I may be jumping the gun here, but the warmer weather and sunshine has me craving the outdoors, and what better way to get out of the kitchen than to fire up the grill? So as we trade in longer evenings for earlier mornings, let us also trade in chimney smoke for the smell of searing meat.

Whether propane or charcoal, the odor of cooking protein over open flame cannot be beat (thank goodness for the caveman – or woman – who discovered that fire cooks meat). What better way to celebrate the return of Spring than to light the grill and throw on a hamburger? While I await the return of (in my opinion) the best burger in America, served up by Derek and Amanda Luhowiak of Local Sixfортyseven, a mobile farm to fork kitchen that can be found throughout the area at local farmers markets and wineries (check their site, http://www.localsixfortyseven.com/, for an updated schedule coming soon!), I decided to try my hand at creating some burgers with a twist. While I didn't go as far as Derek and Amanda (everything Local Sixfortyseven serves – from the burger to the bun to the ketchup – is handmade and local), I did try to spice things up a bit. You probably have your own favorite recipe for burgers, and I'd love to hear about it. Look for my company, Edible Complex, on Facebook, and let me know what you've tried!

[Includes recipes for Spiced Turkey Burgers, Horseradish Mayonnaise, and Grilled Bison Burgers with Smoked Gouda, Red Wine Onions and Oven-Roasted Tomatoes]