The 4^th of July is the hot summer holiday where friends, family and neighbors gather to commemorate our nation’s independence.  For many, the celebration centers around fireworks, fun and…food, of course!

As I began planning my 4^th of July picnic menu, I found myself wondering where the foods on my list originated from.  I spent a bit of time “Googling” and searching through Wikipedia, and was excited to learn the history about some of my family’s favorite food.  Many of these favorites have meaningful stories, too. Let me share a little bit of what I found with you…Apple pie is about as Americana as it gets.  There’s even the phrase, “As American as Apple Pie!”  But, do you know how that phrase became famous?  I discovered it stems from the answer that soldiers would give journalists when asked why they were serving in WWII…“For mom and apple pie.”  Now those are good American soldiers!

And what is it about the hot dog that makes us feel so American?   After all, the frankfurter came from Germany and the wiener came from Austria.   Come to find out, hot dogs have been served on the streets of St. Louis since the late 1800’s and not long after, made it into the ball parks as the concession of choice.

Then there is one of my favorites, the deviled egg.  They’ve been toted to church suppers and backyard barbecues for years.  Even June Cleaver made them on “Leave it to Beaver!”  Baked beans have a pretty interesting history, too.  They kept our soldiers well fed during the Civil War in the 1860’s. 

While all of these dishes taste like patriotism to me, I can’t help but think of seafood on this day as well.  After all, seafood has been feeding this country since the early days of colonization.  And, nothing says “America” to me more than good, fried seafood.  That’s why on this 4^th, I’ll be serving Popcorn Shrimp Po Boys to my family.   And, Po Boys deserve their share of American pride, too.

Since the early 1900’s, Po Boys were served in Louisiana to fill the bellies of hard working streetcar employees.  They consist of a hollowed out piece of buttered French bread, stuffed with fried seafood of choice and topped with fresh squeezed lemon juice.   I think I’m going to kick mine up a notch with some spicy tartar sauce for some real flavor.   With this recipe, the shrimp po boy is sure to be the hero of our plate this year.  

On that note, we at SeaPak would like to send a heartfelt thank you to all of the heroes of this country.  It is because of you and your sacrifices that we have much to celebrate this Sunday, aside from our tasty plates.  Happy 4^th!!

Shrimp Po’ Boy Sandwich

Prep Time: 2 minutes Cook Time: 10 minutes Makes: 2 servings

1 package SeaPak® Popcorn Shrimp or SeaPak® Shrimp Poppers or 1 package SeaPak® Light & Crispy Shrimp
4 – 6 leaves of lettuce
1 medium tomato, sliced
mayonnaise, tartar sauce, or your favorite sauce
2 hoagies or sandwich rolls

PREPARE shrimp according to package directions.

PLACE shrimp on the hoagie rolls and top with lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise, tartar or your favorite sauce.