Rusty-Burgers...

The Book...

Cooking With Regis & Kathie Lee

In the translation from on-screen patter to print, most television-inspired cookbooks disappoint. However, this collection by talk-show hosts Philbin and Gifford delivers what it promises: "quick and easy recipes" that are indeed simple to understand and follow, and that faithfully include substitutions for unusual ingredients. Written in the lighthearted, conversational tone one might expect (though not always get) in books issued in the name of on-air stars, each recipe is crowned with often amusing details about the guest chef and his or her culinary creation. While many of the recipes are on the light (low-fat, low-calorie) side, like shrimp and vegetables from Benihana restaurant's Rocky Aoki, yogurt chicken from movie producer Ismail Merchant and smoked oriental seafood from The River Club's Jeff Tunks, equal (if higher-in-calorie) weight is given to some hardier fare, such as Robin Leach's Mediterranean eggplant pie, chef Paul Prudhomme's Indian pudding and Craig Claiborne's Christmas cheesecake. These aren't only recipes of the rich and famous, though: "family favorites" from Gifford (her mother and sister), their producer, Michael Gelman (and his mother), and Philbin's wife, Joy, give this collection a personal touch.

The Ingredients...


Olive Oil

Spanish Onion

Green Bell Pepper

Ground Sirloin

Basil Leaves
Egg

Breadcrumbs



Experiences...


I actually compromised a bit with this recipe. I picked up some ground beef insead of sirloin and used the dry (shaker) kind of basil. I'm sure the little difference usually make a huge difference, but things happen. :-P Anyway, the rest was fine EXCEPT for chopping the onion, that was a "whole-lotta" onion there and was wondering how long I could go before drowning myself in tears. I really like making burgers and trying new things with them, but in reality, I could have just put a slice of onion and pepper on top of the burgers and it would have been fine. Other than this it was good.

The Outcome...

Yum, pretty much sums it up, althought it was little bit more work than I usually put into burgers, I'm glad I did. I wouldn't have thought (believe it or not) of putting basil in/on my burger, I think it adds a little extra needed flavor. I thought everything was tasty! :-)