Where's the Beef

There is nothing better than a good barbecue in the summertime, especially in 115 degree heat. Hamburgers always seem to be the key meat including steaks and hot dogs when it comes to making a good barbecue.  I have experimented in the past with meat combinations in hamburger concoctions that include lamb, turkey, and even chicken and in my failure with specific sauces and spice combinations I have come to the realization that nothing beats a great beef burger.
So in my vainest attempt I have finally come up with the perfect combination for my beef burger.  If you love the taste of pure beef you are going to love this.  I also recommend using a griddle verses putting this on a barbecue given the juices will stay in the beef instead of dripping out. Enjoy.

The meat combination is as follows 2, 1, 3

2 ounces chuck
1 ounce sirloin
3 ounces brisket

you can also do this in pounds depending how many people you are feeding and save the meat for another time however this combination seems to give the best flavors.
The burger i created has this meat combination and also cheese, caramelized onions and my own relish concoction.
Meat Spices: kosher salt and pepper
Caramelized onions:  chop one vidalia onion add olive oil, kosher salt, pepper and paprika.  Get it on high heat for about 5 minutes constantly stirring then when they soften lower the heat to medium and stir every 5 to 7 minuets so that the onions do not burn.
Relish:  it a fancy term for diced pickles in a sweet or savory brine.  I created one using sandwich pickles  diced finely and added Dijon mustard, walla relish.
Bread:  you can go fancy but the old fashion potato role heated on the griddle has the best flavor.

Cooking time:  Heat the griddle at about 400 degrees and depending on the size and how well you want it it should cook between 7 and 10 minutes.  Just before taking the burger off add the American cheese and get it to melt completely before you put it on the bun.  Add the caramelized onions and relish walla heaven.

The "sweet" life of Vinegar

Vinegar has been around for thousands of years, roughly 2500, so it with great certainty that men and women have drinking roughly the same amount of time.  The reasoning behind this is because vinegar is a byproduct of over fermentation of alcohol.  So one day in some Egyptian town roughly 2500 years ago some poor guy drank a bad bottle of wine and accidentally dropped it on his cucumber and tomato salad and said wow this isn't so bad, red wine vinegar is created. There are two places that vinegar come from Fruits and Grains.
The most popular grain vinegars are ones you probably use everyday distilled white vinegar which is primarily used for pickling and household cleaning.  Don't laugh it makes wood floors shine better than any wood cleaner i have ever used.
The second is rice vinegar which if you have ever eaten Chinese food it is the vinegar of choice and also is extensively used in Asian cuisine.   There are many other grain vinegars and come to think of it if you can ferment the grain and let it sit it will eventually turn to vinegar.
Then there are the fruit vinegars, the most popular that are out there are balsamic, wine, and cider.
Now before i get into uses i need you to understand that with vinegar "YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR"  I know this sounds obnoxious but because vinegar is an accent piece to the final product you have to make the decision on where it is going to be used in the dish.
The largest disparity has been with balsamic and cider vinegars.  There is an enormous range in quality and price when it comes to these two.

When it comes to uses some are used in different areas more than others:  For example wine vinegars are mostly used for meat marinades and some dressings, the same goes for balsamic and cider vinegars.  However cider vinegars also have medicinal uses.

Balsamic is by far the most popular and also has a great range in quality and price, usual range can be from ten to two hundred dollars.

the spice pantry

"variety is the spice of life" the same goes for your spice cabinet.  You should always have on hand in your closet at the very minimum salt and pepper.  These two spices have been around forever.  Lets talk about salt and salt substitutes.  With the rise of diabetes and high blood pressure people shy away from salt and or the quantity that they need to make a specific dish. Salt is personal, when chefs cook with salt it is always "to taste".  Taste is also personal and every palate is different. So don't get wrapped around the axle on how much salt to use or how bad it is for you.  Your body needs salt even in moderation.  Now let's get to the types of salt.  There is a difference in sodium levels between salt types.  So the most popular are sea salt, kosher salt and iodized salt.  Iodized salt has the highest sodium level per serving 590 mg , then comes sea salt at 470 mg of sodium per serving, and finally kosher salt which comes in at 280 mg per serving.  There is also a distinct flavor amongst the three, to try and describe the taste is like describing the texture of rocks so for example iodized salt is like touching a brick it is hard and rigid no give, however we use iodized salt all the time in baking and cooking.  Sea salt would be described as a piece of granite smooth, detailed and very clean.  I like using coarse sea salt ground up in a coffee grinder (when you grind sea salt it becomes like a powder) on salad dressing and vegetable marinades as it brings out a cleaner taste to a healthy dish.
Then there is kosher salt which I would describe as marble, it is also smooth, refined, mild, and it has a very clean taste.  When it is used in correctly in recipes it helps bring about a harmonious concoction of natural flavors that the dish is made up of.  
So that is the skinny on salt, whatever you do try to always use the real thing verses substitutes when it comes to spicing with salt.
Now we come come to pepper, there are many different types of spice pepper:  black, white, cayene, peppercorn, red pepper flakes to name a few.  Pepper works differently than salt in such a way that we take it for granted when we prepare dishes.  As salt brings out the natural flavor in foods, pepper enhances those flavors on a completely different level.  I am not just talking about heat either.  Hot and spicy is always great but what I am talking about here is the enhancement or upgrade of the final product.  
Pepper is salt's best friend like ebony and ivory these two are always matched together, given the right amount and continually striving to have the perfect balance between the these two amazing spices is a difficult thing to do even for a veteran.
Finally other spices that should be in your closet besides the two mentioned are as follows:
Paprika 
Salt 
Pepper
Oregano
Basil
Garlic
This is a very short list but this should get you started rather quickly for any dish that you have in mind. Thanks for reading talk to you soon.

Welcome Everyone

Hello everyone and welcome.  I have created this site to help lend a hand to culinary novices and professionals in the day to day question of "what am I going to eat".  In my culinary travels I have been faced with two different types of eating styles, those that "eat to live" and those that "live to eat" hopefully this site will cater to the latter.
I will try to post daily but being married, having two children, and a full time career it might be difficult.  So I will definitely post every two to three days.  Thank you and I will talk to you soon.