The Imitation Game: the In-N-Out Burger
Unfortunately we don't have an In-N-Out Burger in Australia although apparently there has been the occasional pop up across Sydney. I say apparently because going to one was like seeing the Loch Ness monster - you heard about it but you never actually saw it yourself. But the key to In-N-Out burgers is really just fresh ingredients. I'm not kidding you when I tell you how easy this is to make. The only things that you may find challenging to find are American cheese and soft milk buns although you can make the latter. I was lucky enough to be able to get American cheese and milk buns from a lovely cafe owner that soon after regretted offering me some cheese and buns. The rest is crazy easy to put together.
I called my butcher and asked for a mix of 60% lean and 40% fat chuck to be ground for me. Unless you want to grind it yourself, this is the only way to get the ratios just right. He didn't bat an eyelid at the request and before I knew it, I had the burger patties (just give your butcher a few day's notice). The sauce is also really easy and is made up of three ingredients: mayonnaise, ketchup and gherkin relish all of which you can find at the supermarket (just don't be alarmed at the lurid green colour of the gherkin pickles!). The rest is four slices of dill pickles, white onion, tomato and iceberg lettuce. Don't wait until the next Oscars to make these, make them now. God I am pushy when I am drunk on Oscars cocktails...
Recipe based on this one-got to love someone like J. Kenji López-Alt
Makes 4 The Imitation Game In-N-Out Burgers
- 4 milk buns or hamburger buns - the softer the better
- 4 x 100g/3.5ozs. beef patties made with 60% lean, 40% fat chuck (the In-N-Out Burger ones are 60g/2ozs each but I wanted them to fit the burger bun)
- salt and pepper to season
- 1-2 tablespoons oil
- 3-4 tablespoons American mustard
- 8 heaped tablespoons mayonnaise
- 4 tablespoons ketchup
- 8 teaspoons gherkin relish
- 16 dill pickle slices
- 1.5 large tomatoes, sliced 1/4 inch thick
- White onion, peeled and sliced thinly
- 4 crisp leaves from an iceberg lettuce
- 4 slices American cheese
Step 1 - Make the sauce first by mixing the mayonnaise, ketchup and relish in a bowl. Set aside.
Step 2 - Warm the buns in the oven and then toast them on the cut side on a dry skillet or bbq. Add a couple of tablespoons of oil into a pan. Season the patties with salt and pepper and fry the beef patties until they are cooked through. When almost done, squeeze some American mustard on the top of the patty and flip over in the pan to melt and soften.
Step 3 - Assemble the burger. Spread a couple of tablespoons of the sauce on the bottom of the toasted bun. Add the dill slices, slice of tomato, onion and lettuce. Then add the mustard grilled patty and the cheese. Place the top on it and wrap in some wax paper. Squish it down and eat straight away.
The Theory of Everything Fries
Okay this is a slightly tenuous link but I have no idea what Stephen Hawking eats although I'd love to know. But I'm pretty sure that given all the important questions that he gets asked (the opposite of the #AskHerMore campaign) then a question about what he has for lunch would no doubt produce derisive looks. Even if you don't like the idea of caviar on fries (I'm just trying to channel what people that make $10 million a film spend their money on) then do shake your frozen French fries in curry powder before frying them. It's amazing!!
- Canola or peanut oil for deep frying
- 2 teaspoons curry powder
- 3 cups frozen French fries
- 1/2 cup Japanese mayonnaise (I used spicy mayonnaise)
- 1 small tub of caviar
Step 1 - Shake the French fries in the curry powder. Heat the oil and when ready, add the spiced French fries and fry until golden. Belinda's advice was to fry them for a long time so that they are completely crisp-it's hard to overfry French fries apparently and these were beautifully crisp and stayed so for a long time never going soggy.
Step 2 - Using the plain tip, squeeze mayonnaise over the top of the fries and add the caviar.
Whiplash Cocktail
Cheryl loves cocktails like Fluffy Ducks and Strawberry Blondes which are essentially like a dessert in a cocktail form. I haven't seen Whiplash yet but I don't know if it is about getting whiplash. And apparently Birdman isn't about a man obsessed with chicken burgers...
Adapted from this recipe
- 2 scoops cookies and cream cocktail
- 1 shot whisky
- 1 shot white creme de cacao
- 1 shot milk
- Shaved chocolate to decorate
Step 1 - Place all ingredients but the chocolate in a blender and blitz. Serve in martini glasses because you're just a little bit fancy today.
Bacon, Maple and Cinnamon Salt Popcorn
One thing that Hollywood folk like is bacon because they're all on that paleo diet and bacon is like a demi god to Paleo people. I like it because it tastes good but I'm pretty sure that it also responsible for any gained weight. Especially when you pair it with two thirds of a cup of maple syrup. I'm pretty sure that this was what Bradley Cooper ate to bulk up. Also fakebaby. I just had to mention that.
- 2 cups popped corn
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Salt to season
- 4 rashers bacon, chopped up
- 2/3 cup maple syrup
Step 1 - Mix the popped corn with the cinnamon and salt. In a frypan cook the bacon through and then add the maple syrup to the pan to heat it up. Pour over the popcorn and toss through to coat the popcorn.