Sunday, March 14, 2010

Munchin' Monday: A couple H's

It's time again for our A-Z review of the world of food, from anchovies to zucchini. This week is brought to you by the letter "H". And the whole deal is the brainchild of Jen over at Unglazed.
My lifetime food achievement award for "H" goes to the HAMBURGER. What is more American, more fast foody, and more just plain chopped bovine goodness that a 'burger? Back when i was a kid, and my sister will back me up on this, whenever we stopped in a restaurant, whether a McDonalds or a fancy tablecloth place, I'd order me up a hamburger, or in the more swank places, chopped sirloin. Burgers were simply a life-sustaining item for me.

The best burger I ever ate (that I can recall; perhaps my memory is embellishing this thing) was in a littel dive somewhere on a back road in Ocean City, Maryland. I was a high school kid at some off-season retreat, and not many places were open. But this burger and sandwich joint was, and man, was that thing juicy and tasty and loaded with the tomato and lettuce and ketchum and onion and who knows what else...

Of course, with age comes the wisdom (and cholestorol level) to teach one that moderation is a good thing. So now when I find myself in a restaurant, I do not immediately default to the chopped beef section of the menu. But every once in a while, oooh boy, it's great to sink one's teeth into the beefy goodness. And with grilling season around the corner....
On to H number two. A decade or more ago, I was on a business trip to Albuquerque, and my wife Linda came along. Every morning, I had breakfast with her before I had to go off to whatever it was that I had to do, in a little restaurant next to the hotel called Mama somebody's (I forget the details). Every morning, I ordered the Huevos Rancheros. For some reason, that combination of eggs on a tortilla, with beans, and some salsa (I was big on salsa verde, having never seen green salsa back East), really hit the spot with me.

Shortly after, we were visiting with a group of Linda's college friends who get together monthly or so, and one of the group, Chris, took it upon himself to bring the necessary ingredients and cook up some mighty fine Sunday Morning Huevos. This has become tradition for perhaps a decade or more now, and I look forward to those huevos to this day.

So them's my H's. You can view other people's choices by traveling over to the aforementioned Jen's blog.

9 comments:

Loui♥ said...

Love me some REAL hamburgers!!
worked as a carhop at a hamburger joint when I was a teeny bopper..
Nothing beat those burgers!!
can taste them to this day!
hugs and smiles..
Loui♥

Minerva said...

Funny- Best hamburger I ever had was at the Green Turtle in O.C. Maybe that's where you were.

Never had the 2nd dish, but it looks good.

Jen said...

Happy H Monday Ben--
some how i figured hamburger would be on you list today. :) You probably wish everyday was our birthday, so you could devour these.
Good Food!

Cassie said...

Hamburgers are a fave of my sweetie,but I haven't had one since they forced me to eat them as a kid! Now Huevos Rancheros is another story. Yum. Love that tradition of yours. Now I must go out and buy some tortillas. Happy A-Z Monday!

Connie said...

I love a big juicy hamburger cooked up just right with cheese and lettuce and tomato on it. :D

Like you, though, I don't order them as often as I used to or might want to. Chicken or salad are healthier choices, I suppose.

Great post, Ben! Happy Monday to you!

Unknown said...

Nothing like good ol' Huevos Rancheros, especially if it's served up out west. I've had them in Albuquerque when my daughter lived there. Being a So CA gal, they've been a staple of mine forever! Great H post, Ben!

Anonymous said...

We have a new place called Cheeseburger Bobby's that has one of the best burgers we've had in years!!!!! It's sure nice sometimes to just forget cholesterol!

Cliff said...

And another "H" would be for Hardees, home of heart attack on a bun, aka the Monster Thickburger, 1400 calories of cholesterol boosting.

Najia said...

I love "hangaburgs"....which is what Ed called them when he was a little tyke. More than hamburgers, I LOVE huevos rancheros!!! I love to make them and eat them. The best place in San Diego for HR is the Broken Yolk. You must try it if ever you visit. So delicious!