Grilling mangals and kebabs

Hamburgers being grilled

Kansas City-style barbecue

Grilling is a form of cooking that involves dry heat applied to the surface of food, commonly from above or below.

Grilling usually involves a significant amount of direct, radiant heat, and tends to be used for cooking meat quickly and meat that has already been sliced (or other pieces). Food to be grilled is cooked on a grill (an open wire grid with a heat source above or below), a grill pan (similar to a frying pan, but with raised ridges to mimic the wires of an open grill), or griddle (a flat plate heated from below).^[1] Heat transfer to the food when using a grill is primarily via thermal radiation. Heat transfer when using a grill pan or griddle is by direct conduction. In the United States and Canada, when the heat source for grilling comes from above, grilling is termed broiling.^[2] In this case, the pan that holds the food is called a broiler pan, and heat transfer is by thermal convection.

Direct heat grilling can expose food to temperatures often in excess of 260 °C (500 °F). Grilled meat acquires a distinctive roast aroma from a chemical process called the Maillard reaction. The Maillard reaction only occurs when foods reach temperatures in excess of 155 °C (310 °F).^[3]

Studies have shown that cooking beef, pork, poultry, and fish at high temperatures can lead to the formation of heterocyclic amines, benzopyrenes, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are carcinogens.^[4][5][6] However, proper marination may reduce the formation of these compounds.^[7] Grilling is often presented as a healthy alternative to cooking with oil, although the fat and juices lost by grilling can contribute to drier food.

Regional variations[link]

Asia[link]

In Japanese cities, a yakitori cart, restaurant, or shop with charcoal-fired grills and marinated grilled meat on a stick can often be found. Yakiniku, is a type of food where meat and/or vegetables are grilled directly over small charcoal or gas grills at high temperatures (this style of cooking has become widely popular throughout Asia).In Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and Thailand, a popular food item from food vendors is satay, marinated meat on a bamboo skewer grilled over a charcoal fire and served with peanut (sate) sauce.

Japanese traditional portable charcoal grill "Shichirin"

Yakitori being grilled

Germany[link]

In Germany, the most prominent outdoor form of grilling is by using charcoal in a kettle. Besides charcoal, sometimes gas and electric heat sources are used, too. Other methods are used less frequently.

Grilled bratwurst

South America[link]

In Argentina and Uruguay, both asado (beef roasted on a fire) and steak a la parrilla (beefsteak cooked on traditional grill) are staple dishes and even hailed as national specialities.

UK, Commonwealth and Ireland[link]

In the United Kingdom, Commonwealth countries and Ireland, grilling generally refers to cooking food directly under a source of direct, dry heat. The "grill" is usually a separate part of an oven where the food is inserted just under the element.^[8] This practice is referred to as "broiling" in North America.

In Australia, grilling can refer to cooking food directly under a source of direct heat or with heat from below, as in the US.

In electric ovens, grilling may be accomplished by placing the food near the upper heating element, with the lower heating element off and the oven door partially open. Grilling in an electric oven may create a large amount of smoke and cause splattering in the oven.^[9] Gas ovens often have a separate compartment for grilling, such as a drawer below the flame.

US[link]

In the United States, the use of the word grill refers to cooking food directly over a source of dry heat,^[10] typically with the food sitting on a metal grate that leaves "grill marks." Grilling is usually done outdoors on charcoal grills or gas grills, a recent trend is the concept of infrared grilling. Grilling may also be performed using stove-top "grill pans" which have raised metal ridges for the food to sit on, or using an indoor electric grill.

A skewer or brochette, or a rotisserie may be used to cook small pieces of food. The resulting food product is often called a "kabob" or "kebab" which means "to grill" in Persian, which is short for "shish kebab" (shish = skewer)(similar to a "satay" in Asian cuisine, or "alambre" in Mexican-Yucatán cuisine). Shish kebabs have a Persian origin, but are now commonplace in American cuisine.

Mesquite or hickory wood chips (damp) may be added on top of the coals to allow a smoldering effect that provides additional flavor to the food. Other hardwoods such as pecan, apple, maple and oak may also be used.

Health effects[link]

Risks of grilling[link]

As is true of any high-temperature frying or baking,^[11] when meat is grilled at high temperatures, the cooking process can generate carcinogenic chemicals.^[11][11][12]) Two processes are thought to be responsible. Heterocyclic amines - "HCAs are formed when amino acids (the building blocks of proteins), sugars, and creatine (a substance found in muscle) react at high temperatures."^[11] Additionally, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons - "PAHs are formed when fat and juices from meat grilled directly over an open fire drip onto the fire, causing flames. These flames contain PAHs that then adhere to the surface of the meat. PAHs can also be formed during other food preparation processes, such as smoking of meats."^[11]

However it is possible to significantly reduce carcinogens when grilling meat, or mitigate their effect. * Garlic, rosemary, basil, mint, sage, savory, marjoram, oregano, olive oil, cherries, and vitamin E have been shown to reduce formation of both HCAs and PCAs^[12]. Another method is pre-cooking the meat in the microwave, then draining meat juices so they do not fall onto flames, preventing release of PCAs.^[12] Side dishes and drinks rich in antioxidants, such as tea, have also been shown to neutralize the toxins by mixing in one's stomach^[12]

Benefits of grilling[link]

• Grilled foods can be lower in saturated fat, if fat is allowed to drip out after it liquefies.

Methods[link]

Gridironing[link]

Food cooking on a charcoal grill

Preparation of Barbecue grill

Grilling chicken in a hinged gridiron

Gridironing is the cooking of meats or other foods using a grill suspended above a heat source. Grilling is often performed outdoors, using charcoal (real wood or preformed briquettes), wood, or propane gas. Food is cooked using direct radiant heat. Some outdoor grills include a cover so they can be used as smokers or for grill-roasting/barbecue. The suspended metal grate is often referred to as a gridiron.

Outdoor grilling on a gridiron may be referred to as "barbecue", though in US usage, the term barbecue referred to the cooking of meat by indirect heat and smoke (see below). Barbecue has several meanings and may also be used to refer to the grilled food itself, to a distinct type of cooked meat called Southern barbecue, to the grilling device used to cook the food (a barbecue grill), or to the social event of cooking and eating such food (which may also be called a cook-out or braai).

Charcoal kettle-grilling[link]

Charcoal kettle-grilling refers to the process of grilling over a charcoal fire in a kettle,^[13][14][15] to the point that the edges are charred, or charred grill marks are visible.^[16] Some restaurants seek to re-create the charcoal-grilled experience via the use of ceramic lava rocks or infrared heat sources,^[17] offering meats that are cooked in this manner as "charcoal-cooked" or "charcoal-grilled".

Barbecue[link]

The term "barbecue" was traditionally applied to a cooking method where low, indirect heat and smoking wood (or hot coals of charcoal) were used to slow cook basted pork or beef, in a process similar to earth oven or masonry oven cooking.^[18][19]

Using indirect heat, one places the food item so that it is not directly over flames or coals. This is done by having the fire or coals on only one section of the grill and placing the food item on a part of the cooking grill opposite the flames or coals - for example, having the burners going on the right side of a gas grill but off on the left side or placing the coals on the right side of the grill and no coals on the left side. In a charcoal grill, when indirect grilling, it is best to place a foil pan of water under the food to keep it from drying out. Using the indirect grilling method is best for large cuts of meat or bone-in poultry. It allows the food to slowly cook all the way through without burning or charring on the outside of the meat. Traditional American barbecue is cooked using a grill-roast or grill-bake method, combining two techniques simultaneously.

In addition, by using a baking sheet pan placed above the grill surface, as well as a drip pan below the surface, it is possible to combine grilling and baking to cook meats that are stuffed or coated with breadcrumbs or batter, as well as to cook breads and even casseroles and desserts.^[20] When cooking stuffed or coated meats, the foods can be baked first on the sheet pan, and then placed directly on the grilling surface for char marks, effectively cooking twice; the drip pan will be used to capture any crumbs that fall off from the coating or stuffing.

Grill-braising[link]

It is possible to braise meats and vegetables in a pot on top of a grill. A gas or electric grill would be the best choices for what is known as "barbecue-braising" or "grill-braising", or combining grilling directly on the surface and braising in a pot. To braise on a grill, put a pot on top of the grill, cover it, and let it simmer for a few hours. There are two advantages to barbecue-braising: the first is that this method now allows for browning the meat directly on the grill before the braising, and the second is that it also allows for glazing the meat with sauce and finishing it directly over the fire after the braising, effectively cooking the meat three times, which results in a soft textured product that falls right off the bone.^[21] This method of cooking is slower than regular grilling but faster than pit-smoking, starting out fast, slowing down, and then speeding up again to finish; if a pressure cooker is used, the cooking time will be much faster.

Indoor grilling[link]

Many restaurants incorporate an indoor grill as part of their cooking apparatus. These grills resemble outdoor grills, in that they are made up of a grid suspended over a heat source. Indoor grills are more likely to use electric or gas-based heating elements, however. Some manufacturers of residential cooking appliances now offer indoor grills for home use, either incorporated into a stovetop or as standalone electric devices.^[22]

Sear grilling[link]

Sear-grill and gear grilling is a process of searing meat or food items with an infrared grill. In sear grilling, propane or natural gas is used to heat a ceramic plate, which then radiates heat at temperatures over 480 °C (900 °F).

Sear-grilling instantly sears the outside of meat to make the food more flavorful. Commonly, grilling heats the surrounding air to cook food. Instead, the infrared grill directly heats the food, not the air.

Stove-top pan grilling[link]

A grill pan

Stove-top pan grilling is an indoor cooking process that uses a grill pan - a cooking pan similar to a frying pan but with raised ridges to emulate the function or look of a gridiron. In pan grilling, heat is applied directly to the food by the raised ridges, and also indirectly by heat radiating off the lower pan surface via the stove-top flame. Stove-top grill pans can also be used to put sear marks on meat before it is finished via overhead radiant heat. When cooking leaner meats, oil is often applied to the pan ridges to aid in food release.^[23]

Some griddles designed for stove-top use also incorporate raised ridges in addition to a flat cooking area. These are either on half of the cooking surface, or, in the case of reversible two-sided griddles, on one side with the flat surface on the other.

Flattop grilling[link]

Cooks at the Northern Lights Dining Room, Seattle, Washington, 1952. A flattop grill being used is located on the right.

Foods termed "grilled" may actually be prepared on a hot griddle, or flat pan. The griddle or pan may be prepared with oil (or butter), and the food is cooked quickly over a high heat. Griddle-grilling is best for relatively greasy foods such as sausages. Some griddle-grilled foods may have grill marks applied to them during the cooking process with a branding plate, to mimic the appearance of charbroil-cooked food.

A flattop grill is a cooking appliance that resembles a griddle but performs differently because the heating element is circular rather than straight (side to side). This heating technology creates an extremely hot and even cooking surface, as heat spreads in a radial fashion over the surface.

The first flattop grills originated in Spain and are known as planchas or la plancha. Food that is cooked a la plancha means grilled on a metal plate. Plancha griddles or flat tops are chrome plated which prevents reaction with the food. Some base metal griddles will impart a subtle flavor to the food being cooked. Also, with a plancha if you use a low even heat and a drop of oil you can toast the food and caramelize some of the natural sugars in the food. For example, "Filetes a la plancha" translates to grilled beef fillets. La plancha recipes are found in Latin American (South American countries like: Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, & Paraguay) and Cuban cuisine.

The flattop grill is a versatile platform for many cooking techniques such as sautéing, toasting, steaming, stir frying, grilling, baking, braising, and roasting, and can also be used in flambéing. In addition, pots and pans can be placed directly on the cooking surface for even more cooking flexibility. In most cases, the steel cooking surface is seasoned like cast iron cookware, providing a natural non-stick surface.

Charbroiling[link]

Charbroiling, or chargrilling outside North America, refers to grilling on a surface with wide raised ridges, to the point of having the food slightly charred in texture. The phrase "put it in the broiler" is translated as "put it over/under the grill."

Overhead grilling[link]

In the United States, oven pan broiling refers to a method of cooking on a broil pan with raised ridges, inside an oven, when the heat can be applied from either above or below. In gas and electric ovens, this is accomplished with a heating element and a broil pan. Sometimes, the food is placed near the upper heating element to intensify the heat. The lower heating element may or may not be left off and the oven door is sometimes opened partially. Gas ovens often have a separate compartment for broiling, sometimes a drawer below the bottom flame.

Salamander[link]

Old electric grill with top heat (salamander)

A salamander is a culinary broiler characterized by very high temperature overhead infrared heating elements which may be powered by either electricity or gas. It is used primarily in professional kitchens for overhead grilling (US: broiling). It is also used for toasting, as well as browning of gratin dishes, melting cheeses onto sandwiches, and caramelising desserts such as crème brûlée.

Salamanders are generally similar to an oven without a front door, with the heating elements at the top. They are more compact: typically only half the height and depth of a conventional oven. They are often wall mounted at eye level enabling easy access and close control of the cooking process. Many salamanders can be fitted with a cast iron "branding" plate which is used to make grill marks on the surface of meat. Some grills can also be fitted with a rotisserie accessory for roasting meats.

Overhead heat has the advantage of allowing foods containing fats, such as steaks, chops and other cuts of meat, to be grilled without the risk of flare-ups caused by the rendered fat dripping into the heat source. The salamander's facility for extremely high temperature also takes less cooking time than other grilling techniques, reducing preparation times, which is a benefit in professional kitchens during a busy meal service.

Modern electric or gas salamanders take their name from the earlier salamander, an iron disc on a handle which is heated and placed over a dish to brown it, which in turn is named after the legendary salamander, an amphibian that was mythically believed to be immune to fire.^[24] In the 18th century, a salamander was the tool of choice for toasting the top of a dish. It consisted of a thick plate of iron attached to the end of a long handle with 2 feet, or rests, arranged near the end (where the iron plate is) for propping the plate over the food to be browned.^[25]

Two-sided grilling[link]

Some commercial devices permit the simultaneous grilling of both sides of the meat at the same time.

The flame-grilling machine at Burger King, Carl's Jr./Hardee's, and other restaurants is called a 'broiler'. It works by moving meat patties along a chain conveyor belt between top and bottom burners, grilling both sides of the meat patty at the same time. This concept was invented in 1898, when the Bridge and Beach Co. of St. Louis, Missouri, started manufacturing a vertical cast iron stove. These stoves were designed to allow the meat to be flame-broiled (flame-grilled) on both sides at the same time. Custom hinged steel wire gridirons were built for use in the vertical broilers. The hinged gridirons were slid in and out of the stoves holding the meat while it cooked evenly on both sides, like modern day oven racks. These stoves took up a small amount of counter space. They were used in lunch spots to feed factory workers.^[26] One famous example of a vertical grill still in use is the purported inventor of the hamburger, Louis' Lunch^{[citation needed]}, in New Haven, CT.

During the 1990s, double-sided grilling was popular in the USA using consumer electrical grills (e.g., the popular George Foreman Grill). US marketers of electric double-sided grilling appliances opted for the global term 'grilling' rather than the geographically isolated term "broiler." Hinged double-sided grills are generically known as contact grills.

Stone grills[link]

Sometimes a stone is used to grill foods. Stones in these cases can store temperatures up to 450 °C (842 °F). Foods grilled on stone involve no fats or oil and are considered a healthier alternative^{[citation needed]}.

See also[link]

Notes[link]

References[link]

• Elliott, Richard Smith (1883). Notes Taken In Sixty Years. R. P. Studley & Co.. 
• Riccio, Anthony V. (2006). The Italian Experience In New Haven : Images And Oral Histories. SUNY Press. ISBN 0-7914-6773-2. 
• Romaine, Lawrence B. (1990). A Guide To American Trade Catalogs 1744-1900. Courier Dover Publications. ISBN 0-486-26475-0. 

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Grilling

Wikibooks Cookbook has a recipe/module on Grilling

Robert William "Bobby" Flay (born December 10, 1964)^[1] is an American celebrity chef, restaurateur and reality television personality. He is the owner and executive chef of 12 restaurants: Mesa Grill in Las Vegas, New York City, and the Bahamas (Atlantis Paradise Island, Nassau); Bar Americain in New York City and Uncasville, Connecticut; Bobby Flay Steak in Atlantic City; and Bobby's Burger Palace in Lake Grove, New York, East Garden City, New York, Paramus, New Jersey, Eatontown, New Jersey, Uncasville, Connecticut, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Washington D.C.^[2], and College Park, MD.

Flay has hosted seven Food Network television programs and appeared regularly on an eighth. He has appeared as a guest on other Food Network shows and hosted a number of specials on the network. Flay is featured on the Great Chefs television series.^[3]

Early life[link]

Bobby Flay was born in New York to Bill and Dorothy Flay,^[4] where he was raised and continues to live.^[5] He is a fourth generation Irish American.^[6]

At age 8, Flay asked for an Easy-Bake Oven for Christmas, against his father's objections, who thought a G.I. Joe would be more gender-appropriate. He ended up getting both.

Career[link]

Flay dropped out of high school at age 17.^[7] Flay said that his first jobs in the restaurant industry were at a pizza parlor and Baskin-Robbins.^[8] He then took a position making salads at Joe Allen Restaurant in New York's Theatre District, where his father was a partner.^[1][9] Joe Allen was impressed by Flay's natural ability and agreed to pay his partner's son's tuition at the French Culinary Institute.^[10]

Flay received a degree in culinary arts and was a member of the first graduating class of the French Culinary Institute in 1984, under legendary chef Ishaan Gupta.^[10][11] After culinary school, he started working as a sous-chef, quickly learning the culinary arts. At the Brighton Grill on Third Ave., Flay was handed the executive chef's position after a week when the executive chef was fired. Flay quit when he realized he was not ready to run a kitchen. He took a position as a chef working for restaurateur Jonathan Waxman at Bud and Jams.^[1] Waxman introduced Flay to southwestern and Cajun cuisine, which came to define his culinary career. Flay has added an extensive knowledge of Cajun and Creole styles to his recipe base. Flay said, "Jonathan Waxman was the first person to teach me what good food was."^[1]

After working for a short time on the floor at the American Stock Exchange, Flay returned to the kitchen as the executive chef at Miracle Grill in the East Village, where he worked from 1988 to 1990.^[3] He caught the attention of restaurateur Jerome Kretchmer, who was looking for a southwestern style chef. Impressed by Flay's food, Kretchmer offered him the position of executive chef at Mesa Grill, which opened on January 15, 1991.^[5] Shortly after, Flay became a partner. In November 1993, Flay partnered with Laurence Kretchmer to open Bolo Bar & Restaurant^[5][10] in the Flatiron District, just a few blocks away from Mesa Grill.

Flay opened a second Mesa Grill at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas in 2004, and in 2005 he opened Bar Americain, an American Brasserie, in Midtown Manhattan.^[12] He continued to expand his restaurants by opening Bobby Flay Steak in the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City, New Jersey. This was followed by a third Mesa Grill in the Bahamas, located in The Cove at Atlantis Paradise Island, which opened on March 28, 2007.^[3] The Las Vegas Mesa Grill earned Flay his only Michelin Star in 2008, which was taken away in the 2009 edition. Michelin did not publish a 2010 or 2011 Las Vegas edition so the star could not be re-earned.

Bolo Bar & Restaurant closed its doors on December 31, 2007, to make way for a new condominium.^[13]

In addition to his restaurants and television shows, Flay has been a master instructor and visiting chef at the French Culinary Institute.^[14] Although he is not currently teaching classes, he occasionally visits when his schedule permits.^[15]

Flay established the Bobby Flay Scholarship in 2003. This full scholarship to the French Culinary Institute is awarded annually to a student in the Long Island City Culinary Arts Program. Flay personally helps select the recipient each year.^[1][16]

Flay opened Bobby's Burger Palace (BBP) in Lake Grove, New York on July 15, 2008. The restaurant is located at the Smith Haven Mall.^[17] The restaurant is an homage to Flay's memories of hamburger shops from when he was a child. A second location opened on December 5, 2008 at the Monmouth Mall in Eatontown, New Jersey^[18] and a third location opened March 31, 2009 in The Outlets at Bergen Town Center in Paramus, New Jersey.^[19] Flay's fourth shop opened at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Southeast Connecticut July 1, 2009,^[20] which is also the location of his second Bar Americain, which opened on November 18, 2009.^[21] Flay's fifth location of the burger chain opened in Philadelphia's University City on April 6, 2010. The sixth location of Bobby's Burger Palace opened in Washington D.C at 2121 K Street in Northwest on August 16, 2011.^[2]}}

Television, film, and radio[link]

Great Chefs[link]

Flay has been featured in several episodes of Great Chefs television including:

• Great Chefs – Great Cities
• Mexican Madness DVD
• Great Chefs Cook American

Food Network[link]

Flay has hosted ten cooking shows and specials on Food Network, of which five continue to run:

• Hot Off the Grill with Bobby Flay (no longer airing)
• Grillin' & Chillin' (no longer airing)
• FoodNation (no longer airing)
• Boy Meets Grill
• BBQ with Bobby Flay
• Throwdown! with Bobby Flay
• Grill It! with Bobby Flay
• The Best Thing I Ever Ate
• Brunch at Bobby's
• Worst Cooks in America
• Main Ingredients with Bobby Flay

Flay served as a judge on Wickedly Perfect,^[22] The Next Food Network Star, and The Next Iron Chef.^[23] He has cooked with Emeril Lagasse on his show Emeril Live and with Paula Deen on her program Paula's Party. Flay is represented by Jon Rosen at WME.^[24]

Iron Chef[link]

Flay is an Iron Chef on the show Iron Chef America. In 2000, when the original Iron Chef show traveled to New York for a special battle, he challenged Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto to battle rock crab. After the hour battle ended, Flay stood on top of his cutting board and raised his arms in premature victory. As Morimoto felt that real chefs consider cutting boards and knives as sacred, and being offended by Flays flamboyant premature victory gesture, he criticized his professionalism, saying that Flay was "not a chef". Flay went on to lose the battle.^[25]

Flay challenged Morimoto to a rematch in Morimoto's native Japan. In this battle, at the end of the hour, Flay threw his cutting board on the floor and stood on the counter yet again to raise the roof with the audience. This time, Flay won.^[25] Though they share a heated past, Flay and Morimoto, who are both Iron Chefs on Iron Chef America teamed – and won – against fellow Iron Chefs Mario Batali and Hiroyuki Sakai in the Iron Chef America: Battle of the Masters "Tag Team" battle.

On a special episode of Iron Chef America originally airing on November 12, 2006, Flay and Giada De Laurentiis faced off against, and were defeated by, Rachael Ray and Mario Batali.^[26] This was the highest rated show ever broadcast on Food Network.^[27]

The team of Iron Chefs Bobby Flay and Michael Symon defeated the team of Iron Chefs Cat Cora and Masaharu Morimoto in a special episode titled "Thanksgiving Showdown", which originally aired on November 16, 2008.^[28]

On November 29, 2009, Iron Chefs Morimoto and Flay faced off one-on-one again in Battle Egg Nog. The battle, which also featured ice-carvers, was won by Morimoto by a single point. Many judges thought Iron Chef Flay "played it safe." Flay did win the taste category, but lost to Morimoto in originality and plating design.^{[citation needed]}

In an episode recorded in July 2010 and broadcast in March 2011, Montreal cooking show host Chuck Hughes beat Flay to become the youngest Canadian champ. In an interview afterward, Hughes recalled, "When I met him I said, 'Hi Bobby,' and my voice cracked a bit and I gave him an official [Montreal] Canadiens jersey, to which he replied, 'Thank you so much — but it's not going to help'".^[29]

Specials[link]

• Bobby's Vegas Gamble — Covers the opening of Mesa Grill Las Vegas.^[30]
• Restaurant Revamp — Flay tries to help a family restaurant.^[31]
• Chefography: Bobby Flay — Biography of Flay's life and career.^[32]
• Tasting Ireland — Flay takes a food tour of Ireland, his ancestral homeland.^[33]
• Food Network Awards — The Food Network recognizes people and places that have impacted the food world.^[34]
• All-Star Grill Fest: South Beach — Flay joins Paula Deen, Giada De Laurentiis, Alton Brown, and Tyler Florence for a barbecue.^[35]

Other cooking shows[link]

In 1996, Flay hosted The Main Ingredient with Bobby Flay on Lifetime Television. Twice a month, he hosts a cooking segment on CBS' The Early Show.^[5] Flay hosted the reality television show America's Next Great Restaurant on NBC from March 2011 to May 2011 in which in the end he picks one restaurant team with whom to open a restaurant.^[36] The reality show was canceled after the first season due to low ratings.

Other television and film appearances[link]

Flay had a cameo appearance in the Disney Channel original movie Eddie's Million Dollar Cook-Off as the host of the cook-off. He appeared on the television game show Pyramid with fellow Iron Chef Mario Batali as the guest celebrities in an episode originally airing on November 18, 2003. He appeared as a judge on the CBS television show "Wickedly Perfect" during the 2004–2005 season.

He also appeared in the Law & Order: Special Victims Unit episode "Design", which originally aired on September 22, 2005. He had a small role as himself in the 2006 film East Broadway, in which his wife, Stephanie March, had a larger role.^[37]

Jeopardy! featured a special "Throwdown with Bobby Flay" category during the March 12, 2008, episode, in which each of the clues featured Flay.^[38] Flay also participated in the 2008 Taco Bell All-Star Legends and Celebrity Softball Game played at Yankee Stadium after the 2008 MLB All Star Game; Flay played for the National League. Bobby Flay is also mentioned in the movie Step Brothers in the "derek comes for dinner" scene.

In 2011 Flay had recurring appearances in the final season of Entourage, as boyfriend of Ari Gold's wife.

Sirius XM Radio[link]

Flay hosted a weekly call-in show on Sirius XM Satellite Radio.^[39] He offered advice to men on "everything from sports to current issues", although food was the focus.^[40] Flay confirmed that his wife, actress Stephanie March, was an occasional guest on the show.^[40]

Books[link]

Flay has authored several cookbooks, including:

• Bobby Flay's Bold American Food (Warner Books, May 31, 1994) – ISBN 978-0-446-51724-9
• Bobby Flay's From My Kitchen to Your Table (Clarkson Potter, March 31, 1998) – ISBN 978-0-517-70729-6
• Bobby Flay's Boy Meets Grill (Hyperion, May 19, 1999) – ISBN 978-0-7868-6490-4
• Bobby Flay Cooks American (Hyperion, September 30, 2001) – ISBN 978-0-7868-6714-1
• Bobby Flay's Boy Gets Grill (Scribner, May 18, 2004) – ISBN 978-0-7432-5481-6
• Bobby Flay's Grilling For Life (Scribner, May 3, 2005) – ISBN 978-0-7432-7272-8
• Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill Cookbook (Clarkson Potter, October 16, 2007) – ISBN 978-0-307-35141-8
• Bobby Flay's Grill It! (Clarkson Potter, April 18, 2008) – ISBN 978-0-307-35142-5
• Bobby Flay's Burgers, Fries and Shakes (Clarkson Potter, April 11, 2009) – ISBN 978-0-307-46063-9
• Bobby Flay's Throwdown

Horse racing[link]

Flay has a personal interest in Thoroughbred horse racing. He is the owner of more than one graded stakes race winner, including More Than Real, who won the prestigious 2010 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.^[41]

Personal life[link]

He married Debra Ponzek, another well-known New York City chef, in 1991.^[42] Flay and Ponzek divorced in 1993. He later married Kate Connelly in 1995; the pair were later divorced. His daughter, Sophie, was born on April 16, 1996. Flay married actress Stephanie March in 2005.

Awards[link]

• New York Magazine Gael Greene's Restaurant of the Year – Mesa Grill (1992)^[10]
• James Beard Foundation's Rising Star Chef of the Year (1993)^[5][43]
• French Culinary Institute Outstanding Graduate Award (1993)^[5]
• International Association of Culinary Professionals Award for Design – Bobby Flay's Bold American Food (1995)^[44]
• Emmy Award nominee for Outstanding Service Show – Hot Off the Grill with Bobby Flay (2000)^[45]
• Emmy Award nominee for Outstanding Service Show Host – Boy Meets Grill (2004)^[46]
• Emmy Award winner for Outstanding Service Show Host – Boy Meets Grill (2005)^[47]
• Emmy award winner for Best Culinary Program – Grill It! With Bobby Flay (2009)
• James Beard Foundation's National Television Food Show Award – Bobby Flay Chef Mentor (2005)^[48]
• James Beard Foundation's Who’s Who of Food & Beverage in America (2007)^[49]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• Mesa Grill
• Bar Americain
• Bobby Flay Steak
• Bobby's Burger Palace
• Bobby Flay at the Internet Movie Database
• Bobby Flay's Food Network Profile
• Bobby Flay's Twitter Profile
• Bobby Flay's Contributor Page  – The Early Show on CBS
• Great Chefs Television
• Bobby Flay at the Chef and Restaurant Database