"In the truest sense, freedom cannot be bestowed; it must be achieved." - Franklin D. Roosevelt

The Fourth of July for me means family ,friends, lots of firework, and a BBQ. Traditional BBQs include staples of beef patties, hot dogs, corn on the cob, among many others. My new favorite meat to grill is the lobster. Nothing quite matches the sweet, intense,and slightly charred taste of shellfish when it’s cooked on the grill. Today, I tried making myself an early grilled lobster meal.

While many grocery stores sell lobsters, not all lobsters are the same quality. I prefer the hard shelled types because they have a lot more meat and occasionally they have eggs in them as well. Lobster caviar can't be beaten. If you have tasted crab eggs, you will likely enjoy lobster caviar. The lobsters sold in Chinatown are the soft shelled ones, which often mean little meat. (Why do you think the lobsters are so much cheaper there?) If you want to eat quality lobsters, I suggest that you don't buy them from the Chinatown fish market. Pay the price difference and enjoy the better quality shellfish. Pound per pound, you'll likely pay less for the more quality version.

In any case I failed miserably in my BBQ mission today. I didn't grill them enough and then the rain came and I had to put out the fire. When I got inside the house, I realized that the lobsters were still raw in the inside. And since I already put out the fire and it was pouring outside, I decided the next best thing was to do what I didn't want to do earlier in the day -- steam the lobsters. While still great tasting, it just didn't feel the same. Maybe I can try another go at it again. Lobsters are on sale this week.

But while the July 4th weekend means lots of food and firework, America's Independence Day serves as a beacon of hope for many other nations and idealists around the world. The Declaration of Independence, the document signed in 1776, is still the document that nation-builders refer to when they want to start a new republic. Ho Chi Minh's Proclamation of Independence of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam was based on that revolutionary document. I am grateful to be a part of this great nation, to be able to contribute to its vitality, and to continue to bear the fruits of its founders.

Happy Independence Day!

Photos taken with iPhone X. Canvas tool was used to manipulate the banner.