As a chef, Thanksgiving usually wins because I get to spend a few days in my kitchen with my wife and daughters, cooking for friends both old and new.  But the Fourth of July comes pretty close. It’s the height of summer, the markets are overflowing with fruits and vegetables and I want to grill everything. And it doesn’t hurt that I live in Washington, DC, either. Come on people! Fireworks over the Washington monument. Reading aloud the Declaration of Independence from the steps of the National Archives. Astonishing!

And this year, it had a special meaning for me. It was my first Fourth of July as an American citizen. And on this holiday, just earlier this month, I was able