Yes, when I was a kid, I liked cartoons and comic books. And I promised myself that however old I got, I would always buy the latest issue of Disney’s Donald Duck.
Life happened. Disney got bigger. I got bigger too. My interest in cartoons and comic books faded. But I have had the interest, as an adult, to just dabble on Fox on Sundays. They run cartoons that compete with Sunday Night Football. We’ve all heard of The Simpsons. Is Bart good or bad? I don’t know but I really like him. My wife Suzi does not.
And for a decade on Fox we’ve also had Bob’s Burgers. The main character Bob loves to fashion off-beat burger ideas. The show has already produced a New York Times best-selling cookbook The Bob’s Burgers Book. From that excellent, if eccentric book, comes this selection of recipe cards featuring 35 of the wild burger ideas that have sprung from Bob’s brain. Well, the brains of the writing team, but after all these years isn’t Bob himself kinda real? If Bart is real, then Bob is real.
The cards feature a cartoon picture on one side that hints at the recipe on the other. I like puns, especially those verging on being corny or, yes, bad. A bad pun is a delight. And there are 35 puns or jokes here that serve as titles to very interesting burger ideas. Ideas like:
Hummus a Tune Burger: roasted red peppers, lettuce, burger and bun all towering together
Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weenie Yellow Polka-Dot Zucchini Burger: meat to be sure but paired with sautéed zucchini and bell pepper-yogurt sauce
Hit Me with Your Best Shallot Burger: shallots and vinegar and rosemary and sage and goat cheese married to the meat
Sweaty Palms Burger: Parmesan and sliced hearts of palm plus some canned artichoke hearts made for a Mediterranean burger
Blue is the Warmest Cheese Burger: think of Buffalo chicken wings, complete with Frank’s Red Hot Sauce and celery, all transported to burger land; there are two sauces here — one blue cheese and the other hot — that will confuse and cook your palate all at the same time
I have to say, I may need to start watching Fox on Sunday. I’m curious about the show and the tales that go with these burgers. The subtitle for the deck set is “Real Recipes for Joke Burgers.” The jokes are good. Good puns. And I think the burgers sound delectable and excitingly different.
If you have begun to experience burger boredom, this is the solution you need. These are fun recipes that will work and will please.
It may be early November, but the stores are filled with Christmas decorations and ideas for stocking stuffers. The recipe box is the perfect idea for anyone you know who eats burgers. So, if you need to stuff a dozen stockings, here’s the place to start. Any recipient is going to laugh. And then head to the kitchen.