4th of July Deliciousness

Mmm food. So this is my first blog entry and I thought it would be appropriate to share some of the delicious morsels I ate over 4th of July weekend. I ventured out of Delaware and up to an old family vacation spot in Maine where my older brother happens to live in. We spent most of the time on Sebago Lake, grilling, eating, and of course, watching fireworks. Now onto the more important things - what I ate all weekend.

Sometimes (or a lot of times) you just want a big, juicy, meaty burger. Burgers and hot dogs just seem to go with summer, especially the 4th of July. So naturally we grilled on the Lake for lunch. The first burger I had was by far the best. It was cooked just to my liking - medium well (all you medium rare people probably wouldn't appreciate it, I apologize). The meat was juicy and plump and perfectly topped with a slice of melted cheddar cheese. Then I added some traditional toppings - sliced tomato, pickles, ketchup, mustard, and relish. All very ordinary ingredients, but let me tell you, the first bite into this burger was magical. The juicy meat and creamy melted cheese melded together along with the tangyness of the toppings. I couldn't have asked for a better burger. Mmm I want another one right now. Hats off to my big broski for his grilling skills.

Now onto bigger and better things - Dinner.
My brother fired up his grill every night as we indulged in classic summertime dining - steak tips, ribs, potatoes, corn on the cob, etc etc. The steak tips had been marinated in a Lowry's marinade (Steak & Chop flavor). If you have not tried this marinade, it is a MUST. It is a mixture with black pepper and garlic with a great tang to it. It's pretty much mouth watering. My sister-in-law made a great refreshing summer salad as a side dish as well. It was romaine lettuce, mandarin oranges, fresh strawberries, chopped pecans, and an asian sesame ginger dressing. The lightness of the salad went along great with the meatyness of the steak. These steak tips though, mmm. You could have cut them with a fork they were so tender. One bite was a giant burst of flavor in your mouth. I might be drooling just writing this, might be.

More importantly, what is a trip to Maine without fresh Maine lobster? That would be a giant failure my friend. After a long day of boating and swimming, lobster was the main dish for dinner. Now I really have never been a huge fan of seafood but I have a newfound love of lobster, calamari, and coconut shrimp, so I was not passing up the opportunity to indulge in a plump Maine lobster. After patiently awaiting the boiling process, I was rewarded with "Mikey." Yes, my lobster had a name thanks to my niece and nephew who named all of them before the were boiled. Poor little Mikey. Anywho, the lobster was fantastic. It was well worth the giant amount of work and energy it takes to actually get the lobster meat out of the shell. The claw meat is by far my favorite - so tender and flavorful. Lets not forget how good lobster is when dipped in melted butter. You could dip anything in melted butter and it would taste good. I got about half way through the lobster and decided I was going to have to hand it over to my Dad for help. After the steak tips, corn and salad, I just couldn't take another bite. My Dad is pretty much a human garbage disposal, so don't worry - no piece of lobster went to waste.

When I was younger, I was the fat kid. For real. And I loved ribs. I was notorious for "taking a bath" in the ribs. I always ended up with a pile of bones in front of me and a face painted with BBQ sauce. My brother actually has a very blackmail-worthy picture of my rib indulgence as a fatty. But that's neither here nor there. Of course, I absolutely dove into these ribs my brother made last weekend - but I will happily say I was not covered in BBQ sauce nor did I have a giant pile of bones in front of me. I guess I've learned some manners. Anyways these ribs were amazing. SO incredibly meaty and the taste - tangy with a hint of sweetness. They were dry rubbed, slathered with sweet baby ray's BBQ sauce and doused with some beer, which my brother believes is the key ingredient to everything. He may be onto something as these ribs really were fantastic and they were HUGE. They weren't your typical grocery store ribs, literally they were the biggest ribs I've ever seen. Mmm well I don't know about you but now I am hungry so until next time, Ciao!