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George Motz explores 'Burger Land' The more common phrase may be "American as apple pie," but the hamburger elicits much the same swell of patriotic pride in the heart of American diners. Coincidentally, Pie 'n Burger in Pasadena, Calif., offers those two items on its menu – with a few more things – and it's featured in the premiere episode of the Travel Channel series "Burger Land" on Monday, April 15. George Motz – who gained burger fame with his 2005 documentary "Hamburger America" – names the double cheeseburger and the butterscotch pie as his favorites at the diner, which opened in 1963. From the Los Angeles area, the show heads to Miami and then off across America. Fans are going to see a lot of different ways to make a burger, but one thing's for sure: The patties won't be made of turkey, salmon, tuna or vegetables. "Anything that's shaped and formed into what looks like a beef patty," Motz says, "to me, is disingenuous. You're fooling yourself. I'd rather go eat a head of lettuce than eat a burger made of a fake soy patty. "A hamburger can be described as chopped meat" – Motz prefers ground chuck steak, with 20 percent fat, and American cheese if it's a cheeseburger – "that is cooked somehow and served on bread. That's a hamburger." While some fast-food joints and restaurants tout their flame-broiled burgers, that isn't Motz's preferred cooking method. "One of the hardest things to do," he says, "and everybody thinks it's the easiest way to cook a burger, is to take it outside and cook it on a grill. That is the most difficult and probably the most unrewarding. "The easiest way to make a burger is on a flattop grill or a skillet. You can't go wrong if you cook them on a flattop on the stove. One of the best ways is to put a cast-iron skillet on your outdoor flame and cook it that way. You have complete control. It's all about temperature control. "I just default to my favorite, which is the smashed patty on a flattop." Additional locations for where Motz seeks slices of burger heaven include Connecticut (where burgers can be steamed), Illinois, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York (where, Motz says, any sort of burger can be found), North Carolina (where coleslaw and chili may come piled on top), Texas and Wisconsin. "In terms of the popularity of the hamburger," Motz says, "it's without a doubt the last American food invention of the last 100 years." BY KATE O'HARE Motz has his own burger specialty, the "Smashed Motz Burger." It involves 80/20 ground chuck (cooked in a cast-iron skillet), squishy white buns (mass-market ones from the grocery store are just fine), and very thin-sliced Vidalia onions. You can saute the onions to put on top of the burger, or you can smash raw, thin-sliced onion into the meat patty at the beginning of the process. '80S Movies Harrison Ford "The Big Chill" Tom Cruise 8 "Airplane!" (1980) We admit this is a very subjective list that can't possibly fit every eligible film in, but we start with this stilluproarious disaster-movie satire. "Ordinary People" (1980) Family emotions rarely have had as intense a showcase as in Robert Redford's Oscar-winning directing debut. "Chariots of Fire" (1981) Athletes running in slo-mo to Vangelis' music was a defining movie scene of the decade. "Raiders of the Lost Ark" (1981):Lucas. Spielberg. Indiana Jones. Snakes and giant boulders. 'Nuff said. "Tootsie" (1982) Men have posed as women (and vice versa) in many movies, but Dustin Hoffman made it an art form. "Trading Places" (1983) Individual jokes are so good in this Dan Aykroyd-Eddie Murphy vehicle, it's easy to overlook how brilliant the script is. "Flashdance" (1983) "MTV filmmaking" began with this saga of a steelworker/exotic dancer (Jennifer Beals). "The Big Chill" (1983) Old college friends gather for a funeral in one of the warmest reunions ever put on film. "A Christmas Story" (1983) One of its decade's most enduring The Goshen News • Viewer's Choice • April 15-21, 2013 BY JAY BOBBIN movies remains a holiday perennial. "Ghostbusters" (1984) "Who ya gonna call?" You know. "The Terminator" (1984) "I'll be back." And the cyborg killer meant it. "Back to the Future" (1985) Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) ensures his own destiny by uniting his mother and father. "The Breakfast Club" (1985) Detention has deep meaning for five vastly different high-schoolers. "Top Gun" (1986) Tom Cruise flew into the stratosphere, in character and in his career, as aptly nicknamed Maverick. "Wall Street" (1987) "Greed is good" ... as is Michael Douglas' Oscar-winning performance as shark Gordon Gekko. "Rain Man" (1988) Dustin Hoffman claimed his second Oscar as a shyster's (Tom Cruise) autistic brother. "Die Hard" (1988) Bruce Willis became an action star for the ages as John McClane, New York cop-turned-fighter of thieves in an L.A. skyscraper. "Say Anything ... " (1989) Boy (John Cusack) loves girl (Ione Skye), loses girl, holds boombox above his head outside her window to win her back.

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