maraschino cherries (cut in half)
1/2 small package of shredded coconut (optional)
1 cup pecans (chopped)

Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Chill. Serves a lot

SOURCE: The recipes included above from the current administration and additional recipes are available at the website for the White House at: http://www.whitehouse.gov.

Historic Cookbooks available at the Project Gutenburg website:

The Whitehouse Cookbook (1887). The Whole Comprising A Comprehensive Cyclopedia Of Information For The Home. Author: Mrs. F.L. Gillette
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/13923/13923-h/13923-h.htm#Page_376

English Housewifery Exemplified (1764). In above Four Hundred and Fifty Receipts Giving Directions for most Parts of Cookery Author: Elizabeth Moxon. http://www.gutenberg.org/files/10072/10072.txt