Although the 4th of July was technically yesterday, let’s be honest… you have been invited to multiple BBQs on Saturday and Sunday too. When the 4th falls on the Friday or a Monday, the holiday becomes a grueling, three day marathon of charred meat and tepid beer consumption.

After a weekend such as this, you’re bound to have a plethora of leftovers. When I BBQ, I usually cook off all my hamburger meat, even if people stop eating them, because I’d rather have them in my refrigerator cooked than raw. Although the last thing I want to see on Monday is another hamburger, it’s really easy to change them around and use them to make new dishes so that they don’t go to waste (and so that I can indulge my laziness by already having part of my dinner cooked).

Here are five ways to utilize leftover, already grilled burgers:

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Yay it’s 4th of July! That fabulous, summer crash-course of a holiday where we can forget our troubles and remember how great it is to live in this amazing country. A country “of the people, by the people, for the people”. A country free from corrupt government, a country whose civil liberties are still intact and, um… well…

At least we still got burgers.

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The 4th is only hours away, and I’ll bet dollars to donuts a good portion of you have not yet prepped for your festivities.

And it’s a good thing you haven’t, because I’ve compiled for you a handy, and delicious, list of  recipes from around the web to help tantilize and titillate your palate on this, our most BBQtastic holiday of the year.

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As we all enjoy this perfect weather over these next few weeks, most of us will no doubt be partaking in some wonderful picnics. El Matador, the Santa Monica Mountains, even a little trip down to Griffith Park, perhaps a late-night flick at Cinespia… It’s all about the picnic.

And what says summer picnic more than potato salad?

Nothing, that’s what.

Well Serious Eats has a fantastic-looking recipe that features my favorite ingredient: stuff from the local farmer’s market! Yes, I just happen to be an adherent to the slow food movement, so anything local, sustainably-raised and organic will certainly win points in my mind.

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If you’ve been to a Derby Dolls match or any other hip underground LA happening, then you’ve most likely seen the eco-friendly Green Truck cateringmobile.

It’s the one that offers the organic, locally- and sustainably-raised food cooked in a solar-powered kitchened and fueled by bio-diesel.

Well based on the sucess of the original two, they’ve expanded their fleet by 2 more!

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Great news, everyone. June is National Candy Month! Now, here’s a reason to celebrate, overdo the sugar, and pretend to be a kid! While participating in this holiday does not really require instruction (Drive to 7-Eleven, pick up a Reese’s and a bag of Sour Patch Kids, eat), you could do something a little cuter. Why? Just cause? Sure. Here are a couple places to truly experience a kid-in-a-candy-shop feeling, but minus the Big Chew bubble gum and Lick-a-Maid packets.

Boule was compared to La Duree candy shop in Paris, which immediately caught my eye and told me it’d be a place to see. (Located throughout Paris, La Duree is, like, candy taken to the most gourmet level. As in, wealthy Parisians meeting over a glass of wine and a plate of.. one chocolate. For probably more than your average Parisian entree. Ridiculous, but if you like candy, marvelous!)

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Following a particularly harsh comment on one of my latest fish recipes, I thought I’d avoid posting recipes for a bit, unless they photographed perfectly; that is, vibrant colors complimented by the plate (because most of us with full-time jobs make it a point to serve a midweek meal with a full color palate and we buy dishes in a variety of shapes and colors just so our meals photograph nicely) The truth is, however, I have continued to make “embarrassingly simple” yet delicious food that I believe is worth sharing.

And so I have a new recipe for all of you, (even our meanest readers) and it even involves my last culprit Tilapia!

I have included a recipe for Lentil Salad, which is delicious, I promise, and an easy blackened tilapia recipe.

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If summer days = beer, then summer nights = dining al fresco.

Thursday Twilight Dance Series at the Santa Monica Pier starts tonight at 7pm, July 26! You’ve got two options: 1) fight the crowds for a good spot on the Pier and watch The Bonedaddys and Crown City Rockers from just a few feet away, or 2) Sacrifice the view for a spot on the beach with a picnic dinner in the sand. While not a spot that comes immediately to mind when you think picnic, Joe’s Pizza (famous for it’s Manhattan Bleecker Street location) couldn’t be more convenient. A full pie boxed up and just a short walk to the Pier and you’re ready to groove. Pizzas start at $2.75 for a slice, and $18 - $22 for a full pie. 111 Broadway, Santa Monica, 310.395.9222

For the Cinespia lover, treat your date to a picnic box from the Little Next Door. The baby sister of high-end Little Door restaurant, this market-deli-cafe specializes in local, organic goodies. Order the classic movie box to-go, including a charcuterie plate, sandwiches, Kettle chips and pickled cucumber salad ($65 for two people). Or design your own picnic basket from their extensive menu. All picnic orders include a bottle of water and a baguette, and sandwiches range in price from $10-$15. 8142 West 3rd Street, Los Angeles, 323.951.1010 

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After that last unbearably hot week, there’s no denying that summer is here.

Last week, the LA Times put together a handy little camping BBQ guide, but this week they’ve taken things one step further by providing the essential basics of proper grilling.

I mean let’s face it, we’ve all had our hastily-planned BBQs where we slap down a couple frozen patties, a couple Kosher franks and maybe slathered some Hunt’s BBQ sauce on some ribs, but it’s actually quite easy to really kick things up without much more muss or fuss.

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With the summer months here, the outdoors are where it’s at. I myself am partial to the stunning vistas of Big Sur, and if you’re anything like me, you’ll probably find yourself camping more than once these sweltering months. After all, if you’re gonna be hot, at least do it out in nature, right?

Well the LA Times has us foodies covered: They’ve put together an extremely handy guide on how to cook effectively in a camping setting, along with a number of delicious-sounding recipes!

Trout, buttermilk stick biscuits, salads and even dessert, they’ve got it all covered.

The one thing they mention is a dutch oven, so you might need to invest in a little hardware to get things just right, but that sounds like the sort of thing that’s handy to have around, just for those wonderful summertime getaways.

So grab yourself a cast iron skillet, a cooler, (and maybe adutch oven) and head out to the hills with you vittles! When that sun sets and you’re making your ’smores around the campfire, you’ll be thanking me.

photo by y_katsuuu 

If you ever find yourself caught near Sunset Junction with a crippling hankering for a gourmet sandwich, but just don’t have it in your to leave the hip little area (or wait forever at any of the overcrowded local eateries), let me turn you on to a great  discovery I made over the weekend:

The Cheese Store of Silver Lake has sandwiches!

And not just some sitting-in-a-fridge-all-day pseudo Wolfgang Puck sandwiches, either. No, siree. With a limited but amazingly delicious choice between hot panini-style and cold baguette fare, it was a close second to LA Mill’s orgasmic ABLT. Plus you can sit outside in the Intelligentsia terrace while you eat!

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Open arms greet me at the door from the corner house on a quiet leafy street in Silver Lake. Jenny welcomes me with a hug and a smile and her plum-tinted curls bounce around her cheeks. I follow her up the stairs to the lounge area where the dining room is on a split level. We sit at the huge wooden dining table and wait for her sister to arrive. It isn’t long before Heather bounces into the lounge, pushes her long golden hair from her face and takes her seat next to Jenny.

Welcome to Spork Foods and two sisters who want to change the world, week-by-week, with healthy gourmet vegan food, education, and outstanding hospitality.

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