The Veggie Burger Rethought

Faux burgers have always had a bad rap.Even restaurants can't quite capture the juiciness and color of the real thing. That's all changing.The veggie burger is having a renaissance right now and home chefs should take notice.It's not that blah blob anymore but an actual burger, juicy and delicious

Erik Piepenburg who usually writes about the arts for the New York Times,penned this article for the newspaper's Food section. As we all know restaurant veggie burgers are usually a God awful mush , tasting mainly of peas.Some do have good ones, such as Jake's  Wayback where the burger has a nice crisp outside and a chewy inside. However these are mass produced like the Morningstar Farms ones  in the supermarket. They're a cut above the old kind as as well as over some homemade creations. Fake burgers were always a challenge for even the most experienced of chefs and were thus relegated to the fringes of a restaurant's menu. That's all changing thanks to a new generation of chefs. There's also a plant based "meat" being made by Impossible Foods and it consists of  wheat, coconut oil,potato protein and heme, the last an iron molecule that's not only abundant in meat but also in such plants as Swiss chard and collard greens.It's also found in vegan staples , soy and tofu along with black beans and chickpeas. Impossible Food's burger looks exactly like a true blue beef burger and is now being served at Momufuku Nishi in Chelsea.It is just as good as the real thing, albeit a bit pricey at $12.

Other chefs are taking the more creative route. Brooks Headley, formerly a pastry chef at the famed Del Posto in lower Manhattan has created his own version of the veggie burger at his new restaurant,
Superiority Burger.It is one of the most acclaimed ones in the city.(It was awarded two stars by Pete Wells). How did it get to be so good? Chef Headley approaches the recipe the way the way Italian restaurants approach their meatball recipes - with different meats and seasonings.He tries to use everything in his culinary arsenal.There's fresh veggies,grains and beans,along with a potato starch slurry. This last acts as a binder when it's heated to 180 degrees Farenheit. It gelatinizes the mixture which results in a nice, firm burger that doesn't fall apart on the grill or plate.Some chefs go the mushroom route. Jillian CameraCo-chef at Toad Style, a vegan comfort food eatery in Bedford-Stuyvesant, makes her vegan cheeseburger with cremini mushrooms,red onions and green lentils. She also puts in steel cut oats chia seeds and garlic too for texture and flavor.Spices are also added before the burger is formed and then topped off with almond cheese.Any home chef can recreate these along with the dozens of veggie burgers recipes on line.It's just trial and error until home chefs get the right taste and texture.

Veggie burgers are going through a renaissance right now.They're not those mushy patties with a bad rep and even worst taste. They are juicy, mouth watering burgers that are right up with the real thing.

Gift Yourself

T'is the season to give lush food gifts and fun gadgets.Everyone deserves a culinary treat , whether it's a favorite food or a something that will make cooking and baking easier. That includes yourself a reward just for getting through this harried holiday season.


It was David Tanis piece on strip loin in Wednesday's New York Times Food section that got me thinking and drooling. It's one of the things.that I would love to gift myself with - a tender strip sauteed in a blend of olive oil and Kerrygold butter (another Christmas gift to myself).Mr Tanis serves his infused with herbs such as rosemary and thyme along with roasted potatoes and horseradish along with a bunch of watercress. Mine would be French bistro style, with crispy homemade pomme frites and crusty French bread to sop up the juices. Another treat - lobster at Bahr's in the Atlantic Highlands. This is the ultimate Christmas gift to oneself. It's a plump boiled lobster with butter sauce and a side of rice. Of course their home made biscuits alone are worth the ride down. If you can, you can make your own lush seafood dinner at home.Treat yourself to some scallops in white wine or sole meuniere. If you;re craving simple fare then head to your favorite Wendy's or Jake's Wayback for a burger or dog, fries and a soda/or malted.Need a refueling of sugar? Indulge in Godiva or Rocky Mountain chocolates. Treat yourself to some homemade walnut fudge, or a plate of just from the oven Pilsbury Slice and Bake chocolate chip cookies with a tall glass of cold milk. To destress from the season's craziness, think a hot cup of herbal tea, pajamas and your favorite book. Sometimes the best self gifts are the simplest ones.

Home chefs are always on the cutting edge and front line . There are some interesting gadgets out there that should be in everyone's kitchen. A good set of knives is one of them. If you feel like your old set is getting dull or you don't have the complete set, get a new one .These usually have everything from deboners to filet knives. Many places such as Williams-Sonoma and Target have them on sale right now too..You can also get yourself a fun gadget  such as a Sno-Cone maker or a cotton candy machine.If you have the room then think about a taco shell warmer. This does come in handy for Mexican food lovers.Pizza lovers would swoon at the Cuizen Pizza Box oven which looks exactly like a delivery box with a cheesy cartoon of an Italian chef on it.It has revolving plate that ensures a perfecctly crisp and even hot crust. A fun for yourself gift is the breakfast sandwich maker that cooks everything, meat , egg and English muffin together for a tasty morning nosh.The best thing about it is that the parts disassemble and everything can be thrown into the dishwasher or kitchen sink for easy cleaning.I would love to treat myself to the space age looking Fago Spoutnik microwave. It's a new kind of round quick cooker that looks like that roly poly little robot from the new Star Wars movie.. The lid is a purple see through dome that allows you to watch your food get nuked. It has four cooking modes , a revolving turntable for even cooking and a light that changes from white to blue signalling the food is ready. Heck, forget all that. It just looks so darn I must have it cute. Unfortunately it's only sold in Europe right now but hopefully it'll come to the states soon.

This is the season to give. Give yourself some luxurious food or a fun appliance or gadget. You know what you want. Go for it before it sells out!.