The 'burgerless' burger

Friday, April 16, 2010

One of my favorite dinners is to fire up my ForemanŽ grill and heat a few frozen turkey patties. Place one on a small wheat bun with a slice of swiss cheese on it, add some fresh baby spinach, sliced tomato and a thinly sliced dill pickle and I am happy as can be.

By now you will find it as no surprise that Declan doesn't enjoy this experience nearly as much as I. When I was a 5-year-old walking ball of energy, as he is now, if someone had put a cheeseburger, of any make or model, in front of me it would have been gone faster than they could say "take your time and chew your food." Which I never seem to have to say to Declan. I would be relieved to blame his distaste on my cooking, to concede that there just is no beating the flavor of ground beef with melted processed cheese on it, but I have been down that road as well and found myself at the same dinner table having the same converation. "I just want the bun with nothing on it." Declan would argue and I would find myself saying words I never thought would need to be said. "You can't just eat the bun, you have to have something on it!" Who in the world wants to eat the bun only? I can understand not wanting the fresh toppings, maybe even a preference for leaving the cheese off, but this is something else. This is more along the lines of what I would call a "shock and amaze" factor. I think every generation of parent is forced to experience it. I believe it to be a universally true constant among parents. No matter how prepared you feel you are, no matter how life-exerienced, liberal or even educated a person you may be, your kids are going to do things that both shock and amaze you, and most likely on a regular basis. They are going to make decisions that are incomprehensable to you or have interests that are more than just odd. Perhaps it will be something simple, like the music they listen to would not even qualify as music in your day, or if you are really unlucky, they will have a preference for eating their burgers with nothing on the bun.

For the complete version of the Weekend Menu page, including more great recipes and food talk, see the print edition of the McCook Daily Gazette or subscribe to the Electronic Edition.

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