Boy Meets Grill [Hardcover]

Bobby Flay (Author), Joan Schwartz (Author), Tom Eckerle (Illustrator)

Book Description

Release date: May 19, 1999

The owner of two of New York Citys most popular restaurants and star of two Television Food Network cooking shows, Bobby Flay is definitely hot. Now he invites readers into his own backyard to show off his skill at the grill, and hell grill just about anything! Here are more than 125 recipes for mouth watering meat, poultry, and fish dishes, as well as soups and salads that can be prepared partially or completely on the grill. In addition, Flay offers up his own rendition of the perfect burger. Grilling has long been one of the great North American pastimes. Bobby Flay shows why its becoming a national obsession.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Truly a chef-as-star cookbook, Bobby Flay's Bobby Flay's Boy Meets Grill features 26 photos of the man himself (not counting hand shots and various belt buckles). His name, either as Bobby Flay or Bobby Flay's, is repeated over 260 times within 274 pages. No reader will ever doubt just whose cookbook lies open on the kitchen counter with 125 "bold new" recipes.

Though there's the unspoken suggestion that Bobby Flay invented fire, Bobby Flay's Boy Meets Grill actually follows in a long tradition of outdoor cookery books, starting with James Beard's take on the subject, the many contributions of Chris Schlesinger and John Willoughby, who truly opened wide the door to modern grilling, Phillip Stephen Schulz's Cooking with Fire and Smoke, and the remarkable Barbecue! Bible put together by Steven Raichlen that takes grilling global--to name just a few.

But Bobby Flay does have flair and he does have enthusiasm, and both show up on every page. In chapters that cover everything grillable--from burgers (they may be turkey, they may be tuna) to poultry to meat, vegetables, and fruit--Flay pushes hard on combinations of colors and textures, spices and flavors sure to excite the sleepiest palate on the beach. Check out a standard like Butterflied Chicken with Lemon, Garlic, and Basil, or something a little more exotic like Whole Lobster Smothered in Cascabel Chile Butter. What is the thought of Grilled Pork Loin Sandwiches with Spicy Mango Ketchup doing to your taste buds right about now?

The main caveat for these recipes: all are written to serve eight. And be sure to use common sense instead of some of the directions, such as cooking chopped garlic and shallots until soft in "almost smoking" hot oil, for four to five minutes. Hello. Where does soft stop and incinerated begin? --Schuyler Ingle

From Publishers Weekly

Flay's third book is a must read for those who have wondered how this successful restaurateur and cable TV's maestro of marinade can so assuredly choose gas over charcoal when it comes to his biggest passion, grilling. He prefaces his recipes with an anecdote, an ugly day of barbecuing from his early years, the emotional bruise of which makes his choice for gas understandable. Thus, Flay fires up the propane and presents more than 125 patio-friendly concoctions that show off the chef's fearlessness, originality and eye for color. The good idea behind the book is to invigorate the simple tastes of youth with flavors that appeal to the adult palette. Corn on the cob gets rubbed with Red Chile-Green Onion Butter, and pork chops take a soak in a mixture of orange juice, ginger and toasted paprika. Whether it's fowl, fish, pork or potato that's being seared, Flay's brilliance with toppings and side salads make the dish. Witness his Rib-Eye with Chimichurri Marinade and Dried Chile Mustard Sauce or the Tuna Steak paired with a Fig and Nectarine Relish. Still, as delightfully wild as the menu gets, the ingredient list rarely strays from what's available in your local grocery or farmers' market. And the very nature of the cooking style, outdoors with a Cactus Pear Margarita in hand, guarantees a simplicity that will appeal to cooks of both lava rock and briquette persuasions.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion; 1st edition (May 19, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786864907
• ISBN-13: 978-0786864904
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 0.9 x 9.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (42 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #57,682 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

49 of 51 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Diverse, Easy, and Great Tastes June 27, 1999

By A Customer

Format:Hardcover

Bobby Flay really puts together a great cookbook this time out with all of his grill favorites. As usual with Flay, the recipes are easy to follow, and really maximizes the use of common kitchen ingredients.

What I found most impressive is that Flay keeps it simple with hamburgers, pizzas (yes pizza on the grill), chicken, and seafood recipes that anyone can make. Sometimes some extra effort is needed to create the homemade sauces, but its worth it in the end. Of particular interest to me was the way he uses various fruits and fruit juices in the dish.

The instructions are quite clear and he covers many basic questions about the grill. If you never tried any of Bobby's recipes or seen his show, you're missing out.

Can't wait for the next book.

24 of 27 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The John McEnroe of Chefs August 29, 2001

By rodboomboom HALL OF FAMEVINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

McEnroe was such a phenomenal tennis talent, but he was not my favorite tennis personality. I admired him much for the talent, but did not care for his behavior. Flay is the McEnroe of Gourmet. He has enormous talents for mixing sweet and sour, hot and cool, colors and textures and ingredients to make wonderful dishes. Another one of his talents is that the recipes are not the most complex nor involved, however they are of the essence and his techniques sure are solid and in some cases, innovative.
He is stuck on himself. However, I truly like his cooking and use his recipes from the Food Network often. That was the motivation for buying this book. I'm not disappointed. There are such a magnificent variety here: Turkey Burgers Filled with Brie and Grilled Granny Smith Apple Slices, he's a genius with Quesadillas, here Barbecued Chicken with Grilled tomato salsa and buttermilk dressing, and the Red Snapper Grilled with Corn Husks with Roasted Jalapeno-Lime Butter is just superb! Also, unbelievable combo is Grilled Sea Scallop Ceviche or the Tarragon-Marinated Lamb Chops with Pineapple-Pecan Relish.
Grilled Radichhio and Goat Cheese Salad with a Balsamic-Honey Glaze is fabulous side dish as well as the Toasted Israeli Couscous Salad with Grilled Summer Vegetables.
His desserts and drinks are wonderful section, you can't go wrong with these to make hit. This book will heat up one's grilling repertoire!

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Decent content; grotesquely distracting layout & "artwork" July 16, 1999

By A Customer

Format:Hardcover

While Flay's recipes are pretty good, the totally obnoxious layout and distracting so-called artwork make this a rather difficult book to work from. One has to wonder if the same Food Network consultant had a hand in both this one and the equally badly presented "Emeril's TV Dinners". It's a pity when otherwise good chefs are presented as idols, and their recipes get lost in the glare. If you can, take a look at it in a local library or bookmonger and see if you can deal with it before purchasing a copy.

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Bobby Flay takes outdoor cooking to a new level June 7, 2004

By Cozy Marks

Format:Hardcover

This is a good book ... easy to read and easy to do. While I have only cooked 50% of the recipes it's not for lack of trying. My family and friends keep asking for repeats of old presentations and it's slowing me down. Regardless, If you buy this book mouth-watering sauces, vegetables, meats and seafood await you. If you open your mind to cooking new things on the outdoor grill... you will be impressed by the flavor, texture and presentation.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Another Gold Mine May 23, 2004

By D Downs

Format:Hardcover

Once again, Bobby Flay has produced another great book capturing his unique recipes. Utilizing ingredients that can be found at any major grocer, dishes are created with a pallette pleasing result. This book is a must if you enjoy Bobby Flay's cooking. I highly recommend this for those that can handle going where no other tongue has gone before!

51 of 67 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Good food but very annoying book August 16, 1999

By A Customer

Format:Hardcover

I like his show, he makes some real good food. So why did I find this book annoying? It's not a real good cookbook in my opinion. First off, EVERY recipe has a yield for 8 persons. How many times do you cook a great meal for 8? I never do. And some of the ingredients are 1/4 cup, tablespoon, etc... which ends up 1/16 if you divide by 4. Plus some of the ingredients are not normal, which I really hate. I was looking for a grilling cookbook where I can use ingredients I already have on hand. No menu suggestions either. And one last annoying thing: He uses this ancho chili powder in which is mentions the store you can get it from on every damn page. Sorry Bobby, this book is not good.

19 of 25 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Best cookbook on the planet April 3, 2000

By A Customer

Format:Hardcover

Bobby Flay's strength is showing you how to cook fantastically tasting recipes with incredible ease. While his other cookbooks were a little complex, this one is straightforward and easy. I must have cooked almost everything out of this book at least once. Favorites are the Paella, Grilled chicken with Yogurt-Cilantro sauce, and Grilled eggplant salad with cumin dusted flour tortillas. My husband says that the Grilled Loin of Lamb with grilled pitas and yogurt sauce is the greatest thing he's ever eaten....and this is a man who dines in most of NYC's finest restaurants frequently for business!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Content but Bland Visuals and Presentation June 21, 1999

By A Customer

Format:Hardcover

I love beautiful cookbooks printed on quality paper with artfully presented and photographed foods, no matter how simple. This isn't one of them. Although there are a few color photos in the center of the book the rest of the pictures are in black and white and many of them are of Bobby Flay in numerous poses and his name in large print on the side of every page. The content is straight forward with easy to follow instructions.

Bobby Flay is a wonderful, creative chef but the visual presentation of his cookbook does not match his talents.