Oh Good Lord!!

I was always a HUGE fan of Luther Vandross.  Huge fan.  I never really understood the sex appeal, but many women would go to his concerts and throw their panties on the stage.  I couldn’t imagine doing this for any singer, no matter how hot he is.  But for some reason, the ladies did it for Luther.  As they also do it for Wayne Newton, Barry Manilow…and all those other male stars that I find, well, not so attractive.  But I digress…

I heard of this burger a few years ago, and I have to admit; I’ve never tried it, and I probably never will.  But damn, it sounds freakin’ good!!

The Luther Burger was named after Luther Vandross.  There are many different versions of how this burger came to be, and why it’s named after him. 

I’ve heard that Luther came up with it himself after he had a craving for a burger and noticed that he lacked one of the main ingredients.  A hamburger bun. 

So instead of getting one of his many (I’m sure), minions to run to the store for him, or to perhaps use regular sandwich bread, he naturally decided to use a couple of Krispy Kreme Donuts he had lying around.  And somehow it ended up being a featured sandwich at Mulligan’s Bar in Decatur, Georgia

In case you missed the sarcasm, I tend to not believe that version of the story. 

Another popular version is that a cook at the famed Mulligan’s Bar ran out of buns and grabbed a Krispy Kreme Donut to finish off someone’s burger that they had ordered.

Once again….really?

Either way, all the different versions ultimately end with Luther being a huge fan. 

Though one story states that he never even tried the burger. 

Who knows.

The only sure thing, is that for some strange reason, this burger is named after him.

 The calorie count hovers around 1000, with 45 grams of fat.  Of course these numbers depend on how much bacon and cheese you use, as well as the weight of your burger.

This is not really a recipe, just more of instructions of how to build this burger. 

If you dare to indulge in such a meal. 

I don’t want hate mail stating how irresponsible I am for even informing you of this heart attack sandwich.

I’m just here to entertain.

If you do try it, or have ever had it…please drop me a line and tell me how it is. 

Cook your burger however you like it

Top with cheese and cooked bacon slices

Slice a Krispy Kreme Donut in half, lengthwise, and place on the grill cut side down

When you have sufficient grill marks, remove the donut halves and place one half, cut side down on your plate.  Place your burger on the donut half and top with the other half of the donut, cut side up.

Now I know what you’re thinking… It looks so much prettier if the donut halves were cut side in.  But believe me…you’ll thank me later if you do it the way I stated.  The correct way.  If you put the cut side in, when you pick up your burger, you’ll get glaze all over your hands. 

Well, you’ll probably get a lot of glaze on your hands anyway…but not as much. 

Thanks Luther.

 

Caldeirada De Peixe

 

Caldeirada De Peixe is a Portuguese Fishermans Stew.  This recipe calls for specific types of fish, but truthfully, this recipe is largely made up of whatever the fishermen were lucky enough to catch that day.  Feel free to change it up and use any fish that suites your fancy, except of course, I wouldn’t use a fish that has too strong of a flavor.  Nice and mild…

Also, traditionally the recipe calls for Cilantro instead of Parsley.  I try to keep it real when I can.  And if I can’t, I’ll let you know, as in this instance.  If you like Cilantro, use it.  It lends to the true taste of this stew.  Enjoy!!

 

Ingredients

 

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 onions, halved and sliced thin

2 red peppers, halved and sliced thin

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 potatoes, peeled and sliced 

4 tomatoes, coarsely chopped

1 1/2 cups white wine (not cooking wine please) 

2 cups chicken broth

2 bay leaves

salt & pepper

pinch of saffron

1 lb mackerel, 1 1/2 inch dice 

1 lb monkfish, 1 1/2 inch dice 

1 lb large shrimp, cleaned but with tails 

20 mussels

20  clams

fresh parsley

Directions

In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat, add onion, peppers, garlic and cook for about 20 minutes, stirring often.. Add potato, tomato, wine, broth, bay leaves, and saffron, then  bring to a simmer, cover, and cook until potato is just tender, about 20 minutes.  Season to taste with salt & pepper.

In layers, add the fish on top of the mixture, then the shrimp, mussels and clams.  Cover, cook until shells open, about 8-10 minutes.  

Discard any shellfish that did not open.

Once the stew is in bowls, garnish with the fresh parsley.

print this recipe here

 

Feijoada, Brazilian Rice, Couve a Mineira, and Farofa. The Perfect Brazilian Meal.

Fiejoada is the national dish of Brazil and is is traditionally served on a Saturdays. 

Fiejoada is traditionally served atop Brazilian Rice (see recipe below), and accompanied by Couve a mineira, which is Brazilian style Collard Greens, (see recipe below), Sprinkled on top is Farofa, which is toasted manioc flour (see recipe below), and oranges that are peeled and sliced and served on the side.  And don’t forget the hot pepper sauce!

 

First recipe:  Feijoada 

8 cups dried black beans

3 pounds carne seca (Brazilian salted cured beef)

(Translated carne seca means “dried meat”.  Thin strips of dried, salted beef essentially the same as beef jerky found in the U.S.  You can substitute the carne seca with good quality jerky; not the reconstituted snack form found in many grocery stores.  It is best purchased from a meat market or butcher that makes their own)

2 pounds portuguese choriço (or spanish chorizo) sausage 

2 pounds pork tenderloin, or spare ribs

3 bay leaves

Salt & Pepper

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

Soak the beans for at least 8 hours or overnight in a large bowl with water to cover at least a few inches.  At the same time, soak the carne seca in water.  After the beans are done soaking, drain them and place in a large pot with water to cover by at least 3 inches. Bring the beans to a boil over medium heat.

Meanwhile, cut the carne seca into 1-inch pieces. Cut the sausage into 1-inch pieces.  Many cooks poke their sausage a few times with a fork and let it simmer, covered in water for a few minutes before cutting it into pieces, but I usually eliminate this step.   Cut the tenderloin in 2 inch sections, or if using ribs, cut into 2-rib sections.

Add the carne seca, sausage, pork and bay leaves to the beans. Simmer for about 2 hours or until soft.  Make sure the heat isn’t too high, and that you stir it often, to prevent the beans from burning.  Add water as necessary to keep beans covered.  Salt & Pepper to taste.

Chop the onion and garlic.  Cook over medium heat in a heavy bottomed  skillet until soft and lightly browned.  Add two heaping ladels of beans to the skillet and mash them with a potato masher, then add everything back into the pot of beans. The mixture should be thick and starting to become creamy.

Continue to simmer gently for at least another hour, adding water as necessary. 

Feijoada should have a nice creamy consistency when done. Remove the bay leaves.  Re-season with salt & pepper if needed.  At this point, you can remove the meats and serve on the side, or leave them in the beans. 

Serve over Brazilian Rice

Brazilian Rice

 

 

2 cups long-grain white rice

2 tablespoons minced onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 teaspoon salt

4 cups hot water

Directions

Place the rice in a colander and rinse thoroughly with cold water; set aside. Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook the onion in the oil until softened.  Add the rice, garlic and salt and cook and stir until the rice and garlic start to brown. Pour hot water over rice mixture and stir. Reduce heat to low, cover the saucepan, and allow to simmer until the water has been absorbed, 20 to 25 minutes. 

 

Couve a Mineira

 

3 lb Collard Greens, washed and stemmed

1 large clove garlic, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

4 tbsp olive oil

Directions

 

Taking a few collard leaves at a time, stack them on top of each other and roll like a cigar.  Once rolled, slice into 3/4 inch ribbons.  Once all the collards are sliced, toss to separate the rolls and set aside.   

In a large skillet, heat the oil.  Cook the garlic and onion in the oil over moderate heat, stirring, for 2 minutes or until it softened.  

Add the collard greens, toss them to coat and cook them, covered, stirring occasionally, for about 6 minutes or until they are tender.

 

Farofa

 

In Brazil, where farofa is particularly popular, typical recipes call for raw manioc flour to be toasted with butter, salt, and bacon until golden brown. It is an essential accompaniment to Feijoada. 

There are many variations to farofa.  This version is pretty basic, but you can also add…raisins, olives, hard boiled eggs, banana, nuts, and prunes. 

Serves 4

3 tablespoons butter
1 small onion,chopped
1 egg
1 cup manioc meal
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced

2 slices bacon
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat a skillet to medium and add the bacon.  Fry until crisp, remove and chop.  Drain the fat from the pan, and add the butter.  Sauté onion in butter until soft, but not browned. Reduce heat and add egg, stirring until scrambled and well mixed. Gradually add manioc meal until the mixture becomes golden and resembles toasted bread crumbs.  Add the bacon, and add salt and pepper to taste.  Add the parsley and combine.

print this meal here