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Jul 5Liked by Julia Watson

Your friends here in the US appreciate learning the origin stories (whether factual or legend) of our traditional July Fourth staples, and love the descriptions of your own Independence Day experiences. We hope this is not the last Independence Day we celebrate under our democratic republic!

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I find origin stories a reassuring reminder of just how far back we go and how little, at bottom, we change our habits and as people. I'm proud the UK has just become one of the few, it seems, of European countries (though we can't call ourselves European any more) not to veer right. Yet. Hope it will be the same for you. The future of the world depends on that.

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Reader Mary Bartlett, a fine cook, sent me the following sweetcorn cooking tip:

Soak unshucked corn cobs in water (in your sink or a large bowl) for an hour or more.

Drain and grill them on high on the bbq and turn a few times.

When charred, remove and shuck the corn. (This is really easy, by the way)

The corn is incredibly moist and tender with perfect crunch.

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I never imagined my name could ever appear in a sentence with the divine Stanley's! Thank you for the honour. Happy feasting!

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Between you and Stanley Tucci this foodie is feeling the love again for the craft of food writing. My green grocer invited me to his 4th of July party... you helped me decide what to make. Merci beaucoup ❤️

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