I keep seeing all these different versions of burgers in the summer issues of magazines. I want to try them all! This particular recipe stood out because I love the idea of the ingredients together…hoisin and Sriracha. I love them both but had never incorporated them into the same meal.
The original recipe had things a little differently, and I changed them for a couple of different reasons. First of all, I believe the cucumbers were added to this burger to give it a textural change while eating, soft burger-crunchy cucumber. However, when I thought about it, I knew that placing a hot burger on top of cucumbers would equal a mushy-cucumber result. The recipe also called for grilled scallions in 4″ slices as a topping.
What I did instead was make a relish with the Sriracha mayo, cucumber and grilled scallions. I knew this would give a more crunchy result, and I still added more thinly sliced cucumbers to the ensemble, just for fun and looks. One of the key flavor ingredients was using sesame oil to brush onto the scallions while grilling. This flavor really carried over nicely to the mayo-relish combo, so don’t leave this out.
I’ve got to admit it – I’m a total cheese snob. I blame my foodie parents – I got wedges of brie in my preschool lunchbox when the other kids got string cheese. My first winery job, at Vihuela in downtown Paso Robles, was fabulous because we shared a space with Vivant Fine
Cheese – therefore, I lived on a strict diet of wine, cheese, and
baguettes for almost a year (sorry, arteries!). I learned so much from
Danika, from wine and cheese pairing to the particularities of making
the perfect platter – what an education!
Seattle is a dream city for a coffee-lover like me. If you type “coffee” on your smart phone’s Google Maps while standing in the city, it will explode.
Summer has officially arrived in Los Angeles. It’s hot. My oven hasn’t been turned on for days. Dinners are all about the BBQ, my saute pan, and lots and lot of fresh veggies and salads.
Yesterday I started out wanting to make traditional Baklava and ended up making cookies! I saw a picture in a magazine where filo dough was cut and placed in mini muffin tins then filled with a quiche mixture. My Baklava Cookies evolved from that idea, and I absolutely love them.