Burgers have become such high art, they have “artist series” now. Yep. LA-based SLS resident Umami Burger and writer/actress/comedian Mindy Kaling recently teamed up to dream up the Mindy Burger, a signature Umami beef patty topped with pickled jalapeño, fried onion strings and Sriracha aioli. “Spicy and cheesy, it reflects my own personality,” Kaling says.
One dollar from each $13 burger will benefit the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, a Manhattan Beach, California-based research center dedicated to doubling pancreatic cancer survival by 2020. Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest cancers, with a five-year survival rate of only 7 percent.
The charitable “artist series” burger is not the first. Last year, Chef José Andrés created a burger after his own name, made of ground pork and cured ham, topped with piquillo pepper confit, caramelized onion and Manchego cheese. Comedy actor Andy Samberg crafted the Chicago dog-themed “Samberger,” with sport peppers, roasted tomatoes, dill pickles, relish, garlic aioli, poppy seeds and yellow mustard. The Black Keys also debuted the Akron Burger, a tribute to their Ohio hometown, with yellow mustard, Velveeta fondue, "secret sauce," chopped onions and dill pickles.
"Mindy Kaling is a brilliant comedic talent, simultaneously fearless, sharp and approachable," Umami Burger CEO Paul Clayton says. "Her culinary talents have a similar sensibility."
In that case, let’s hope the burger doesn’t taste funny.
