The Feed: May 28, 2014

It's National Hamburger Day. Whether upscale, fast and simple or homemade, burgers almost always hit the spot. Pictured is the delicious version offered by Buck's Fishing and Camping in Washington, D.C. Read below about Europe's burgeoning upscale burger scene and one food writer's journey from wildly gourmet back to simple-is-best burgers.

The Feed is my weekly round up of interesting food-related stories from newspapers, magazines, blogs and websites.

Washington Post: “Noma Chef Daniel Giusti Keeps the World's Top Restaurant Running,” by Tim Carman.
Noma is once again the world’s top restaurant. And minding the kitchen there these days is American Daniel Giusti, formerly an executive chef at D.C.’s 1789. Carman’s profile of the chef de cuisine at the acclaimed Danish restaurant reveals the amazing level of detail that goes into the food served there.

Eater: “Dispatches from Dirt Candy: Amanda Cohen on 'Overpriced' Food and the Looming Cost Crisis,” by Eater Staff/Amanda Cohen
People complain some restaurants are too expensive, me included (tomorrow’s restaurant post will be an example). Cohen breaks down why certain restaurants, particularly smaller ones like hers, are so expensive and cautions diners to expect prices to rise as restaurants become increasingly required to provide benefits to their workers.

CNN Eatocracy: “Why Sprouts Can Make You Sick,” by Kat Kinsman.
Is it just me, or have sprouts fallen out of favor? I remember they used to be a plentiful salad bar item a couple decades ago, but now I rarely see them. Perhaps that just as well, as they are apparently susceptible to harboring bacteria that cause food-borne illness. Kinsman includes this scary statistic: "since 1996, there have been at least 30 reported outbreaks of foodborne illness associated with different types of raw and, yes, lightly cooked sprouts."

Wall Street Journal: “Europe’s Gastro Burger Scene,” by Evan Rail.
It’s no secret that burgers are popular in Europe. There are, after all, thousands of McDonald’s locations there. But what may come as a surprise is that upscale burgers—ones served at places claiming to be “gastropubs”—are in style now there too, often with local flourishes like aged parmigiano-reggiano in Italy or Heumilchkäse cheese in Germany.

Food & Wine: “The Secret Ingredient in the Perfect Burger Is…,” by Daniel Duane.
Speaking of upscale burgers, sometimes, they miss the mark. Sure, Duane has tried them with sriracha, kimchi and fish flakes, but his story about how he swung back to the fast-food-style burger is an engaging read on why sometimes simple is best. Online, you can read about his take on the KronnerBurger, while in the magazine, you can read the fully story of his journey to gourmet burgers (much to his daughter’s chagrin) and back.

Food & Wine: “Cocktails for Grilling.”
Looking for something to sip while you cook out? Food & Wine offers a slideshow of tasty options like the Tom Terrific made with IPA and old tom gin and the Descanso Beach Smash with rye and Aperol.

New York Times: “What Are You Drinking?” by Rosie Schapp.
If you're still not finding your summer drink of choice, the Times has provided this handy interactive tool to mix you a custom cocktail! Choose your style, spirit and setting and voila...Schapp (virtually) hands you one of 27 possible drinks.

New York Times: “Blaring the Horn for Food Trucks,” by David Sax.
When it comes to local ordinances, food trucks sometimes face an uphill climb. Enter Matt Geller, a food truck advocate who has formed a national association to represent the interests of this segment of entrepreneurial chefs offering delicious quick eats like fusion tacos, gyro salads and Ethiopian vegetable platters (to name a few tasty food truck lunch items I enjoy regularly).

Food Ease: “Kiwano-Maca Banana Ice Cream”
I’d never heard about Kiwano until Food Ease told me about it Monday night during the weekly Foodie Chats Twitter chat. It’s an amazing-looking fruit from Africa. Food Ease turned it into a simple frozen banana treat. Would love to give this fruit a spin.

Food 52: “Your Questions for Molly Wizenberg + Her Rice Noodle Salad,” by Marian Bull.
Molly Wizenberg, whose latest memoir Delancey was just published, dropped by Food 52 to answer readers’ questions and make a noodle salad, the same one it so happens that the Washington Post featured a few weeks ago.