Good ol' Ina

I can't say that I remember much from my high school graduation except one gift that will forever hold a special place in my heart (and kitchen): Ina Garten's The Barefoot Contessa cookbook. This cookbook has not only been there for me through the thick and thin in several cities: Toledo, Ann Arbor, Chicago, Paris, and New York but it's my most trusted companion in the kitchen (as are all of Ina's recipes to-date).  Her simple yet elegant style really leaves nothing to be desired except say, her coconut or strawberry country cake.

This week I made her savory hamburgers that unlike traditional recipes include egg yolks, steak sauce, and a pat of butter in its center.  What could be bad about that? (Gosh I even sound like her!) I served them

with Jalapeno Potato Coins (which I think Ina would approve) and Vegetarian Baked Beans (Busch's of course). 

As for the burgers, to serve two, I used .90 lbs of ground beef and only 1 egg yolk, Peter Luger's steak sauce, and about 1/2 Tbsp of butter per burger. For the potatoes, I used 3 small(ish) russet potatoes (washed thoroughly of course), cut into paper thin slices and covered in olive oil, kosher salt, pepper, and chopped jalapeno (seeded). Bake at 400 degrees for about an hour.  Check every 25 minutes to remove any done pieces and flip accordingly.  As for Busch's baked beans, prepare as packaged (in the microwave is the ultimate time-saver).

Two of my favorite cookbooks:

I hope you enjoy this meal as much as I did!

PC: Amazon