Fire it up for Father's Day

REVIEWS BY SYBIL PRATT

Ready, get set, grill! Bobby the Bold is back with Boy Gets Grill: 125 Reasons to Light Your Fire! his succulent sequel to Boy Meets Grill, and companion to his new Food Network series. Bobby Flay, restaurateur, TV star, cookbook author and native New Yorker, has had what we might call a flaming affair with food and fire. Luckily, this passion shows no signs of dying down. Now that he's got his grill, he's taking it, and us, international, in a New York kind of way. This means spicing it all up with the flavors of the great ethnic cuisines, ingredients and markets that flourish in this mega-melting pot. The grilling guru imparts the basics, then offers starters that have a grilled component, such as Charred Corn Guacamole and Tomato Bread with Prosciutto, and ends with a few simple grilled fruit desserts. In between, there's an international feast of fire-cooked mains from grilled sea scallops, salmon and striped bass to chicken, duck, quail, steak, chops, burgers, brisket and more. Each is rubbed, marinated or glazed, skewered or stuffed into quesadillas and sandwiches and accompanied by all manner of savory sauces, vinaigrettes, dressings, relishes and salsas. Veggies, salads and sides get their due, too, and you'll even find a few non-grilled dishes and lively liquid libations. Flay is all fired up; he believes that grilling is "the best way to keep cooking fun and adventurous" and his smoldering enthusiasm is catching.


Eating out

Grilling is thrilling, but part of the fun of outdoor cooking is the pleasure of dining on the porch, the beach, the roof or wherever we gather to revel in warm weather and warm company. The Big Book of Backyard Cooking by Betty Rosbottom, a syndicated food writer and well-known cooking teacher, is a salute to summer and all the wonderful dishes that have come to mean easy and appealing alfresco dining, lunching or just lounging around with a long cool drink. In these 250 recipes, American favorites mix with dishes that speak with intriguing foreign accents. When dealing with tried-and-true traditionals, Rosbottom has sought out the best versions that sing with a little new zing—Sesame Fried Chicken drizzled with a honey glaze, Turkey Burgers with Balsamic Onion Marmalade (yes, you'll find grilled favorites here, too), BLTs with Basil Mayo, Parmesan Black Pepper Coleslaw and Grilled Caesar Salad. Moving your backyard beyond our borders, you can try layered Zucchini, Potatoes and Tomatoes, Greek style; Grilled Veal Chops topped with Italian-inspired gremolata (lemon zest and herbs); Indonesian Chicken Satay dipped in peanut sauce or a trendy Cuban Mojito. Make-ahead suggestions, detailed instructions and helpful notes on ingredients all add to the fun of eating "out."


King burger

OK, let's cut to the chase, to the American classic that's as iconic as blue jeans—the grilled on a grill, sizzled on a stove, burger. To celebrate that marvelous mainstay in its many manifestations we have Burgers by Rebecca Bent with Tom Steele. It's a neat, small-format, super-for-summer-gift-giving collection of 50 recipes that go from the utterly simple to the superbly sophisticated, with some great ideas for sides, like Avocado Ketchup, Mama's Mac-'n'-Cheese and Maui Onion Salad, that will enhance the main event. If the savory satisfaction—and comfort—of the straightforward is what you want, try Geoffrey Zakarian's Town Burger on an English muffin, with a heaping helping of thinly sliced, irresistible Buttered Chips. Five-Cheese Burger with Pears and Walnuts takes the cheeseburger to new heights, as does the Stuffed Chevre and Caramelized Onion Burger. Lamb, buffalo and venison find their flavorful way into burgerland, and chicken, turkey, fish and seafood make starring appearances, too. A bevy of better burgers is yours for the making.


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