Food Porn: Don't fall for the photo

The glossy food porn made my mouth water. It was a close up shot of a juicy burger sitting on a bed of bright arugula and ripe tomato. I wanted it, and so did hubby.

Tonight was his turn to handle dinner. With the colourful photo and recipe from the July issue of Châtelaine magazine, we were both eager to savour the real thing. I realize now that with styling and lighting, even dirty gym socks can look sexy.

Andy was elbow deep in turkey, garlic, ginger, onions, flax meal and cooked sweet potato. He omitted the kale and walnuts. Didn't think they'd be a hit with the kids. With the giant mixing bowl in front of him, he looked like a surgeon rearranging a patient's intestines.

Once he formed the patties, they were ready for the BBQ. That's when everything fell apart, quite literally. His perfectly formed patties stuck to the grill, even though he had had given it a generous oiling. I haven't heard him swear so much since Portugal lost its shot at the World Cup in 2010.

He tried to salvage his work by scraping off the undercooked meat and flopping it into a frying pan. He finished cooking it over the stove. The result was something that resembled a dog's breakfast. See for yourself.

In spite of its appearance, the turkey burger blunder was quite tasty. I had two helpings. As for hubby, he's sworn off ground turkey forever.  I think I'll try the leftovers in an omelette tomorrow morning. Lesson learned -- and this applies to food, internet dating and homes: don't fall for the photo.