The winner of Rachael Ray's Burger Bash at the NYC Wine & Food Festival talks to Yumsugar:
I don't really understand the critics. The burger patty makes it a burger. There were no rules or guidelines that said the burger had to be a specific way or on a specific type of bread. I don't think it was that avant-garde. It's pretty funny because there were a lot more inventive and creative burgers being made, so I don't know why mine caused the controversy!
Actually a lot of the Internet controversy bugged me.People in the food world wanted to be so crappy about it, but that's not what food is about. To me food is about bringing people together, not criticizing each other. It's really getting almost as bad as the fashion industry! I mean at the end of the day, it's just a hamburger.
Joel will defend her burger at the South Beach Wine & Food Festival in late February 2009.
I'm with the critics on this one. The burger patty doesn't make it a burger. If a Salisbury steak's not a hamburger, then a patty melts not a hamburger either. Though it does look delicious.
My question is, in her recipe, she tells you to put six slices of bread buttered side down in a skillet - who the hell has a skillet that can fit six slices of bread?!?
Thanks for bringing that up, Pigtrip1. I was just about to jump in to the comments here and defend the KLJ Burger. You're right. The KLJ burger was delicious, and it had a great comfort-food feeling to it. I'm a little less strict these days about what I define as a "burger," though I know some of my friends, colleagues, and readers are purists. I will say that I liked the KLJ Burger and will go even further and say that I think a lot of the criticism may have more to do with who she is than what her burger was. Had one of the actual chef chefs cooked this and won, would people be complaining? I don't think so.
You know that's what happens when people get fanatical. The culture segments. I have a burger club in NYC where we venture to dif burger spots to post opinions and such (on facebook) and I tell you, it's hard to just say what's the best "burger." I personally have faves in several categories. To me, Katie Lee Joel's burger is a specialty burger, which i would never give "top prize" to because when I say "the best burger" I'm talking about a sandwich that falls into what most would consider a traditional hamburger.
And look, I'd probably love any burger you'd have me eat. I love burgers of all types. But lines have to be drawn. When you start replacing parts of a traditional burger, there has to be a point where it becomes a sandwich of another name. I don't even count fast food (that includes Shake Shack) as traditional. Sorry Shake Shack, sorry Pianos' goat-cheese burger, Royale has Top Prize for me.
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6 Comments:
I'm with the critics on this one. The burger patty doesn't make it a burger. If a Salisbury steak's not a hamburger, then a patty melts not a hamburger either. Though it does look delicious.
My question is, in her recipe, she tells you to put six slices of bread buttered side down in a skillet - who the hell has a skillet that can fit six slices of bread?!?
kenjialtci at 10:15AM on 10/23/08
What's next meatloaf sandwiches???
burgerboy at 10:51AM on 10/23/08
If it's not a burger, why all the fuss about the "two grilled cheese sandwiches as bun" burger that's all the rave here lately?
Pigtrip1 at 12:15PM on 10/23/08
Thanks for bringing that up, Pigtrip1. I was just about to jump in to the comments here and defend the KLJ Burger. You're right. The KLJ burger was delicious, and it had a great comfort-food feeling to it. I'm a little less strict these days about what I define as a "burger," though I know some of my friends, colleagues, and readers are purists. I will say that I liked the KLJ Burger and will go even further and say that I think a lot of the criticism may have more to do with who she is than what her burger was. Had one of the actual chef chefs cooked this and won, would people be complaining? I don't think so.
Adam Kuban at 12:47PM on 10/23/08
You know that's what happens when people get fanatical. The culture segments. I have a burger club in NYC where we venture to dif burger spots to post opinions and such (on facebook) and I tell you, it's hard to just say what's the best "burger." I personally have faves in several categories. To me, Katie Lee Joel's burger is a specialty burger, which i would never give "top prize" to because when I say "the best burger" I'm talking about a sandwich that falls into what most would consider a traditional hamburger.
And look, I'd probably love any burger you'd have me eat. I love burgers of all types. But lines have to be drawn. When you start replacing parts of a traditional burger, there has to be a point where it becomes a sandwich of another name. I don't even count fast food (that includes Shake Shack) as traditional. Sorry Shake Shack, sorry Pianos' goat-cheese burger, Royale has Top Prize for me.
adubs at 3:27PM on 10/24/08
"To me food is about bringing people together, not criticizing each other."
That's a commendable philosophy, but if you don't like being judged, don't enter a competition.
benzado at 12:53AM on 10/27/08