Yes, I’m back with yet another veggie burger. If you’ve been visiting this blog for a while, you know my veggie burger dependency is well-documented as are my thoughts on a veggie burger’s legitimacy to the burger moniker. So I won’t waste your time by perching on that particular soapbox again. Instead, I’m going to speak about a decision that plagues me whenever I slap a veggie burger into a pan – bun or no bun? I opted for no bun for today’s Kimchi Sweet Potato Burgers and I’m going to over-explain my reasons for making this crucial decision. You’re excited, I know you are.
You may have noticed things got a little quiet around here. I’m also going to assume you probably know why. Given the protests in the US and around the world, I decided to take a back seat and give the BIPOC members of my community the floor. I won’t say much on the topic beyond this, I wrote a more involved post on my Instagram page. But I will definitively say that I believe black lives matter and as I return to posting my own content, I promise to make changes big and small in my own life to further the objectives of the movement and my own education. So, with all that being said, let’s talk about these Sticky Shiitake Barley Burgers.
I have a confession to make. I love veggie burgers and not in an ironic way or a “close enough” kind of way. No, I really do love them. Well, I love them as long as they stay true to their veggie patty roots. Start packing soy and seitan in there and you’re going to get a hard pass from me. I know people swear by that kind of thing. But I don’t want an imposture or a stand-in for the burger of the meat variety. I want an honest to god veggie burger, beans and all. And somewhere in all this rambling is, I’m sure, a compelling lesson about being yourself. But man, I don’t want to tease that out. These Chipotle Pinto Burgers are more frivolous and fun than all that. So, deep and compelling they may not be, but proper veggie burgers? Oh, that they certainly are.
My sincerest apologies to the vegetarians reading this. As I’m sure you can tell, this week’s Smoked Jarlsberg Cuban Burger with Sweet Plantain is not for you. Honestly, there are probably a few omnivores who are a little taken aback. But I assure you, this burger is extra for a good reason. I created this burger in the spirit of Jarlsberg’s Burger Recipe Contest. And although my interpretation of the theme features two different kinds of animal protein, that doesn’t mean yours has to. All that is required is that you create a dream burger that integrates Jarlsberg in a surprising and delicious way. Veggie burgers are more than welcome.
