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HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill., Oct. 10, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- It's the ultimate backyard bragging right – having the best burger. That's the goal for 28 nationally recognized chefs at on Oct. 12, a featured event of the 2012 Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival presented by FOOD & WINE. One of the trusted names in outdoor living, Sears, along with TV host, author and Grilling is Happiness chef George Hirsch join the event at New York City's biggest burger party of the year. Proceeds from the Festival benefit the Food Bank for New York City and Share Our Strength's No Kid Hungry® campaign to help end hunger.

Sears Outdoor Living and the Kenmore brand proudly serve as the exclusive grill and outdoor furniture provider of the event where chefs show off their delicious burger creations, many on Kenmore grills boasting innovations that offer versatility with large cooking areas to accommodate the biggest grilling and backyard bashes. After working up an appetite, guests can take a break and unwind in outdoor patio sets provided by Sears and peruse the many Kenmore grills and accessories at the event.

At the exclusive Sears Grilling is Happiness area, Chef Hirsch will debut "The George Burger," a grilled Tuscan-style burger with caramelized onions and grilled pepper tomato marmalade topped with Arugula Parmesan.In just three hours, Chef Hirsch will make 1,800 signature burgers on the .

"To get the best burgers you need the technique, tools and taste," says Chef Hirsch. "While NYCWFF's Burger Bash showcases the best in the food industry, it doesn't mean that grill masters at home can't achieve great results too. That's why I've joined forces with Sears and Kenmore through the Grilling is Happiness Community to share our collective expertise so everyone can have a great bash with burgers, side dishes, and much more in their own homes."

For those not able to attend the festivities this year, Chef George suggests a few tips to create your own burger event right in your own backyard. In addition, more grilling tips can be found on GrillingisHappiness.com.

• Keep it fresh– stick with fresh ground beef, 80-83 percent lean. Make patties from scratch to get a gourmet look that's just as easy as it is delicious. Prepare the chilled burger patties within 24 hours of preparation to ensure maximum freshness.
• Preheat your grill to high heat– place chilled burger patties on a clean grill on high heat for three to four minutes. Do not flip, but rather move them to another hot spot on the grill to continue to cook at a high temperature to prevent steaming. Flip the burgers once you see juices rising to the top. You may flip them back to the original cooking spot, which has now become a new hot spot.
• Time is on your side– forget the timer, go with the gut. Many variables affect an outdoor kitchen, so rely on experience and careful judgment when deciding burger's doneness.

Follow these simple tips to avoid what Chef George says the most common mistakes he sees grilling enthusiasts make:

• Playing hockey on the grill– pass on grilling up the frozen patties as these are guaranteed to flare-up your grill with excessive fat content characteristic of lower-quality beef.
• Hasty flipping– be patient with burger patties. Avoid pressing the meat or flipping them prematurely. Grill four to five minutes on each side of a five-ounce burger for a medium-done finish.
• Overcrowding– the more crowded the grill top surface is the more likely food will steam or cause a flare up.

"The George Burger" recipe will be available at after 6 p.m. on October 12 where you can find more great grilling tips.

Accessorize and Get Grilling

Event guests stopping by the Sears Lounge and visiting Chef Hirsch will find the latest grilling innovations on display including accessories and two Kenmore models that offer large cooking areas and convenience to accommodate the biggest backyard burger parties:

• (71-16156) provides features that will get even a grilling professional excited. Included is a ceramic rotisserie burner that cooks juicy foods and a 12,000 BTU ceramic side burner for an additional cooking area, perfect for side dishes and dips. 83,000 total BTUs, almost 600 square inches of primary cooking area and a halogen lighted firebox take grilling to the next level and keep hosts cooking even when the sun goes down. The 71-16156 gas grill retails for $699.99.
• (71-16142) adds luxurious stainless steel design to outdoor kitchens, a large 588.8 sq. in. total cooking area for main dishes, and a flush lid side burner, perfect for side dishes. The 53,000 total BTUs, porcelain coated cast iron cooking grids and electronic ignition ensure a premium, efficient and dependable grilling experience every time. The 71-16142 gas grill retails for $349.99.
• (71-15165) boasts all your basic needs to keep your grilling experience going all year long including: spatula, fork, tongs, brass grill brush, 4 skewers, 4 corn holders, and 1 digital fork thermometer that takes the guesswork out of grilling. The (71-15165) Kenmore set retails for $29.99.

Follow all the excitement on Twitter using hashtag #GrillingIsHappiness and #NYCWFF, or visit GrillingisHappiness.com for tips, event photos and more and check out the Sears and Kenmore Facebook pages at and .

About Sears Holdings Corporation
Sears Holdings Corporation is a leading integrated retailer with over 3,900 full-line and specialty retail stores in the United States and Canada and the home of ShopYourWay, a social shopping experience where members have the ability to earn points and receive benefits across a wide variety of physical and digital formats through ShopYourWay.com. Sears Holdings is the leading home appliance retailer as well as a leader in tools, lawn and garden, fitness equipment and automotive repair and maintenance. Key proprietary brands include Kenmore, Craftsman and DieHard, with a broad apparel offering, including such well-known labels as Lands' End, the Kardashian Kollection, Jaclyn Smith and Joe Boxer, as well as Sofia by Sofia Vergara and The Country Living Home Collection. We are the nation's largest provider of home services, with more than 15 million service and installation calls made annually and have a long-established commitment to those who serve in the military through initiatives like the Heroes at Home program. We have been named the 2011 Mobile Retailer of the Year, Recipient of the 2012 ENERGY STAR® "Corporate Commitment Award" for Product Retailing and Energy Management and one of the Top 20 Best Places to Work for Recent Grads. Sears Holdings Corporation operates through its subsidiaries, including , Roebuck and Co. and Corporation.  For more information, visit Sears Holdings' website at . Twitter: | Facebook:

About the Kenmore brand
The Kenmore Brand is an industry leader in delivering trusted performance in the home with smart and stylish appliance innovations that help consumers do things quicker, easier and better. Recognized as a top appliance brand for nearly 100 years, the Kenmore Brand continues to give consumers more time, efficiency and better results for better living with industry-leading products across small and large appliance categories. The brand recently took on a major overhaul re-launching and revamping packaging, product, marketing and social media efforts with the promise of consistently delivering more. The brand also introduced the Kenmore Craftsman Live Brand Experience as an interactive space in the heart of Chicago equipped to stream innovative experiences and events live online via the Kenmore brand's Facebook page.  For more information, log on to or .

About George Hirsch, Chef and Lifestyle Expert
CEC, CCE, AAC, TV host, author, and executive producer George Hirsch has always had a passion for outdoor adventure; beginning at an early age on family camp-outs, George learned the fundamentals of knowing his fire. Little did he know this would become more than a pastime; it would be the beginning of an adventurous way of enjoying his lifestyle and the launch of his career as a professional chef, television personality and best-selling author. George has dedicated himself to sharing his approach of a well lived lifestyle using food as the common denominator through his TV and multimedia extensions. George is the executive producer and host of his national television series highlighting food, travel, recreation & home – from his positive and empowering perspective. His cooking & lifestyle TV series airing since 1994 include: "Grilling with Chef George Hirsch," "George Hirsch's Know Your Fire," "George Hirsch for Better Living & Lifestyles" and "GEORGE HIRSCH Living it Up!" George has also been called upon as a leading lifestyle expert to appear on many talk shows – such as "Today," "Weekend Today," "Good Morning America" and "Live! with Regis & Kelly." He is proud to share his original recipes, content and lifestyle videos with Sears on Grilling is Happiness and blogs.

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Larry Costello
Sears Holdings Corp.
(847) 286-9036
Larry.Costello@searshc.com

Leah Eisenstein
Zeno Group for Sears
(312) 396-9766
Leah.Eisenstein@zenogroup.com

SOURCE Sears Holdings Corporation