Happy Holidays!

It’s been a delicious 3yrs of getting messy,belching and laughing while eating burgers of all kinds in all their glory.
Happy Holidays fellow burger lovers!

May 2014 be more delicious for you.

                                               Stay Curious & Stay Hungry!

Another Burger Eating Contest.OY!

OY!.Another burger eating contest? yup! this time for a good cause.Our good friends at Burger Brats held their first annual burger eating contest where 5 contestants each paid $35 to mow down on a 5 patty “game-over’ burger along with a thick chocolate milkshake and chili cheese fries.

Some did it for the glory,some did it for the challenge and some did in the name of charity.

All the proceeds went to Ernestine’s, a local Women’s Shelter.Food contests in general are a sure sign of our North American abundance or gluttony depending on you look at it but when it’s for a good cause we Broads like to jump in and play.Although we didn’t participate in the contest we were there to support and cheer on the contestants and have some Burger Broad fun because we like to support charities! especially about/for women.

This is Sharon with Community Engagement Manager,Elaine Wong of Ernestine!s

2 contestants worth mentioning are Steven Dorgo and Yulien Sun.

It seems Steven is a professional burger eater.This 20 something year old guy who is from Guelph and made the trip to Toronto we met previously at BQM Burger Eating contest a few months ago, where he scoffed down 12 burgers in under 20 minutes.When we saw him at this contest we knew that the other contestants didn’t have a chance.

He ate EVERYTHING in 8 min and 49 secs. Just how does one do it? and WHERE does one put it? Then there was Yulien Sun, the ONLY female at the table so we but of course had to cheer her on for having the balls to compete with the guys!

See more photos on facebook by Burger Broad CircusJo

 

Wiggle it! w/a Donair burger & Newfie fries

Instead of writing about our burger outing at The Wiggle Room   here in Toronto at Bathurst/Dundas area I  am going to keep this post very short so you can WATCH THE VIDEO and feast with your own eyes  this 8×10 converted shipping container that delivers up Canadian street food with an East Coast flair by newlyweds Daniel & Ashley.They make and serve Toronto’s first and only Donair burger.

When will YouTube come with a scratch and sniff feature?!hmm…..smellovision!

These are just a few pics.You can see more here on facebook.

Wined and Dined & Playing with Knives

  Burger Broads Zane and Sharon

A few of us Burger Broads were invited to a CUTCO #FoodiesForever party in downtown Toronto a couple of weeks ago and though there weren’t any burgers involved we had an educational,fun and delicious great time.Now,I don’t know about you but up until this event I had never heard of CUTCO before.Where have I been?! This company has been around and going strong since 1949!

Whoa.Whoa! What is CUTCO,you ask? CUTCO is cutlery but really it’s about their amazing knives! so amazing that they are forever guaranteed.Yes.Forever.

“The history is steeped in tradition and founded on the fine craftsmanship of early settlers to Western New York and Northern Pennsylvania. The company, located along the Allegheny foothills in Olean, N.Y., can trace its roots back to skilled cutlers who settled in the area after immigrating from England’s famous Sheffield cutlery industry in the late 1800s.

CUTCO Cutlery was created in 1948 as a new product for Wear-Ever Aluminum, a subsidiary of ALCOA. The name of the new cutlery line was derived from a company once owned by Wear-Ever, the Cooking UTensil COmpany – CUTCO.

ALCOA sought out the expertise of the finest cutlery manufacturer in the U.S. at the time, Case Cutlery in Bradford, Pa., to manufacture the new cutlery line. It was a joint venture that created a new ALCOA company called Alcas Cutlery (AL of ALCOA and the CAS from Case). The new Alcas Cutlery factory in Olean, N.Y., was completed in 1949 and the first set of cutlery was shipped to New Kensington, Pa. that same year.”

Anyways, if history turns you on you can read more about it here. 

Let’s back to present day and talk about how fun and delicious the evening was.There was SO MUCH FOOD! For the first hour we mingled,sipped on wine and had our pictures taken while we had  platters of non-stop delectable appetizers floating about the room.This definitely was a foodie bloggers heaven and we were thrilled to join in on something we normally wouldn’t have the chance to do. Shortly thereafter we were divided up into groups with team leaders who took us to the kitchen to prepare our meal (Kale salad and a Quinoa side dish )that we would all help make and then sit down to share afterwards.(It’s no secret I love burgers but I don’t eat them all the time.i do love salads too:) the Kale Salad  and Quinoa  we made was a meal unto itself.I also learned how to prepare Kale for a salad which will be having me eat it more often.Tree(de-stem) the kale and then roll the leaves up and use scissors to cut it up into fine bite sized forkfuls! easy peasy!) and jampacked with goodness.

The preparation of the meal but of course was with the amazing CUTCO knives!.

I  know this sounds like I am selling but truth be told…I am gushing!!!

When I showed up to this event I was suspicious. even cynical.I thought it was going to only be a demonstration while we the captive audience watched and got suckered into buying a set of knives..Cutlery.big deal. Knives.big deal..who needs cutlery when you are eating burgers?! Unless you are in the kitchen all the time preparing and making food,unless you are a Chef then I think the average person doesn’t put too much thought or investment into their kitchenware and cutlery.

Hell, I’ve been known to buy cutlery from a dollar store but after that CUTCO experience I made a promise that I would never do that again.Seriously, as much as I am gushing here there’s a part of me that says.. chill..they’re just knives …except they aren’t JUST knives. They are the ONLY knives to own.If you can afford it. Sure you can buy one knife at a time,depending on the knife anywhere between 25-80 dollars or you can buy the whole shebang for about 1500 dollars.

Again.. they’re just knives.Again.They are the ONLY knives to have! Come on.. with a company that has been around since 1949 and guarantees their products forever without any questions asked or hassles why wouldn’t you invest?These knives will be sharp Forever.No sharpening needed.Hard to believe? Guess,you’ll just have to turn yourself into a believer by doing some research or buying some knives;) and I will need to save up my money because I have no plans of getting married anytime soon to have  a gift registry.

Are you wondering why you have never heard of this company if you haven’t heard of this company? Because you won’t find them in retail stores.They are a direct to market business and you can even get involved and become a sales rep. Lately,I have had people approach me with direct marketing ventures from health food,to water, to makeup but somehow if I were to get into this kind of venture,CUTCO it would be for me where i could go to people’s homes and have a dinner party while showing off these exquisite tools.Our team leader, Dawn, is a testament.After owning CUTCO knives herself for the past 15yrs she recently became a rep because that’s how much she believes in them and the company.

is that not a PERFECT smile?!!!

So as much as this was all about knives it was also about creating a meal and more importantly breaking bread with strangers who quickly became friends. >>>>Shout out! to Isabelle Boucher (@Izzbell) of www.crumbblog.com.

She was in our group and right away I took a shining to this woman.She was sharp, witty and self-possessed.I asked her for her card and when I read it i recognized her name  and blog from twitter as we had had a few conversations back and forth so it was a thrill to meet in person after all this time..I sure can pick em’ and smell em’ a mile away.

She’s a Broad in my books!

So here’s to playing with KNIVES! and only the best knives!

A special Thanks to Dawn our fun and beatiful team leader and to everyone involved who made the evening a delicious and spirited memorable  event. Chop On CUTCO!

I am now a believer!.and maybe one day I too will become a sales rep but for now I have other fish to fry, other burgers to flip and more good trouble to cause:)

–Ms.D-(Madame of The BroadHouse)

Turd Burger

Meat made from human excrement! Is it true?

if it is would you try it?

see here for the full article and video

IWD w/a Burger Queen

IWD? International Women’s Day

In 1908 it began in New York City.Today  it is observed all around the world.The United States even designates the whole month of March as ‘Women’s History Month’.  March 8th is a day to celebrate achievements and inspire women of all walks of life to encourage and inspire  little girls who will grow up to be women who will be agents and leaders of change whether globally, in the workforce,in the community or right at home.

So without getting into too much of it here..you can click the link above for the whole herstory:)

Last month a few of us Broads attended a burger eating contest but what also caught my interest was the fact that the GM was a woman.A position you don’t see too often in the restaurant/burger business. When she gave me her card on it it read *Burger Queen*

That was it.I had to find out more about her.I set up an interview date with one of my Burger Broads,Zane, and away we went to interview Laura and get to know the woman who is an integral piece of the puzzle at the burger joint.

The following is in her own words.

“In the beginning I was quickly taking on more and more responsibility at BQM Ossington, and Saeed (the owner) was opening at Queen and Spadina.  At the time he had a manager down there too, although we were never assigned official titles.  I think some people would be uncomfortable with this, but I liked it because it allowed me to carve out my own place using what I felt my own strengths were, defining my own role.  The time came to order business cards, and Saeed’s title had always been Chief Burger Tester.  He suggested that we also give ourselves fun titles, relating to burgers – again I liked the fact that it was all unofficial, the opposite of corporate.  Once given the freedom to choose my own Burger Title – well, my inner broad knew the obvious choice immediately 🙂 Burger Queen it was.”

The video.It is about a 9 minute interview with ‘rapid fire’ questions at the end.

Come find out what it means for her to be a Broad,what gets her up in the morning and whether she prefers boxers or briefs.

Ms D ( Madame of the BroadHouse)

Celebrities Eating Burgers

North American Culture.What is it exactly?

apple pie? sports?entertainment? Hollywood? fast food? albeit an appropriation of food from other cultures,ie:pizza and without argument,hands down…burgers.

Why are North Americans obsessed with food? with celebrities? And why do we like to see celebrities eating? especially burgers? and WHY must we insist on taking pictures?!

I looked around the web and this is what I found.

If you have found a picture of a celebrity eating a burger please post in the comments!

Helen MirrenJustin Bieber Hugh Hefner Lindsay Lohan President Barack Obama

Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen Padma Lakshmi Paris Hilton

Angelina Jolie Clive Owen Gene Simmons Hilary Swank Marilyn Monroe Paula Deen

and who can forget the Hoff! remember this video? that went viral after his daughter video taped him while he was drunk eating a burger.

It was funny.sad.pathetic and just one example of North American Culture at it’s worst.

I still love burgers.

Ms.D-Madame of The Broadhouse.

Oscars,Broads and Burgers!

This year proves yet again to be a tough call for the best of the best when it comes to the Oscars and as a 40 something year old woman myself, I am glad to see older women being represented in film  in all their Goddess glory  so but of course I will only be focusing on those actresses whom I consider “Broads”

Sally Field has had a long and rewarding career first starting out as Gidget in the TV series of the same name in the 60’s.  52 years later she has become and is a fine example for other gracefully aging women..proving that women are much more interesting and dynamic with layers and layers of emotion that comes with experience and loving the skin you’re in..and not afraid to show it or their laugh lines..This year she  is nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal  as Mary Todd Lincoln,the First Lady of the United States, to Daniel Day- Lewis’ President Abraham Lincoln. She dominates every scene and even when she ‘s not on the screen her presence can be felt.

Go Sally! and keep going!

Then there is Naomi Watts.  ok.. she hasn’t been on the planet for as long as Sally but she still embodies what it means to be a Broad.She’s always chose very diverse roles from one extreme to the other,from dramatic to comedy.I’ve always been a big fan of her work.Recently,I saw her in J.Edgar Hoover and didn’t know it was her until the end.She’s a chameleon and in my opinion underrated..so this year, at the age of 44, for her to be nominated for Best Actress for The Impossible, well I say, it’s about damned time! Look for her this coming year in Two Mothers playing with another of my favorite actresses,Robin Wright who have love affairs with each others sons.

Talk about being fearless and pushing boundaries! Like I said she’s a Broad.

And then there is Emma Stone,at the age of 25 yrs she’s the youngest of the Broad bunch who is co-hosting the award show with Seth MacFarlane.

If it’s possible,I would like to nominate Seth as an Honorary Burger Broad.

Emma has mostly done comedies in her short life/career and even though I haven’t seen it yet,I’m sure her role as  Grace Faraday in Gangster Squad will show that she is much more than a comedy gal. She also likes cheeseburgers:) her favorite place to munch  in L.A is Apple Pan, a legendary eat-in restaurant that has been around since 1947 that is  known for its apple pies but it also  serves up meals like the Hickory Burger and the Steak Burger.

So that pretty much sums up this years Broads at The Oscars but it goes without saying,  always Meryl Streep <see this link where she is Seussified!)

and Helen Mirren are and always will be quintessential Broads.

So what exactly is a Broad? This is how We define it.

If you are hosting or are invited to an Oscar Award party here’s a great recipe

for mini burgers by Wolfgang Puck.Will you be watching?

Just another day in Paradise-Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner

and just another day….

…but…. it can be oh so fun if you choose it to be!

See here for a previous post

There’s a heart shaped burger recipe there too:)

Why do we celebrate Valentine’s Day anyways?

This is why

A Burger Eating Contest

On a wet, dull and dreary winter Sunday in January a couple of Broads joined in on a burger eating contest that we were invited to and hosted by BQM Burger here in Toronto at Queen and Spadina. This intersection is becoming burger central with  a McDonald’s on one corner,Hero on another, A&W and of course, BQM Burger since 2008. It doesn’t stop there.Burger’s Priest,a classic American cheeseburger joint, will be opening up a 3rd location in the area in May.

Regardless of how much is in your wallet or on your debit card that’s a good variety of  burgers to choose from within doorsteps of each other for Torontonian burger lovers! However, when it comes to so called competition there isn’t any. BQM Burger burgers are premium quality.The beef is family farmed in Ontario and raised without any added hormones or antibiotics.Every single patty is in house grinded-brisket,chuck and sirloin and served up medium rare and they also  have a large selection of craft beers to compliment any burger of your choosing.

Ok..on with the BURGER EATING CONTEST!

Normally, Doing burger eating contests is not our style.We like to bite.chew.swallow and savor every bite very slowly.And in general, food eating contests of any kind are the epitome of food gluttony in the Western World.When I was approached by BQM to join in and attend the contest,I had to think about it.Was it something we, The Burger Broads,wanted to be a part of ? promote? Well, I decided to wrangle a couple of Broads to do it afterall because as much as we like to showcase burgers and interview owners I thought this could be a fun thing to do, just once and a good way to break up the monotony of  these dreary weeks of winter in January while also giving myself a break from the homework at hand of the ideas i have in store for this coming year.

The Burgers were kept simple.

No toppings of any sort.Only ketchup,mustard and aioli if you  chose to…..it was just meat and bun..and OMB! (oh, my Burger!) The meat! The Bun! both so good individually so imagine how burgasmic they were together.To me, the true test of a deliciously made burger is eating it with out all the accoutrements and BQM is The Truth! The meat was void of fillers and seasoned ever so lightly with kosher sea salt and black pepper. Perfect.The bun was an egg bun and it too was perfect.And perfect for the meat.

There were seven contestants in total and 2 of them were the only females,My Broads,Sharon and Krista.Seems to me these food eating contests are mostly attended by males so I was proud to have The  Burger Broads represent the female contingency.

These boys you’ll see in the video below were very serious about this contest while us Broads ate,laughed and gushed and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

So as you can figure we didn’t win the contest,which by the way was a case of Sleeman’s Draught, but because we ‘took on the boys‘ so to speak, we were awarded a 6pack:) Not a bad day at all for saying yes….free burgers and beer! and lotsa laughs….

…….and that’s how We Broads eat’n’roll!

In Burgers We Trust,

Ms.D-Madame of The BroadHouse

CLICK THIS for more pics on facebook.