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Burgers, hot dogs, tacos, pizza: no everyday food is too pedestrian for even the most critically acclaimed chef these days. Whether it’s a function of the economic change or there has been a seismic shift in public taste, it seems that as a food culture we are rediscovering our love of those most basic of foods.
Los Angeles appears to be leading the way in this trend. Nancy Silverton, the queen of artisanal bread, has conquered the pizza at her restaurant, Mozza, and is now moving on to the burger at a new restaurant venture. The Korean taco truck Kogi, run by some viral marketing savvy hipster chefs has garnered a following big enough to result in hour-long waits that wrap around blocks. Even I have tested the waters of the everyman food groups with my own hot dog stand, Big Ed’s Hot Dogs, in downtown LA.
Sometimes people ask me why, as a professionally trained chef, I would choose to focus my culinary talent on such a thing as hot dogs. While I can’t speak for all those chefs out there who are playing around tacos or pizza or burgers, what attracts me at least to this area is that people love to eat hot dogs, and I like serving food that makes people happy. And the same goes for pizza and burgers and tacos. Food should be about enjoyment. And while it can be fun once every few months or years to do a blow-out dinner at a fancy restaurant with ten courses and as many servers waiting on you, I’ll eat a burger just about any day.
All that being said, while I could spend all day in the kitchen this coming Friday prepping food for a fancy Labor Day weekend barbecue, I think instead I am going to focus on those foods that I know for a fact people are going to like. I have been working on mastering the hot dog for some time now, but I think the burger is where it’s at for Labor Day. And in the spirit of letting my guests use some of their own culinary creativity, I am going to set up a burger bar.
The DIY burger bar still requires a bit of work in the kitchen on the part of the host, and most of that work is in the meat of the matter. A good beef burger requires a nice high fat ground sirloin. And if you are going full meat I say go all the way and marry that cow with some pig by adding some bacon to that burger.
For those guests that enjoy meat but aren’t looking for coronary, a nice turkey burger might be in order. It is New Mexican green chile season so how about roasting those green chiles on the grill, then chopping them up to add to ground turkey for a little kick to the classic turkey burger.
As for your vegetarians, if they will eat fish, help them break out of a Boca burger rut with a homemade salmon burger. Dice some salmon and mix in some beaten egg and bread crumbs with perhaps some capers for tangy twist.
The condiments are where you get to have some fun. Sure you’ll want the classic ketchup, mustard, and relish on hand but from there you have a whole grocery store of options. Instead of the classic cheddar, try putting out a smoked gouda or blue cheese. Maybe swap the usual iceberg lettuce for arugula. Slice up some heirloom tomatoes in place of the usual hothouse variety, or take it step further and make the tomatoes into a quick relish or fresh salsa. Mix some wasabi into the mayo for the salmon burger or swap out the mayo for some Greek yogurt or tzatziki. And whereas many people shy away from raw onion, make a quick pickle of thinly sliced red onion using red wine vinegar, sugar, and salt.
Making your own buns might be out of the question, but a quick stroll down the bread aisle might reveal some different bun options. A toasted English muffin can be a wonderful vehicle for a greasy bacon burger and the sweetness of a Hawaiian bread roll might provide some nice balance for those spicy turkey burgers.
Whether you are a high end chef opening a new restaurant or you are a home cook entertaining over Labor Day weekend, it is those everyday foods that are sure to please a crowd. Just because you are making burgers does not mean you have to throw creativity out the window. Have a little fun with it whether you are spicing up a turkey burger or pickling your red onions and your guests are sure to have as much fun eating it as you did making it.
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Burger Bar For Labor Day
Burgers, hot dogs, tacos, pizza: no everyday food is too pedestrian for even the most critically acclaimed chef these days. Whether it’s a function of the economic change or there has been a seismic shift in public taste, it seems that as a food culture we are rediscovering our love of those most basic of foods.
Los Angeles appears to be leading the way in this trend. Nancy Silverton, the queen of artisanal bread, has conquered the pizza at her restaurant, Mozza, and is now moving on to the burger at a new restaurant venture. The Korean taco truck Kogi, run by some viral marketing savvy hipster chefs has garnered a following big enough to result in hour-long waits that wrap around blocks. Even I have tested the waters of the everyman food groups with my own hot dog stand, Big Ed’s Hot Dogs, in downtown LA.
Sometimes people ask me why, as a professionally trained chef, I would choose to focus my culinary talent on such a thing as hot dogs. While I can’t speak for all those chefs out there who are playing around tacos or pizza or burgers, what attracts me at least to this area is that people love to eat hot dogs, and I like serving food that makes people happy. And the same goes for pizza and burgers and tacos. Food should be about enjoyment. And while it can be fun once every few months or years to do a blow-out dinner at a fancy restaurant with ten courses and as many servers waiting on you, I’ll eat a burger just about any day.
All that being said, while I could spend all day in the kitchen this coming Friday prepping food for a fancy Labor Day weekend barbecue, I think instead I am going to focus on those foods that I know for a fact people are going to like. I have been working on mastering the hot dog for some time now, but I think the burger is where it’s at for Labor Day. And in the spirit of letting my guests use some of their own culinary creativity, I am going to set up a burger bar.
The DIY burger bar still requires a bit of work in the kitchen on the part of the host, and most of that work is in the meat of the matter. A good beef burger requires a nice high fat ground sirloin. And if you are going full meat I say go all the way and marry that cow with some pig by adding some bacon to that burger.
For those guests that enjoy meat but aren’t looking for coronary, a nice turkey burger might be in order. It is New Mexican green chile season so how about roasting those green chiles on the grill, then chopping them up to add to ground turkey for a little kick to the classic turkey burger.
As for your vegetarians, if they will eat fish, help them break out of a Boca burger rut with a homemade salmon burger. Dice some salmon and mix in some beaten egg and bread crumbs with perhaps some capers for tangy twist.
The condiments are where you get to have some fun. Sure you’ll want the classic ketchup, mustard, and relish on hand but from there you have a whole grocery store of options. Instead of the classic cheddar, try putting out a smoked gouda or blue cheese. Maybe swap the usual iceberg lettuce for arugula. Slice up some heirloom tomatoes in place of the usual hothouse variety, or take it step further and make the tomatoes into a quick relish or fresh salsa. Mix some wasabi into the mayo for the salmon burger or swap out the mayo for some Greek yogurt or tzatziki. And whereas many people shy away from raw onion, make a quick pickle of thinly sliced red onion using red wine vinegar, sugar, and salt.
Making your own buns might be out of the question, but a quick stroll down the bread aisle might reveal some different bun options. A toasted English muffin can be a wonderful vehicle for a greasy bacon burger and the sweetness of a Hawaiian bread roll might provide some nice balance for those spicy turkey burgers.
Whether you are a high end chef opening a new restaurant or you are a home cook entertaining over Labor Day weekend, it is those everyday foods that are sure to please a crowd. Just because you are making burgers does not mean you have to throw creativity out the window. Have a little fun with it whether you are spicing up a turkey burger or pickling your red onions and your guests are sure to have as much fun eating it as you did making it.
Salmon Burgers with Pickled Red Onion
Made with water, red wine vinegar, sugar, salt, red onion, salmon, eggs, bread crumbs, capers
Made with water, red wine vinegar, sugar, salt, red onion, salmon, eggs, bread crumbs, capers
Serves/Makes: 4
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 large red onion, sliced and separated into rings
- 1 1/2 pound fresh salmon
- 1 1/2 eggs
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs
- 1 tablespoon capers, rinsed and drained
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- mayonnaise
- 4 hamburger buns
Combine the water, vinegar, sugar, and first measure of salt in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil. Stir occasionally until the sugar is dissolved.
Add the sliced onion to the vinegar mixture and reduce the heat to a simmer. Let the onions simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let the onions cool in the liquid.
Remove any skin and pin bones from the salmon. Cut the fish into 1/4-inch cubes and place in a bowl. Add the eggs, bread crumbs, capers, remaining salt, and pepper. Mix by hand until just combined. Form the mixture into equal-sized patties.
Heat a grill pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the salmon burgers for 3 minutes per side or until desired doneness.
Meanwhile, toast the cut-side of the buns in another skillet over medium heat. Drain the liquid from the onions.
Spread the toasted sides of the buns with mayonnaise. Top the bottom half of each bun with a salmon burger, add some of the pickled onion as desired, and place the top half of the bun on top and serve the salmon burgers immediately.
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1 comments
You already know that Dad's choice will be the "Salmon Burger". Me? Turkey with roasted peppers, of course! See you there!
Comment posted by Mom
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©2026 CDKitchen, Inc. No reproduction or distribution of any portion of this article is allowed without express permission from CDKitchen, Inc.
To share this article with others, you may link to this page:
https://www.cdkitchen.com/cooking-experts/amy-powell/949-burger-bar/