Bergen County's Best burger Joints

     If you live in Bergen County and you happen to be a burger lover, the odds are slim to none that you couldn't point someone in the right direction for a tasty, juicy, and succulent burger. On the other hand, if your not from around here, let me be the first to tell you, Bergen County is loaded with great burger joints, but then again that's nothing a Google search couldn't tell you. Call it a burger boom, call it a craze, call it what you will, but all I can say is from the looks of things, burgers are here to stay.
     One of the most famous Jersey burger spots is the White Manna, situated in Hackensack. This place is a dive to the fullest extent.it's even been featured on the Food Network's, "Diners Drive-ins and Dives" It resembles a more of a small trailer than a burger place, but the signature sliders here just may be worth staving the large lunch lines.The sliders are decent, but definitely not Bergen County's best burger spot.With all the new burger spots popping up, it's hard to be number 1!
       Nowadays, burger joints aren't what they used to be... They are better!!! Burgers are becoming more sophisticated, I mean these places are getting crafty. Take Bucu Burger Bar/Bakery in Paramus, NJ. This place, alongside throwing down some unique burgers, also happens to be a bakery!!! Who would have thought, Burgers and cupcakes. Looking at it from the outside I'm wondering why I never thought of it myself, the idea is absolutely genius. To be quite honest, being the burger aficionado I am, I wasn't blown away by the burger, it wasn't bad by any means, just not the holy grail if you know what I mean. I felt the patty was a bit small and I probably could have eaten 4 of them. What impressed me more was the depth of the menu, dogs, wings, paninis, and not too mention some cupcakes and homemade ice cream. Having depth in your menu, however, doesn't sell me. I mean c'mon the food has to be good right? My expectations were far exceeded when it came to the quality all around the board. It's hard enough to focus on making one thing good, when you take two elements from opposite ends of the spectrum, such as burgers and cupcakes, and you nail them both, well ladies and gentlemen, that spells a winner to me!

     

   

 

Raf's Spicy Sofrito Turkey Burger

     I have to tell you, I'm generally not a fan of turkey burgers. When it comes to burgers, I guess you can say I'm a purist, I want beef! However, if I were to paint myself to be any sort of burger connoisseur, I felt that I should at least be able to come up something outside of the box. I can tell you honestly, this was my first attempt to create a turkey burger recipe. What I came up with not only far exceeded my expectations, but it made me a turkey burger believer!

Simply Delicious Kobe Beef Burger

     For this burger recipe I wanted something simple. I wanted an outrageously tasty burger, but not something flashy. Just a good old burger. When I set out to craft this masterpiece I started at the butcher. To say he gasped when I asked him to grind the Kobe steak was an understatement, but when I told him my plans for this burger , he nodded and happily got to work, only remarking that I bring him a sample! Sometimes it's great to try a fancy burger loaded with all sorts of fancy toppings, but I just  thought the beef should speak for itself. No bacon , no cheese, just some real deal, I'm not playing around Kobe beef! With that I give you, The Kobe Burger

Burgers: My Absolute Most Favorite Food

     Burgers may not be much on the healthy side, but  they are devilishly delicious. Now the cold days are slowly tip-toeing away, and it feels as if spring may make an early appearance.  To me the beginning of spring is a nostalgic time. I reminisce of mom's spring cleaning, which she took rather seriously. If you made a mess it was either clean fast or flee the scene. The baseball games and of course the sound of people rolling their grills out of their sheds where they spent the winter hibernating. This was my favorite part. People went from eating pasta and casseroles to grilled chicken and burgers. A sort of seasonal change.
     I can personally stand outside and grill for hours. One of my favorite chefs, is Iron Chef Bobby Flay, who aside from being a renowned restaurateur is a grilling expert/burger aficionado. He has a cookbook dedicated solely to burgers, fries, and shakes! Reading this taught me the fundamentals of making a good burger. Let's face it, burgers are huge now. The various food channels are flooded with episodes dedicated to the humble burger. Take a walk around and I bet you may come across a new burger spot, they are popping up everywhere, all with their take on this American classic.                                                    

"Pig-Out Burger" Bucu  Burger Bar/Bakery -Paramus NJ

     

New York Restaurants- Where To Eat!

   
     Ah, the city of Manhattan! For me the city is a mere ten minute car ride away, but it's not until I'm out of the car, and strolling around that I find myself immersed in a world that feels miles from home. New York City is spectacular! There are high-rise buildings as far as the eye can see, and the streets are teaming with life. From museums and theater, to lounges and nightlife, Manhattan has a little bit for everyone. So what most intrigues me about Manhattan? Well Manhattan, if you didn't already know, has one or two good places to go eat!

Worlds Best Beef Kebab with Homemade Slaw

 

 

 OK guys, this recipe will give you some of the best beef kebabs you have ever tasted! Ask me what the best part about these savory, delicious skewers is and wouldn't know where to start! They are sweet, they are spicy, and they are just downright good. The best part is you get to improvise, you want more heat, then add more chili flakes and dial it up, not a fan of the sweet, cut back the brown sugar. Do it how you like it, although I have to tell you they are enormously addictive just the way they are! The slaw adds a refreshing bite of acid to cut through all the sweet and heat leaving your palate begging for more, enjoy!

How To Follow a Recipe

     Now that I have given you some simple recipes to follow, I thought I would shed some light on a task which many aspiring cooks find to be quite daunting. It is the art of following a recipe. I remember when I first started putting down some good dishes in my early teen years, I didn't have much in a sense of creativity yet, so I would just follow recipes by the book. I remember putting some of those recipes in the "Do Not Cook" list, some rightfully so, others, well........ Like I said, I was just starting to cook. I have probably butchered recipes from all the top chefs you can think of. At that point I had not yet mastered the art of improvisation, the hallmark of any great chef.