I almost never eat steak anymore; if I do, I'll cook it myself because I like it medium or even medium/well. Don't care for blood-rare steak. Never have, though I know many folks who swear by it.

I prefer my hamburgers well done. But since I like thick burgers, cooking them that way doesn't really ruin it for me. But again, I prefer to make them at home. Too many times (in restaurants) I've asked for a well-done burger only to have it brought to me nearly raw. And who wants to eat a raw burger?

On the other hand, some "genius" will probably put a little dollop of raw, fatty ground beef on the menu of one of those yuppified, upscale Manhattan "bistros" and call it Le Burger Tartare; flanked by Yin/Yang-style smears of ketchup and mustard (and at a price of somewhere around $25 for a tablespoon-size portion), it will promptly be hailed as the next great trend in "fine dining." It will also prove that you can fool some of the people all of the time.

Of course, since I'm so behind the times, chances are it's been done for years already...

Wouldn't mind having a real hamburger right about now - come to think of it, I think it's been several months since I've had one. It's difficult to get a decent burger around here - all the little cafes are long gone and all that's available in my neighborhood (within walking distance) is McDonald's. panic

Signor V.

"For me, there's only my wife..."

"Sure I cook with wine - sometimes I even add it to the food!"

"When life itself seems lunatic, who knows where madness lies?"

"It was a grass harp... And we listened."

"Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it? Every, every minute?"

"No. Saints and poets, maybe... they do some."