Father’s Day is this Sunday and, for some folks, finding the perfect gift for dad can be a conundrum. Does he have a job that requires a conservative look? You could consider a navy tie with diagonal stripes, searching out a “Maize” colored stripe if he’s a Michigan fan, “Green” if he roots for State.

If dad’s basement is filled with cardboard boxes of Grateful Dead vinyl that he cherishes as much as the family dog, surely he’d appreciate a Jerry Garcia tie. No vinyl or dog? Maybe he’d like a dog-- but check with him on that one first.

Tradition in my family has been to grill my dad and husband a burger. Not just any burger, mind you. These burgers are carefully crafted to please their unique palates, which coincidentally, reflect their personalities.

My father, Robert, is a traditionalist kind-of-a guy, and that goes for his burgers. He craves a juicy, red-meat hamburger, char-grilled over hot coals, simply seasoned with kosher salt and coarsely ground pepper.

I always select a chuck grind with a high amount of fat to meat ratio (20%) to make the juiciest burger possible; the bun I select does not contain so much as a gram of fiber. When dad bites into his burger, the bread is as soothing to him as an afternoon nap atop his fluffy white eiderdown comforter; even a sesame seeded bun would be problematic.

At the other extreme, my husband, Richard, scrutinizes a nutrition label with the intensity of a Russian scholar studying Dostoevsky. A runner and a health-conscious kind-of-a-guy, his personality is in keeping with his favorite burger, made from lean ground chicken breast combined with spinach and whole grains. I search for a bun that contains as many grams of fiber as possible to house this burger--a towering testimonial to low cholesterol and high protein.

Is your dad a vegetarian? Grill him a portabella mushroom cap or marinated slab of tofu. A gourmet, Food Network-watching-kind-of-a-guy? How about a ground lamb burger topped with arugula with a hefty smear of goat cheese.

But back to that tie. You say he's a Michigan fan? Buy the Maize and Blue tie and accompany it with a "Go Blue" Cheeseburger. Happy Father's Day!

Recipe for "Go-Blue" Cheeseburgers (Yield: 6 burgers)

Ingredients

1/2 cup(1/4#) blue cheese, crumbled 4  tablespoons cream cheese 1 tablespoon sour cream or yogurt 2 tablespoons prepared horseradish 2 pounds hamburger, ground chuck or sirloin  1 tablespoon finely grated onion 6 hamburger buns Lettuce and tomatoes

Directions

1. In a bowl, cream together blue cheese, cream cheese, sour cream and horseradish. 
2. Preheat gas or charcoal grill to high heat. Oil grill grates.
 3. Spread the beef onto a cutting board and sprinkle with the grated onion. Combine onions into beef and form into 6 patties. Season both sides of beef with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Grill burgers, with lid down, about 4 to 5 minutes per side for medium-rare. 
 4. Divide and spread blue cheese sauce on cut side of each bun half then place burger in bun with lettuce and sliced tomato.

Recipe for Portabella Mushroom Burgers (Yield: 4 burgers)

Ingredients

3/4 cup mayonnaise 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 2 teaspoons minced garlic 4 large portabella mushrooms, stems removed and washed 4 artisan sandwich rolls, large enough to accommodate the mushrooms 1 large tomato, sliced Greens, such as arugula or romaine, as needed

Directions

1. Mix mayonnaise, basil and mustard together. Season to taste with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.  Whisk olive oil and garlic in another bowl.
 2. Prepare grill to medium-high heat. Brush mushroom caps on both sides with garlic oil.  Lightly season with salt and pepper.  Grill mushrooms until tender and golden brown, 4-5 minutes per side. Transfer to a platter and cover with foil to keep warm.
 3. Grill cut side of rolls, if desired.  Top the bottom half of each roll with a mushroom, tomato slice and greens. Spoon some basil-mustard sauce over tomato and top with the other half of the bun.

Recipe for Turkey Burgers with Cracked Wheat and Spinach (Yield: 4 burgers) (adapted from Mark Bittman)

Ingredients

2 cups soaked cracked wheat*
 1 pound fresh spinach leaves, longer stems removed
 1 pound lean ground turkey breast 
2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
 1-3 teaspoons ground cumin
 Pinch or more cayenne
 1-3 teaspoons kosher salt
 1 large egg
 1 tomato, sliced (optional)
 1 onion, sliced (optional)
 4 large lettuce leaves (optional)
 4 whole-grain buns
 Condiments, such as mustards, mayonnaise and salsa



*For apx. 2 cups of soaked cracked wheat, place 1/2 cup dry cracked wheat in a pan; cover with 1 cup boiling water. Cover and let sit for 30 minutes, stirring once.

Directions

1. Boil a large pot of salted water. Put spinach in boiling water for 30 seconds; drain in a colander, rinsing under ice cold water. With your hands or clean towels, squeeze spinach very dry then chop.
 2. Place spinach in a bowl. Add ground turkey, garlic, 1 teaspoon cumin, pinch of cayenne, 1 teaspoon salt, egg and soaked cracked wheat. Thoroughly combine then fry or microwave a bit of meat and add additional cumin, cayenne and salt to taste.
 3. Preheat gas or charcoal grill to medium heat. Oil grill grates.
 4. Shape ground turkey mixture into 4-6 burgers. Place burgers on grill grates and cover. For thinner burgers, grill 4-6 minutes per side, for thicker burgers grill 10-12 minutes per side or until cooked to 170˚.
 5. Lightly toast buns on grill, if desired. Spread condiments on cut side of buns then layer buns with lettuce, tomatoes and onion, if using, and burger.
(You may also bake the burgers on a greased baking sheet in a 400˚ oven, 20-40 minutes, instead of grilling, if desired.)