Americans devour about 38 billion burgers every year. Seymour, Wisconsin, hosts an annual Burger Fest with a bun toss, a ketchup slide, and a hamburger-eating contest. Daytona Beach, Florida, boasts the International Hamburger Hall of Fame. But these tidbits are merely condiments in The Great Big Burger Book, by Jane Murphy and Liz Yeh Singh. The real meat, or lack thereof, lies in the one hundred traditional and inventive recipes.
From sloppy joes to lobster burgers, the cookbook covers all ends of the sandwich spectrum. (Yes, a burger is a sandwich, according to the authors.) Recipes such as Carrot Mushroom Tofu Burgers, Honey Mustard Pork Burgers, and Japanese Rice Burgers With Chicken Teriyaki are guaranteed to satisfy all types of eaters—vegetarian, carnivorous, and adventurous. Even Robert Del Grande, the award-winning chef at Cafe Annie, in Houston, contributes to the collection with his Texas-Style Beef Burgers With Pinto Beans, Bacon, and Green Chiles (Knife-And-Fork Burgers).
Only eight photographs illustrate the recipes of this book, but the descriptions alone are appetite-inducing. And as if these burgers weren’t exotic enough, the authors provide sauce and side dish suggestions as well. We’re sure Wasabi Butter will spice things up. Plus, the book begins with “Burger Basics,” a resource for everything from how to grind meat to how to answer the age-old question “How would you like that cooked?”
Remember Forrest Gump’s friend Bubba and his unforgettable affinity for shrimp? Murphy and Singh are his burger counterparts, and with the help of Barbecue Cheese Burgers, Chicken Marsala Burgers, and Jalapeno Crab Burgers, they’ll make your next backyard bash just as memorable.
