In case you haven't noticed, we're going through a burger phase here at YumSugar. For the first 28 years of my life, I was a hot dog girl, but then I got a meat grinder, and all I can think about are burgers! After tackling beef and salmon, I decided it was time to find a great turkey burger recipe. While there's tons of variations out there, there's only one turkey burger that's good enough to serve the First Lady. I'm talking about Spike Mendelsohn's Michelle Melt. The Top Chef favorite created this burger at his Good Stuff Eatery in Washington DC in honor of Mrs. Obama. The patty is a mixture of sautéed celery, apple, and onion. Mango chutney and chipotle chiles in adobe make it sweet and spicy. The condiments are classic — lettuce, tomato, swiss cheese, and herb mayo — but the resulting burger is far from ordinary. It's juicy and packed with flavor without being overly healthy. In a word this burger is exquisite. You'll love it. Here's Spike's recipe.

When Frieda's got wind of how much I loved their feijoas, they sent me a giant box of rambutans. I'm very quick to embrace exotic new fruit, but I'm not going to lie: I'd never tried rambutans before or even seen them in the flesh, and they looked kind of scary.

After mustering up the courage to tackle one, I realized they're a lot like lychees, only covered with a layer of spiky red hair. Break them open and you're privy to an opalescent jewel of a fruit, the same milkiness and size of a lychee, with a woody pit on the inside. I love lychee martinis so much that I couldn't resist making the same merry with rambutans.
Inspired by last week's Scarlet Harlot, I used the same muddling method to bring out the fresh juice in these redheaded berries. Do the same when you read on.

After a mammoth grillfest, I'm always stuck with leftovers, and the last thing I want to do is make another run to the grocery store. Today, I plan on making a laid-back meal using items I already have on hand so that none of it goes to any waste. I'll prepare a dish I like to call cheesy beans and franks.

It's a cross between two comfort food faves: mac and cheese and cassoulet. Instead of carbohydrate-rich macaroni, I'm subbing in white beans and using frankfurters to ramp up the meaty flavor and texture. For a creative and fresh way to make the most of yesterday's leftovers, read more.

Take advantage of the season's fresh basil and make this simple, delicious, and versatile Italian sauce.