Brainstorming "The Ultimate French Burger"

Tomorrow is July 14. I'm pining for things French and the iron deficiency has me yearning for red meat. "Bastille Day" brings to mind family, picnics and national spirit. And it makes me hungry for a burger.

But how would we make a French burger? Oh, I feel a trip to Wegmans in my bones.

The ultimate French burger would have (play along)...

A brioche for the roll, with a perfectly shaped to fit the roll patty (not too thick not too thin) definitely rare... With some sort of creamy herby mustard sauce, a mild Camembert, hearty leaves of sorrel and maybe spinach or endive. I'm on the fence re: tomato or even scallions...and BIG steak fries with a side of au jus

My friends and my husband are encouraging me to make this bad boy, but it's a culinary creation that can't be rushed.

Mulling it about in my head. Brioche alone is a two day affair requiring 2 lbs of butter and a trip to the farm for eggs. Not to mention, finding the right Camembert to be strong but not too strong and the right meat to make a quality au jus...

My husband wants desperately to take me to Wegmans but the finances aren't proper for a splurge like this.

Red Robin

Last night, I had an overwhelming craving for French fries. So the family took me to Red Robin.

I ordered what they call a BLTA. It's bacon-lettuce-tomato-avocado and turkey on a croissant. My daughter ordered the cod fish and chips dinner. My husband got some burger with bleu cheese.

Mine came with a side of cantaloupe that my daughter devoured.

I quickly discovered that I can't mix hot and cold. The broken molar in the rear of the left side of my mouth screams severely when I attempt it. The slightest cold bothers it-- yogurt, sandwiches, pudding-- and to combine that with hot does not work. At all. So I opted for the hot fries instead of the cold sandwich.

What I wanted

And this suited me. Because those fries tasted incredible. That's the real beauty in this whole dental injury mess. I am rediscovering food. Slowly. One tiny bite or one flavor at a time. And it's a euphoric adventure. Don't get me wrong-- I'd rather have my teeth. But this recovery... each step toward being able to eat comfortably, I can't help but savor everything.

Today, I took the half sandwich in the picture here and I sliced it into tiny pieces and ate it like a salad. Two pieces would equal the size of my finger nail. And I ate it, slowly, with a fork. It was laborious, but I enjoyed every mouthful.