Winner of Your Best Burger Recipe

Congratulations to lorinarlock, whose Bacon-Stuffed Burgers with Pimento Cheese and Avocado won the contest for Your Best Burger Recipe! 

Describe an early food experience that has influenced the way you think about food and/or cooking.
The first thing that comes to mind is a cucumber salad I ate in Thailand. It was nothing more than sliced cucumbers in a very subtle vinegar sauce, but it was so light and refreshing that I think of it every summer when cucumbers are in season. That simple salad taught me about the importance of enjoying the pure flavor of a single ingredient, which has become my summer mantra. 

More: Make the most of cucumber season with these nine crispy, crunchy recipes.

What's your least favorite kitchen task? 
Prepping corn. However, I love eating it, so I send my husband to the yard to clean off the husks and silks. Now that my son is old enough I sometimes send him to do it, too.

Your favorite kitchen tool?
My favorite kitchen tool is one that I invented (and have a patent for). It's called an avo-cutter, and exists only on paper and as a prototype. It cuts open an avocado, grabs the pit, and scoops out the meat. I was even on a television show called "Why Didn't I Think of That?" to show it off. 

What is your idea of comfort food?
Eggs are my go-to food for breakfast and lunch, but especially for dinner. One of my favorite egg recipes is Spaghetti with Fried Eggs and Pangritata from Rhonda35.

What is your greatest kitchen disaster?
Trying to make a banana split ice cream cake. I made three types of ice cream and couldn't get any of them to freeze. I remade and refroze each ice cream several times, until I finally realized that the problem was my freezer, which needed to be colder. The final results were worth it, but wow it was a lot of work!

What is your favorite burger recipe? Tell us in the comments!

Photo of burger by James Ransom, photo of pasta by Sarah Shatz.