Babies Gotta Have It

I’m gonna be honest with you and tell you that before today, I had never really given Bobby Flay a second thought.  I watched a lot of the Food Network when I was pregnant (Does he have a show on The Food Network?  See, I don’t even know…) but not so much since.  But then I saw this:

And then he made me lunch.

And now I have to confess I have a teeny tiny crush on him.  Guys are cute when they talk about food.  And even cuter when they cook it.  And when they cook food for the holidays…well that’s when you marry them.

So a wee bit of back story (because sad to say, Bobby didn’t just call and invite me over), Hellmann’s Mayonnaise partnered with Bobby Flay to create  the “Real Holiday Helpings” program on www.Hellmanns.com.  Check out the website for recipes and tips on how to easily prepare real food for the holidays (yes real food, containing real, simple ingredients) that kids and parents will both enjoy.  I was invited to this cool demo kitcheny place to watch Bobby Flay cook up some of these recipes and then taste them.  Let me say, I have never gone to one of those cooking shows where they pass out the food to the audience.  It is super fun.  And if what we ate today is any indication, the recipes are really really good.  We sampled the Tandoori-Style Roasted Whole Turkey Breast (pictured above), the Hot Italian Cheese Toasts, the Roasted Green Beans with Almond Aoili, and the Turkey Cuban Sandwich.  I will say only this:  Bobby Flay can come cook my bird any time.

So you can get all the recipes and watch video and everything on the website.  But here’s the good stuff…the good stuff that he said in the room while he chopped onions and didn’t even look at his fingers.  Yeah, he’s that good.

• Bobby Flay’s favorite day of the year is Thanksgiving.  He cooks two 30 lb turkeys, and makes a traditional meal with a theme.  Last year Thanksgiving had a Texas twist.  This year, the flavors will be inspired by New England cooking.
• And I quote, “I don’t stuff the bird.”  He says stuffing the bird slows the cooking time for the turkey and doesn’t allow enough control over the texture and quality of the stuffing.  He called himself a “texture guy.”  So he makes “dressing” in a separate pan.  He likes his dressing a little crispy to complement the turkey.
• According to Bobby Flay, that fenugreek in your cabinet is probably around 29 years old (given warehouse and supermarket shelf time).  He encourages you to restock your spice cabinet with fresh spices every time you change the batteries in your smoke detector.
• Bobby Flay has “mixed feelings” about brining a turkey.  Basically, he suggested it’s not worth the hassle.  How does he do turkey?  He washes it, pats it dry, and salts and peppers the bird.  He puts it in the roasting pan with chopped carrots, onions, celery and lots of chicken stock.  He then adds chunks of butter to the chicken stock.  He roasts it slowly in a 350 oven, basting every 20 minutes with the pan drippings.  If he is going to glaze it, he adds the glaze in the last half hour of cooking so the sugar doesn’t burn.
• Let the turkey sit on the counter for ONE HOUR before you serve it.  Yup.  One hour.  That’s what he said.
• Finally, according to Bobby Flay, the key to Thanksgiving is hot chicken stock.  He has lots on hand to help reheat and moisten everything from turkey to stuffing so that all the dishes come to the table steamy and delicious.

Oh and I took my picture with him.  That was cool.

Disclaimer in case I need one: Bobby Flay and his staff made the yummy food I ate and they picked up the bill.  Hellmanns gave me a gift card to thank me for my time. That was kind of icing on the cake.  The food was really good.