Happy New Year, Burger Lovers!

Yes, that’s a burger you see staring at you, and it’s just the tip of 2014′s wacky burger iceberg! Gone are the days when THIS is considered exotic:

Because in this new era of monster food, it’s a whole new year, and there is new burger madness to share! Sure, we all love the goodness you see above, but what if a regular, albeit delicious, double cheeseburger just isn’t enough? After all, we are now in an era when you can add THIS to anything:

Now ANYTHING can be bacon flavored! And of course, the world of burgers just keeps getting more and more unique…

“Turning Japanese!”

Because once you’ve had one of my Japanese wasabi avocado sliders – well, let’s just say the world looks different from over there:

So, although New Year’s Eve is barely past us, some of us already need a drink and a bite to eat…or perhaps you just need one of these:

“The Hangover Burger!”

Thanks to Giant Orange in Sacramento, California, you can enjoy their Hangover Burger for $10.99 – you get a big burger patty topped with a farm-fresh fried egg, grilled onions, Cheddar cheese and crisp hardwood-smoked bacon; garnished with lettuce, tomato, onion and pickles.

Three bites and you are no doubt drinking again! But maybe you need more…

Behold The “Burganator!”

Wow, the mad geniuses at Stonefly Brewery in Milwaukee came up a masterpiece: it’s “The Burganator”, where great slabs of bacon are topped first by a burger, then by onion rings, and then drizzled with a beer cheese sauce…wait, I already hear my arteries hardening!

This is just one of twelve unique burger toppings that the great minds at “A Hamburger Today” have to share here:

http://aht.seriouseats.com/

But don’t think the US has a lock on massive:

Behold The “Queensland Burger!”

Well, that’s just a whole lot of stuff piled up and put between two buns…and it sure looks good, doesn’t it?

Thanks to the great website “Thisiswhyyourehuge.com” for sharing this photo. If you don’t go there for all of their shared material, you are missing a lot of great food madness!

After so much big food, let’s check out something a bit healthier, thanks to the Mediterranean diet:

“My Big Fat Greek Burger!”

Well, what can you say about this: it’s a beautiful Lamb burger with grilled red onion, feta, bell pepper yogurt, tomato and greens – delicious looking, and according to a fat dude, it’s good for you, too…

And the fat dude shows you step-by-step how to cook it, too! I saw this on the “thisiswhyyourehuge”, but they shared the link to “the fat dude diet” website….check it out here!

The Fat Dude is really Niyaz Pirani, an Orange County food writer for OC Weekly’s Stick A Fork In It blog and formerly the Orange County Register’s Food Frenzy blog.

Kudos, fat dude!

http://thefatdudediet.com/2010/12/24/week-7-meal-3-my-big-fat-greek-burger/

Look, I’m all for healthy, but when I get an email from the owner of “Martiniburger” in Tokyo, I know I’m not going on a diet anytime soon! Here is their latest masterpiece!

The “Foie Gras!”

Well, doesn’t this look good! It’s a 100% beef burger topped with imported Rougié fois gras, apple, mint and balsamico dressing. Served with endive salad. How much you ask? Just ¥3200, for a limited time only, so let’s get over to Tokyo NOW!

OK, I can’t jump on a plane right this second, but the next time I’m in Tokyo’s legendary Shinjuku entertainment district, I’m checking this place out! Here’s the website!

http://martini-burger.com/en

Nothing could be more satisfying than a foie gras burger, right? Well, there is tasty and then there is BIG…and when it comes to big, what would Australia do about that?

G’Day For Australia’s Biggest Burger!

Behold “The Roadhog!”

Let’s finish this mouthwatering trip into 2014 by going to Queensland, Australia, some 300 miles away from Brisbane…yes, we are talking Australian Outback, folks:

According to a Queensland travel blog, “‘The Roadhog Burger’ weighs in at around 14kg – the same size as an average two-year-old. It feeds up to 15 people and will set you back about 150 bucks!

You’ll need to order this monster a few days in advance though, as the buns are ‘custom made’ by the nearby St George Bakery. And yes, those are raw sausages fashioned as fingers!”

Time To Bite Into 2014!

So there you go, grab a big burger somewhere and bite into 2014 – all around the world – in style!

Seattle Vs. Denver! A Tasty Super Bowl Matchup!

Being born and raised in Seattle, I am so excited for this Super Bowl matchup – in fact, it has me salivating! Here’s one reason:

Now THIS is a Super Bowl stadium I would buy a ticket for! Yes, when the world’s biggest sporting event is on TV, you have no option but to do your part to live up to the hype – and that means only one thing!

THE SUPER BOWL OF SNACKS!

I plan to make a LOT of fun Super Bowl food on Feb. 2 – it’s an American tradition that goes back to the beginning of football it seems, and since I am from Seattle, I will make something out of THIS:

Dungeness Crab Recipes!

This will be a Super Sunday filled with Dungeness crab…more on this Seattle favorite in a minute…oh, and there WILL be this as well:

Yes, with seafood comes tartar sauce, and there will be a recipe for that as well…but first, it’s
time to look at just how much we eat on Super Bowl Sunday – and of course offer up some super-sized food to dream about…with some guidance on how to make these for your friends as well!

More Cheese, Please!

And if you want to wow your Super Bowl party guests, why not offer up your own food stadium, with all the meat and cheese you can handle!

What better way to celebrate the Super Bowl than to tease you with pictures of amazing food stadiums to help us swallow the following Super Bowl Food stats! First, look at this snack stadium:

And if that doesn’t make you hungry, this one could do the trick:

And of course, you can never go wrong when you unveil a snack stadium that looks like this – all of these great pics raise a question: how much food IS eaten on Super Sunday?

HERE ARE THE STATISTICS ON SUPER BOWL SNACK FOOD!

The Super Bowl is ranked as the number two food consumption event of the year, second only to Thanksgiving! (Source: American Institute of Food Distribution)

1,200:
Average number of calories consumed during the Super Bowl. It’s the second largest day for U.S. food consumption. Only Thanksgiving day is more.

71.4 million:
Estimated pounds of Hass avocados that will be consumed for the game this year, according to the Hass Avocado Board. That’s enough to cover the Super Bowl Stadium end zone to end zone in more than 27.5 feet in avocados.

I love the way the guacamole looks like the playing field here!

90 Millions Pounds Of Wings, Please!

Hope you have enough ranch dressing and paper towels to handle this one:

1.25 billion!

Yep, that’s the number of chicken wings Americans are expected to eat on Super Bowl Sunday, according to the U.S. National Chicken Council, and why would they lie to us?

Crab Dip!

Since Seattle is in the Super Bowl, we must celebrate the fresh seafood that makes Seattle unique! Let’s begin with a great recipe for our friend the Dungeness Crab!

Hot Crab Dip!

Thanks to Scott’s in Edmonds – a great place to hang out while you wait for a ferry…have an ice cold beer or glass of Chardonnay and dig into their classic Dungeness Crab dip!

Here is the recipe:

1/2 pound fresh dungeness crab meat 60/40 mix, 60% shredded body & 40% legs

1/2 pound canned unmarinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

2 cups Best Food mayonnaise

4 ounces yellow onion, sliced paper thin

4 ounces freshly shredded Parmesan cheese

1 1/2 tsp Italian parsley, minced

1 baguette, sliced

1 lemon cut into wedges

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Combine and mix the crab, artichoke hearts, mayonnaise, onions and cheese. Just blend evenly – do not over mix. Portion the mixture into 6 to 8 small ovenproof ramekins.

Bake the ramekins 5 to 6 minutes or until an internal temperature of 140 degrees is achieved. You just want to get the mixture warmed and the top browned. Too much heat and the mayonnaise will separate.

To serve, arrange bread slices around the crab dip and garnish with chopped parsley and a slice of lemon.

Here’s another way to do it, thanks to McCormick’s OLD BAY Seasoning for this easy to make recipe!

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons OLD BAY® Seasoning
1/2 teaspoon McCormick® Mustard, Ground
1 pound lump crabmeat
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix cream cheese, mayonnaise, Old Bay Seasoning and ground mustard in medium bowl until well blended. Add crabmeat; toss gently.

Spread in shallow 1 1/2-quart baking dish. Sprinkle with Cheddar cheese and additional Old Bay Seasoning, if desired.

Bake 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Serve with assorted crackers or sliced French bread.

Don’t Forget To Double Dip!

Be careful this Super Bowl NOT to pull a George Costanza and double dip:

We all remember the hilarious “Seinfeld” episode when George is caught double dipping…but George had it right – if the dip is good you gotta go back!

Don’t Forget The Chips!

An astounding 14,500 tons of chips and 4,000 tons of popcorn are eaten on Super Bowl Sunday.

The Calorie Control Council says we’ll also eat:
— 11.2 million pounds of potato chips.
— 8.2 million pounds of tortilla chips.
— 4.3 million pounds of pretzels.
— 3.8 million pounds of popcorn.
— 2.5 million pounds of nuts during their Super Bowl parties.

32: Percentage of U.S. grill owners who will be firing up on Game Day. According to Weber, the Super Bowl ranks as one of the top 10 most popular ” holidays” to grill. And when you do grill, turn it into something amazing like this!

And Is There A Beverage?

Well, what do YOU think?

During the Super Bowl, there will be 325 million GALLONS of beer consumed. That is A LOT of beer…you might need a bit of help carrying it to your table…

Bacon Mug!

And when in doubt, just pour yourself a frosty brew in this mug and have a nice snack at the same time!

So there you have it: food, food – lots and lots of food. But I think we are missing ONE crucial ingredient: THE TWINKIE!

The TWINKIE Stadium!

Yes, this is an edible Twinkie stadium…I actually found many versions of it, but I will share what I found from Holy Taco….first, you must lay out the outline of your stadium in, of course, Twinkies…

Holy Taco’s Twinkie Stadium uses a flat aluminum pan spread with sections of salsa, queso dip, and guacamole as a base, and cheese-topped hot dog pieces as players on the field. Various snack mixes are held together by a retaining wall made of Twinkies which the site refers to as “nature’s brick.”

Nature’s Brick!

This particular structure is notable for its “pliable bacon wall”, which is absent from most other examples.

The real kicker is the inclusion of the football shaped blimp, which is actually a 20 oz. summer sausage – AND WE ALL KNOW HOW GOOD THAT WILL TASTE…if you pay close attention, you can see Twinkies also used as cars in the parking lot in many of the stadiums…nice touch….

I would dig into this and never stop eating…just don’t get carried away and make the dreaded:

BACON-WRAPPED TWINKIE STONEHENGE!

EDIBLE FOOD STADIUMS!

Back to the real world of crazy food…check out this super bowl food stadium…how much time do you think this takes to make?

Super Bowl Food Stadiums!

And then there are the “Super Snack Stadiums” – pages and pages of crazy snack food towers designed to look like football stadiums…

I have to tell you, this is THE ultimate way to watch the game! These food stadiums will wow your guests and feed them well! Many of them are mostly filled with pretzels, chips and dips…

As much as I love all of these, I admire the ones that find a broad color and food palate, tough to do when most snack food is brown – chips, rolls, MEAT…and most dips are green or red…here is an example of a beautiful food display!

And some look as much like Stonehenge as they do actual stadiums, but I can’t argue with anyone who takes on a challenge like this and delivers something that is close to a work of food art!

There are a multitude of websites that offer “Super Bowl Snacks” recipes and advice…the key is to plan ahead, and follow these pictures to create your own work of art!

Super Salads!

And if you really need some inspiration, look at what some crazy kids did over in Asia at a local salad bar!

Read all about this wacky trend by clicking on here:

http://johnrieber.com/2013/07/29/chinas-skyscraper-salad-bars-salad-bars-as-art/

So there you go, healthy alternative to food stadiums, or better still, make it all!

Being from Seattle, I WILL be incorporating tartar sauce into my Super Sunday, probably with this burger:

Yes, it’s the best Slider recipe in the world! Top your burger with french fries, then a healthy dose of tartar sauce! Top that with a slice of your favorite cheese – mine is provolone, and you have a meal in a bun!

If that is just a “bridge too far”, then follow the example of this amazing food artist and make your own cubed stadium of edible Super Bowl fun!

Kudos Andy!

And, after I originally posted this story, I got a comment from Andy Zilch, who produced one of these stadiums! Here is his food stadium:

And here is the link to the video!

http://www.break.com/video/the-big-game-snack-food-stadium-1710367

Great job Andy – the rest of us have a LOT to live up to when we tackle our own!

Want To Be A “Bacon Insider?”

Yep, it’s a bacon cheeseburger that not only piles on the bacon ON TOP of the burger, but stuffs it INSIDE as well!

Yep, this burger patty is part hamburger – and part bacon!

Yes, I Love Bacon!

Yes, if you have read my blog you know I have an affinity for the cured, smoked meat product known as bacon. Let’s face it: bacon makes everything taste better!

Fast Food Bacon Smackdown!

In the competitive world of fast food burgers, there are always stunts, gimmicks and sometimes downright MISGUIDED attempts to give a burger – cough, cough FRIES - some sort of notoriety!

Yes, that is MY french fry slider – which has bacon on it as well, plus tartar sauce – which I love, but it’s NOT for the general public. In fact, usually the more you add, the more you mess a great cheeseburger up! Bacon lovers know that, if you want to win us over, just give us MORE BACON!

“Tomato seemed to be there just to see what all the fuss was about…”

I found this line in a video describing a new bacon-infused burger – so “bacon-infused” that tomato is just a guest! And with that, get ready to try out a new burger that promises to take fast food bacon cheeseburgers to a whole new level!

“Jack In The Box” is offering up a new, bacon-centric burger – and hoping it will help them stand out from the fast food pack! As someone who often highlights the obscure and downright bizarre world of fast food, I want to acknowledge that a major fast food chain is trying to give bacon its due…

Here is the official release from “Jack In The Box”:

Leave it to Jack to give bacon lovers what they want. A bacon triple-threat
- the new Bacon Insider burger from Jack in the Box restaurants takes bacon
to unprecedented levels with a craveable sandwich featuring a juicy beef
patty with savory bacon pieces mixed right in, sandwiched in-between
six-half slices of hickory smoked bacon, and topped with a creamy bacon mayo
sauce. And if that’s not enough, you also get lettuce, tomato and American
cheese – all served on Jack in the Box’s new gourmet brioche bun.

“Moink! Moink!”

Well, that sounds pretty good to me! They’ve also created a special mash up word for it: “Moink!” You know, a “moo” and an “oink”…that certainly works better than a “burcon” or a “bagur”….

I am actually looking forward to trying it for two reasons: to taste the level of bacon-goodness, and to try out their bacon mayo…if done right, this could be a “bacon touchdown!”

Since being announced, the “Bacon Insider” has gotten a lot of press coverage…which to me speaks to a desire for bacon and burger lovers for something new. According to the website BurgerBusiness.com, this is the first nationally available bacon/burger patty combo.

If you are intrigued, you can see their new commercial that showcases this burger right here:

I’m for anything that raises the level of “bacon awareness” in this country. I say “bring it on!” Go Bacon!

Who’s Hungry For A Delicious Hamburger?

That makes me hungry!

If you crave a good burger – like I crave a good burger – then this post is for you – because in a world full of judgment, sometimes BIGGER IS BETTER!

That’s A Good Looking Triple Triple!

Yes, I have shared the “triple triple” with you before, a beautifully realized tower of cheeseburger architecture. I am also a big fan of this:

Tokyo’s Tower To Heaven!

If for any reason you missed this story, then you MUST click on the link below and read it now. Only Japan could have the imagination necessary to build a burger tower that goes:

ALL THE WAY TO HEAVEN AND BACK!

Read all about the majesty of this “heavenly burger” by clicking here:

http://johnrieber.com/2013/04/12/behold-tokyos-tower-burger-a-mega-tower-to-heaven/

Did you click that story? Good, as your reward, I have some additional fun burger stuff to share…stuff that is so tasty, so fun, and SO BIG!

No, we are done with the burger towers…those are, after all, just perilously stacked regular patties, held together in an amazingly gooey manner by pounds of American cheese…no, what I really love are the pictures you can find online of the world’s BIGGEST burgers – mostly US demonstrations of the ability to make a massively sized food!

The “monster burger” you see above you weighs in at 777 pounds! Not bad at all…and it is just the tip of the “big burger iceberg”…I found pictures of supersized burgers, the Chefs who made them, the servers who delivered them to your table, and most of all, the people who gazed upon them!

It may be a trio of “inspired” children who look upon the majesty of the mega-burger…or perhaps it’s a young Chef who is impressed with the weight of their own work…

“But How Do We REALLY Know How Big It Is?”

That is a valid question, and easily answered: because you set a small child next to it!

The best “mega burgers” offer up both girth AND height, like the one you see below. It’s great to see a burger that is so big you can put the top bun on without ever having to lean over!

Taking Some Buddies To Dinner?

If you’ve got some fraternity brothers over for a visit, then let this burger take care of your needs…

More Kids, Please!

And yes, there is a never-ending parade of mega burgers vs. small children, as the internet runneth over with pictures of little kids standing beside the latest in a long line of “world’s largest burgers…”

“Sit Up Straight For The Camera, Janie…”

And what better way to reinforce the size and scale of a burger than to put several children around it, and then plop one kid RIGHT ON TOP OF IT:

I also love a burger that is SO BIG, SO LADEN WITH TOPPINGS, and just, frankly SO SO MUCH, that you need three people – two of them hooded – to lift it!

FYI, the burger you see above you weighed in at 105 pounds – talk about a Big Mac!

And there is nothing better than seeing a satisfied Chef giving himself a high five for a burger job well done!

I have posted many times about the latest “World’s biggest burger”, but those records fall faster than I can keep track – let’s just say that, for now, this is the biggest one that I uncovered online:

Yes, this burger weighed in at 2,014 pounds of fun – I’m sure someone will top it soon, so let the competition continue! As for me, I’m satisfied with one that is as perfectly realized as this one from Taylor’s Refresher in St Helena California:

Let me know where you had your favorite burger – or just a big one!

What You See Below You Can KILL YOU!

Take a look at this burger:

Beautiful, right? So what’s better than a great looking burger? How about one that can KILL YOU DEAD!

London Gets HOT HOT HOT AGAIN!

Behold a burger that is so hot - SO VERY VERY HOT - that it not only nourishes, it kills!

You are looking at the “XXX Hot Chilli Burger” – a burger so hot it is actually dangerous! Once again, the fiery Chefs from across the pond have taken burger madness up another flaming notch! You can find this burger madness for sale at the “Burger Off” restaurant in Hove, Sussex…

Want A Burger? Sign Here Please!

“Burger Off” owner Nick Gambardella restricts the burger for sale only to those 18 years and older, and forces customers to sign a legal release! Nick says the waiver is a protection against lawsuits – and he admits that his fiery “XXX Hot Chilli Burger” has put five people in the hospital!

This is such a great story! Big thanks to “The Daily Mail” and “Cavendish Press” for the story and the pics – because it just gets better!

Here’s more of the story from The Daily Mail: “Along with a man who may have “perforated his bowel” because he had a stomach ulcer, Gambardella says he’s “heard the local hospital had people on crash mats on adrenalin drips from my burger.” The waiver reads: “‘I the undersigned accept all responsibility for any effects incured [sic] due to the consumtion [sic] of the above mentioned XXX Hot Chilli Burger and release Burger Off, its owner and staff from any liability.”

So what makes the burger so deadly? The beef burger is topped with a sauce “based on a Piri Piri chilli concentrate.” Apparently it ranks 9.2 million on the Scoville scale, which is higher than pepper spray. Gambardella says that of the 3,000 who have tried to eat the burger, only 50 have finished it!

If I was in England, I would have to see this thing in person – as well as the disclaimers – and it reminds me:

WHAT IS THE SCOVILLE SCALE?

So a quick primer on how they determine the fiery nature of this burger. The “Scoville Scale” was developed by American pharmacist Wilbuer Scoville in 1912, and it is the scientific measure of the amount of “capsaicin” in chili peppers.

“Capsaicin” is the chemical compound that produces the sensation of heat in the mouth.

The amount present in a chili pepper is measured in “Scoville Heat Units” – with the average chili pepper measuring 500 units.

Of course, when you take these hot peppers and amp them up to infinity, well that’s when the fun begins – and the legal disclaimers come out!

Here is what customers have to sign:

‘I the undersigned accept all responsibility for any effects incured (sic) due to the consumtion (sic) of the above mentioned XXX Hot Chilli Burger and release Burger Off, its owner and staff from any liability.’

Well, aside from the misspellings and strange use of language, it all works!

Mr Gambardella said he was ‘amazed’ that he was allowed to sell such a spicy burger – adding: ‘It has been a massive hit with the customers’.

‘I have to admit I’ve not dared to try one of these burgers myself as they are so spicy,’ he said.

‘One guy came in and he was just a little bit cocky and when he left he was admitted to hospital because prior to eating the burger he had a stomach ulcer and we believe it perforated his bowel. He wasn’t in a good way but he pulled through.

‘I’ve also heard the local hospital had people on crash mats on adrenalin drips from my burger. But we never call an ambulance, it is always the customer who calls.’

Talk about an honest interview for a crazy hot burger!

Thanks to the great Cavendish Press for these great photos of the XXX Atomic burger! And once again, check out the menu board’s warning!

Kudos To The Daily Mail for their great reporting – read the entire story here!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2577255/XXX-Hot-Chilli-Burger-fiery-FIVE-people-hospital-diners-sign-waiver-theyre-allowed-order-one.html#ixzz2vhD8frle

And here is a great website “This Little Lady” from the UK – and they have more great pics of this killer burger!

http://thislittlelady.co.uk/2012/12/the-atomic-burger-are-you-up-to-the-challenge/

And, in case you need more than one fiery classic, strap on your rubber gloves:

Going Atomic!

I posted this a while back – the phenomenal “Atomic Burger” from London – talk about a classic burger! Read all about it here:

http://johnrieber.com/2012/12/05/worlds-hottest-burger/

Thanks to the great Caters New Agency for these great photos of the XXX Atomic burger!

Dig In!

Need A Drink? How About A Refreshingly Light Bloody Mary?

Let’s begin this “meat and cheese madness”

Personally, I love any drink that also covers your appetizers, main course and dessert! What a wild bloody Mary this is, and it’s just the beginning of my latest roll through the world of wild wild burgers!

Here is what I love about this burger – stuffed to the gills with meat and cheese, with some photo bombing fries alongside! And there’s more!

The “Bonger” Burger!

Thanks to “This Is Why You’re Huge” website, you can enjoy the “Bonger!” It’s a delicious blend of heritage beef burger, topped with a hunk of asian braised pork belly and finished off with a spicy kimchi. Add a big slug of Korean Soju and you are set!

Comedian’s Burger Kills Zombies!

And leave it to the brilliant website “A Hamburger Today” to find this masterpiece:

Here is how “AHT” describes this amazing pile of meat: “In honor of Jim Gaffigan’s sold-out performance in Des Moines today, Zombie Burger is rolling out a new burger called the “Undead Gaffigan.” The burger is a collaboration with the comedian, who visited visited the restaurant in 2012.”

And they are clearly:

Between two thick slices of grilled Texas toast, it features up to five patties (one for each of the comedian’s children), cheddar cheese, bacon, baconnaise, and fried jalapeños—an ingredient that Gaffigan requested because he is a “hot Latina”. The burger starts at $8.49 for a single. With five quarter-pound patties, it’s $16.49.”

All I can say is, “yes please!”

And Here’s A BIG Hello To ’5 GUYS!”

I’m very proud of the fact that, when you do a google search of “wildest burgers”, MY picture of my “5 Guys” burger shows up – and rightly so! Look at that baby! Oh, and look at this one too…

And you can read the entire post by clicking here!

http://johnrieber.com/2012/01/22/worlds-wildest-burgers/

And who can ever forget this masterpiece of “meat and bun”:

Yes, MEAT AND BUN!

I don’t think there can EVER been “too much” when it comes to burgers….but there may be “too much fun with a topping”:

Time to bite down hard!

And just in case you want to get your daily allowance of calories, here’s a burger that will give you 30,000 reasons to love it:

Let me know which one you like best!

Time To Bite Down Hard!

The US is justifiably proud of the kinds of burgers we make – they are big, bold, and delicious! But the rest of the world isn’t sitting idly by – they are stepping up as well!

Time to look at some of the greatest burger ideas from around the world – stories I have posted about what the rest of the world has accomplished in the burger world…

It is, without a doubt, a work of art – when a burger is constructed properly, it’s a marvel to look at – and to bite down on…I love to make a great burger, and I love to eat them too…so let’s head around the world to see the best that Earth has to offer!

The Pizza-Shaped Cheeseburger!

Of course, we have Burger King Japan to thank for this: it’s their pizza burger: four whopper patties topped with mozzarella, marinara, and pepperoni, stacked into a 9.5-inch sesame bun and then pre-sliced into six wedges.

Remember, these were the guys who brought you these garlic burgers:

And, in a feat of sheer burger madness, they also offered you THIS:

The Ninja Tongue Burger!

A powerful Ninja burger with black buns made with bamboo charcoal, black-brown garlic soy Chaliapin sauce, and a “tongue” of what BK calls “king’s bacon”, which resembles Irish rashers more than crispy, American-style bacon – and topped with onions, lettuce, mayo, and hash browns. Bite down hard!

Before you judge, remember what the British are up to:

Behold The “Big Manc!”

Let’s stop off in England to check out this masterpiece – it’s the “Big Manc”, created to celebrate Wimbledon’s tennis champ – yes, it was!

You can read all about this masterpiece by clicking here:

http://johnrieber.com/2013/07/16/haggis-burgers-the-big-manc-the-wimbledon-connection-match-point/

And yes, the story includes a “haggis burger” too! And England doesn’t have a lock on massive meat – let’s head to Australia to enjoy “The Queensland Burger!”

Hard to imagine they left ANYTHING off of this baby – I am a huge fan of Australia, and I love their burgers – check out more from Down Under by clicking on here:

http://johnrieber.com/2014/01/09/the-hangover-burger-the-burganator-the-roadhog-2014s-early-bacon-burger-monsters/

You can also see “The Roadhog”, which is not only delicious looking, but quite attractive as well!

Lotteria Rules!

Time now to head back to Japan, where our friends at the Lotteria restaurant chain in Tokyo love to come up with wacky stuff like, for example, their ramen burger:

They are not alone in making crazy food – for example, another restaurant in Tokyo created THIS:

Yes, it’ is their “tower to heaven” – a burger that goes where no burger has gone before!

You can see one intrepid Reporter’s effort to eat this monster by clicking here:

http://johnrieber.com/2013/04/12/behold-tokyos-tower-burger-a-mega-tower-to-heaven/

I couldn’t eat it, but I always love to see people who make things that are unique and inventive, which takes me back, once again, to the masterminds at Lotteria:

The wild cooks at Tokyo’s Lotteria restaurant love to make mega stacked cheeseburgers for you…just another reason to head to Japan right now! And while you are Asia-bound, why not drop in on Mike’s Burger House in Cambodia?

If you like the look of that stacked burger, then head over to Cambodia right now to visit Mike!

He makes an amazing burger – the best in all of Cambodia – and you can read all about it by clicking here:

http://johnrieber.com/2013/01/10/yes-its-cambodias-best-burger-mikes-burger-house-stacks-them-high/

If that is a bit too far to go for a great burger, what about Brazil?

Bob’s Got An Edible Wrapper In Brazil!

Yep, let’s head to Brazil to marvel at their edible burger wrapper! That’s right, you can enjoy their burger without having to unwrap it!

If you want to see this unique way to serve a meal, click on the link here:

http://johnrieber.com/2012/12/20/brazils-edible-burger-wrappers-go-brazil-go/

I may have to open a restaurant just to make this edible wrapper a reality here in the US! I love the concept, so let me know if you know of anyone doing something like this!

At the end of the day, the world is serving up a beautiful, delicious and unique burger at all times of the day and night – so enjoy!

Behold The Avocado Beef Chicken Shrimp Burger!

I love burgers! I love Japan! Therefore, it makes sense that I would love the latest burger from McDonald’s Tokyo – it is the majesty of an avocado beef, chicken and shrimp burger with bacon!

First, look at it again:

Yes, it’s only beef and avocado, but it is so much more…

Here is how RocketNews24 describes it: “The Avocado Beef burger comes with sliced onion, chunks of avocado, a slice of cheddar cheese, and a dollop of wasabi sauce, all topped off with two rashers of bacon. The other two, as well as swapping their main ingredients for chicken or shrimp, respectively, are served with avocado and spicy cobb salad sauce, with the chicken sandwich also receiving a cheeky slice of cheddar.”

“Cheeky Slice” Indeed!

So, as you can see form the delicious description, while this burger has meat, you can also order it – still loaded to the gills – with chicken OR shrimp – so three ways to try this avocado monster!

I loved the idea of it having ALL THREE AT ONCE – but am willing to enjoy it for what it is – a fun, “ciabatta-bunned” burger that makes avocado a main component…and I love the cubed approach…which reminds me of:

Yes, The Bacon Cube Burger!

You know how good this looks: now click on this link to read all about Lotteria Japan’s latest burger madness:

http://johnrieber.com/2013/11/25/breaking-bacon-news-behold-the-bacon-cube-burger-japans-lotteria-strikes-bacon-gold-again/

And of course, here is more of Japan’s food madness – you remember the chicken yakatori dish that just keeps going and going and going:

Yes, the “Mega-Yakatori” is without a double one of my favorites…see the entire recipe by clicking here:

http://johnrieber.com/2013/07/23/the-mega-yakitori-japans-huge-chicken-on-a-stick/

Talk about an appetizer that fills the plate!

Thanks Again To The Masterminds At RocketNews24!

Yes, whose wacky web masters at RocketNews24 have all of Asia covered in the most unique and delicious ways!

Click here for all of their goodness:

http://en.rocketnews24.com

And if anyone has a chance to bite down hard on this baby, let me know!

Here’s a question for your Sunday morning:

Got Chocolate?

OK, you’ve got some chocolate…but what if the purity of this delicious treat just isn’t enough? Next question:

Do You Have A Spare Chicken?

Sure, we all do! So, imagine that you are sitting in your home with some chocolate and a chicken, and you say to yourself:

“What Would Lotteria Do?”

Well, wonder no more!

Yes, Japan’s most raucous fast food chain has done it again! Thanks to Lotteria, you can now bite down hard on this:

The “Chocolate & Honey Mustard Grilled Chicken Burger”

I love everything about the Lotteria fast food chain in Japan…they continue to push the envelope of “burger taste…”

Their latest offering is a chicken sandwich with honey mustard and chocolate sauce! Of course, those food fanatics at “RocketNews24″ found this gem…just the latest from the deliciously twisted minds at Lotteria…

Lotteria is a popular fast food chain in Japan. They get a lot of attention by offering unique takes on fast food…like their classic ten patty cheeseburger…

Now, they’ve come up with another gem: take a chicken burger, add honey mustard and mayo, then top the whole thing with chocolate sauce, and guess what? You get this!

The burger has a thick piece of chicken thigh marinated in white wine, garlic and onion. The honey mustard sauce is made from whole-grain mustard and french mustard, with honey and mayonnaise added. And then, you add the chocolate sauce!

Thanks to “RocketNews24.com” for these in-person pics…this website is worth following for their incredible collection of stories about Asia!

For example, RocketNews24 had the story on this monster:

The Titan Burger!

Of course, leave it to Lotteria to come up with a burger to celebrate one of Japan’s most popular anime characters. The “Titan burger” comes in three different sizes – you can order five, seven, or even ten patties! According to RocketNews24, they’re officially referred to as five-meter, seven-meter, and ten-meter class, a reference to the measuring system for the anime’s Titans.

The limited edition burger is served in a paper sleeve illustrated with the Colossal Titan.

And Lotteria has more than animation to celebrate – they love to go down under, too!

The Australian “Twin Burger!”

Yes, Lotteria is helping make the world a better place by bringing together two mighty nations under one very big bun!

Lotteria’s “Twin Burger” combines two of their most popular menu items! First, load up one side of an extra long bun with the deep-fried “Shrimp Burger” – then match it up with the “Zeppin Cheese Burger”, which comes piled with cottage and red cheddar cheese!

Thanks to “Japan-Australiablogspot.com” for this Lotteria masterpiece – in two pieces! And thanks as always to Lotteria for giving us a reason to live!

Tokyo! Probably the greatest city in the world for sushi, right?

Sure, But Tokyo Has Great Spam Burgers Too!

In a world where advertising is everything, how can you resist a colorful and delicious burger like this?

I love Tokyo, everyone knows that. And I love the food, especially incredibly fresh sushi like this from the Tsukiji fish market:

I ate sushi in several of the food stalls that ring the fish market, serving the freshest fish at 6a – yes, I love sushi for breakfast! Even though no one speaks a word of english, I sat down and managed to enjoy incredible yellowtail and uni first thing in the morning…

Even better, I loved wandering through the fish market, where negotiations were underway for some of the most beautiful tuna I had ever seen…

And signs were everywhere offering up an endless array of fish and sushi – but since I couldn’t understand any of it, I just had to point and pray…and it always worked out well for me…

Tokyo’s Food Ads!

I love how colorful the ad are in Japan, even if I had no idea what they said, you could tell what they were selling! And these great ads weren’t limited to just sushi…that’s right, the japanese ads for fast food hamburgers are even better!

I honestly don’t know if it’s the uniquely beautiful lettering, or the combination of japanese characters and food together, but I see ads like these and they make me hungry…

This is, without a doubt, colorful and compelling imagery – speaking the universal language of BURGER…

And as usual for Japan, even a hamburger can run off into new and – shall we say UNIQUE – directions on a moment’s notice!

Sure, I’d eat a spaghetti burger if it had cool japanese writing underneath it – wouldn’t you? You may recognize some of these ads – since I have written about the magnificent Japanese hamburger chain Lotteria, which offers up many unique burgers for Tokyo meat lovers…

Tokyo’s Amazing “Build-A-Burger”!!

Here is the greatest ad for a Lotteria burger – a burger that allows YOU to build your own burger!

Here’s the deal: Lotteria’s offering a burger that allows customers to add their own extra fixings to their burger. The ad above offers up quite the tower of great ingredients…of course, our friends at RocketNews24 got something a bit more, well, NORMAL when they ordered one…

It’s “The Zennose!”

Still, the PROMISE of the ad is inspiring – this new Lotteria burger is called “the zennose”:

According to RocketNews24, “when the chain started hanging posters in its restaurants showing something called the “zennose” burger (literally the burger with everything on it), even some employees weren’t entirely sure Lotteria was serious. ‘This isn’t really an official menu item. It’s just something we could make if customers asked us to,’ one worker commented.”

So, what if you ordered the “Zennose”? Well, here is what you would get:

Regular beef patty
Additional patty with cheese
Shrimp cutlet
Rib patty
Bacon
Sliced cheese
Spicy mayonnaise
Regular mayonnaise
Tartar sauce
Ketchup
Teriyaki sauce
One egg, soft-boiled
Cabbage
Lettuce
Pickles

Yep, that is one stacked burger!

And of course, let’s not forget this classic from the folks at Lotteria:

Yep, it’s an “Osaka Burger!” Read all about this pink-sauced delight by clicking on my story here:

http://johnrieber.com/2013/08/22/osaka-burgers-lotteria-okonomiyaki-burger-more-japan-burger-madness/

It’s one of many burger monstrosities I have written about – and when it comes to Lotteria, the word “monstrosity” is a compliment – I LOVE what they do to burgers!

I mean, they are the ones who started the ramen burger craze…read all about that right here:

http://johnrieber.com/2013/05/16/wacky-ramen-burgers-crazy-japanese-burger-menu-east-meets-west-with-video/

And of course, you have to go to Japan if you want to bite down hard on this:

I LOVE THAT AD! Congrats once again to Lotteria for keeping our burgers stacked high!

Yes, the folks at Lotteria love to make outrageous burgers, and they love outrageous ads as well – like this one for their “Wild Burger!”

Not to be outdone, the folks at McDonald’s have done some wacky things worldwide when it comes to advertising their food, such as:

The McKroket!

That’s right: in The Netherlands, you can get a burger that swaps out the beef patty for a ground beef and potato croquette, with tartar sauce spread on top….rejoice!

And how about France:

The CroqueMcDo!

Their version of a croque monsieur, melted cheese and bread and meat…sacre bleu!

And of course, here is the greatest ad of all time for McDonald’s all-singing, all-dancing ode to:

The McDLT!

That’s right, the infamous ad that promised a burger concoction that would keep “the hot side hot, the cold side cold!”

You can see the classic ad with Jason Alexander by clicking here:

http://johnrieber.com/2012/08/29/singing-about-burgers-hot-v-cold-jason-alexanders-mcdlt-blues/

I might just watch it while biting down on a Lotteria of my own creation!

And of course, I also posted this picture of my daughter Jessica and her reaction to a burger ad we saw on the streets of Tokyo:

Who’s Up For A Gigantic Noodle Burger?

Yes, time to thank the folks at Lotteria in Japan for another amazing burger concoction! As you can see, this fast food institution in Japan has unveiled the “noodle burger”, a hamburger that tosses out the beef and rolls in “noodle patties!”

You can, of course, choose which size of noodle madness appeals to you:

I say, if you are going to eat a noodle burger, go “all-in” and order the triple decker! And you can also order a variety of dipping sauces…even better, Lotteria offers a detailed, visual guide for how to use their burgers!

RocketNews24 Scores Again!

Yes, those masterminds at RocketNews24 uncovered this latest Lotteria concoction, and you can read all about it here:

http://en.rocketnews24.com/2014/05/12/lotteria-continues-shoving-noodles-where-they-dont-belong/

And Lotteria isn’t done with their wacky food creations, as RocketNews24 uncovered this as well:

The “Green Gum Shake!”

That’s right, a milk shake that looks and tastes like green gum!

Here is how RocketNews24 describes it: “the shake is actually a collaboration with a popular snack. Yes, Lotteria’s new “First Pick Mint Shake — Lotte Green Gum Flavor” (Hatsu-zumi Mint Shake — Lotte Green Gum Fumi) is flavored with the taste of the popular Green Gum sold by Lotte.

The gum has a mint taste, which according to Lotte, is supposed to be evocative of the fresh trees and green of the forest.”

Check out the entire story here:

http://en.rocketnews24.com/2014/05/16/lotterias-new-gum-flavored-drink-refreshing-treat-or-over-adventurous-experiment/

OK, I’m in!

And never forget Lotteria’s most magnificent creation of all time:

That’s right, I think their “Bacon cube” burger is genius! You can read all about that here:
http://johnrieber.com/2013/11/25/breaking-bacon-news-behold-the-bacon-cube-burger-japans-lotteria-strikes-bacon-gold-again/

And thanks again to Lotteria Japan for keeping the inventiveness of burgers alive!

It’s Time To Celebrate Cheeseburgers!

Sure, why not have a wedding cake made completely of cheeseburgers? I can’t imagine that a single guest would turn down a chance to celebrate this couple!

What A Tasty Honeymoon This Would Be!

And of course, what better way to end a wedding day than to share a bed like this:

And if you are on your own, you can still enjoy the comfort of a double cheeseburger – what a tasty way to relax…

That’s right, just lie back and enjoy a tale of hamburgers…as you can see, I’ve got just the chair I need to fully enjoy a summer of good eating…

I plan to have an active summer, which means I have to get up and out the door – so what to wear? How about this cheeseburger t-shirt!

And of course, on a cool night I can always use a Cheeseburger Sweater:

And of course, here’s my classic photo of Olivia from “Jerseylicious” modeling a cheeseburger hat – knitted by Alex Sim-Wise!

I will need a cap if I’m going to keep my hair in place…after all, I’ve got a cheeseburger motorcycle…

And after a day on the road I will need something to sit on…

And what if I get a call? Yep, I will need to make use of my special phone as well…

As you can see, the world of “cheeseburger products” continues to grow, and no matter where I go, I can always take the goodness of a cheeseburger with me…

So, once again technology has moved forward in way we can’t imagine…and all thanks to the basic, all-american goodness of one of these:

The Eternal Question: What Makes A Great Burger?

It’s a question for the ages, and guess what? There’s an amazing new webiste trying to give us the answer…answers like THIS – THE PICKLEBACK!

Just read the ingredients listed by this amazing burger portrait – a work of art. And this isn’t just for meat lovers: you will NEVER be able to turn a burger down because you are vegetarian – because look at their veggie masterpiece!

You know what, I could eat a burger for every meal of the day – and now I can…

How About THIS For Breakfast!

A breakfast burger for the ages! Here is how the website describe their breakfast masterpiece:

“If you’re anything like me, you start your weekends extremely high (…on life) and extremely hungry. Well, this morning glory combines all of my breakfast binging necessities – something sweet, something savory, caffeine… and a WHOLE lot of bacon. Sandwiched between two warm and freshly glazed apple fritters, sits a maple bacon-wrapped beef patty, draped with melty cheddar cheese, and drizzled with a caffeinated maple, espresso syrup. Munchie devils begone!”

Time to honor the masterminds at my new favorite website: “Pornburger.me!”

As you can see, that is a beautiful burger image and a memorable description of an incredible burger – all due to this burger lover’s website!

Behold Pornburgers!

I came across this amazing website with incredible burger pics and recipes like
this!

Behold The “Melon Monroe” Burger!

Talk about amazing looking burgers! This website floored me when I viewed burger after burger – I mean, who can come up with this stuff – and by “stuff”, I mean THIS!

“Cali-CORN-Ication!”

Welcome To The World Of “PornBurgers!”

Yes, there’s a food lover’s website that you have to try – “PornBurger!”

The site showcases an incredible burger, and each photo comes with a detailed explanation of the burger, plus a fun writeup that will just make you hungrier!

It’s all part of this terrific website – that you need to click on and bookmark right now:

http://pornburger.me

The site has a ton of great recipes, absolutely gorgeous photos, and fun commentary – it is one of my new favorite sites! Make sure you link to this on social media now! Congrats to the creatively amazing minds at “Pornburger!”

For those who think I’ve neglected bacon, I have a question:

“Are You Hungry? Then Bite Down Hard On This!”

Yes, I LOVE BACON! Special thanks to @melissacocomias on Twitter for sending me this picture! A bacon taco is just the way to make a day better! And it’s just the beginning of my “bacon love” special!

You Are “Bacon” Me Crazy!

In an online world full of headlines, captions, and just all around “noise”, there is something about the “purity” of bacon love that cuts through it all…I mean, how much happier would we all be going through the day like this:

“Bacon, Do You Say ‘I Do’?”

One couple showed their love of bacon the only way you can – by getting married to it!

Did you hear about the couple who got married at a “Big Bite Bacon Fest?” They walked down a bacon-printed carpet to the altar, the bride carrying a bacon bouquet and the groom wore a bacon boutonniere. And of course, the bridesmaids had bacon roses!

The wedding guests celebrated by tossing bacon bits instead of rice, and they served a bacon-themed wedding cake! Here is the happy couple cutting the cake…

Congrats to this happy couple for coming up with a unique wedding ceremony!

CLEARLY YOU LOVE BACON TOO!

C’mon, admit it, as much as I love bacon, and that couple loves bacon, you love bacon too…so let’s all grab a stack of bacon and bite down hard like this guy!!

Bacon Bacon Bacon!

To honor this iconic taste sensation, let’s look at some of the latest and most unique ways bacon is being “utilized”:

First, an instruction chart on how to use bacon properly:

See, if you follow these instructions you’ll never be unhappy again! FYI, if you google the phrase “bacon products”, you get 1.2 MILLION options.

1.2 MILLION Bacon Options!

That’s A LOT of bacon. Still, most are more traditional uses of bacon, like this bacon cheeseburger:

And some take that idea and, shall we say, “tweak it” a bit – leading to a “Bacon Cube Burger!”

But bacon can do so much more…it can take the ordinary, like meatloaf, and make it EXTRAORDINARY:

Bacon Meatloaf – With Mac’n’Cheese Filling!

It’s surprisingly easy to do: just make two small meatloafs, connect them with a center of mac ‘n’ cheese, wrap them up in bacon and bake! What you see is what you’ll eat, and how can you argue with THAT?!?!

I think I need a cup of coffee to calm myself down…

Bacon Coffee!

What better way to open your eyes in the morning! A hot fresh cup of bacon would certainly open my eyes…and if it was after a night of fun, I might need this instead:

Bacon Drink Tablets! OK, this is the way to combat a hangover – and have instant liquid bacon refreshment! I am sold on this!

But remember that bacon is more than just a meal – it’s a dessert too!

Behold A Bacon Pie!

OK, Bacon pie is not exactly a “pie” – in fact, there is no “pie” involved, only bacon. And cheese. And more bacon. The bacon pie is a giant slab of weaved bacon, a ton of cheese and bacon strips, and another giant slab of weaved bacon.

Wait, that sounds like a great dessert to me! And now, the “bacon” tributes:

The Bacon-Turtle Burger!

Thanks to our friends at GrubGrade.com, I can show you how they spent their Memorial Day – with this bacon-y masterpiece – a “bacon and hot dog” mashup that resembles a turtle!

It’s a full pound of ground beef, stuffed with hot dogs and wrapped in bacon. Yes please!

And of course, if you really want to try a unique bacon recipe:

Make Your Own Bacon Jello!

I shared this before, an incredible method of making bacon jello! I don’t know if I’ll ever try it, but if it appeals to you, then here is the step-by-twisted-step how to do this, just click on the link here:

http://johnrieber.com/2012/12/09/bacon-jello-bacon-cheeseburger-cakes-boozy-bacon-and-egg-jello-darth-vader-shots/

And don’t forget, Bacon isn’t just for consuming….

Hats Off To Bacon!

Yes, I found this picture on the web, and it will always be one of my favorites…I also worked with a creative team once that was using bacon as part of their TV show, and Sara Underwood was brave enough to don a bacon bikini….

Thanks Sara for stepping up for a great cause – bacon! And since I have a mustache, there is even a bacon product for me!

I can at the very least remember these important words:

Let me know if you agree!

Hungry For Dessert? Hungry For Pizza? Now You Can Satisfy Both Cravings At Once!

Yes, Japan has done it again! It’s a delicious world where a Kit Kat store exists to serve you with an array of taste treats like this:

A World Of Flavor!

If your taste for Kit Kats isn’t satisfied by “Roasted Corn Kit Kats”, well I don’t know how to please you…

But guess what? Kit Kat won’t give up! Thanks to RocketNews24, I have discovered that “several pizza and cafe chains in Japan will be offering special menus for a limited time using the “Bake ‘N Tasty Mini Kit Kats Custard Pudding Flavor” (Kit Kat Mini Yaite Oishi Purin Aji)!”

Do you hear me? Kit Kat Dessert Pizzas!

According to a joint press release by Nestlé Japan, Cafe Company, Strawberry Cones and Zensho, original baked Kit Kat menus will be offered at the pizza chains Napoli no Kama and Strawberry Cones as well as the cafe chains WIRED CAFE and Moriva Coffee. Napoli no Kama started offering their Kit Kat and Mango Dolce Pizza, described as a “sweet pizza for adults” at 1,630 yen (US$16) for a medium size pizza.

According to “RocketNews24″, sweet pizzas are nothing new at the pizza chain, since they already have the “Fresh Caramel Banana Chocolate & Nuts Pizza (available with extra whipped cream)” or the “Honey Maple Gorgonzola Pizza”.

Here’s how RocketNews24 describes it: “The Kit Kat and Mango Dolce Pizza, which comes topped with the pudding flavored bakeable Kit Kats, mango slices, mixed nuts, Gorgonzola cheese sauce and a honey maple sauce: yum!”

RocketNews24 To The Rescue Again!

As always, I find this amamzing stuff from the far east thanks to the intrepid reporters at “Rocketnews24″, the great website in the world! I fyou want to see ALL of the bizarre fast food they uncovered, here is their entire story!

http://en.rocketnews24.com/2014/06/03/20-bizarre-fast-food-meals-from-japan/

And as you know, I posted about Kit Kats amazing entree into the world of flavor with entries like this one:

That’s right: BAKED POTATO KIT KATS!

The world has definitely become a better place to live! Read all about these amazing flavors here:

http://johnrieber.com/2014/03/05/shrimp-flavored-kit-kats-baked-potato-too-the-wildest-kit-kat-flavors-ever-plus-canned-pancake-soda/

And don’t delay: get yourself to Tokyo for a Kit Kat dessert pizza NOW!

Celebrate The 4th With Some Burger Fireworks In Your Mouth!

Yes, those ARE french fries wedged into this wonderful slider – and I will explain later why it was such a GREAT IDEA – because this 4th of July, it’s time to celebrate with the world’s best sliders!

If you have a taste for a “sliderific” holiday weekend, you can bite down hard right here!

Calling All Burger Lovers!

Celebrate this holiday weekend with SLIDERS!

I love holidays! Cooking burgers is one reason, grilling sliders is another. Look at how good this is, a perfectly composed slider getting a big assist from my best friend, BACON:

And this year, you can begin the day with a slider as well – that’s right, I plan to celebrate my 4th of July with sliders morning noon and night!

Sliders For Breakfast Lunch And Dinner!

I will share more of this breakfast magic in a moment, but first, let’s dive right into the delicious world of the “mini-burger” with my personal favorite:

The French Fry Burger!

That’s right, it’s a slider held together with french fries and tartar sauce!

DO NOT JUDGE UNTIL YOU’VE BITTEN DOWN ON THIS MASTERPIECE YOURSELF!

It’s so simple: just make a slider as usual, but put NOTHING on it but fries, cheese and tartar sauce – BOOM! If this is bridge too far for you, here are some of my favorite slider recipes – a classic all-american and some with an international flair!

A Worldwide Slider Celebration!

The key to an international slider is what flavors the basic hamburger patty. Your basic hamburger uses good quality ground beef with at least 15% fat content, to ensure lots of juicy flavor. I mix in raw minced onion and minced garlic, with salt, pepper as well.

That’s it for me – upon this temple of meat flavor, I add unique ingredients that give my sliders an international flavor…here are some of my favorite recipes!

Spanish Sliders – Hamburguesa!

Let’s get started with Spain, since I just got back from Barcelona…this is a great example of taking a regular burger and giving it an international feel…using some of the special spanish flavors to give the burger a catalonian flavor!

Begin by cooking the burger first with Manchego cheese (a sheep’s milk cheese from the La Mancha region in Spain) and Jamón Iberico, (Iberico ham – prosciutto-like ham that comes from Spanish black pigs). Then, top the burger with olive tapenade…you can find recipes for making it, or you can buy it in a jar, but it includes black olives, capers, anchovies, garlic, olive oil, and lemon juice. Take a bite and you will wake up in Barcelona…

Korean Kimchi Barbecue Sliders

When I was in Seoul, we ate every night at a korean BBQ, where you grill your own meat and seafood on the round grill embedded in your table, then wrap the grilled food around lettuce or thinly sliced pickled vegetables. Taking that as an inspiration, Korean sliders are best when you add pickled cucumbers, a splash of rice vinegar and kimchi.

As you can see, it’s all about how you season your burger patty – and there’s a world of great flavor to enjoy!

Japanese Wasabi-Avocado Slider!

I read about this over the holidays and I made one…it was delicious! It is very simple: a slider patty topped with sliced avocado, and a heavy dose of wasabi mayonaise. Trader Joe’s sells it, or buy some great mayo and wasabi and mix it together to the strength you can handle…this is delicious with a Sapporo! One last look….trust me, MAKE THIS ONE!

The Sriracha Burger!

Wasabi not powerful enough for you? Well, THIS will do the trick:

This is a GREAT idea…the recipe is from the terrific “Serious Eats” website!

3 pounds ground beef (preferably chuck, 80/20)
1/4 cup soy sauce
10 tablespoons Sriracha
4 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
4 slices thick-cut bacon
2 large sweet onions
3/4 cup blue cheese dressing
8 sesame seed buns
8 thick slices Swiss cheese
1 large beefsteak tomato, sliced
Arugula or romaine lettuce

In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, soy sauce, 5 tablespoons of the Sriracha, and the pepper.

Cook the bacon. While the bacon is cooking, peel and quarter the onions. Once the bacon is cooked through and slightly crispy, remove the slices from the pan, reserving the remaining bacon fat in the pan. Cook the sliced onions in the bacon fat over medium-low heat until they caramelize, 20 to 25 minutes.

Grill the burgers. While the burgers are cooking, in a small bowl, combine the blue cheese dressing with the remaining 5 tablespoons Sriracha. Lightly toast the buns on the grill during the last minute of cooking time.

To assemble, spread the blue cheese mixture on both halves of each hamburger bun. Stack a burger patty, Swiss cheese slice, bacon, caramelized onions, tomato slice, and a small handful of arugula between each hamburger bun.

Bam!

Australian Sliders!

I uncovered these two years ago in Melbourne. They add a slice of beetroot underneath the burger. It adds a great, slightly nutty flavor to the slider. Look at how beautiful that big chunk looks on the burger above…Everything else is the same – add cheddar cheese, tomato, lettuce if you like – and if you want to go totally Aussie, add a fried egg on top….the best!

Now, if you REALLY want to get creative, throw the concept of a slider out the window altogether!

THE CHEESEBURGER SUB!

From The White House Sub shop in Atlantic City, I got this delicious cheeseburger sub – it’s a cheeseburger on a sub sandwich roll…easy to do and a fun change of pace!

The All-American Bacon-Cheeseburger Slider!

What can you say? After a trip around the world, it’s nice to come home and have an all-american slider…made vertically like so:

Top Bun
Cheese – melted and dripping
Bacon! Bacon! Bacon!
Slider Patty
Tomato
Pickle
Mayonaise, mayonaise, mayonaise!
Bottom Bun

See that? DO NOT DEVIATE – this is perfection.

Or, if you are just in the mood for a burger that will drive you NUTS…or perhaps you don’t want a burger at all, well here’s the answer!

The Vegetarian Nut Burger!

The Nut Burger was made famous at Matt’s Place Drive-In in Butte, Montana. Matt’s Place Drive-In was established in 1930.

And, in honor of vegetarians who have chosen to read this post, there is a great “no meat” burger waiting for you!

“No Meat” Nut Burgers!

1 medium onion
1 cup walnuts, pecans, almonds, cashews or other nuts, preferably raw
1 cup (raw) rolled oats or cooked short-grain white or brown rice
2 tablespoons ketchup, miso, tomato paste, nut butter or tahini
1 teaspoon chili powder or any spice mix you like
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 egg

2 tablespoons peanut oil, extra virgin olive oil or neutral oil, like grapeseed or corn.

1. Grind onion in food processor. Add nuts and oats, and pulse to chop, but not too finely. Add remaining ingredients except oil. Process briefly; don’t grind too finely. Add a little liquid — water, stock, soy sauce, wine, whatever — if necessary; mixture should be moist but not loose.

2. Let mixture rest a few minutes, then shape it into 4 burgers. (Burger mixture or shaped burgers can be covered tightly and refrigerated for up to a day. Bring back to room temperature before cooking.) Put oil in nonstick or well-seasoned cast iron skillet and turn to medium. When oil is hot, add burgers to skillet. Cook about 5 minutes, undisturbed, until browned, then turn with spatula. Lower heat a bit and cook 3 or 4 minutes more, until firm.

This is good enough to satisfy meat eaters, too!

WHAT THE – ???!!???

What do you think of THIS? My daughter Jessica poses in front of the ad for the “Green Peas Pachislo Burger” in Tokyo…we don’t know what it was, and didn’t bother to find out, but we loved the ad!

Jessica sent me a list of sliders being made by an innovative food truck in Seattle. Look at some of these variations on a slider!

Curb Jumper Classic Cheese Slider

Certified Angus Beef, Melted Sharp Cheddar Cheese, Roma Tomato, Red Onion,
Spring Mix with Roasted Garlic Aioli.

Shrooom Slider

Certified Angus Beef, Melted Provolone Cheese, Sauted Crimini Mushrooms,
Caramelized Sweet Onions, Spring Mix, Roma Tomato and Spicy Mustard Aioli

Southwest Turkey Slider

Handmade and spiced Turkey Patties, Melted Pepper Jack Cheese, Roasted Anaheim Peppers,
Cumin- Cilantro Slaw, Frizzled Onions with a Chipotle Aioli.

Salmon Slider

Handmade Salmon Patties, Frizzled Onions, Spring Mix, Roma Tomato with a Lemon Pepper Aioli

And remember, if all else fails:

White Castle To The Rescue!

And when in doubt, grab a dozen White Castle sliders and dress them up with some of the above flavors – talk about happy holidays!

MAKING THE “WHITE CASTLE BREAKFAST SLIDER!”

And now you can start your day with a great breakfast slider thanks to White Castle!

Look at how delicious this is – and it’s so so easy!

First, take two sliders out of their frozen hell and microwave them for a minute…as far as the White Castle part of this recipe is concerned, this is the toughest part of the preparation….

As your sliders are busy microwaving, put a single egg in a pan, with a bit of olive oil…adding salt and pepper to your personal taste…

Next, take your two White Castle sliders out of the microwave, open them up and lay down a line of Mayonaise…yes, it tastes great and you can buy lowfat or olive oil-based versions – remember mayo and aioli come from condiment heaven…

As the egg cooks, break the yolk and then flip the egg over…let it cook for a minute and then slit it down the middle, separate the two pieces and let both pieces finish cooking…i like mine a bit runny, so I can taste the runny yolk, but do what you need to do – it’s your egg…

CONTINUE CONSTRUCTING YOUR BREAKFAST BITES!

When your egg is finished cooking, slide those two pieces onto the top of your waiting White Castle cheeseburger sliders…breakfast is served!

“WHITE CASTLE BREAKFAST SLIDERS!”

And there you go, a 380-calorie wonder!

Once you take a bite you will understand that THIS is a great way to start the day – and not bad for you, either!

Let me know if you try any of these and how they turn out! Thanks!

Question: Do you prefer a burger that is BIG:

Or do you enjoy a burger that offers up a simpler pleasure - IN A BAG:

It’s a question I pondered on a beautiful afternoon in a town that loves a good burger…

Welcome To Chicago!

When the weather is nice, Chicago is really one of the most beautiful cities in the world…and it is a “food loving” town as well! I mean, how many places offer up something like THIS!

Yes, Badhappy’s Frosted Flake Burger was a joy to hold and consume, but sadly that Poutine palace is no longer open….however, there are plenty of places to enjoy a great burger in Chicago, so I set out to try two of them – offering wildly different experiences….

A Tale Of Two Burgers!

As you know, I love burgers. But a “monster” like the one you see above is a food challenge I can’t undertake that often…while a “simpler” burger, like the classic “Dick’s Cheeseburger” in Seattle, is a tasty treasure almost any day…

With that in mind, I set out to sample two very different types of burgers in Chicago…one that arrives with a “heavy metal” attitude, and one that comes wrapped up in a brown bag…

Kuma’s Rocks!

Kuma’s Corner was just voted the best burger in Chicago, and one of the best in the country…I frequent the Kuma’s offshoot on Diversey and Clark….featuring the same menu and attitude – a heavy metal soundtrack greets you as you peruse such offerings as “The Slayer”, “Black Sabbath” and “Lair Of The Minotaur”….but I settled on:

“Neurosis!”

Don’t EVER show up at Kuma’s without an appetite for adventure, because these burgers fill a plate and more! Here’s a look at what “Neurosis” offers you:

It all begins with a half pound of fresh ground beef – and then comes the Horseradish Mayo, Sharp Cheddar, Swiss, Caramelized Onion, Sauteed Mushrooms, Lettuce, Tomato, and some fresh Onion to finish it off…

The “Neurosis” burger is big, messy fun! Even with so many ingredients, each one has its moment to shine – IF you can get your mouth around the thing! “Neurosis” is one big bite!

Kuma’s has multiple offerings as well as a daily special – and all of them are heavy metal themed to go along with the soundtrack that plays while you eat: if you love the band Slayer you will be at home here!

More on Kuma’s “Slayer” in a moment, but as much as I love a BIG BIG burger, I also wanted to try something a bit more MANAGEABLE…

Mad Max To The Rescue!

Chicago’s famous downtown “Loop” offers a ton of “take out” joints that give you a simple burger and nothing more…and one of the most famous is “Max’s Take Out” on Wabash and Adams…

The menu is surprisingly large: you can order pasta with your burgers and hot dogs, and there are a dozen different ways to order a burger, like one with pastrami, or their famous “Halal” Gyro burger:

The Chicago Dog!

And of course, Max’s offers the classic Chicago hot dog, with pickle wedges, celery salt and tomato…and NO KETCHUP allowed!

Burger In A Bag!

But the real joy at Max’s is that, when you get your food, it comes ready to take away – or sit at their small counter – in a bag!

It’s a return to a simpler time…and when you unwrap the burger from it’s silver wrapper, you get a burger that has two thin patties, cheese, mayo, ketchup, mustard, onion, tomato and lettuce…

A nice bag of thick cut french fries are a requirement to order as well…and they have an area setup with seasoning to try on your fires…I went with vinegar salt…

The burger at Max’s taste EXACTLY the way a burger should taste: a nice blend of meat and condiments, with room for ALL of them at one tim win your mouth! Max’s is renowned for their double cheeseburgers, and this one didn’t disappoint – it offers the simple pleasure of a well prepared “take out” burger:

Big Vs. Bag!

When all is said and done, which is better; big or bag? Of course, the answer is easy: BOTH!

Some days I just don’t want a burger that is too big to eat:

And then there are days when THIS may be a bit too straightforward for me:

It’s really about my mood: and when you go to a great burger joint, there will always be options!

“The Slayer!”

Back to “The Slayer”…As you saw, “Neurosis” is one of Kuma’s BIG burgers, but it’s just one of the amazing “monster burgers” that they have in store for you…but nothing is as big as “The Slayer!” if you think you have what it takes to take it on, then click on my story here to see what’s in store for you!

http://johnrieber.com/2013/05/14/rocking-out-kumas-heavy-metal-burgers-chicagos-best-burger/

And let me know if you like your burgers BIG or in a BAG!

Behold A Tasty “Trojan Horse!”

Talk about art you can bite down on! Here are some of the most amazingly beautiful works of art – and they just happen to be burgers!

Two French graphic designers have gone “burger mad!” And they are sharing that delicious madness with us right now! It’s an incredible series known as the “Fat + Furious Burger,” and my friend Deb Beckman forwarded this link to me – knowing I would LOVE it! And how could I not:

Incredible burger art like this is just too good not to share! Kudos to the great website “Brit.co” for this amazing burger art!

The entire article can be found at their website here:

http://www.brit.co/fat-furious-burger-art/

There are many great places to find cool burgers, but I love the websites that treat our burgers with dignity and respect, like this:

Behold The “Porknado!”

And of course, the website “Pornburger” is also amazing…and they continue to showcase incredibly tasty burger art as well…the “Porknado” is their latest burger masterpiece…following in such footsteps as this:

“The Horndog!”

Check out the website here:

http://pornburger.me

And read my entire article here!

http://johnrieber.com/2014/06/05/pornburgers-the-delicious-online-world-of-burger-food-porn/

Let me know what you think of this imaginative art!

Behold The World’s Greatest Drink Combo!

That’s right, thanks to the creative maniacs at Sobelman’s Pub & Grill in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the Bloody Mary will NEVER be the same!

This, my friends, is why I love the internet THIS MUCH:

It’s a giant Bloody Mary that includes AN ENTIRE FRIED CHICKEN! First of all, all credit goes to Buzzfeed for unveiling this masterpiece to us…their entire story, with more great pictures like these, can be found here:

http://www.buzzfeed.com/rachelysanders/how-is-this-legal#2us7mzd

Thanks Buzzfeed! And of course, thank you to the geniuses at Sobelman’s Bar in Milwaukee!

Here is how they officially describe this monster:

“It includes the standard Sobelmans garnish (cheese, sausage, pickle, olive, onion, mushroom, asparagus, scallion, shrimp, lemon,brussels sprout, tomato & celery) for 4 regular Bloodies, two Baconadoes (skewers of bacon-wrapped jalapeno cheeseballs) & a whole fried chicken, fresh from Ray’s Butcher Shoppe in Greenfield, Wisconsin!”

That’s right: BACON-WRAPPED JALAPENO CHEESEBALLS! Sobelman’s is legendary for their wild and crazy Bloody Mary’s, including these three:

Yes, one includes those bacon-wrapped cheese balls, another a cheeseburger slider – and that last one seems to have lots and lots of beer – what to choose? It’s your decision. And from the looks of things, it will be a tough call!

Sobelman’s Rules!

There is no other way to put it: Sobelman’s knows how to serve a drink! You will NEVER leave hungry from this place, right? That cheeseburger Bloody Mary hits the spot for me…and the more you look around, the more unique and creative Bloody Mary toppings you find!

Now THAT’S A Bloody Mary!

If you mouth just dropped WIDE OPEN, then you know the power of the internet. The “Drunkentomato.com” first shared this pic, and I have to say, it appears we have a “toasted cheese bloody mary!” Yes, time to thank every bar and website for reminding us how much great stuff there is to find online, and to celebrate the outrageous, the profane, and the just plain funny…crazy pics of crazy things that made me laugh…or in this case - HUNGRY!

“Elitedaily.com” posted what appears to be a “submarine slider and pizza” Bloody Mary! YES!

The Food-tastic Bloody Mary

It is a great trend – food and drinks combined into a massive glass of goodness, like with this “ALL-IN” Bloody Mary for hungry Milwaukee Brewer baseball fans…VERY HUNGRY FANS….

The quest to create the most insane Bloody Mary of all time just got taken to the next level in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. This is the epic creation that belongs to “O’Davey’s Pub”, a Bloody Mary garnished with popcorn, peanuts, sausage, a soft pretzel, nachos, green beans, pickles, bacon, cheese curds and, why not, some cheeseburger sliders.

The food nerds of Reddit unearthed this gem, which the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports only costs $5 and is available on the first Sunday of each month from 11:30 a.m. until supplies run out.

Cheeseburger Bloody Marys!

This is unbeatable: enterprising bar owners putting their food right onto their drinks: I don’t know if I really need an asparagus spear as well, but who’s to argue? At the end of the day, a cheeseburger attached right onto the Bloody Mary is unbeatable! Oh wait: IT IS BEATABLE!

Cue The Tater Tots!

That’s right: this enterprising bar owner took it to a whole new level – he added tater tots AND bacon! The next time I go to this bar, I am going to have a tough decision to make…but I certainly won’t leave hungry!

Kudos to all of the creative minds behind such fun!

“Can You Add Bacon To My Order”?

If that is the first thing you ask your server when ordering a meal, then I have the place for you!

At this restaurant, you NEVER have to ask!

“Brutus” restaurant is located in Montreal, Canada, and they have a strong “bacon POV”: they use bacon in all their dishes!

Let’s see that in print again:

THE RESTAURANT WILL USE BACON IN ALL ITS DISHES!

What does that mean, you ask? Well first, settle in with a drink:

A Bacon Martini!

Well, what did you expect? Like I said, THEY ARE PUTTING BACON IN EVERYTHING! If you don’t believe me, then stop reading now, because bacon is about to take over your life!

Let’s start with a small snack like this:

A 100% BACON SAUSAGE HOT DOG!

Sure, there are lots of restaurants that make “all bacon” cheeseburgers and hot dogs…it’s not that this is a unique dish, but they sure make it look good!

For those who want a healthier alternative, try a salad!

The Bacon Caesar!

Looks healthy to me! As you can tell, Brutus makes a great plate of food! Oh, and in case you can’t tell, they serve this salad in a “bacon bowl!”

Needless to say, this restaurant looks for EVERY opportunity to add bacon where it doesn’t belong….except we all know that bacon belongs everywhere, including dessert!

The Bacon Caramel Doughnut!

What a great way to end a meal…I’m not sure if Brutus serves “bacon coffee”, but that exists as well…

Go, Gizmodo, Go!

Thanks to my friend Danny Stocker for sending me this link, and of course, thanks to Gizmodo Australia for uncovering the delicious story! Click on their story to see more of the Brutus all-bacon menu!

http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2014/08/new-bacon-in-everything-restaurant-looks-deadly-delicious/

I loved the story as much as I love bacon! It made me hungry for one of these:

More Bacon Greatness!

And if you need more “bacon fulfillment”, check my story out here…

http://johnrieber.com/2014/06/14/bacon-wedding-love-bacon-tacos-bacon-mustaches-the-latest-bacon-bacon-bacon-greatness/

You are “bacon me crazy!”