How are you cooking your food?

One time I visited my friends Jim and Rachel to celebrate a holiday. To our surprise, Jim’s brother Steve graciously decided to cook for the four of us. Burgers were on the menu, and Steve used the infamous George Foreman grill.

Jim had not eaten much all day. I sat next to him at the dinner table, and I could tell that he was ready to dive in. After a quick saying of grace, I barely had a chance to grab a potato chip before watching Jim pick up his burger and take the World’s Biggest Bite out of it. Within two seconds, he made a guttural sound and reared his head back. I could see red liquid dripping from the freshly-chewed side of the burger. It was practically raw! Jim was disgusted, Rachel was in disbelief, Steve was mortified, and I couldn’t stop laughing. Cooking can be tricky, even with the lean and mean fat-grilling machine. Rachel finished the burgers in a skillet, and I knew I’d always have a great story to tell, much to Steve’s chagrin.

My family used to grill out all the time when I was a kid. After living in apartments for many years, I couldn’t wait to have a house with a patio where I could grill. As soon as I bought my house, I purchased a grill to make steaks, burgers, and dogs.

One time, I asked a friend of mine the following question: “How many hamburgers should I be able to make out of a five-pound chub of ground beef?”…