A hamburger is companionable and faintly erotic

A Hamburger is warm and fragrant and juicy. A hamburger is soft and nonthreatening. It personifies the Great Mother herself who has nourished us from the beginning. A hamburger is an icon of layered circles, the circle being at once the most spiritual and the most sensual of shapes. A hamburger is companionable and faintly erotic. The nipple of the Goddess, the bountiful belly-ball of Eve. You are what you think you eat."
Tom Robbins


So, tonight we are making grilled artichokes and burgers. We are pretty sure we have figured out what our favorite assemblage (if you will) of toppings are:

roasted red pepper
guacamole or sliced avocado
sharp cheddar
homemade aioli
I like truffle oil on mine

Aioli-
1/2 cup mayo
couple garlic cloves
a large spoonful of grainy mustard
salt
pepper

I LOOOOOOVe the artichokes from Houstons in Winter Park. So I have gotten into trying to make mine similar.
I cover the whole artichokes (trimmed) with
water
a lemon, halved
couple cloves garlic, smashed
bay leaf
Throw in a little white wine if you want. Boil untill just cooked (30ish minutes)
Place on the grill with the burgers until they have nice grill marks.

I make a similar Aioli as above but add
capers
fresh parsley (or whatever fresh herbs you have)
a bit of lemon juice.