interview with Bobby Flay

C H E F

BOBBY “Cooking is a subject FLAY you can never know enough about. There is always something new to discover.”

Q: WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST BIG BREAK ON TV? HOW WERE YOU DISCOVERED? Q: WHAT ARE SOME OF THE BEST RECIPES YOU’VE MADE ONAIR, AND WHY?

A: “I was a guest on Food Network shows when the Food Network first started, like 12 years ago.”

Q: ONE OF A RESTAURATEUR’S GREATEST CHALLENGES IS HIRING: WHAT’S YOUR HIRING

A: “Obviously, the easiest recipes are the most successful when it comes to the home cook, because they’re not intimidated by them. If I’m doing Boy Meets Grill, and I do something very simple like grilled hamburgers or steaks or chicken, those are the most sought-after recipes. If I do something like grilled quail, it has less appeal because people think to themselves, I don’t even know what quail is! or Where can I get quail?”

A: “What I tell people is to come in and check us out while at the same time we’ll check you out. It’s a two-way street. I hire people for two reasons and for two reasons only: Ambition and good disposition, they have to be nice people. And everything else I don’t care. If they have those two things, I can work with them. If they don’t, I can’t. Whether they can cook or not·We have cooks at every different level, from the very experienced to those with no experience. I welcome both because there’s a place for both in my kitchens. Q: WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT BEING ON TV?

A: “I love that you’re able to reach lots of people and teach, whether it’s a small little tip or a full meal or somewhere in the middle. I think it’s good to be able to inspire people to cook food like you do.” Q: ARE THERE ANY TIPS YOU HAVE FOR MAKING THE BEST STEAK ON THE GRILL? HOW TO, MAYBE, NOT OVERCOOK IT? OR SOMETHING THAT YOU THINK WOULD HELP EVERYONE WHILE GRILLING STEAK?

A: “For steak, you need high heat and you need to let the grill do its job. Leave the steak alone. Let it get nice and crusty. Flip it once, and don’t overcook it. Everybody says, ’I have problems overcooking steak on the grill,’ but just take it off earlier! Grilling is really common sense. It’s very simple. You should think of a grill as a burner—it just happens to have grates. You shouldn’t be intimidated by it.”

A: “Probably on Iron Chef America. I’ve been electrically shocked, I’ve cut my finger off and I’ve burned lots of things there. Last time I was doing it, I burned a bunch of mango chutney. You just lose sight of it. You’re trying to cook all this food in 60 minutes. Boy Meets Grill is a different animal. I think Iron Chef is probably the most challenging: In 60 minutes it’s just go-go-go, nonstop, so there’s no forgetting anything there.”

Q: WHAT IS THE WORST EXPERIENCE YOU’VE HAD ON TV? ANY DISASTERS?

BOBBY’S MUST HAVE KITCHEN TOOL

When asked about his musthave kitchen tools, Bobby Flay tells everyone that a meat thermometer is key. This should come as no surprise from this grill master. A thermometer will help you make sure your meats are properly cooked whether you’re roasting a turkey in the oven of flipping burgers