Television Feasts

I am a home cook who backyard gardens and has a serious closet addiction to the Food Network. I envision visiting the world in my own kitchen.

From Julia to Giada, I am a bi-product of the quirky world of anything food television. At age 10 I wanted to lunch with Julia; at 12 I thought sitting at Graham Kerr's table would be bliss; in college I was a diligent voyeur student of Jeff Smith's; and as a newlywed I envisioned myself being Martha. Then the sky opened up and violin music played in the background when I discovered an entire family of food shows on the blossoming food network. Twenty years later I am still a home chef with a backyard garden, yet in my head I am a trained chef who has eaten her way around the world, tasted all things exotic, competed in many challenges, judged the best of the best, and have a circle of friends which includes Emeril, Bobby, Rachael and more. I like to learn and challenge myself simply for the pleasure of all things food. I am a student of the University of Food Network and my textbooks, exams and extra-curricular activities all stem from channel 39.


Friday, January 24, 2014

Caprese Burgers

We had friends over tonight.  I wanted to do burgers, but, I wanted them to be party worthy.  This burger recipe is a twist on a Caprese salad.  I took the idea from a Giada DeLaurentiis recipe.  Turned out perfect for a casual dinner party with a gourmet flair!


Caprese Burgers
printable recipe

For the burger:

2 1/2 lb. ground chuck
1 c. shredded Parmesan
1 c. pesto
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
8-10 1/4" slices of fresh mozzarella





Form into 8-10 patties.  Grill for 5 minutes.  Turn over, place the mozzarella on top and cook for 5 more minutes (or however done you like your burger!)


For the Pesto Mayonaisse

1/2 c. Mayonnaise
Pesto (don't hesitate to use a store bought jar! It is good for this recipe.)



Assemble

On either Foccacia buns or Ciabatta buns, place 1 T. of pesto mayo on the bottom bun.  Place burger with melted cheese next.  Top with a slice of tomato.  Drizzle with Balsamic vinegar.






I paired this with some fresh grilled corn and various adult beverages.  I didn't miss my junk food Friday at all this week!

Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Thank you for visiting my blog. I appreciate your support in following my food challenge!

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)