Bobby Flay's Burgers, Fries & Shakes

By JULIETTE ROSSANT What qualifies a chef to be an expert at hamburgers, French fries and milkshakes? It seems pretty much anything from growing up in New York City (a big burger eating town) to opening up a burger joint. In the case of Bobby Flay, he qualifies on both counts. He grew up eating at various burger haunts, but preferred an East Side place called J. G. Melon. Every time I go, I hear people ask themselves and their company, "What is it about these burgers that makes them so good?" The answer in my mind is simple: the meat, the griddle, and the bun. And yet, achieving the perfect burger is not. (p. 6) So, you need to this book, Bobby Flay's Burgers, Fries & Shakes (Clarkson Potter 2009) to help you achieve burger nirvana or some such thing. Bobby qualifies on the second pain in that he does have a burger joint: Bobby's Burger Palace with three locations near New York City. If the book doesn't work, you can always go check out Bobby's hamburgers. Bobby's burger starts with a traditional burger (p. 16) made of chuck, seasoned with salt and pepper on a bun crowned with American cheese. He describes how he prefers fattier chuck (80-20), and how to form a patty with an indentation in the middle for better cooking and presentation. He goes over cooking times, warns against over handling the meat and flattening with a spatula. Beyond the standard burger, Bobby includes a burger for practically every taste from beef to turkey and fish – with all kinds of toppings. It's like an Iron Chef practice session on burgers. There are imaginative twists like the Italian inspired Arthur Avenue Burger (p. 25) topped with a Fontina Fricos and Fra Diavolo Ketchup and the Spanish inspired Bolo Burger (p. 28) with Piquillo Pepper-Smoked Paprika Aioli and slices of Manchego and Serrano ham. The Crunchburger (p. 40) is the signature burger at Bobby's Burger Palace – it's topped with a pile of stuff along with potato chips for salty crunch. He includes recipes for a variety of fries from Grilled Steak Fries (p. 91) to Plantain Shoestring Fries (p. 96) and plenty of condiments, sauces, and pickles. The milkshakes likewise range from Blackberry Cheesecake Milkshake (p. 126) that includes cream cheese, to Peach Bellini Milkshake (p. 142) with champagne. This is a fun book to get ideas for a family cookout or a sophisticate dinner with fun twist. Burger Nirvana is a good place to be. Previous articles: Grill It with Bobby Flay Bobby FLay Joins Food Network at Kohl's Bobby Flay with Chrysler: Not First Would You Buy a Car from Rocco DiSpirito? In Style Celebrity Weddings: Bobby Flay & Stephanie March Iron Chef America: Milliken + Feniger v Bobby Flay Bobby Flay: Tonight Show With Jay Leno Bobby Flay's Grilling For Life Bobby Flay: Married and Motivated Iron Chef America: Running on Empty Iron Chef: America vs. USA [Cookbook Reviews - complete] Technorati Tags: superchefblog, Juliette Rossant, super chef, celebrities, chefs, food, restaurants, cooking, branding, cuisine, blogging, food blogging, cookbooks, cookbook reviews --> back to Super Chef