I cook a lot of food, some photo-worthy, some not. Some of my food I actually style for a photo; some just happen. Last night we made burgers on the grill. We also made hot crash baby potatoes along with charred green beans with butter and garlic. After I made my burger, I looked down on my paper plate and thought, “Holy Shit, that is a gorgeous burger!” It tasted as good as it looked. It was simple…a little yellow mustard and raw onion on the bottom grilled bun (GF) with melted American cheese, dill pickles, and Heinz ketchup.
My burger wasn’t stylized or set up to look perfect. I just built the burger quickly, exactly how I like it. It mimics the Quarter Pounder with Cheese from McDonald’s. I haven’t had Mcdonald’s since 2010. Do I miss it? Yes. Am I happy that I can’t eat it? Yes. It used to be easy to pull through a drive-through and order anything my heart pleased, mostly not things that my body should be eating in the long run. If I could eat, gluten McDonald’s would not be one of my top 10 things I would choose for sure.
It depends on what type of burger we are craving is the deciding factor between a smash burger on the flat top or the grill. The toppings are another story. We make blackened bleu cheese burgers or jalapeño cheese-stuffed burgers. Patty melts or thinly smashed double double animal burgers with In and Out sauce. Last night it was classic grilled cheeseburgers with a variety of toppings.
We cook burgers on the grill outside all year long, but there is something about sinking your teeth into a juicy, meaty burger eaten outside on a warm night with your favorite toppings that is better than any fancy meal you can think of. That’s why $18-20 dollar burgers exist on menus in some restaurants.
We grilled pizzas tonight and plan on smoking an eight-pound brisket on Sunday. Tomorrow the forecast calls for 51 degrees and rain; I have some type of stuffed chicken breast in mind with parsnip puree and asparagus. I have prosciutto and provolone cheese plus some fresh baby spinach on hand, so that might go in the stuffing unless I am inspired by something else. I love that the weather dictates my menus, which makes menu planning a little bit easier.
Saturday, we are on the road at 5:30 am and won’t get home for 12 hours from our farmers market and a couple of deliveries afterward; what will we have for dinner that night? I have no clue…yet.
Have fun planning your kick-off to summer holiday weekend menus. Let whatever you feel inspire you, whether it’s hotdogs and hamburgers, bbq chicken, grilled meats and veggies, or a pot of chili. Meals can be eaten on the beach, backyards, state parks, rooftops, or dining rooms.
This year, we can unite with friends and family members to have cookouts, picnics, BBQs, and sit-down dinners. This last year has taught us all to appreciate those around us, the food we have available to us, and the ability to be together again. Who would have thought that a terrible pandemic would bring back the simple things in life?
my mouth is drooling and haven’t even thought of breakfast yet
Julz, your last paragraph rings so true. The pandemic was a blessing in some ways…it slowed us down, made us take stock of what was truly important in our lives, forced us to take a hard look at the world and ourselves, and opened up new possibilities. Keep writing! Love your daily blog.