When you eat a burger, a really great burger, why do you like it? Flavor, of course. But more than that. There’s the texture, the firmness, and the juiciness that all contribute to the full burger experience.
It is unlikely that this book could have been written by someone from, say, Texas. No, it takes a talented vegetarian from The Netherlands to boldly attempt this book. And succeed.
A prolific writer and recipe developer, Nina Olsson has crafted for us an intriguing culinary journey. How can we have the ideal burger experience without beef, without meat of any kind. She’s found the path and presents ideas from Northern and Southern Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, Asia and even, even the United States and South America.
Here’s a photo of one of her American designs, the Grill Burger. To get all those burger qualities, like texture and juiciness, this burger has many components: black beans, garlic, mushrooms, walnuts, bread crumbs, brown rice, parmesan cheese, plus mustard and vinegar and chile powder and pepper.
Her recipes ingredients are long because Nina’s purpose is truly to give you that “burger” experience, just without the beef. Does she succeed? Suzi and I will be making a couple of these over the next few weeks, but as you read the recipes you have no doubt of the quality. At her cooking school, Cooking by the Book, Suzi often has a vegetarian or two in her classes. Instead of just doing a Portobello mushroom for them, how much more interesting would it be to offer one of these ideas:
Stroganoff Burger: paprika, mushrooms, brown rice, gherkins
Berliner Burger: leek, lentils, black beans, pink kraut, curry ketchup
Greek Burger: mint, zucchini, feta cheese
Niçoise Burger: roasted beets, honey, cherve, walnuts
Saffron Freekeh Burger: saffron, sweet potato, green tahini dressing
BBQ Eggplant Noodle Burger: eggplant, Asian BBQ sauce, Portobello mushroom
Bali Beach Burger: mushrooms, white beans, coconut, lemongrass
Sage and Squash Burger: sage, butternut squash, blue cheese, pear, lemony cashew cream
Beet and Quinoa Burger: beet, quinoa, chia seeds, sprouts, jalapeno cashew cream
Besides the burgers, Nina loads you up on recipes for sauces, ketchups, slaws, onions in all forms, and a world tour of burger accompaniments. No simple mustard and mayo here. More like Dill and Mustard Cashew Sauce and Green Tahini Dressing with Herbs.
As rigid as your beef loyalty may be, you will melt at some of the ideas here. You simply have to try them. You are going to get a mouthfeel and flavor satisfaction that will have you smiling and browsing the book for your next adventure. And you will be redefining your meaning of “burger.”