Wednesday, 1 June 2016

Report time

At "The Burger Project", we are always striving to reflect and review our system, so here's a short insight into what we've thought about so far!

All members collaborated equally, and had some unique ideas to throw into the report, so check out the link below:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1RSkCADqX4-cD6EP2G17qjVsyQLUrho6-Dv6mLYzOxWo/edit?usp=sharing
We're back!


Check out our video where we exploit the terrible cooking skills of one of our group members (just kidding!)

Our video tells the tale of a person wanting to impress his friends by inviting them over for a home-cooked dinner, however thing don't go as planned. We hope you enjoy it just as must as we did filming it!

We all contributed equally to the production of this video. In a brief meeting, we all agreed on the idea of this video and sketched out a storyboard where we had each scene laid out. Each member was tasked with the challenge of writing their section of the script and we all collaborated to ensure that it all flowed smoothly. The filming of the video took up an entire day. We used a Panasonic Lumix DC VARIO to film it and Apple's iMovie to edit it.

Thank you all for sticking with us for the duration of this project and we hope you learned some interesting facts about burgers!

- Nathan Samios, Marissa Kariotoglou, Shivi Prasad & Jessalin Goh
#theburgerproject

Wednesday, 18 May 2016

The Burger Appreciation Society Facebook Page

If you're interested in finding even more information about burgers, please pay a visit to the Fatties burger appreciation society group on Facebook.

This group provides a large variety of burger and restaurant ratings so you know what to expect when you visit the recommended places. A large number of involved individuals provide reviews and images similar to what our blog has highlighted for you.

The community is very friendly, however can be extremely harsh in some reviews. The reviewed areas is mainly focused in the Sydney region hence this link should appeal to those living in the area.



Here's a link to the user friendly page:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/513077892146229/

Why are burgers so great?


Burgers are simply awesome! A burger is a definite crowd favorite, renowned for being one of the best types of finger foods. They are usually easy to make, cost efficient, convenient in relation to time and limited mess as well as easily preparing possible varieties. Burgers may also be considered a successful social or catch up device, bringing people together. “Lets grab a burger” is a very common phrase. Burgers make  for a smooth social experience because they are simple yet fun and delicious.  There is a burger for almost every occasion nowadays, thanks to all the innovations that has occurred in the making of new varieties of burgers.
Photograph: http://washfm.iheart.com/onair/loo-chilli-2668/study-want-a-second-date-then-13888896/
By Shivi Prasad 

Leftover Burger (Why is it not Friday yet)

Throwback to my burger spotlight here: Rice burgers


It's a weekday night- and you've got leftovers in the fridge; maybe a bowl of cooked/uncooked meat from sometime earlier this week. For me, this happens to be in tandem with my sheer laziness during the evening. Thus, this recipe revamps the classic rice/meat/veg combo that we usually do, and turns it into a simple-to-make and easy to eat meal-in-one.

1. Look into your fridge, note specifically the meats that have been left there from earlier this week (within reasonable means of course) and marinate it- a personal favourite of mine is the bulgogi sauce that is available in literally every Asian grocer's.  Go to step 2

Alternatively, just use the already cooked meats you've got left in the fridge Go to step 3

I like to think of it as magic marinade


+



Photo source: Chowdivine




2. Cook the meat (lol a bit obvious, but yeah). Recommended additions: Onions, garlic, shallots

Photo source: Kimchimari.com




3. Time to prepare the rice patties- I tend to use the recipe given by the Curious Nut blog, as follows:
  • 8 cups cooked rice (Japanese short grain or sushi rice)
  • Sesame oil
  • Soy sauce
  • White or black sesame seeds
  • Seaweed flakes
  1. Divide the rice into 8 portions. Shape and compress the rice to ½" thick and 3" diameter patties. Damp hands will help the rice not adhere to your hands while shaping.
  1. Brush both sides of the patties with soy sauce. Heat a pan over medium high heat. Once hot, add a little oil and sear the patties until crisp on both sides. Use minimal and gentle handling so that it doesn't fall apart on you. Use a wide spatula.


> I don't own the recipe, it is simply quoted here for ease of access. 

4. Add options as you like- be as creative as you want

5. Enjoy an easy, delicious meal in front of the internet/television

Photo source: Ozmundaregalis

-Jessalin

The 5th Earl Burger Review

I am very fortunate to have my best friends family own the famous 5th Earl in Roseberry.

The restaurant thrives off exceptional food which consumers often visit to eat quality meals. This is exemplified by the burger than you can order from the shop.



The burger comes along with fries in a small holder illustrating the 'fanciness'.
Now the bun is pierced with a small stick to keep all the goodness in one place.
I do not exaggerate in saying this is by far the best burger I have ever had in my life!
The beef is accompanied with lettuce, tomato and onion. Although it may seem simple, the burger contains a number of great flavours.

Rating - 10/10

The Ultimate Jack Daniels Burger!

TGI Fridays are famously known for their signature Jack Daniels Grill. Along with the many options of ribs, steak and chicken breast from the grill, the Ultimate Jack Daniels Burger is a true stand out.


In between two toasted buns are two succulent marinated beef patties drowned with the restaurant's signature Jack Daniels sauce, topped with Monterey Jack Cheese, crispy bacon and Cajun-battered onion rings.

The restaurant has various locations in Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia including:
Doncaster, Epping, Forest Hill Chase, Fountain Gate, Jam Factory Melbourne Central, SouthBank, Southland, Macquarie, and Marion.

TGI Fridays is family friendly and is also the perfect location to have a few drinks with your mates at the bar during happy hour. The restaurant also offers to host functions such as birthdays and office parties. Perfect! Now everyone you know will have to chance to try the restaurants delicious options.

Rating: 9/10

Tuesday, 17 May 2016

Chur Burger


Add caption: Crispy pork belly burger

Located in Surry Hills, Chur Burger is the joint with pretty amazing combinations. For example, just take a look at the picture above- Crispy Pork belly burger is sinful and your tastebuds will celebrate the way the kilojoules enter your thighs. In any case, much like it's name, the burger consists of Crispy Pork Belly, Chilli caramel and slaw topped with cheese. The pork is well cooked, slaw crunchy, and sauce is essentially one of my favourites so far. 

The price: $18

$18 for this burger can seem like a lot- and it is, which is why it's both a guilty treat, heavy on the heart as well as the wallet. Even so, it is one of the favourites on the menu, and is only available for limited times, so I do recommend you force bring a mate (or a few) and share a variety from the menu, which typically starts @$12 a burger, $6 for sides and other goodies.

Recommend: 8/10 (if I'm poor at the time) 9/10
-Jessalin

The Indestructible Burger!

Remember the myth that McDonalds burgers are packed with industrial chemicals that cause them to never decay/rot. Well in actual fact that’s all that it is, a myth. Credit for this post goes to: http://www.seriouseats.com/2016/02/the-food-lab-why-mcdonalds-burgers-never-rot.html, where the author states that:
McDonalds burgers don’t rot because they dry out.’


Now lets get into the science of this declaration.

The surface area to volume ratio is high because the burger is small and thin, and cooked to a well-done status. Therefore, this creates rapid moisture loss, which results in a burger that dries out long before it begins to rot. The burgers are safe from rotting as they are all prepared and cooked in a food-safe, high temperature environment that will kill any bacteria that would cause decay to happen.


However, it is important to note that the bigger the burger, the quicker it will mould before drying out.

Supersize me? Think again


Ok at some point in your life you probably have come across this vigorously entertaining video, most likely in your PDHPE or health class.



Remember when the thought of having McDonalds every day was a childhood dream. How about ingesting 5,000 calories a day and gaining 11kg? That dream no longer seems appetising.

‘Super Size Me’, released in 2004 is an American documentary film, staring Morgan Spurlock, which follows a 30-day period where he would only consume food from the McDonalds menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The rules for this experiment follow:
  • Three meals must fully be eaten each day (ideally breakfast, lunch and dinner)
  • Every McDonalds food item on the menu must be eaten
  • Only food from the McDonalds menu could be consumed
  • When offered he must Super Size the meal
Remember that American fast food sizes are not in proportion to Australian sizes, so our large is when in comparison not very large. Now imagine super-sizing your meal on nine different occasions and having the consume the entire serving.

The experiment posed enormous health risks, including weight gain, heart strain, lethargy, migraines, and even experiencing episodes of depression  

McDonalds burgers are renowned for being high in fat and salt. Here are some examples of the nutritional value in traditional McDonalds burgers:

Big Mac Burger

Calories 492
      ( Kilojoules 2060 )
  % Daily
Value*
Total Fat26.9 g41%
   Saturated Fat10.6 g53%
Cholesterol-0%
Sodium859 mg36%
Carbohydrate35.3 g12%
   Sugars5.9 g 
Dietary Fibre-0%
Protein25.2 g 

Cheeseburger
Calories 282      ( Kilojoules 1180 )
  % Daily
Value*
Total Fat12.4 g19%
   Saturated Fat6.1 g31%
Cholesterol-0%
Sodium672 mg28%
Carbohydrate26.3 g9%
   Sugars4.7 g 
Dietary Fibre-0%
Protein15.2 g 

McChicken burger
Calories 409      ( Kilojoules 1710 )
  % Daily
Value*
Total Fat18.7 g29%
   Saturated Fat3 g15%
Cholesterol-0%
Sodium698 mg29%
Carbohydrate37.4 g12%
   Sugars3.1 g 
Dietary Fibre-0%
Protein20 g 

Quarter-Pounder Burger
Calories 545      ( Kilojoules 2280 )
  % Daily
Value*
Total Fat30.2 g46%
   Saturated Fat15.7 g79%
Cholesterol-0%
Sodium1050 mg44%
Carbohydrate33.6 g11%
   Sugars6.7 g 
Dietary Fibre-0%
Protein33.7 g 

To check out the rest of McDonalds menu, click the link below!

Not to dishearten McDonalds lovers, but be aware of your daily intake and don't exceed that daily percentage. Take care of your body and fuel it with nutritional food. 

But who doesn't love a good fast food burger every now and again.