Wins ‘Big Fat’ Prize
For Greek-Inspired Burger
by john toscano

Mello holding ‘Big Fat Check’ proudly displays trophy and winning burger.

When it comes to singing the praises of her prize-winning, Greek-inspired burger recipe, Susan Mello of Jackson Heights via Astoria needs no assistance. Mello, a freelance, classically trained singer who graduated in 1999 from the renowned Juilliard School of Music, doffs her apron, steps out of the kitchen and goes into her song.

Mello has been bursting into song since September 30 when she won a $20,000 prize for what she calls "My Big Fat Greco-Inspired Burger" at a competition sponsored by the Sutter Home Winery in St. Helena, California.

Mello, taking her second shot in the Build A Better Burger competition, came up with a recipe that featured, among other ingredients, lamb, feta cheese fresh mint leaves and small pita breads.

Although Mello is Portuguese, she says the 12 years she lived in Astoria before she moved to Jackson Heights two years ago, whetted her appetite for Greek food. "Then along came the ‘My Big Fat Greek Wedding’ craze, and it pushed me closer to a burger with a special Greek touch," she explained.

Big Fat burger above and below Mello stands ready at the grill during cook-off.

"I eat a lot of Greek dishes with feta cheese, and I love eggplant moussaka, so I came up with a totally original recipe this summer." The prize recipe is printed in full elsewhere on this page.

The only thing missing was a charcoal grill, but this problem was easily solved, she said. "A friend in Long Island City offered a grill when I said I wanted to try out the recipe. After that, I got offers from other grill owners who wanted to sample the new dish and everybody liked it."

Mello took a chance on the Sutter Home competition last year with a Portuguese hamburger recipe. It lost. She decided to enter this year’s contest with her Greek burger concoction, however, and her cooking hobby paid off.

There were more than 500 guests on hand. Judges representing top food and wine magazines tasted and reviewed recipes and selected the winners.

A spokesman for Sutter said Mello "illustrated the versatility of burgers and wine pairings with a dish entitled ‘My Big Fat Greco-Inspired Burger.’ For her grilling efforts, winning over the eight-judge panel, Susan returned home $20,000 richer."

Entries in this year’s competition ranged from traditional beef burgers to seafood burgers, to this year’s People’s Choice winner, a buffalo burger offered by a Tennessee woman. Her entry, "Buttered Pecan Buffalo Burgers with Cabernet Cranberries and Herbed Mayonnaise" won a $5,000 prize.

A professional cook from Atlanta competing among his peers also won a $5,000 prize for an "Andouille-Shrimp Burger with Creole Honey Mustard."

Proceeds from ticket sales for the cookoff were donated to the City of Hope, an internationally renowned cancer research facility, the spokesmen said.

For Mello, who has made a living with her freelance singing career over the past 20 years, the $20,000 prize has fueled her hopes of going on to better and bigger things.

"Now that I know about this nice, lucrative hobby, I can set my sights on the Internet, where there are thousands of cooking competitions, and maybe even the Pillsbury Bake-Off, which offers a $1 million prize. That would be a nice take-home prize," she said.

Meanwhile, she’s working on a CD of classical party songs, her first try at putting out a CD for any genré.

Mello’s successful singing career includes performances with the Tulsa Opera, the Glimmerglass Opera at Cooperstown, New York, Opera San Jose, and recitals up and down the East Coast.

She started singing in Fall River, Massachusetts. She came to New York City about 13 years ago and took up residence in Astoria, a good choice since the community introduced her to Greek cuisine and put her on the road to Greco-Burger success.