Customer Reviews

Bobby Flay's Boy Gets Grill: 125 Reasons to Light Your Fire!

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Don't get me wrong, I have been a huge Flay fan since 1996, when I used to watch his first show on food network. Despite his recent TV saturation and subsequent swagger and attitude I think he has contributed alot to modern cooking and deserves his popularity. No, I am not a hater - the past 2 years my family has gone to Mesa Grill for my birthday, and I tape his shows every day. I am a big fan. I would be sad to see someone give it this rating, but I am giving this book 2 stars because I am comparing it to what Bobby Flay has done in the past.

If you are a viewer of his "Boy Meets Grill" show on food network, you probably recognize 80% of these dishes, and can easily get them for free on their website. I have seen him hock this Cuban burger on 3 shows as well as his own show and this book. It's a regular hamburger with a piece of swiss cheese and ham, squished with a heavy object. hardly groundbreaking. Other Flay staples are rehashed and rehashed - honey, chipotle(which he tries to disguise as "smoked chile" a few times in this book), jicama, ancho chiles, chicken thighs, the list goes on. 125 recipes? If you consider regular old guacamole and salsa, quesadillas prepared 5 similar ways, and store bought ketchup with a pureed chipotle as 8 recipes (and 8 other quickie drink recipes), then I'm sure he squeaked his way to 125. (notice this book doesn't say "NEW recipes" like 'Boy Meets Grill' did?)

Also although I am not a fool for color photos, this book is primarily black and white with no pictures (actually there are many pictures of HIM - shopping, smiling, serving a drink, lighting a grill...) until the middle 10 pages where you DO see some color, unlike his past few books, yet the price tag is the same as his others.

I will say one positive thing about the format, as it breaks down by course (appetizers, entrees, etc.), then by type of main ingredient (fish, meat, burgers) followed by menu suggestions matching recipes from each course and a loose game plan of what to prepare in advance.

Put it all together and you see a complacent celebrity cookbook author "phoning it in" - a quickie money maker using old ideas placed into another lucrative media. I can see this as exciting for someone who has just stumbled on Bobby Flay for the first time, someone who has yet to encounter the taste of a chipotle pepper or who occasionally watches his shows and is buying a cookbook for the first time. But for those of us who "know" Bobby Flay, this is one falls short, and don't say I didn't warn you. Want a better value? try Flay's BOY MEETS GRILL, Tyler Florence's 'Real Kitchen' or for grilling anything by Steven Raichlen.

This is the first of Bobby Flay's books I have reviewed and I approached it with the expectation that it will either deflate the hype of Flay's celebrity or show that, as I have seen with Jamie Oliver, there is real substance behind the smoke.

My first observation is that aside from a few nice frills, the book is all about the recipes and all about Bobby Flay. To get them out of the way, the nice frills are the complete list of recipes at the beginning of the book, the list of internet sources at the end of the book, and the last chapter on menus. For a book with only 125 recipes, the complete listing of recipe titles in the table of contents is a natural feature. It should be a feature in every cookbook. The list of internet sites is becoming another expected feature of cookbooks. The list of menus is a very nice touch and shows up what I think is the book's strongest feature. I must say the few color photographs of plated dishes are very good. The many black and white photos of Bobby doing this and that are boring.

I was very pleased to see that Flay's choice of recipes was not at all limited by the cuisine of his two restaurants. In addition to Southwestern and Spanish cuisine, Flay covers other Latin tastes such as Cuban, Caribbean and Argentinean plus Greek, East Indian, Chinese, Thai, and Italian. He has enough recipes to fill out complete menus for each of these cuisines.

Even when you just look at his core cuisines, you can see that Flay is giving us original recipes. They may not be all of his own invention, but they are certainly uncommon. For example, he presents six quesadilla recipes, none of which contain black beans, which is a staple in the four quesadilla recipes in Steve Raichlen's encyclopedic 'BBQ USA'.

It is surprising, in fact to see Flay make heavy use of Greek ingredients. Feta cheese seems to be one of his favorite ingredients and he uses it and blue cheese almost as often as he uses cheddar and Monterey Jack. In fact, he says he loves the Greek cuisine since it is rooted almost entirely on grilling. This brings up a basic culinary issue of 'fusion' food versus an interest to not violate cuisine or 'terroir' boundaries in the composition of recipes. I cannot say Flay never crosses boundaries in his combinations, but it seems he respects them a lot more than he crosses them. Feta is most commonly pared with other typically Greek ingredients such as olives, spinach, and lemons. Blue cheese, on the other hand, has become an ingredient that is pervasive throughout western cooking, as there are French, Italian, Spanish, English, and American native blue cheese products. So, as long as you don't go pairing it with raw tuna, you are pretty safe with just about any blue cheese use.

The chapters of food categories are a bit mixed. They are:

Cool Drinks, largely alcoholic.
Dips, Pizza, Flatbreads, and Quesadillas
Vegetable Appetizers, Salads, and Sides
Big Parties with Fish Tacos, Burgers, and Skewers. This is one of the more valuable chapters in the book.
Fish and Shellfish - Surprisingly large selection of recipes for grilling fish.
Chicken, Duck, and other Birds
Beef, Lamb, Pork, and Sausages
Simple Desserts - Not all of these recipes involve grilling fruits.

One of my favorite aspects of these recipes is that they give so many techniques for inexpensive meats or cuts that have become difficult to cook. There is a very simple and effective method, for example, for grilling thin pork chops with nectarine ginger chutney. Another aspect of almost all the recipes is their simplicity, as long as you get past the steep setup time required preparing to use a gas or charcoal grill. Flay says he uses both and offers few opinions or instructions about using one or the other.

This is an important consideration when buying this book. Flay gives some few tips about equipment and heat control at the beginning of the book, but there is virtually no other advice about finding your way around the grill. I think I would not want to start grilling from recipes in this book. If you are a novice, start with one of Steve Raichlen's books and assimilate his lessons on working with grills before tackling Flay's recipes. In a similar vein, Flay gives very little guidance on basic culinary techniques. I sensed that he was assuming a fair amount of knowledge on the part of his readers when he gives no clue to the fact that fava beans require a double pealing. He and his cowriter only mention a single pealing. On the other side of the coin, Flay and co-author Julia Moskin are very careful and thorough in specifying what can and what cannot be prepared ahead. They are as careful about warning us about what must be served immediately as they are about what can be refrigerated.

These recipes show the great natural culinary talent with which Flay has been credited. If you are a devoted griller or you are a devoted Bobby Flay fan, get the book. If you are a foodie or simply an avid cookbook reader, you may wish to use the money to fill out your M.F.K. Fisher collection. My biggest criticism may be that Flay has not given any guidance to people who do not wish to invest in grilling hardware and prefer to stay with their modest indoor grill pans.

Highly recommended for grillheads. Simple, innovative recipes if you have well-developed grill skills.

Bobby Flay's B-B-Q book has little to do with the standard B-B-Q sauces, and much to do about international flavors, fish, shellfish and poultry.

Yes, the book has the standard red meat, roaring flames and testosterone section, but `Boy Gets Grill' is really for those who what to go beyond the seared steak and try something new, like: Baby Squid with Tamarind-Mint Dressing, or Grilled Chicken with Toasted Chiles, Coconut Milk, Lime, and Crushed Peanuts. HMMM!

Surprising were his excellent "other" chapters in the book. All the recipes I tried were fast, innovative and very good. In his `Cool Drinks' section try the Pineapple-Mint Tequila Fizz. In his `Salads and Sides' try his Coconut-Cashew Basmati Rice Salad. And, for a `Simple Desert' try the Blueberry Cobbler.

The book is skimpy with photos, but besides that this book is strongly recommended for any griller or it would be a great B-Day or Father's Day gift. 4.5 stars.

If, like me, you like to barbecue as soon as the temperature allows, this is the book for you. Although "burgers and dogs" have their place in the grill hall of flame, parties always needs a little variety. All of the recipes are easy to follow, and weren't overly complicated or "scary." I was confident enough with this cookbook to invite friends over for dinner... when I had never even tried to make the recipes before! And the flavors, while intense and unique enough to wow my culinary sensibilities also impressed my friends, who had never before even heard of "tamarind" or "turmeric!" It's hard to find any cookbook which can appeal to such a varied crowd - let alone one written especially with grilling in mind.

Bobby Flay's cookbook gives you a number of great options for your every culinary whim as well as your big barbecue extravaganzas! If you like to grill, I recommend this book for you!

This book seriously rocks! I am an admitted grilling novice and yet, being a Flay fan, I thought I had to give it a try. And I am so glad that I did. I tried the pepper crusted steak with mint chimichurri sauce over the Memorial Day weekend (yum!) and was so encouraged by the rave reviews that I got from my friends that I decided to do a whole Flay party last weekend. I followed his menu for "Greek on the Grill" and couldn't have been happier. Everything I tried had just the right combination of flavors and textures. After some ouzo, my friends and I thought that we were on the beaches in Santorini. I'd reccomend this book to everyone - and I do. My dad is getting one for Father's Day!

I love to cook, I really love to grill and I really, really love this Bobby Flay cookbook. I was of course familiar with BF from The Food Network and figured that any guy who knows the joys of both charcoal and gas grills and the importance of enjoying a fine drink (read: Good Beer) while working said grills must be a hell of a guy. Well, unlike most things I bet my wife, I got this one right.

Of all of the cookbooks that I have owned...especially books involving the grill...this book is the only one that has actually inspired me to experiment. I think that is because it is the exact same way that Bobby wrote the book...he experimented and he talks about the themes and ideas he used while writing. The recipes are often variations on a theme...or themes...and the results are delicious.

One of the greatest tips I took away from this book was the use of chipotle puree. It is an easy, bold spicy addition to almost any recipe in the need of a "pick me up". As always, Bobby's concentration on grilling great beef shows here. Highlights include the Rib-Eye with the Red Wine-Honey Mustard Vinaigrette and Fresh Thyme and the Steak Salad with Watercress, Blue Cheese, and Cherry Tomato-Hot Sauce Dressing. If those two do not jump out at you, you shouldn't be grilling!

I raise my glass...and my tongs...to Bobby. This simple book not only educated me on cooking, but challenged me as well. My only complaint...more pictures!

I purchased Mr. Flay's book a few weeks ago and have been trying the recipes each weekend. Every single recipe that I have tried has been amazing and I look forward to a summer filled with his food. The Grilled Cod with Tarragon & Yellow Tomatoes and the Grilled Chicken with Toasted Chiles & Coconut Milk recipes are worth the price alone.

I've had this book for three years now, and actually the best thing about this book is not so much the main course recipes, which are good, but all the various relishes, dips, and other sauces that really make the recipes work in my opinion. Flay covers a lot of familiar cuisines, like American Southwest, Chinese, Italian, Spanish, and Greek but manages to find his own unique twist that makes his dishes special.

Let's start with the dips and quesadillas. The white bean dips involving Roasted Green Chile and Smokey Red Pepper (Red pepper and chipotle) were outstanding. The Grilled Quesadillas with Sweet Corn, Grilled Shrimp, and Jalapeno Pesto were also a winner.

The fish tacos out of the Fist Taco Party chapter worked well. And don't overlook the outstanding Green Chile Mayonnaise spread from the Burger Bar section. It was amazing, and goes on plenty of other things besides burgers.

I made 3-4 main courses and they all were good to great. Special mention to the Steak Salad with Watercress, Blue Cheese, and Cherry Tomato-Hot Sauce dressing. First, Flay included a garlic-cumin crust on the steak that really makes the steak taste good without anything else. It's another technique that Flay uses that could easily be used when you have less time to make an ordinary grilled steak that much better. But the whole salad really comes together, with the dressing and the watercress surrounding the steak. It was really, really good.

I should also add that many of the recipes work pretty well with a grill pan. I know this is heresy, but it's nice to know the recipes will all work even if you don't want to go to the trouble of lighting your grill. Since my only grill is charcoal, that can be a big hassle sometimes.

Highly recommended.

My husband is a Bobby Flay fan and reads this book every weekend looking for new recipes to try. The recipes are easy to follow and the book offers wonderful new ideas for grilling as well as new variations on old favorites. We just made the steak tacos. Outstanding!

This cookbook converted me to Bobby Flay fanhood.