Cooking With an Empire's Child - Week 2 The Shopping List

My husband tells me I am outrageous to suggest that I may be able to teach Americans how to make the best hamburger in the world.

I am, by degrees, an outrageous person.

By the way, to prove how serious Americans are about hamburgers, Serious Eats has their very own blog, just about hamburgers. It's called A Hamburger Today.

If you read their section on Tips and Recipes, you will become anxious and afraid. I warn you.

Here is the shopping list then.

1. White bread buns. Please buy them fresh, from a baker, not in a package that can sit on the shelf for three months. You don't wanna know the chemicals they use to keep them there, still fresh and spongy. Make sure you get soft-crust buns, not crispy. Oh and whatever you do, don't go all healthy on me and ruin the burger with wholewheat. Your meat will get your GI rating right down so don't panic about your blood sugar.

2. Minced beef steak (or steak mince if you will). Don't buy cheap stuff. Get the good stuff. Get enough for a quarter pound per burger.

3. Onions. Whatever kind you want.

4. Lettuce. Romaine or cos is best.

5. Tomatoes. The biggest reddest ones you can find please. Beef steak tomatoes are the perfect choice.

6. A jar of sweet gherkins (dill pickles). Get the whole ones. You'll see why on Friday.

7. Mayonnaise. Proper.

8. Salad cream (Miracle Whip, or something similar)

9. French salad dressing.

10. White vinegar

11. Tomato sauce (ketchup)

Ok, that's it. If you want fries with your burger, I suggest you buy pre-cut fries in the freezer section. Trying to cut your own thin-cut french fries is a nightmare. You don't need this when you just want to get to eating your burger.

You're probably thinking, OK this is what I normally use to make burgers. What's so great about that! It's the technique that counts. So join me on Friday for the challenge. I'm up for it!