Going red, white and blue for a Fourth of July cookout
Grilled watermelon is one of the dishes taught during Wednesday’s “Northern Now: Family Cooking for the Fourth with Chef Alden” webinar. The event was part of a series of webinars put on by Northern Michigan University Alumni Relations. Northern Michigan University chef Alden MacDonald makes grilled watermelon during Wednesday’s “Northern Now: Family Cooking for the Fourth with Chef Alden” webinar. The event was part of a series of webinars put on by Northern Michigan University Alumni Relations. (Journal photo by Christie Mastric)
Grilled watermelon is one of the dishes taught during Wednesday’s “Northern Now: Family Cooking for the Fourth with Chef Alden” webinar. The event was part of a series of webinars put on by Northern Michigan University Alumni Relations. Northern Michigan University chef Alden MacDonald makes grilled watermelon during Wednesday’s “Northern Now: Family Cooking for the Fourth with Chef Alden” webinar. The event was part of a series of webinars put on by Northern Michigan University Alumni Relations. (Journal photo by Christie Mastric)
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MARQUETTE -- Halloween has its orange and black, Christmas has its red and green -- and so on for the holidays. The Fourth of July's colors, of course, are red, white and blue, so if you're thinking about having a picnic or barbecue on this holiday, keep some recipes in mind.
A virtual "Northern Now: Family Cooking for the Fourth with Chef Alden" took place on Wednesday as part of the Northern Michigan University Alumni Relations' series of webinars. This webinar was based in the new Northern Center kitchen, the new home for the NMU Hospitality Management program.
NMU chef Alden MacDonald demonstrated several recipes featuring red, white and blue, which in this case, made up an entire meal -- drink included.
She started off with muhammara -- a roasted red pepper dip -- and specifically, the peppers themselves.
"This is a really important component to this dish," MacDonald said. "It's the thing that kind of ties everything together."
People can buy peppers in a can, she noted, but they also can be roasted at home or over a campfire. With muhammara, she stressed, red peppers are the pepper of choice.
There are several ways to roast peppers, said MacDonald, who showed the finished black and charred ingredient during the webinar.
"That's a good thing," she said. "Also notice they're nice and squishy. We want nice and squishy because that means the flesh is really tender."
Once cooled, she peeled off the skins and put them, along with other ingredients and put them in a food processor, blending them until smooth.
The other ingredients called for in the recipe, by the way, are extra virgin olive oil, toasted shelled walnuts, garlic cloves, tomato paste, bread crumbs, pomegranate molasses, red pepper flakes, sumac and salt. The finished dip can be improved by drizzling olive oil on it, plus adding a topping of torn cilantro.
Sunflower seeds, she pointed out, can be substituted for nuts.
"Won't be exactly the same, but for those of us with allergies, it'll work," MacDonald said.
But pomegranate molasses?
"I know some of you are probably thinking, 'I didn't even know there was such a thing as pomegranate molasses,'" she said.
What MacDonald did for the webinar was cook down pomegranate juice, which be used for the molasses.
MacDonald also created red, white and blue yogurt and fruit using strawberry, blueberry and vanilla yogurt; blueberries; strawberries, sliced in half; and apples, sliced and soaked in lemon water.
Each flavor of yogurt can be placed in a thick strip in a serving bowl to make distinct lines of each type for the red, white and blue look, with food coloring a possibility to make it even more distinct.
Fruit can be arranged in a decorate manner on a separate plate or platter, with the dish served with toothpicks or skewers so people can dip the fruit in the yogurt.
MacDonald said kids can get involved in making this yogurt, learning knife safety skills by using paring knives to cut the strawberries.
She then moved on to making chicken kebobs with blueberry barbecue sauce and grilled watermelon.
When it came to grilling the tender watermelon, she recommended not grilling it all the way through -- or else it will fall apart.
"This is watermelon, and it is aptly named," MacDonald said.
On the visually patriotic side was the flag cake MacDonald made with the cook's favorite type of cake, white icing, blueberries, strawberries and sugar.
MacDonald prefers sanding sugar for appearance's sake.
"I unapologetically like glitter," she said.
However, she suggested people add the sanding sugar right before the cake is served because it will absorb the moisture and dissolve.
The peach tea cocktail uses Canadian whisky, peach liqueur, unsweetened iced tea, a lemon wedge and peach slices.
Alcoholic iced tea, though, might not be the most appropriate drink for everyone.
"What if you have little kids that want a cocktail too?" MacDonald asked.
She said iced tea, peaches and lemon can be used, with peach syrup mixed in the drink.
Canned peaches OK to use, she said.
"They would be just as delicious and refreshing in this as well," MacDonald said.
Visit bit.ly/431ZKUH to view the recipes.
Northern Now is a digital event series for alumni and friends that provides a behind-the-scenes look at NMU students, departments, athletics and more on campus with exclusive tours, interviews and interactive events, according to the NMU website. More details are at nmu.edu/alumni.
Christie Mastric can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 550. Her email address is cbleck@miningjournal.net.