Summer's in full swing and we're ready to celebrate the long, warm days—and America's birthday!—with a double scoop of good food and good reads. If you're planning an outdoor party, you'll want to join us in firing up the grill for our latest Gourmet Modern Menu. A sweet, tangy Honey-Ginger Barbecue Sauce does double duty on grilled shrimp and corn, and the grand finale is a gorgeous Red, White, and Blue Ice Cream Cake with fresh blueberries and raspberries—a real crowd-pleaser in flag-waving shades.
Our all-American culinary coverage continues with a roundup by Gourmet Live's Kelly Senyei of 10 foods you might be surprised to learn were born in the U.S.A. Hint: There's a goddess and a fortune among them, so be sure to check out the slideshow.
Next up is a tour of specialty festivals by America's famous road-food warriors, Jane and Michael Stern, spotlighting events coast to coast that celebrate fried chicken, Cajun sausage, and even lentils and the like. Meanwhile, just in time for summer vacation, travel writer Colleen Clark is your guide to 10 American cities that are noteworthy for their food and music scenes. We predict that both of these stories will have you packing your bags—and your appetite.
For a very different look at food away from home, Siobhan Adcock reports on food service in the U.S. military, both on base and in the field. She takes note of new nutritional standards introduced this year with Michelle Obama's support and shares candid anecdotes from former and active troops in many different arms of the service. Highlights include meals both grand (king crab legs and ice cream bars) and gruesome (a certain MRE dubbed the "Five Fingers of Death"), discovering international cuisines, creative MacGyvering of meals, and the central role of hot sauce.
And don't miss our interview with the director of sustainability at America's largest grocer, Walmart, plus James Rodewald's guide to gardening for cocktails (recipes and cultivation tips included).
And don't miss our latest special magazine edition, Gourmet Easy Dinners; it's packed with 109 recipes, including three complete menus for outdoor feasts. You can find it at retailers nationwide, such as Barnes & Noble, Whole Foods, and Hudson News.
What are you cooking for the Fourth? Let us know via Twitter or Facebook, drop us a line (gourmetlive@condenast.com), or post a comment on our blog. For more tasty bites, sign up for our weekly newsletter to get convenient access to our most-read blog posts, editors' favorite recipes, and exclusive reader offers.
Happy Fourth of July!
The editors of Gourmet Live