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I guess there really is not much I need to explain...this picture speaks for itself. I really do love a cheeseburger and while, clearly, this is not a dinner one should indulge in more than occassionally, on that occassion you may as well do it right!

This time, I used ground sirloin. I used to be fond of ground beef with a higher fat content, but I found them too greasy and I really like the flavor of sirloin. I made a 1/4 pound patty and, in order to avoid the hockey puck effect (when it shrinks up and domes in the center), it is helpful to form the patties into a flatter disc shape that is a bit thinner in the center. Another good tip is to keep the edges nice and thick and not tapper them off. Think pizza crust, not pie crust. I do not add anything to ground beef except for salt and pepper on the outside of the patty. Grilling was out of the question...it around zero and snowing last night....so I heated a large sautee pan over medium high heat. Add the burgers and cook approximately 4 minutes on each side or until cooked to your liking. During the last minute or so of cooking add the cheese to the top of your burger while it is still in the pan so the heat will allow the cheese to melt down over the sides. Make sure to toast the bun in the oven for a few minutes, first. Add your favorite toppings. I opted for traditional fast food type toppings including ketchup, yellow musted, diced sweet onion and a spoonful of dill relish. Top with the cheesy burger patty and finish it off with the to of the bun.

The fries were frozen Ore Ida shoe string fries. I find that frozen fries are a delicious home cook alternative to restaurant fries if you follow a few tips. Heat your oven based on the thickness of the fry, a hotter oven for thicker steak fries (around 425 - 450 degrees) and a cooler oven for thinner fast food type fries (400 degrees). Lay your fries out on baking sheet and coat with just a little bit of canola oil and a sprinkling of sea salt. Cook for about half the total cooking time in the lower half of the oven. Then remove the tray of fries, toss them around to ensure even browning and allow them to finish cooking in the upper part of the oven. The technique will allow the fries to cook through without burning on the edges and then crisp up for the final few moments. Top with another sprinkling of salt and serve hot!

Please share you tips and ideas...I would love to hear then. I hope to inspire those of you who dont know what to have for dinner to fix something easy and delicious for you and your family!

Ok, so thats a pretty obvious question. Of course you do. But, how? If youve read my profile, you know that I taught at the California Culinary Academy for almost five years. Most of that time I taught a class in Kitchen and Purchasing Math. It focused on food cost calculations, portioning math, and many other foodservice related formulas.

The thing I found most surprising was when I would speak to a former student about how their job was going at a particular restaurant, they would often say, "they dont use any of those formulas you taught us, the Chef just guesses at the amounts to order." They would tell me that new dishes were put on the menu without a complete food cost analysis first. They would tell me how there were no controls regarding postioning. Some Chefs, I was told didnt even know how to use an Excel spreadsheet to help with all this basic kitchen math!

Thankfully, any establishements that hired my students at least had one employee that knew how to breakdown these crucial numbers to find more profit.

So, I would say the simplest and fastest way to make more money is to improve your basic kitchen math and purchasing methods. I can help you do this. I have many spreadsheets and calculators already built and ready to punch in your numbers to see if we can improve things.

If you are located in the SF/Bay Area, I can consult in person. If not, this can also be done via the website. For a free consultation, send me an email and well set up a meeting.