burger

Play-doh Burger Builder
$19.99
These food making toys from Playdoh really get the kids playing together and there are not that many toys that entertain them both. My son 7 and daugher 4 will make meals together and then serve them playing restaurant - so we break out the burger builder and ice cream shop and are served up some great food. It is a wonderful toy to keep them busy on cold or rainy days. The burger set is easier to make the food and there are some parts on the ice cream set that are hard for my 4 year old to do but she gets help from her big brother! Some parts are harder to clean but once the doh dries it all comes off easy...I will deal with this slight inconvenience for the fun it provides my kids!

Build A Better Burger: Celebrating Sutter Home's Annual Search for America's Best Burger
$17.95
I bought this for my father who heard about it on NPR. It has inspired him to make gourmet burgers that everybody loves!

In-N-Out Burger: A Behind-the-Counter Look at the Fast-Food Chain That Breaks All the Rules
$24.99
I picked up this book because like many people outside of California, the cult phenomena of In-N-Out burgers is very strange and fascinating to me. Yes, I've had their burgers. Yes, they are better than what you get at McD's or Burger King. But I still don't understand the obsessions. I wanted an insight into a company that was able to create itself as a cultural icon.

I did get a little of this. It took until page 175 or so before you figure out that the desire of In-N-Out is it's mystique, and the shortage compared to demand. If there was one on every block, even if it was able to maintain its quality, I just don't see it maintaining such a rabid following.

But what I didn't get out of the book was a lot of business details. I understand now why we didn't get those - the family is very secretive. Rather, the book focused on the 3 generations of the Snyder family. When the author admits herself that the average In-N-Out customer doesn't even know who these people are, I have to question why there was a need to devote 300+ pages to them when precious few details are available. So much of the book was filler. Did I really need to know that the Snyder sons' milatry school uniforms were not considered "cool"? Every family has silly little memories like that and they are never of any interest to anyone not in the inner circle. There was an entire chapter devoted to Rich Snyder's political and religious views. I think the author was really trying to demonstrate how these conservative views shaped the way he ran the company, but how it seemed to me was how the company had put him in the position to have leverage with political parties, to create churches, etc.

The one part of this book that I think the author did really well was the frequent comparisons to McDonalds. She went out of her way to demonstrate that they were very different companies. While I was reading it, I'll admit to rolling my eyes a few times - while In-N-Out may not be a multi-international globalization giant, let's not forget that a Double Double is just as responsible for health issues in this country as a Big Mac is, just on a smaller scale. But through the differentiations of the companies marketing, growth, and corporate culture, by the end of the book, you completely forget that the Double Double still contains your daily recommended fat intake.

The book was a love letter to a burger, in many ways. What it lacked in business details it made up for in shedding light on a cultural icon for those of us who have only experienced it on short visits to California.

The Little Black Book Of Burgers
$9.95
I have been buying books on burgers for the last year and I thought that I would give this one a try. Overall, I like it but I have some reservations. First the positives:

There's quite a bit of hamburger related topics for such a small book. The contents include:

* The history of the hamburger (no one really knows for sure who "invented" it but the book lists the 4 most likey suspects)
* The Big Chains: here you will find a short history of the biggest hamburger chains including the first, White Castle
* Regional Chains: I like this section as it talks about geographically limited hamburger chains that are many people's favorites, such as Whataburger, Fat Burger and the ever popular, In-N-Out.
* Mom and Pop Joints: I like small, one of a kind burger joints and go out of my way to visit as many as I can. However, only 17 are listed and almost all of them can be found in other books, such as Hamburger America (which list 100 places). As a matter of fact, out of the eight restaurants featured in the documentary version of Hambuger America seven of them are listed in The Little Black Book of Burgers.

The recipes featured here are good, some VERY good, such as The Classic Burger, Beer-Basted Bar Burger and Eggs Burgerdict. Also, several non-beef burger recipes are listed. Although I tried several of the recipes and liked them, only a few were really unique. There are also recipes for sides, drinks and deserts.

Although I am glad that I bought this book I am not sure why it was published in "The Little Black Book" format. I can understand it for travel guidebooks and bartender guides but why for burger recipes? Most of the preparation for burgers would usually done in the kitchen so it's small size and spiral spine is really not necessary. Although other books (such as Bobby Flay's Burgers, Fries and Shakes) cover the subject more completely, this can be a good "first" book for beginners.

Hamburger America: One Man's Cross-Country Odyssey to Find the Best Burgers in the Nation [DVD]

Bobby Flay's Burgers, Fries, and Shakes