The Fourth of July holiday is my favorite family holiday: no last-minute dash for flowers, no arduous trek to the mall for gifts, not even a holiday card.  It’s just a leisurely American celebration of family and freedom.  And it’s the perfect day to fire up the grill. I’ve always had a hunger for hamburgers, and I’ve developed a stack of tasty burger recipes.  But it was several years ago that I came up with a winner–literally.  Here’s the back story and recipe for my famous Bluesiana Burger.

This award-winning Bluesiana Burger is perfect for your next cook-out. (All photos credit: George Graham)

It was 2008, and looking back, I had no idea what I was getting into.  It was a dare.  It wasn’t even a double-dog dare; it was just a simple challenge from my wife Roxanne. “You can build a better burger than that,” my wife boldly said as we were watching Food Network Channel one evening. Four months of burger making, one week-long trip to Napa, California, three days of taped on-camera interviews, and one hour-long prime time TV show later, I had won her challenge–and her respect.

That year, I entered the Food Network Build A Better Burger competition by submitting an original recipe for my Bluesiana Burger – a burger that represented the region in which I lived.  Along with nine thousand other entries, I didn’t think my chances of winning the $50,000 grand prize were any better than theirs.  I was wrong.  My written recipe scored highest in a nine-state region of the southern United States. As one of five finalists, I was flown out to Sutter Home Winery in Napa for the showdown competition to be filmed for an episode of the Food Network Challenge. I was in.  I was in deep and over my head.

In the two weeks before the competition, panic set in. I recall anxiously waking up one particular morning at 2am, and by sunrise I had cooked fourteen Bluesiana Burgers outside on my grill.  What’s the correct temperature reading on my digital thermometer to get a perfect medium rare?  How much carryover cooking occurs when removed at 120ºF? Do I sauce it on the grill or after? And what about those buns, those crazy buns?

I was prepared. And my Cajun recipe for the Bluesiana Burger captured the judges’ attention and scored high as a delicious presentation of a regionally focused burger.  With its kicked up Zydeco Sauce, colorful Mardi Gras Slaw and a unique Root Beer Glaze, my Cajun recipe had the celebrity panel licking their chops.  In hindsight, the key to my burger entry was balance: sweet with spice, hot with cold, crunchy with smooth. And every ingredient was a product of the bayou state.

Oh, and how did I do? My Bluesiana Burger took first runner-up; a Hawaiian burger with papaya beat me by a nose.  But, all in all, it was great fun and I won the greatest prize of all–my wife’s respect.

And what about those crazy buns?  I had the exceptional bread dough from The Fresh Market in my hometown flown overnight to Napa. And on the morning of the competition, I had the buns baked fresh at The Modern Bakery in St. Helena.  Thanks Karen — they were perfect.

Spend time with family and friends and enjoy a Bluesiana Burger this July 4th holiday.

It’s a red, white and Bluesiana holiday.

My daughter Lauren’s Watermelon Straws are easy and a festive way to celebrate the Fourth of July.

Here’s a little lagniappe from Lauren: Watermelon Straws–an easy and fun way to celebrate with your kids or grand kids.  It’s simple: cut out the melon stars with a cookie cutter and attach to the end of festive drinking straws.  Present them in a Mason jar filled with blueberries.

Along with Roxanne and Lauren, I wish you a festive July 4th.

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