Fourth of July

Since Ben and I arrived in Brazil, everyone has been as gracious as grandmas in sharing their culture -- particularly their country's food. From street meat to home cooked beans and cachaca liquor to skewered chicken hearts, the foods they feed us have proven to be just as unique as the Brazilians who love them.

With so much food filling our bellies, Ben and I had been wanting to reciprocate some of this hospitably and cook a dish for our friends -- and at their request, to make something really "American!". But short of taking them to McDonald's, we didn't think we had many options. What foods are exclusively American? I mean, we can hardly call pizza, Mexican food and Chinese take-out our own.

But as the calendar flipped toward July, we found the perfect occasion and inspiration for our feast. And on the Fourth of July, we rang in our country's independence thousands of miles away from it by serving some of our culture's cuisine. Because really, what says "America!" better than a good old fashioned barbecue picnic?

We had the will -- next all we needed was a way to make the dishes. There's a reason Brazilians don't know much about American food: they don't have any here. No ranch dressing, no pancake mix, not even peanut butter. Ben and I needed to see what we could whip up with the limited selection of familiar ingredients available. Things were looking pretty grim, and I began to wonder if McDonald's was the only taste of the USA we could provide.

But then the chefs from above waved their magic spatulas and shined hope upon us. About a week before the big day, as Ben and I wandered through a random Japanese market in Sao Paulo, we spotted a jar of Skippy peanut butter. I could have sworn I heard angels singing ... although it was probably just our stomachs growling in harmony at the sight of that simple taste of home. So what if it cost R$15? It was enough to get our USA party started.

With Skippy and Sriracha hot sauce, we were happy enough to take a picture.
Does that make us fat kids?

With the peanut butter, we decided to make PB&J sandwiches -- a snack Brazilians have only heard about like a legend in the movie. Later we found an elusive jar of barbecue sauce, as well as some pickles, which too are hard to come by. From there we finalized our "exotic" menu: bbq chicken with cheddar cheese on top (my family's favorite recipe), potato salad (with homemade relish), deviled eggs, Doritos (which are common here but pretty expensive), bite-sized PB&Js, mashed potatoes (just for fun) and chocolate chip cookies (also very rare here). I also created a fruit salad with alternating rows of strawberries and bananas shaped like the stripes of the American flag. Because hey, if you're throwing an American party, you might as well go all out.

Maria, my friend from Spain who just arrived a few days ago, was a huge help in preparing for the party the day of. We couldn't find any party supplies in town, so she had the idea to make our own streamers by cutting and taping together paper, and coloring them with red and blue stars. Perfect! I found a deck of American-themed playing cards with national monuments and American flags, as well as some dollar bills, which we also taped to the walls. Top that off with hand-drawn fireworks and patriotic eagles, and we were oozing red, white and blue.


During the party, we served our friends the medley of random American foods. Sure, we wouldn't typically serve peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with mashed potatoes, but no one complained. It was all new to them, and they were happy to taste something different. In the end, everyone decided the bbq chicken and potato salad tied for second place, while the PB&Js took first as their favorite food. I guess I sometimes forget how delicious that simply sandwich really is.

I asked everyone to wear red, white and blue to the party. Don't they make great Americans?

As we were cleaning up after the party, Ben and I realized that was the first Fourth of July party we'd ever hosted ... and we weren't even in our own country. But we were happy to share a taste of our home. And it was a good reminder that even though movies and TV make American culture seem pretty mainstream and unexotic to most of the world, there are still some surprises -- many as simple as a PB&J sandwich -- that can impress a culture even as rich as Brazil.