AN ALL AMERICAN FOURTH - IN ITALY

Our friends Larry and Shelly host an annual 4th of July Texas-style BBQ, and as usual, this one was a delicious success. Let's talk about the menu first, since Larry and Shelly bring many tradtional American goodies packed in their suitcases, and with the lower weight limits on luggage, this is no small feat!

Of course there were hot dogs and hamburgers on the grill, and barbequed chicken bathed in KC Masterpiece barbeque sauce. We had our choice of dill of sweet pickle relish...items that are certainly NOT to be found on any Italian grocery store shelves! There was also potato salad and cole slaw, and baked beans....another item that's not typically Italian.

For me the highlight of the day was the tortilla chips....chips that Larry fried here in Italy, made of course from tortillas that had been brought to Italy, then cut into triangles and fried! Of course chips need something ON them, and miracle of miracles, we had QUESO! Velveeta cheese and Rotel tomatoes with chilies.....yes, it might seem decadent to some, even unhealthy to others, but to me it was like a taste of the states, a guilty pleasure that many of us found quite addicting!

I made brownies for the occasion, and Judith baked a peach cobbler and an apricot crumble that were both baked at Larry and Shelly's house right before they were served...meaning they were still warm! Wow!

In addition to the usual group of expats and visiting family members, this years group also included many of Larry and Shelly's friends from around the world who had made the trip for the anniversary party on Thursday. As a bonus, they were also able to share the 4th with us in Italy, and except for the lack of fireworks, I think we really had a very tradtional 4th of July!