The burgerâa summer staple if there ever was one. And with summer dwindling fast, perhaps it was fortuitous that an event called Le Burger Week came across my radar.
Running from Sept. 1-7, restaurants in Montreal, Ottawa/Gatineau, Quebec City, Toronto, Winnipeg and (oddly) Port-au-Prince, Haiti are cooking up their best burger creations. Burger-philes then go to the Le Burger Week website and vote on their faves.
And while itâs after Labour Day (put those white pants away), thereâs still plenty of time to get outside, fire up the grill and conjure up your best burger.
Need some inspiration? Check out the Winnipeg entries in Le Burger Weekâthe photos alone should get your mouth watering and your culinary imagination racing.
Over at The Food Network, Bobby Flayâs green chile cheeseburgers bring some New Mexican spice to the mix, yet are pretty simple to pull together if you want a bit of spice in your burger.
Jamie Oliverâs âcrackingâ burger doesnât bring quite as much heat, but still delivers plenty of flavour thanks to the addition of Dijon and parsley.
Looking for a simple recipe but with something other than beef? Try out a bison burger for incredible flavor and texture.
Seven chefs offer their take on this classic, with twists including patties made with lamb or tuna.
Finally, Canadian Living offers some suggestions for meatless burgers to fire up on the grill.
Looking for a no-nonsense red wine to go with your burger? The 20 Bees 2011 Cabernet Merlot is an Ontario blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc that sees 10 months in oak barrels. Itâs an up-front fruity, medium-bodied red with plenty of plum and bell pepper notes, and the oak is quite subtle. Best of all, at $10 per bottle it wonât break the bank for your backyard barbecue.
