Bobby at Home: Fearless Flavors From My Kitchen

Celebrity chef Flay (Boy Meets Grill, etc.) returns with what he calls his most personal cookbook yet: the recipes he shares with friends and family at his apartment in New York and house in the Hamptons. Several of those friends, as well as co-writers and assistants, offer recipes, inspiration, or ingredients throughout: there are brownies and coffee cake, as well as Johnny Cake Waffles with cactus pear syrup, bananas, and blackberries from Flay’s pastry chef, and a Calabrian chile crab spaghetti (friend Jimmy Ventura sends Flay 60 pounds of crab claws annually). Flay includes recipes from his previous cookbooks, restaurants, and shows, but even if it feels a bit like he’s coasting, he still presents plenty of excellent recipes: Korean barbecue chicken; a Greek salad with crispy feta croutons; green pork chili; and an ingenious side dish of cranberries with Campari and grapefruit for a surefire Thanksgiving hit. Those new to Flay’s cooking will get the most out of this offering, as it’s truly a greatest hits that highlights brunch meals, Southwestern fare, and grilling. This solid collection of year-round recipes will please home cooks of all tastes and skill levels. (Sept.)