SFA Director on Iron Chef

The University of Mississippi's John T. Edge can be seen putting his recently honed hamburger-tasting expertise to good use on the Food Network this weekend, on an upcoming episode of "Iron Chef America." The full press release follows...
OXFORD, Miss. - The University of Mississippi's John T. Edge can be seen putting his recently honed hamburger-tasting expertise to good use on the Food Network this weekend. Edge, director of the Southern Foodways Alliance at the Center for the Study of Southern Culture, judges a burger battle on an episode of "Iron Chef America" airing for the first time at 8 p.m. Sunday (July 17).

It's no coincidence Edge is weighing in on burgers. While he's considered an expert on all kinds of cuisine, especially the Southern kind, his latest book is titled "Hamburgers & Fries: An American Story." Part cookbook, part travelogue, part love story, the book is the result of Edge's travels across this country to find the best hamburger recipes, restaurants and stories.

"I want to understand, through food, how we define ourselves as Americans," Edge said. "There may be no better food by which to do that than hamburgers, which are a purely American invention." According to critics, he's done it.

"John T. Edge's magisterial 'Hamburgers & Fries' … is a hymn to the complexity of American cooking and culture: a triumph of meaty research and a pleasure to read," said Josh Ozersky of Newsday.

"Hamburgers & Fries" is the third in a series published by G. P. Putnam Sons examining "iconic" American foods. "Fried Chicken" and "Apple Pie" were released last fall; "Donuts" is due out this fall. All four books share a subtitle.

As for "Iron Chef America," Edge won't reveal what he said of the burger creations or whether University of Southern Mississippi alumna and newest Iron Chef Cat Cora prevailed over contender Kelly Simon. But he did talk - enthusiastically - about enjoying burgers with original "Saturday Night Live" cast member Bill Murray after the taping.

Murray, an "Iron Chef" fan and fellow burger connoisseur, liked what transpired in Kitchen Stadium so much that he ran out to a nearby burger joint and brought back a bunch to the Manhattan studio for cast and crew to share.

For all "Iron Chef America" air dates, visit Food Network. More: Southern Foodways Alliance