Summer Sizzles: The 4th of July Collection

From Chef Paddy

I used to count down to the Fourth of July like it was Christmas in shorts. Because I knew we were going to Uncle Fran and Auntie Isabel’s house—and that meant one thing: a real cookout.

I’m talking cars lined down both sides of the street. Cousins I hadn’t seen since Easter. Wiffle ball in the yard. Horseshoes out back. Cannonballs into their giant in-ground pool. We’d run around for hours—barefoot, sunburned, probably bleeding somewhere, but it didn’t matter. Dirt Dan the beagle held court like he owned the place, barking at every firework and stealing hot dog buns when nobody was looking.

And the food? It was hamburgers, hot dogs, and steak tips that had no business being that good. They weren’t fancy—but they hit. Every time. That cookout was a highlight of the summer. Every year.

This collection is my way of honoring that feeling. Not a replica—because nothing beats the original. But a lineup of recipes that carry the same energy: fun. flavor. familiar faces. and food worth showing up for.

• Wicked Good Tips – tastes like Boston in July
• The Porch Packet – a foil-wrapped vacation for your veggies
• The Coop Duet – grilled chicken two ways, because why not
• The Cool Cousin – that pasta salad with a pesto punch
• The Mint Condition – cold watermelon, cucumber, mint, and feta to cool you off
• Firecracker Shrimp – sweet, spicy, and ready to light things up
• Stars, Sips & Stripes – a red, white & blue fizz the whole family can sip
• Founding Pour-Fathers – bourbon, lemon, and a little history in every pour
• The Summer Shamrock Cob – corn done right, with basil butter and parm crumble
• The All-American Pie – because it ain’t summer without dessert

Every dish in here brings me back to that yard. That table. That laugh in the background. And if I’ve done it right—it’ll take you there too.

Let’s cook with heart. Let’s cook with hustle. Let’s get after it.

— Chef Paddy