Patriotic Cookies And Bacon-Beef Burgers Celebrate Independence Day With Flavor

Macarons at Le Comptoir

Happy July 4th!

Le Comptoir in Columbia is celebrating the holiday with red, white and blue macarons this week.  We hope you like them.  The HowChow Home problem in that one of the flavors is raspberry and another flavor has Chambord, which is stealth raspberry.  And raspberry around here is . . . banned from desserts.

But we love Le Comptoir, and I'll eat raspberry so nothing goes to waste.  Plus, it is always appropriate to celebrate the American Revolution with a nod to the French.

The best burger from Laurel Meat Market

The French and, of course, bacon.  This looks like a great weekend to grill, and Laurel Meat Market is open until mid-afternoon today offering a full array of beef, chicken and sausages.  And that's headlined by their custom mix of ground chuck and bacon.

I bought meat last night and made cast-iron-skillet burgers because of threatening clouds.  That's a delicious burger -- and one rich enough to make me crave vegetables and lemons for the rest of the weekend.

What else do people recommend for the weekend?  Has anyone bought local crabs this summer yet?  I hear prices are high because the catch is low.