I don't like burgers. This statement is however rebuttable. If the burger is surely good, and I am sure of it, there is no doubt I would be tempted taking in some. Thus, with this strict choice, I have no other option but to prepare my own beef burgers and mix them the way my palate wants. Thus, the other time, I made seven of them out of a one-kilo ground beef. And as I expected, I liked them as I was the one who prepared. My Italian Amore liked them as well. The following images would more or less explain how they're done. Yummy! If you want to try the recipe, I bet you'd be more free to suit your own palate needs and you'll be more happy to add the stuff you want to be in these burgers.

Preparation is important. Above were the ingredients I used: ground beef, salt, chili, black pepper, soy sauce, and onion. I did not use garlic as I don't like the after meal smell but if you want more spice, feel free.

Above is the pre-mix. It's the lil onion slices with salt, pepper, chili, egg and soy sauce. I prepared this mix to have them absorbed by the ground beef the moment the latter is added. One egg is enough, just to make the beef sticky, not to put the egg taste really

Here I added the ground beef already. Mix it with the pre-mix I prepared up. Mix well to have the flavor and taste penetrate the beef. Add seasoning and spices as desired.

I also tried to divide the number of patties (if I may call them since they're just hand made and looks done lousy enough) to be pan-grilled and oven grilled. The result? I could actually not detect but all I know is, I never add any drop of oil. The oily stuff you see is the own grease of the beef.

3 patties were pan-grilled. No oil was used, but before placing them in the pan, the pan should be really heated well.

More oil were squeezed out of the patties the nearer they get cooked.

The same good amount of grease were also squeezed out in the above image.

The outer patties were oven-grilled while the three inside were pan-grilled. The difference? There is as you see the color and the markings but the taste? I could harly identify. The seven of them were all great tasting.

Of course burgers without a mix of vegetable is boring. Mine I mixed with this stir-fried beans. Yummilicious dinner! Why not try doing some as well?

Delicious, healthy, with vegetable, nutritious pasta meal! What else can I describe this main course wonderful for lunch? Pasta al dente (Pasta to the tooth) in creamy healthy way. What's the vegetable? It's called zucchini. This vegetable is also great as grilled/salad style but this time, we used it with pasta. See how creamy it can go and how delicious the meal can be. You may try for yourself and see how we did it (our style: me and my Italian buddy).


Onion is involved, just fry it in olive oil before adding the sliced zucchini.

After adding zucchini, we fried it with onion for a while, mixing the juice (and of course the taste of the two items together) and then we added the culinary cream.

We usually add these seasoning: salt, chili and black pepper. It is up to you and your taste what you'd like to add up and season this preparation

It's ready now, with the penne (pasta) boiled to al dente level and now drained and mixed with the creamy zucchini.
It's ready in table now. That's my black plate. :) Buon appetito! It's quick, isn't it?

At Pranzo some point, sometime in the past, we prepared our traditional pasta with thick tomato sauce. This is the original recipe of mamma who has stayed with her restaurant in the city for at least six years when she was still young. Everytime mamma prepares this sauce, I can smell the delicious taste of the upcoming lunch. And yes, Italians are fond of these thick tomato sauces and you will have a look how it is done. I'm gonna share with you my lunch preparation for that time.

Step One: Prepare the beef cuts. I prefer the one with bones but with thick meat around. It is around 2 inches by 3 inches in dimension. Please don't tell it's a bit big because it would shrink later.

Step Two: Saute the thawed beef cuts into oil (we use olive here) and sliced onion. To add more taste, you may add a vinegar to make it more sour. We uses Aceto Balsamico but this is optional. Let the outer side (exposed portion) of the meat go brown by flipping the cuts from time to time while sauteing.

Step Three : When all the beef go brown, add the tomato sauce diluted in water. (The photo shows the vinegar brand and the tomatoe sauce we used. The bottle of sauce can be used twice or thrice depending on the amount of sauce to be made).

Step Four: Let the sauce boil and thicken. At start, the boiler is eighty five (85%) percent full but when it is ready, only around ten percent (10%) filled. See the photos.

Step Five: At the meantime, prepare the table. Don't forget the wine and fruits of course. The table napkins and cuttleries must be ready. So are the glasses and plates.

Step Six: When the sauce is fifteen minutes away to finish, boil the water for pasta. Today we used Rigatoni. You may use your preferred brand and kind of pasta. For me, Fussili is the best and we always buy the Barilla brand.

Step Seven: When the water is boiling, put the salt and the pasta to reach the "al dente"(to the tooth) point. At the same time the pasta is cooked, the sauce is also ready. However, while waiting for the pasta and the sauce, prepare the formaggio (cheese). It must be grated.

Step Eight: When all are cooked, drain the pasta, put in the plate, put the sauce, sprinkle with cheese, then, the layer of sauce again. Leave the meat for "Anti-pasto"or the second course. It is eaten after the pasta. Fill the glasses with wine and "Salute" (cheers)..Mangiamo! (Let's eat!)

For my twenty-two years of life in the Philippines, I have learned how the eggplants were cooked. The best that I like is the "tortang talong" or the eggplant grilled and peeled then soaked in egg after which, it is fried. This is the one I like so much. The other menu includes talong with other vegetables like the squash/pumpkin and eggplant in the "Pinakbet" (a Filipino delicious vegetable mix). Other ways to have it cooked it is in "adobo"-similar style of cooking, sauted eggplant or eggplant salad (my second fave). I once tasted one menu of eggplant as an appetizer at Buto't Balat Restaurant in Iloilo City (Philippines) and I liked it too. It was (seemed to me) a grated eggplant, formed and baked with oil... or so it seemed.





Why I tell eggplanty things now? Because I have discovered a new way to make it and i tell you that it's really delicious. Of course per my palate! Do you know lasagna? This eggplant menu I'm telling you is purely Italian, prepared like how one prepares lasagna. Now you have a little clue.





When I saw how it was prepared, it seemed weired to me. But after I ate this "Parmiggiana" (this is how it is calle) it suddenly became one of my favorites. It is a layer of grilled eggplants sprinkled with formaggio (an Italian cheese) and thickened with "scamorza" (another Italian cheese but just a little harder than mozzarella). It is then mixed with boiled tomato sauce and then placed in the oven to let it ready. I'll just share with you how it was prepared and you may experiment on it if you get interested. But for me, it is really healthy and delicious. Why? Because it's all vegetable and so much calcium from cheese. Good for those who watch their cholesterol from fats and for those diet conscious. Of course it's good for vegetarians as well.

See realted posting on How Good Cheese/Milkand TomatoesAre.

See the rest of the descriptive images below: