I Just Can't Get Them off My My Mind

And by "them," I mean hamburgers. First, I read a story about this past month being National Hamburger Month. Then there was Michelle's tale (or, should I say "tell-tale") of gourmet burgers on Sullivan's Island. And the final straw, the one that led to excruciatingly strong cravings, was this cover of Our State magazine staring at me from the checkout stand at the grocery store:

This issue celebrates hamburgers by highlighting the specialties of five Carolina dives:

• Second Street Lunch (Roanoke Rapids)
• Wimpy's Grill (Durham)
• South 21 (Charlotte)
• Art's Place (Kitty Hawk)
• Jimmy Mac's (Bryson City)

These articles bring up a few questions for me, though: How far is it acceptable to drive for a good hamburger? And, is it normal to have a burger bucket list?

Perhaps I should just find a good burger locally. I mean REALLY good. I know plenty of acceptable burger joints, but I'm looking for a mecca. In the meantime, I'm not going to be happy until I have the chili and slaw of a Carolina-style burger running down my chin. 

I love burgers of many different kinds, but there's something about a sloppy Carolina creation, like the one pictured above, that really sets my cravings in gear. The main components of such a burger, by the way, are chili, coleslaw, mustard and onions (the ingredients Carolinians often like on their hot dogs as well). Oh yum!

40 Percent off Flirty Aprons--May 31 Only

Do you like aprons? Do you love them? I do. I'm a bit of a collector. You can psychoanalyze me on that if you wish. But if you, too, appreciate their retro goodness, slip over to Flirty Aprons and pick out some for yourself, your hubs or your little chef-in-training. Women's, men's and children's aprons are 40 percent off if you place your order today (May 31, 2011) and enter the coupon code MAY40.* 

*I'm not sure if the discount can be applied to each apron you buy, or only one. Either way, you're still getting a nice bargain. Have fun shopping!

Gold Bug at the Beach

Since Memorial Day is the unofficial start of summer, what better way to start the season than with fish tacos and juicy hamburgers fresh off the grill?

After a swim in the ocean and sunbathing on the beach, my travel companions and I headed to Poe's Tavern on Sullivan's Island, S.C., last week. The tavern is named after Edgar Allan Poe, one of my favorite authors. In 1827, Poe joined the U.S. Army under an assumed name, Edgar Allan Perry, and was stationed at Fort Moultrie on Sullivan's Island for 13 months.

Poe's menu brings me back to junior high English Lit. Half-pound hamburgers sport names like Gold Bug, Pit & Pendulum, Amontillado and Tell-Tale Heart. We tried the Raven, and it was a juicy burger bursting with all the flavor you'd get from a backyard grill.

The mahi mahi fish tacos were the perfect beach food. They're wrapped in flour tortillas and prepared with freshly shredded cabbage, pico de gallo and chipotle sour cream.

Feeling refreshed after our meal, we headed to Charleston for the next leg of our trip.

I Really Need to Try This

Chick-fil-A has a new limited-edition milkshake ... the banana pudding milkshake. It sounds like a winner. Just one question: Will they be bringing the peach milkshake back? I need to know!

Pucker Up!

A friend recently told me about an article she’d read that said people who love lemon are typically not chocoholics, and chocoholics often don’t care for lemon.

I love lemon. And I love chocolate. But given a choice between the two, lemon would be the winner.

All this talk of lemon made me think of the lemon meringue pie my grandmother used to make. And with Memorial Day coming up and it being the unofficial start of summer, what better time to enjoy the tart, refreshing taste of a family favorite?

Here’s my Mamaw Penry’s recipe, in case you want to give it a try.

Lemon Meringue Pie

1 8- or 9-inch graham cracker crust

3 eggs, separated

1 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk

½ cup lemon juice

¼ teaspoon cream of tartar

1/3 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium mixing bowl, beat egg yolks. Stir in condensed milk and lemon juice. Pour into shell.

In a small mixing bowl, beat egg whites with cream of tartar until soft peaks form; gradually add sugar, beating until stiff but not dry.

Spread meringue on top of pie, to the edge of shell. Bake 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Cool. Chill thoroughly, and refrigerate leftovers.