This is the fourth cookbook by Flay dedicated solely to grilling, and over the years he has hosted four different cooking shows also focused on the art of placing meat and veggies upon a backyard flame. So one might excuse the author for having run out of arresting titles (à la, Boy Meets Grill) and for resorting to alphabetical order as a means of structuring his chapters. But what is truly surprising is his sudden and marked lack of preference for cooking with gas instead of charcoal. He then backs up his newfound indifference by never stating which grill might work best for any of these 150 recipes. However, Flay is still the sultan of sauce and the ruler of rub. He creates a Fig–Cabernet Vinegar Glaze for a filet mignon. In the seafood realm, grilled salmon is paired with a Honey-Mustard-Mint Sauce. Vegetarian offerings include Grilled Cremini Mushroom, Fontina, and Arugula Pressed Tacos. And a chapter on fruit provides mouthwatering desserts like Grilled Nectarines with Maple Crème Fraîche. If Flay has less to say than before, he at least does so with a healthy amount of seasoning. (Apr.)
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Another spring, another grilling cookbook from celebrity chef and TV star Flay. As in Bobby Flay’s Boy Meets Grill (1999) and Bobby Flay’s Boy Gets Grill (2004), the consummate urban griller likes to jazz up standard fare with snazzy glazes and marinades (yesterday’s mango chutney giving way here to such fashion-forward concoctions as “Fig-Cabernet Vinegar Glaze”). But along with the fancy stuff, there’s a back-to-basics theme this time; each chapter (divided by type of food to be grilled, from asparagus through white fish) begins with advice and a no-frills recipe for “perfectly grilling” each item. Following that come recipes for sprucing up the perfectly grilled item with seasonings, sauces, and side dishes. Most part-time grillers will profit from the basics, but the real highlight this time may be the creative vegetable and fruit dishes (grilled asparagus panzanella, for example, or grilled apricots with Greek yogurt, warm honey, and toasted walnuts). Fire up the grill, invite your softball buddies over, and start slinging . . . grilled apricots? Well, maybe not, but they sure sound great. --Bill Ott