cover image Bobby Flay's from My Kitchen to Your Table

Bobby Flay's from My Kitchen to Your Table

Bobby Flay, Joan Schwartz. Clarkson N Potter Publishers, $32.5 (256pp) ISBN 978-0-517-70729-6

Proprietor of three New York City restaurants, host of Lifetime's The Main Ingredient and cohost of TVFN's Grillin' and Chillin', Flay (Bobby Flay's Bold American Food) is in the vanguard of current celebrity chefs. Again, he champions cuisine boasting big flavors. Featuring Mediterranean food with a Latin emphasis much like the fare showcased at his Bolo restaurant, the recipes are organized according to cooking method or presentation (e.g., From the Oven, From the Grill, From the Stovetop, Cool Platters). Menus are designed to serve eight in a casual family style. Heady combinations are exemplified by Roasted Turkey with Pomegranate Sauce and Wild Rice-Goat Cheese Dressing and Pan-Roasted Rabbit with Crushed Blackberry-Ancho Sauce served with Green Onion Tamales. Recipes such as these and Spicy Maple-Glazed Pork Chops with Red Onion Marmalade and Blue Corn-Sweet Potato Tacos may be more than a home cook can face with relative calm. Less threatening dishes offering considerable appeal include Tapenade Crusted Salmon and Garlic and Oregano-Marinated Grilled Chicken with Grilled Pepper and Black Olive Relish. Desserts range from Catalan Custard with Dried Fruits to a Very Rich Chocolate Sauce. True to the book's title, Flay keeps most preparations manageable (given their sophistication) and doesn't insist on too many specialty ingredients (long-grained rice, for instance, is fine for paella). Author tour. (May)