Cheeseburger in Paradise: A Tribute to Jimmy Buffett

❤️ 🍔 Cheeseburger in Paradise 🍔 ❤️

A Big Warm Bun and a Huge Hunk of Meat
Medium Rare with Muenster’d be nice
Heaven on Earth with an Onion Slice
I like mine with Lettuce and Tomato
Heinz 57 and French-Fried Potatoes
Big Kosher Pickle and a Cold Draft Beer

I join Parrot Heads worldwide in mourning the loss of our beloved Jimmy Buffett.

Jimmy’s passing has truly saddened me, as I’m sure it has for many of you. His music has held an extraordinary influence over our lives, instilling in us the courage to embark on incredible adventures, and crafting countless cherished memories.

Oddly enough, in the wake of this somber news, I found myself drawn to the kitchen to prepare and savor a straightforward yet comforting cheeseburger—a symbolic tribute to “Cheeseburger in Paradise.”

How To Make A Cheeseburger in Paradise

Ingredients:

ground beef (this huge hunk was almost 1/2 lb.)
sea salt and fresh ground pepper
olive oil
muenster cheese
lettuce leaves
tomato, sliced
onion, thinly sliced
large brioche hamburger bun, toasted
heinz 57
french fries
big kosher pickle
cold draft beer

Method:

Season ground beef with salt and pepper. Form into a patty.

Heat a small amount of olive oil over medium heat in a cast iron pan. Add beef patty and cook until medium-rare, flipping once. Top with sliced Muenster cheese. Allow cheese to melt slightly.

Arrange bottom of warm brioche bun with lettuce, tomato, and onion. Place beef patty on top. Cover with top of bun. Serve with Heinz 57, French-fried potatoes, a big Kosher pickle, and a cold draft beer.

Fun Fact:

The line in the song “medium rare with Muenster’d be nice” is often misinterpreted as “medium rare with mustard be nice.” No mustard. Yes Muenster. 👍 🧀  Jimmy was a wordsmith (one of the best, actually), he wouldn’t write a song about a cheeseburger and leave out the cheese, would he?

(Source: Margaritaville.com/discography via Internet Archive Wayback Machine. Read more about the confusion here).

The Magic

This morning I drove over to the market to get the few remaining items for my cheeseburger recipe. I returned to the car, and started the engine.  The very first words I heard were Jimmy singing “Cheeseburger in Paradise” on the car radio.

“Cheeseburger is paradise
Medium rare with Muenster’d be nice
Not too particular, not too precise
I’m just a cheeseburger in paradise.

I like mine with lettuce and tomato
Heinz 57 and French fried potatoes
Big kosher pickle and a cold draft beer
Well, good God Almighty which way do I steer”

As I was shooting the images for this post, I was listening to Sirius XM Radio Margaritaville.

In addition to digging up all my old Jimmy Buffett CDs from the garage, during the photoshoot I was thinking about adding some other props. I didn’t have a pirate flag, a parrot, or palm tree… but I did have my adorable, crusty old manatee carved by a fisherman years ago on an island in the Caribbean.

So Mr. Manatee ended up in the shoot with the cheeseburger.

“Believe It Or Not” the next song on the radio was “Growing Older But Not Up.”  And to my astonishment, there was Jimmy singing “Sometimes I see me as an old manatee, Headin’ South as the waters grow colder…”

May the magic never end.

🌟 ❤️ 🌟  Rest in Paradise JB – Merci pour la Magie… 🌟 ❤️ 🌟

🦈   🦜 Fins Up Parrot Heads – We will weather this storm together. 🦜 🦈