The cover of "Bobby Flay's Burgers, Fries & Shakes" depicts renowned chef Bobby Flay hovering with a teasing smile over a mouth-watering culinary confection of hamburger, toppings and potato chips. The book looks good enough to eat!
Interestingly, Flay has always dreamed of opening his own burger joint, and he made his dream come true in 2008 when he opened Bobby's Burger Palace. He sure knows and loves his burgers!
Flay's new book is divided into three sections covering, you guessed it, burgers, fries (along with potato chips and onion rings) and shakes. One of the best parts of the book is that each section begins with Flay's best tips on how to make each of these items extraordinary. Flay also offers a great section on condiments and seasonings to round out the book.
Burgers, Burgers and More Burgers
The section on burgers is the best section of all, and readers can hardly get past this section without craving a juicy hamburger right now. Gorgeous photographs accompany each recipe, and Flay runs the gamut with his burgers. There is everything from a Breakfast Burger to a Caesar Salad Burger and everything in between. Many of the recipes give a nod to regional cuisine around the United States; for example, Flay has created a Napa Valley Burger, a Miami Burger, and a Philadelphia Burger to name a few.
Probably the best part about these recipes is that they are relatively easy to make and the ingredients are ones a moderately skilled chef would have around the kitchen already. No trips to the fancy market required here; although Flay does recommend starting any of these hamburgers with freshly ground beef from the butcher or supermarket.
For the health conscious folks out there (who would dare to read a book with such an unhealthy title), Flay has a few healthier burger options available, including several types of salmon and tuna burgers. He also notes that turkey can be substituted for beef in any of his burger recipes.
Fries and More
The book's section on fries is almost as tempting with everything from classic fries to plaintain fries and more. The use of creative seasonings and potato cuts make this a great section to read and try at home. If readers don't believe in the power of a photograph to create salivation, check out Flay's two onion ring recipes - they look absolutely delicious!
One of the best sections of the book is Flay's mention of condiments and seasonings. There is nothing worse than creating a culinary masterpiece and then not having good toppings or condiments to accompany such a work of art, and this section can help even the most tentative chefs kick up their dishes in style. From traditional barbeque sauce to malt vinegar and tarragon aioli to homemade dill pickes and southwestern seasoning, this section packs a lot of punch and should satisfy burger lovers who want something delicious served up with their burger.
Lots of Milkshakes
Finally, Flay tackles milkshakes in the last section of his book. The variety of shakes in this section is simply amazing. Some of the shakes are more traditional in flavor, such as his double chocolate milkshake and his strawberry shake, but he also adds some exotic flavors too. For example, Flay includes a recipe for a lemon meringue pie milkshake!
In summary, for foodies that love a good burger accompanied by fries (or onion rings) and a shake, then this book is a winner!
For reference, this book was first published by Clarkson Potter on April 14, 2009. The retail price of this book is $25.95.
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