Bobby Flay's Throwdown!: More Than 100 Recipes from Food Network's Ultimate Cooking Challenge: A Cookbook

by Bobby Flay, Stephanie Banyas, Miriam Garron

Are you ready?
 
Every week on Throwdown!, celebrity chef and restaurateur Bobby Flay goes head-to-head with cooks who have staked their claim as masters of an iconic dish—buffalo wings, chicken cacciatore, or sticky buns, for example—even though he may never have cooked these things before. The results are always entertaining—and delicious. In his first-ever cookbook collaboration with Food Network, Bobby shares the recipes and fun from his popular show.
 
For each episode, both Bobby’s recipe and his challenger’s are included, comprising a cross-country tour of regional specialties and good-hearted competitive spirit. Travel to San Antonio for puffy tacos, Philadelphia for cheesesteaks, Harlem for fried chicken and waffles, and Charleston for coconut cake. Try both dishes to pick your favorite, or challenge friends and family to a battle of your own. Either way, you’ll find tons of fantastic flavors in this best-of-the-best book from the first seven seasons of Throwdown!.
 
The ultimate companion cookbook to one of America’s favorite food shows, Bobby Flay’s Throwdown! lets home cooks and fans in on the action, featuring favorite Throwdown! moments and behind-the-scenes peeks alongside beautiful, all-new color food photography created just for this book. So if Bobby Flay ever strolls into your backyard asking “Are you ready for a Throwdown?” you definitely will be!

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Food, Nonfiction, Reference, Tv, Culinary

272 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

Robert William Flay is an American celebrity chef, restaurateur, and television personality. He is the owner and executive chef of five restaurants: Mesa Grill and Bar Americain in New York City; Mesa Grill in Las Vegas; Mesa Grill in Bahamas (Atlantis Paradise Island, Nassau); and Bobby Flay Steak in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Flay has hosted seven Food Network television programs and appeared regularly on an eighth. He has also appeared as a guest on other Food Network shows and hosted a number of specials on the network.

Reviews

[Eva-Joy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actual rating: 3.5

Bobby Flay is my favorite Food Network star (on the rare occasions I've been able to watch TV) and I picked this book up at the library mostly on a whim. I've never seen an episode of Throwdown!, but I still enjoyed this book (I skipped the recipes, of course, 'cause I wasn't reading the book for them). And enjoyable read.

[Gina · Rating 4 out of 5]

After two months and with Thanksgiving this week, I'm finally ready to review this cookbook. Overall, this is a winner. I'll be making many of these recipes again.

Most are familiar with Throwdown, a show where Bobby Flay surprises a home cook or small restauranteur with a challenge over their best/most known for dish. They each make their version and it is then judged by a local panel. It's a toss up as to who wins. This cookbook feature the recipes from several episodes. Both Bobby's and the contestant's recipes are given with information about the challenge and the reasons for the victory. I focused on the winning dish for each challenge and didn't necessarily make both dishes every time. Therefore, I can't say if I agree with the judges on all victories. There were a few dishes, like in the cupcake challenge won by Bobby, where I made the losing recipe. Bobby's cupcakes have coconut, which I don't like. The challenger but loser was red velvet cupcakes of which I am very fond. Because each episode is so varied - from ice pops and cupcakes to steaks and shrimp and grits - this cookbook is also varied. The show is the theme whereby the recipes follow no other pattern. The losing pot pie recipe was probably our favorite dish. Both steak recipes were fantastic. So were the cheesecakes. I didn't make the ice pops, although I would love to try them sometime. I also didn't make the sticky buns much to my husband's deep regret. I'll try those in the future too. A few of Bobby's dishes had hard to find ingredients. The challengers were all easier to make in both ingredients and instruction.

Overall, I think the recipes in this one are solid. Good instructions throughout. You don't have to be a fan of the show to enjoy it.

[Joan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here are recipes from the Food Network’s uber-popular ultimate challenge. And, yes, as fans of the show will attest, the guest chefs sometimes bested celebrity chef and restauranteur Bobby Flay.

Through seven seasons [a complete episode list is included], challengers brought their special recipes to the show; selected recipes are presented here, along with full-color photographs and behind-the-scenes peeks from the episodes. In each section, recipes from both Bobby and the challenger are included.

A representative sampling of recipe categories includes chowder, breakfast, cocktails, mac’ ‘n’ cheese, cupcakes, crepes, lasagna, grilled cheese, seafood gumbo, paella, ravioli, shrimp and grits, steak fajitas, and barbeque chicken and potato salad.

In addition, there are pages devoted to one of the two original pilots [with national barbeque champion Butch Lupinetti] that are sure to delight Throwdown! fans. In all, this book contains more than one hundred recipes from the Throwdown! show.

Highly recommended.

[Wade Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Bobby Flay...he's always froggy. Gotta respect the man and his talents. I've started cooking more like him the last few years as I've moved from one culinary hero to another.

Total recommend.

[Cassie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading the excerpts about the challenges and having both recipes from each challenge included. Have never watched the show reading the book was a nice surprise. Looking forward to making a few of the winning foods.

[Paschalis]

elibrary

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of good recipes to try.

[Justine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have a long list of recipes to try. We loved the series.

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some good inspiration, but the problem with the recipes here is the number of ingredients! Too many for regular meals. Tasty dishes though!

[Jeanette Durkin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book with some great recipes! There are pictures of every recipe! I'll definitely be trying some of these recipes!

[Gail Cooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Millions of us watch THROWDOWN on the Food Network every week. It’s great fun and we learn a lot when celebrity chef and restauranteur Bobby Flay takes on cooks who claim to make the best ever of a popular dish, such as Coconut Cake, Lasagna or Grilled Cheese sandwiches (wait until you taste Bobby’s made with grilled Brie, Goat Cheese, bacon, and green tomato - called by some a “taste explosion”). As we know, Bobby happily takes on these challenges even though he may never have cooked a specific dish before.

While watching THROWDOWN is a pleasure what a treat and how handy to have over 100 of these recipes available in Bobby’s first cookbook. It’s a beauty of a book with many of the show’s favorite moments, some peeks behind the scenes, and gorgeous food photography. You’ll find everything from Barbecue to Mac ‘n’ Cheese to Ravioli with all sorts of good dishes in between. For each episode of THROWDOWN featured in the book both Bobby’s and his challenger’s recipes are included.

For instance, when it comes to Grilled Cheese Connie and Bill Fisher who own a restaurant in New Jersey that offers 31 varieties of grilled cheese may have thought they were sure-wins with their sandwich built with Monterrey Jack cheese, turkey and bacon on rosemary focaccia. Not quite - Bobby took the day with his “Grilled Brie and Goat Cheese with Bacon and Green Tomato.” Mom’s grilled cheese was great but nothing like these!

Don’t we all love spaghetti and meatballs? Bobby’s looked tempting but a100-year-old recipe from Mike Maroni was declared tops, and Mat Arnfeld taught Bobby a few tricks when it came to Fish and Chips (Flour whisked with brown ale for dredging the fish couldn’t have hurt).

Sometimes Bobby wins and sometimes he loses, while the recipes are always terrific. It’s impossible to choose a favorite, so enjoy 270 pages of fun and fine food.

- Gail Cooke

[Kat Day · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like Bobby Flay. I find him really interesting and entertaining. And although some of the ingredients he uses are harder to find or more expensive to purchase, his recipes are often delicious. This book is from his show, Throwdown, which is where he goes to a chef with great reviews and challenges their dishes. They each take their dish and make their own spin on it, then a winner is chosen. I like that Bobby Flay doesn't include all his wins - in fact, the majority of the recipes included are from the people he challenged and lost to.

Recipes in this book I've tried:

Caramel apple cheesecake - Oh my god. Just...freaking delicious. Vanilla bean is expensive but so worth it. (Recipe)

Bourbon wings - I'm a huge wing fan, chicken wings are my number one favorite food. The bourbon street wings were really good, though I didn't try them with a shot of bourbon yet. (Challenger's recipe)

Jersey steak - If you like your steak rare, this one is a great recipe to make. (Challenger's recipe)

Gingerbread cupcakes with mango buttercream - Also delicious. (Bobby Flay's recipe)

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I definitely want to try the lobster chowder. I'm not a HUGE fan of seafood but it looks wonderful. And of course, the chili! Lots of different stuff in here that looks great.

[Steven Peterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of fun! Many are familiar with Chef Bobby Flay's show, "Throwdown," in which he challenges chefs who have specialties. He tries to "beat them at their own game."

This volume chronicles some of those challenges. I recall actually viewing quite a few of these episodes. Who could forget his macaroni and cheese battle with Delilah (which he won). Here are both his and Delilah's (7 cheese) recipes. One of my personal favorite throwdowns? Buffalo chicken wings! Bobby Flay challenged Chef Drew Cerza, at Buffalo's Anchor Bar (the home of chicken wings!).

At any rate, a nice work, where you can compare an Iron Chef's take on individual chefs' signature dishes.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok I did like that the author/chef's goal for this book seemed to be highlighting the food and work of other great chefs across America and not for his own benefit. He seems to be a nice personable guy who seems embarrassed when his food beats the challengers in the Throwdown, even though frankly, most of his combinations are better. Most of the recipes I wanted to try were desserts like the Caramel Apple Cheesecake, or Gingerbread Cupcakes with Caramelized Mango Buttercream, but then there were great meal recipes like the traditional Muffuletta, World's Greatest Chicken Pot Pie, and the Gulf Shrimp and Grits.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun idea for a cookbook. Flay goes across the country looking for cooks who specialize in local favorite foods, and challenges them to see if he can make it better than the local expert. He then includes both his recipe and the local expert's recipe for the same dish. Good variety of recipes. If you know a guy who likes the show, this would be a good gift. It's pretty masculine, as cookbooks go.

Great if you're looking for authentic, regional recipes for local favorite comfort food. NOT so good if you're looking for low-calorie meals or desserts!

[Michelle Hankes · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a gorgeous book! The pictures are wonderful, the mass of scintillating recipes is even better and I love how each set of recipes tells the story of the throwdown, as well as the winner. Hint: Bobby does not win them all.

There are so many good recipes in here from macaroni and cheese to cupcakes. Comfort food, out of the ordinary food, delicious food.

Highly recommended.

Rated G.

[Lbaker · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first I was confused watching this series. Once I realized that B. Flay looks embarrassed each time he wins, I realized that he seems to be looking to showcase other peoples specialties and expand his cooking horizons; so now I love the TV series and bought the book.

It's a good read, and there are some recipes I will try, but most are too complex for every day cooking.

I look at this book more to peruse than to cook from. However, it has some great looking recipes!

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you like the show, you'll like this cookbook. I haven't seen a lot of the episodes featured in the book, so it was still interesting to me. I was a little disappointed not to see the Levain episode (though I did like seeing the Flour blurb), but I know that not all of the material could be written about. Sigh.

[Juanita · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bobby's recipes use too many ingredients, and alot of them aren't ingredients I have on hand. The competitors recipes are much more straightforward, and make this book worthwhile. I think it'd probably be best to go to a Bobby Flay restaurant and try his food there.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

i have watched the show and really enjoyed watching the cooking and the recipe development. this was a little on the disappointing side. the recipes were too long and complicated don't think that i would make anything from this

[ReadingWench · Rating 3 out of 5]

This books recaps some of the best challenges of "Throwdown"". Recipes from both sides are featured as well as a synopsis of the episodes.

[Anna Mari]

Received for Christmas.

[Bunny · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't like overly complicated recipes. All the ones I noted from the book were from the competitors, which says something about my opinion of Bobby Flay.

[Sky · Rating 4 out of 5]

It had some great recipes and I loved the background stories! This is definitely a good book to get amazing recipes on tons of things!

[Du · Rating 3 out of 5]

Would be 3.5 stars. There are some decent recipes, and some that seem way too difficult to make/engineer. It was a fun book to flip through and read the stories of the competitions though.

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was as fun to read as it was to cook from.

[Amy Morrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this show and I am so excited that I can now make some of the yummy recipes from it!

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting collection of recipes. Flay's couterparts usually multiple pages with many ingredients. Restaurant recipes often simple but still winners.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great stories

I loved the stories that Bobby shared about the other cooks he competed against. There are quite a few recipes that I want to try.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the recipies!