A Crowded White Rock Lake...could be worse

I love a White Rock Lake loop. Love it! However, during busy times (Saturday/Sunday with beautiful weather-or YESTERDAY EVENING) it can get a bit...eh...trying on one's patience. Etiquette much, folks? But after reading this story about Chicago's Lakeshore path in the Chicago Tribune I'm thankful things aren't much worse. Especially check out the comments....Segways, quad bikes? How about a few signs posted with an adaptation of Lakeshore's 10 commandments?

My Favorites - Hamburger

Right now, this very minute, if one ask me what my "can't do without food" is I'd say a hamburger. It's so basic, so easy and can be modified to fit a multitude of occasions. But everyone has a special way they like it.

Me. Too.

I'll proceed, if I may...

How to define the perfect hamburger? It's simple and easy to cook/assemble and just like making love...even at it worst, it's pretty darned good.

The first step is the foundation, the bun. The bread makes or breaks the burger. I prefer a kaiser roll, lightly buttered and toasted on a hot griddle. The next step is a thin coating of real mayo. The mayo isn't so much for taste (although it brings something to the party) but for a moisture barrier insuring the bottom of the bun doesn't get soggy.

The third and forth layers are two leaves of iceberg lettuce and a thinly sliced red onion.

And now for the superstar...the meat. Subjectively called ground chuck or objectively called 80% lean ground beef it should be fresh ground, never frozen, aggressively seasoned with sea salt and fresh ground black pepper only and cooked to a perfect medium (hint of pink in the middle). The patty should be hand-formed, lightly packed and thick enough to allow a good exterior char while not overcooking the center. The cooked patty should fit the size of the bun (no point deduction for being slightly larger than the bun, big mistake if it's smaller than the bun). Everything else being proportional, I find a third pound burger more than satisfies.

The sixth layer is the cheese...a thin slice of cheddar cheese which should be put on top of the patty while still cooking. This allows the cheese to melt into the meat. Melted cheese is especially important.

Topping the melted cheese is the thinly sliced tomato. Tomato, having a high moisture content, has a tendency to cause the top bun to slide out of position; however, the melted cheese gives added "traction". The bun cap should have a heavy coating of yellow mustard which will also give added traction for the tomato. A light "squish" from the top of the bun will help bond the 8 layers to one manageable entity for consumption.

This, in my opinion, is the perfect burger.

My Favorites - An Introduction (buried lede warning)

Anyone that knows me knows I love fitness, food and reading. I've developed a particular (probably unhealthy) fondness of reading blogs, specifically food blogs. A disturbing current trend seems for food writers/critics to pose the subject of favorites (hamburger, pizza, bbq, CFS, etc). Ironically, these types of posts seem to get the most comments (ie. page views), but I digress.

I also love these types of posts simply because the comments are so passionate. However, a problem I see is seldom does the blogger define the perfect (insert current topic here).

A periodic My Favorites blog will define the characteristics of my perfect foods. (FYI - that was the lede)

Happy Earth Day?

There are so many awareness MONTHS, such as Personal defense, Ethnic Equality, Children’s Dental, Kidney, Colon, Gender Equality, Math, Poetry, Eye Safety, BBQ, Motorcycles, Modern Dance, Children, Fireworks, Gay and Lesbian, Parks and Recreation, Peanut Butter and finally Popcorn. Certainly not an all inclusive list, but one gets the picture. I certainly don’t mean to make a light matter of many of the topics, but come on—Fireworks, Peanut Butter and Popcorn?

And Mother Earth? She gets a DAY! Not a month, a DAY!

Simply. Not. Right.

So is Mother Earth jealous? I don’t know, but I suspect she’s like all mothers including Mother Nature, Mother Teresa and my mother...she’s simply astounding.

Doping is for Dopes

When are we going to learn? Technology and rules are quickly catching up to cheaters. The latest? One of the most respected "domestiques" in the cycling world, Tyler Hamilton. If memory serves, he rode along side Lance during the first three wins at the Tour de France. Will it taint Lance's wins...not what-so-ever!

Tyler, if your explanation is true and you're just trying to treat depression, good luck, stay focused and it's manageable.

Given your history of doping investigations, I'm leaning toward not believing you.

Alert! Check Your Balls

A voluntary recall of almost 3 million exercise balls is currently in affect. Apparently the bursting balls are due to over-inflation. For updated instruction on properly inflated balls click here. However, I suggest if you find your balls overly inflated it's best to just get new ones and make sure to follow the care instructions closely.

I also suggest this is an opportune time to establish Policy and Procedure for continued ball care and maintenance.

Blog Commenters?

Who says blog commenting doesn't payoff?

Whiskey, Tango, Foxtrot (4-17-09)

1. Where have I been?
2. Why I love Texas even more - The US Department of the State released a list of countries Hillary has visited. Included in the list was Texas. Have we seceded already? The list has since been amended but here's a screen grab.
3. And finally...I don't understand Burger King's marketing strategy. Selling kids meals with Sponge Bob sounds like a good idea. Mixing Sponge Bob with booty shaking doesn't. I suppose the consumers will decide.