00:00I throw a dinner party every single month and this month is Americana themed and it just so
00:04happened to match up with the 4th of July. I wanted to serve all the classics but some with
00:07a bit of a spin. Two days prior to the party I scooted on over to the farmer's market for fresh
00:11berries, bread, and the pickles. For the signature cocktail, a twist on the Hugo Spritz, I prepped
00:15the blueberry infused vodka two days in advance. The morning of the party I felt like a kid in a
00:18candy store because I headed to everybody's favorite Round Swamp Farm in the Hamptons.
00:22Stop two, done. I immediately got to work on the Ina Garten flag cake while everyone was at the
00:26beach and this was like my own form of therapy. I wanted to make sure there was enough time for
00:29it to bake cool and decorate. Now it was time to mise en place. I strained out this gorgeous hue of
00:33blueberry vodka, prepped all the veggies for this mashed burger salad and the meat and then I had
00:37to set the table. Once the table was set I got to work on decorating the cake and this thing is a
00:40work of art. I'm really proud of that just so you know. That cake took longer than I thought and I
00:44was cutting it close. There were 10 minutes the guests arrived and I had to set up the cocktail
00:46station. I wanted to capture the best parts of a casual backyard barbecue with an elevated spin.
00:50The table was thirsty. I don't know. A place where everyone is welcome to chomp into the corner of
00:54the cob, spill the drink, take turns on the grill, laugh as loud as they can, and dig into their
00:58favorites. But with a twist, the hot dog served as the name tags and instead of burgers I served
01:02a smash burger salad instead. But it wouldn't be a barbecue without potato chips or die cut or
01:06Ina Garten slide cake.
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