DESCRIPTIONOnce found mainly in the American kitchen, drive-ins, and fast food establishments, burgers now appear on the late night menu of the club of the moment and are served in the poshest dining rooms. Today, the no-longer-humble burger comes in many variations, from grilled ground lamb on a thick sourdough roll served with Yukon Gold potato salad and balsamic roasted red cabbage to ground turkey mixed with spicy southwestern salsa on a soft tortilla with jicama slaw. Burgers Every Way starts off with a history of the iconic burger. Author emily Haft Bloom then covers burger basics--from purchasing ingredients to a guide to safe cooking temperatures--and the different kinds of breads, rolls, and condiments that can be served with this classic sandwich. The recipe section is divided into chapters on burgers prepared with beef, veal, lamb, pork, poultry, fish, and vegetables. Each chapter begins with a famous burger recipe from a regional restaurant; following are burger menus that include tasty accompaniments and drink pairings. With easy recipes for dishes like Pesto Burgers served on Italian bread with Chopped Arugula and Yellow Tomato Salad, Portobello Mushroom Burgers served on onion rolls with Red Pepper Hummus, and Pizza Burgers with Tomato Sauce served on a bun, this book is a must-have for the family cook.

"Just in time for summer eating, Bloom, a contributor to Parents magazine, takes to the grill this refreshingly simple and varied selection of burger recipes. After giving a brief history of the burger (White Castle Hamburgers was founded in 1921, and is 'the oldest continuously operating burger chain'), she prepares the home cook with instructions on food safety ('don't use sauce that was used to marinate raw meat'; 'cook ground meat to at least 160F') and essential equipment (basically a grill or a heavy steel pan and mixing bowls). Bloom serves up Pesto Burgers with Chopped Arugula and Yellow Tomato Salad. But it's her non-beef burgers that truly inspire. She offers recipes for turkey (Curry in a Hurry Burgers, served with a Pineapple Chutney on naan bread); pork (Pork Burgers with Smoked Cheddar and Hot Peppers; and seafood (Big Kahuna Tuna Burgers). Arguing that a burger is still a burger even if it doesn't contain meat, Bloom suggests Feijoada Black Bean Burgers or Falafel with Herbed Cucumber Yogurt. In the end, however, nothing tops Bloom's All-American Beef Burgers, served with beefsteak tomatoes, Vidalia onions, homemade ketchup and Monster Fries." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

Americans are bonkers for burgers, eating about 38 billion annually. From fast-food beginnings at diners and drive-ins, where they were served with the mandatory fries and shake, hamburgers have risen to the ranks of haute cuisine, and now appear on the menus of the poshest dining rooms stuffed with foie gras and black truffles. Today's burger can be tailored to any taste. Besides the classic beef patty, "Burgers Every Way offers such delectable variations as Grilled Ground Lamb with Cucumber Yogurt Sauce on Toasted Whole Wheat Pita, Pan-Fried Smoked Trout with Horseradish Mayo and Jicama Carrot Slaw on a Poppy Seed Bun, and that ever popular kid favorite, the Pizza Burger. To accompany the different burgers, the book includes recipes for tasty condiments and side dishes such as Monster Fries, Vegetable Chips, Pineapple Chutney, Peanut Sauce, and Mango Slushies.
With recipes for burgers made from veal, lamb, pork, poultry, fish, vegetables, and, of course, beef, "Burgers Every Way celebrates the iconic sandwich in all its ground-up, char-grilled glory.