When most people think of the 4th of July as a time for hotdogs and hamburgers but more and more people are turning to more extravagant food choices. Ribs, cakes and pies are at the top of that list in addition to the usual fare of slaw and macaroni salad. When planning a 4th of July celebration, it is important to be sure you have the necessary cookware and utensils to create the perfect menu for your gathering.
Pans
If you are planning to provide all of the food for your gathering, you will need to cook multiple dishes that are similar. To do this you will need several mixing bowls and baking pans. There are many recipes to choose from for cakes and pies designed for the holiday and each one will require a specific pan or dish. You want to focus on not only the taste of your food but also the appearance. Using glass dishes for pies and cobblers can bring the colors out on your table and reduce the need for center pieces.
Barbeque Tools
Whether you are choosing the standard fare of hotdogs and hamburgers or going with something more extravagant you will need the right tools. For ribs, you will need a pan for the sauce as well as a brush to apply the sauce. To flip the food on the grill you will need tongs as well as a rib rack. This grilling rack is perfect for making juicy tender ribs while evenly cooking them. For burgers you will need a stainless steel spatula to easily flip the burgers on the grill. One highly recommended grill tool is a meat thermometer that is easy to use and easy to read. This will prevent you from over cooking or undercooking the meat.
Knives
It is always important to have a good set of kitchen knives. These will be needed throughout the preparation of the food for your celebration. It is good to know what each knife is used for so that you can easily select the right knife for the job at hand. You will want a non serrated sharp knife for separating the ribs into sections of three or four ribs in order for them to properly cook. You will also want plenty of steak knives for our guests as well as a bread knife and cake knife. These are the essential knives to have for any gathering, but especially for your 4th of July celebration.
Pots and Pans
In addition to the cake pans, pie plates and sauce pans you will want to have multiple pots and pans for other assorted dishes such as casseroles or salads that require cooking in the preparation. If you only have a few pots and pans to cook with, you may find yourself washing dishes throughout the preparation. By having to stop and wash a pan to reuse it you will increase your preparation time greatly. Some people choose to purchase disposable pans if they are making dishes that will placed in a different dish after preparation. These disposable pans can make your cleanup a breeze by cutting the number of dishes you must wash in half.
Bowls
Bowls are a very important item to have for your 4th of July celebration as many dishes will be placed in them. Fruit salads, pasta salads and potato salads will all be placed in bowls as well as snacks that you may choose to serve either before or after the meal. You can find some very nice disposable bowls that your guests wouldn’t be able to guess are disposable. It is important when planning the menu for your celebration that you take into account how many bowls you will need for your dishes prior to beginning the preparations.
