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We just got back from a week at Norris Lake in Tennessee, and, as with any successful vacation, we need a few days to recover. It's a good thing I have some hamburger patties in the freezer for low-effort dining pleasure.

I had seasoned and formed the patties before our trip, with the intention of taking them with us to enjoy at the lake. But then I remembered the marina burgers, which we all agreed were the best we'd ever had after a strenuous day of boating and sunning. I finished making my patties, wrapped them up and slipped them into the freezer.

We go to Norris most every summer, but we didn't make it last year. Two years is just long enough for selective memory to kick in.

The house we stay in seemed a little smaller, the bridge we leap off seemed a little higher, and the burgers ... well, the burgers were OK.

But nothing dulls our enthusiasm for a vacation at Norris. The lake: 800 miles of shoreline and countless coves. Its clean, meandering waters are as big and beautiful as memory serves every time we go.

And dangerous.

A few years ago, my husband took a nasty fall from a wakeboard, and found out the hard way that water feels more like a solid than a liquid when you hit it at 20-some miles an hour. With your head.

He was there for a guys' weekend, and I got the call from his friend Mike. "First of all," he said, "Pat's OK."

"Great," I said, wondering why he called to tell me something about my husband I've known since I married him.

In this case, though, "OK" meant "in the hospital with a concussion."

Several years before that, my husband himself called to tell me about his OK-ness. This time it came at 2 in the morning, and he had been in Atlanta working the 1996 Olympics for the company that publishes this newspaper.

"I just wanted to let you know I'm OK," he said.

"You woke me up to tell me that?" I asked.

"Haven't you been watching TV?" he replied, and went on to tell me about being in Centennial Park when the bomb went off.

So now, when someone calls me to tell me they're OK, I get a little suspicious.

Norris Lake is most definitely OK, the burgers at the marina were OK. But I've been spoiled since I discovered the recipe for the Perfect Hamburger.

It's simple, and the secret is not to go overboard on the seasoning.

The Perfect Hamburger

Makes four servings

1 pound ground chuck

2 tablespoons finely chopped yellow onion (optional)

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 or two dashes Worcestershire sauce

Prepare a charcoal or gas grill for direct grilling over medium-high heat.

In a large bowl, mix the beef, onion, garlic, salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce. Form the mixture into four patties, each three-quarters of an inch thick.

Grill the hamburgers directly over medium-high heat, turning once, 3 to 5 minutes on each side. Check for doneness by cutting into the burger near the center or testing with an instant-read thermometer. No pink should show on the inside, and the internal temperature should register at least 160 degrees. For cheeseburgers, place a slice of cheese on top of each hamburger for the last 3 minutes of cooking.

For the last 2-3 minutes of cooking, toast the hamburger buns, cut side down, on the grill over high heat. Serve the burgers on buns with tomato, sliced sweet onions, lettuce, pickles and condiments.

Variations:

For Asian burgers, you omit the Worcestershire and salt and add a dash of soy.

For French burgers, omit the Worcestershire, halve the salt and add a tablespoon each of blue cheese and chopped mushrooms along with a dash of red wine.

For a Provencal flavor, omit the Worcestershire, double the garlic, and add a tablespoon each of chopped dried tomatoes and pitted black olives.

Source: "Williams-Sonoma Grilling'
Contact this writer at carol.rini@gmail.com