Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill Cookbook

It is Fall in Boston and temperatures are falling. Winter will soon be here bringing snow and much colder weather. So it is time for heartier foods, something to take away the chill. It is a time for chowders and stews, roast turkeys and ducks. I think it might also be the season for spicier foods, maybe some southwestern cuisine. If so, then maybe this cookbook will satisfy you.

Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill Cookbook ($35.00) by Bobby Flay (with Stephanie Banyas and Sally Jackson) is published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House. Mesa Grill is a new hardcover cookbook with 278 pages.

The primary author, Bobby Flay, is certainly well known. His face can often be seen on TV, especially the Food Channel in shows such as the Iron Chef. Flay opened his first restaurant, the Mesa Grill, in 1991 in New York City. It specialized in innovative Southwestern cuisine. Since then, Flay opened outposts of the Mesa Grill in other cities as well as opening a few other, different restaurants. He has also authored six other books.

In Mesa Grill, Flay provides recipes from his restaurant, from what he calls 'contemporary Southwestern' cuisine. Yet he provides more than just recipes. He also provides a foundation for this cuisine, the ingredients and techniques you need for the recipes. This makes the cookbook more accessible and easier to use.

The cookbook begins with five pages describing the various ingredients of Southwestern cuisine, from avocadoes to tortillas. There are then three pages on chile peppers. Finally, there are three pages of cooking techniques, such as roasting corn, cold-smoking and making chile puree. All in all, some excellent basics.

The rest of cookbook is broken down into eleven chapters including Drinks, Soups, Salads, Appetizers, Shellfish & Fish, Polutry, Meat & Game, Sides, Relishes Sauces & Vinaigrettes, Desserts and Brunch. It contains about 150 recipes. Generally these recipes are of easy to moderate complexity to prepare. Most of the ingredients should be readily available in large grocery stores. The book does provide a Resources page listing where some of the less common ingredients can be found.

The Drinks chapter begins with a short summary of the various types of tequila and then lists four margaritas and a couple other cocktails. The Cactus Pear Margarita sounds intriguing, though you probably would have to order the Cactus Pear juice online.

As winter is soup/chowder season, the Soups chapter has a couple interesting choices, including the Pumpkin Soup with Cinnamon Crema and Roasted Pumpkin Seeds as well as the Sweet Potato and Roasted Plantain Soup with Smoked Chile Crema and Fried Plantain.

For Appetizers, I would like to try the Queso Fundido with Roasted Poblano Vinaigrette, BBQ-Duck Filled Blue Corn Pancakes with Habanero Sauce, and Mussels in Red Chile Pesto Broth. All sound like good Winter dishes.

The entrees that intrigue me include: Smoked Shrimp Cakes, Blue Corn Crab Cakes, Artic Char and Mussels in Green Garlic Broth, Pan-Seared Duck Breast with Red Chile-Pear Sauce, New Mexican Rubbed Pork Tenderloin with Bourbon-Ancho Sauce, and the Lamb and Goat Cheese Enchiladas.

The Sides chapter has a delicious sounding Sweet Potato Gratin (with accompanying photo), Creamy Polenta with Cortija, Roasted Garlic Tamales with Thyme Butter, Sweet Potato Tamales with Pecan Butter. The Sauces chapter is extensive with salsa, chile sauces and other hot sauces. Even the Desserts chapter is very appealing with items such as the Chocolate-Coconut Bread Pudding, and Caramel Apple Shortcakes with Apple Cider Reduction.

The recipes, from appetizers to desserts, should appeal to a wide audience. There are plenty of enticing photos of the foods and they add to the appeal of this cookbook. Many of the recipes would fit well within the current seasons. I would definitely recommend Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill Cookbook