burgers

If Friday night means heading to the nearest pub for a beer and a burger, you probably don't want to know that your simple order of a burger and fries can run you over 1,400 calories. That's a day's worth of calories in one meal, not even counting the added calories of a beer or dessert. You don't have to give up on your burger entirely — just follow these calorie-saving tips.

Make it a veggie patty (100) instead of beef (306):
Calories saved: 206

If going veggie doesn't do it for you, eat half the beef patty instead of the whole (306):
Calories saved: 153

Skip the cheese:
Calories saved: about 100 per slice

Can't enjoy your burger without cheese? Add a slice of provolone (98) instead of cheddar (113):
Calories saved: 15

Side salad with dressing (140) instead of fries (395) with ketchup (20):
Calories saved: 275 calories

Only eat half the bun instead of the whole (160):
Calories saved: 80

Two tomato slices (7) and mustard (5) instead of ketchup (20) and mayo (90):
Calories saved: 98

Bobby Flay has a shining new accomplishment to put under his belt: winner of the Burger Bash people's choice award. The owner of Bobby's Burger Palace shared his elation with the crowd at a South Beach Wine and Food Festival demo yesterday, mostly about dethroning best friend and long-standing winner Michael Symon. "I've endured 36 straight months of razzing from Michael. The next 12 will be bliss . . . I'm going to give it back." Chef Flay also shared tips and his controversial opinions on what does — and does not — belong between two buns.

• Don't even bother with chicken burgers. When asked by an audience member why her chicken burgers never turn out quite right, Flay had a simple, definitive answer: "Don't make them!" Ground chicken breast doesn't work: it's too rubbery and dry. Instead, he offers customers a chicken breast sandwich and turkey burgers to satisfy those in need of a poultry fix.

Keep reading for a deeper glimpse into his burger philosophy.

We've been exploring the topic of controversial foods and so far have cracked open the arguments surrounding three of America's favorites: chili, mac and cheese, and barbecue. But we'd be remiss to overlook the importance of a good ole burger . . . and the passionate opinions around its composition.

While this popular delicacy attributes its name to Hamburg, Germany, a city that popularized the minced beef "Hamburg steak" in the 18th century, the origin of the sandwichlike hamburger is vague. Several US cities — New Haven, CT; Athens, TX; Hamburg, NY; and Seymour, WI, to name a few — claim to be the birthplace of the first hamburger, but these days, it's less about where the burger came from and increasingly about what's in it and on it.

Today, the only limit to the number of burger toppings is the imagination. But the controversy surrounding burgers usually focuses on two key areas: patty and bun. Some versions offer alternative ground meats (turkey, pork, buffalo, salmon), while others substitute meat-free ground substances (tofu, black beans, vegetables). Sometimes the patty takes on a solid form like chicken breasts, portobello mushrooms, or tomato slices. And the vehicles for these juicy delights are more often than not some type of bun or roll, but sometimes a ground beef patty shows up on slices of rye bread (as in a patty melt), is slipped into a pita, or is elongated into a hot dog bun.

So our question for you today is, at what point does a burger stop being a burger and become a sandwich?

From salmon burgers to pork chipotle muenster burgers, I've seen and tried just about everything in between a circular bun. So when I flipped open the latest Food Network Magazine to find a recipe for Indian-inspired spiced burgers, I couldn't resist giving them a try.

The South Asian spice that makes this burger so distinctive is curry powder, and it's incorporated directly into the patty before cooking. It lends a warmth to the patty, which is actually fairly lean (it's made of 90 percent lean ground beef).

What keeps the burger moist (and what makes this burger so great) is the complementary condiment: a cucumber raita of sorts, made here with Greek yogurt and cilantro in lieu of chopped mint and the thinner yogurt variety. Keep reading for more, including the spiced burger recipe.