ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, August 21, 1996 TAG: 9608210006
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 8 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: summer & smoke
Grill gurus probably know all they need to about making moist, flavorful burgers, such as being careful not to overmix or overcook the patties and to leave them plump - not flat - while cooking so their juices won't escape. But as one burger lover recently said, "I'm always open for something new."
Here are some burger doings from across the country, plus a few trivia tidbits. Bon appetit!
Seattleites escape the rain and get a great "Basic Burger" smothered with Tillamook Cheddar or Havarti cheese on a sourdough roll at Two Bells Tavern.
The 1/3-pound "Sunshine Burger," with layers of aged Cheddar cheese, sprouts, scallions and avocado served on whole wheat bread, is a favorite at Barney's in San Francisco.
The "Egg Burger," a lean patty topped with a fried or scrambled egg, is a hit with the Hollywood crowd at Fatburger in Los Angeles.
The "Jiffy Burger," covered with peanut butter, bacon and Jack cheese, sticks to the ribs and to the roof of the mouth at P.O. Pears Restaurant & Saloon in Lincoln, Neb.
The hearty "Stroganoff Burger," with ground beef, sour cream, grilled onion, Swiss cheese, lettuce and tomato served on a wheat bun, is a specialty at Ram Pub, Brookings, S.D.
The one-pound "Amidon Burger" puts this town of 22 people on the map at Georgia's And The Owl, Amidon, N.D.
The "Outback Burger" made with cactus, hot-pepper cheese and green salsa served on a sourdough roll, is one of the most popular of the 18 burgers served at Shantytown Grill, Bloomington, Minn.
The half-pound "Mexican Burger" is topped with guacamole and sour cream at Blackbeard's in South Padre Island, Texas.
The "Family Burger" is a 5-pound burger, nestled in a custom-baked 16-inch bun, that serves 10 to 12 people at The Antler's Restaurant, Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.
Satterwhites, in Manakin, Va., gets six to seven daily requests for its 3-pound ``Mammoth Burgers.''
Chef Sam Hemwattakit tops his "Ranch-Hand Burgers" with pinto beans, bacon, chiles and Cheddar cheese at the Rio Ranch in Houston.
Chef Mark Peel seals a round of Gorgonzola cheese inside each burger patty before cooking it at Campanile in Los Angeles.
Chef Stephanie Hersh of Julia Child Productions, Cambridge, Mass., tops her "Provolone Ranger Burger" with provolone cheese, warm olives and tomatoes served on focaccia bread.
Chef Thomas Ferlisch's "Hamburger a la Lindstrom" mixes ground beef with onions, beets and potatoes topped with dilled sour cream at Cafe des Artistes, New York.
According to the Guinness Book of World Records, on Feb. 8, 1979, Alan Peterson ate a record-setting 20 hamburgers, weighing 31/2 ounces each, for a total of 4 pounds of burgers in a half-hour.
The biggest burger the world has ever seen required a grill the size of a two-car garage. It weighed in at 5,005 pounds and fed 2,000 in Seymour, Wis., in 1989. (Source: ``Hamburger Heaven,'' Jeffrey Tennyson, Hyperion, 1993)
In 1940, burgers replaced hot dogs as the most popular fast food in the United States. (Source: Nations' Restaurant News, 1995)
In 1995, burgers remained American's favorite food, with 86 percent of the population ordering them in the past year. (Source: Restaurants & Institutions, Taste of America Survey, 1994)
Elvis Presley liked his burgers cooked extra well-done, or to use his favorite word of endorsement, "burnt." When Elvis said, "That's burnt, man," it indicated either a good burger or a good performance. (Source: Washingtonian, August 1994)
President Clinton used to enjoy burgers dressed with melted jalapeno cheese, onion, lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise at Doe's Eat Place in Little Rock, Ark. (Source: Washingtonian, August 1994)
People in the Great Lakes Region - Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin - consume more burgers than residents of any other region in America. (Source: 1994 NPD/Crest, National Cattleman's Beef Association)
Fifty-five percent of burgers are ordered at lunch, 40 percent at dinner and 5 percent as snacks.
Recipe for:
MEDITERRANEAN BURGERS
Summer & Smoke will run weekly in the Extra section throughout the cookout season. If you have a great grilling recipe or other grilling-related information that you'd like to share, send it, along with your name and a phone number where you can be reached, to Summer & Smoke, in care of the Features Department, The Roanoke Times, P.O. Box 2491, Roanoke, Va. 24010-2491.
LENGTH: Medium: 89 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: Try savory Meditteranean Burgers. The recipe is on Pageby CNB4. color.