We couldn’t be happier to welcome chef Bobby Flay to the Misfits Market crew! He’s going to be our chef-in-residence helping us help you. Bobby’s been a big fan of Misfits Market for a while now, so he knows exactly how to make the most out of each box. Just watch as he unboxes a produce box and a handful of Marketplace items, then immediately goes into game-plan mode thinking up what to cook. A pro being a pro.
Each month, we’ll be getting culinary know-how, recipes, and words of wisdom straight from Bobby’s home kitchen. Here, in the first installment, Bobby’s already dishing out some early Thanksgiving prep tips because practice makes perfect. Plus, you’ll hear how to make a savory tahini compound butter, what to do with celery root, and why no one should be sleeping on celery.
Get to know Bobby
He’s likely a familiar face from Food Network hits like Boy Meets Grill, Beat Bobby Flay or Throwdown! with Bobby Flay. Or maybe you know him from his award-winning restaurants (he’s been in the game for more than 25 years!) in New York City, Las Vegas, and beyond.
These days, though, Bobby’s been all about helping home cooks make the most of what they’ve got on hand. His Instagram is packed with videos that offer new ways to get inspired in the kitchen. And now he’s ready to do the the same for you and your Misfits Market box. “Misfits Market is all about making high quality produce and pantry items affordable and accessible. It’s a mission I can stand behind and I am thrilled to be joining the family,” he says. “I’m looking forward to seeing just what we can make together because with Misfits Market supplying the ingredients, there’s no limit to what we can whip up in the kitchen.”
Fast Facts about Flay
The kitchen has been his happy place for decades.
When he was eight, Bobby asked for an Easy-Bake Oven for Christmas. His parents obliged (along with a G.I. Joe, to “balance things out,” as he’s recounted), and ever since then this New York City native has had a passion for all things food. Shortly after he left high school at age 17, his dad enlisted him to become a busboy at famed New York restaurant Joe Allen. A year later, he enrolled in culinary school and his path to success in the food world was forged.
He’s a legit restaurant mogul
After a brief interlude working on the New York Stock Exchange, Bobby went back to the kitchen and at age 26 became executive chef of the critically-acclaimed Mesa Grill. There, he honed his signature Southwestern-inspired style, winning the 1993 James Beard Award for Rising Star Chef of the Year and eventually going on to open a host of fine-dining restaurants across the U.S. (The remaining outpost of Mesa Grill in Las Vegas is transforming into Amalfi by Bobby Flay, an Italian seafood concept, in 2021.) He’s also the guy behind Bobby’s Burger Palace, a chain of casual burger joints on the East Coast.
He’s basically the definition of celebrity chef…
Thanks in large part to his Food Network hosting gigs, he was the first chef to get his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Even more impressive: Bobby was the subject of an entire Jeopardy! category, in which all the clues featured him. #lifegoals
…but he’s not the only star at home
His cat, Nacho, an Orange Maine Coon, is an Instagram influencer in his own right with more than 200,000 fans. Worth a follow for the food-inspired name alone, the feed also features cameos from Nacho’s equally-gorgeous feline sister Stella.
Tell us: What do you want to learn from Bobby? Any specific Misfits Market ingredients that always stump you in the kitchen? Leave a comment and your request may be covered in a future video!
Comments (39)
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Thank you Bobby Flay, your ideas are really welcomed, and for being a partner with MM. Looking forward to your next video
Can you get kids to eat red cabbage and beets? No slaw!
Great question, Katie! We’ll tell Bobby to talk about red cabbage and beets in an upcoming video! (In fact, we have some great new beet content going live soon, so make sure to follow us on social and watch the blog here!)
Would love to learn more
I’ve always been impressed with Bobby’s knife skills and getting the same sized veggies/meats is always a challenge. I wouldn’t mind a different way to prepare fennel (aside from salad and the occasional pork roast). Or potatoes. I’m getting bored with mashed, roasted or even fried.
Thanks, Kerstin! Seems like fennel is a common ingredient, so we’ll ask Bobby to talk about fennel in a future video! (We also have some great fennel content in the works, so watch this blog and our social channels for more!) And we’re always looking for new ways to cook potatoes, too. We’ll ask for his tips!
I’ve never cooked whole raw artichokes. They look intimidating lol. It’s something I’ve always wanted to try. A good vegan recipe would be awesome!!
Great suggestion, Kristin! We’ll ask Bobby to discuss artichokes and more vegan cooking in a future video.
LEEKS! I make a mean leek soup but beyond that I’ve not discovered a really dazzling way you really play up this interesting stalk. Any Bobby favs would be great ????Thrilled he’s onboard!
Great suggestion, Caroline! It seems like many people want to more about leeks. We’ll ask Bobby to include his best tips and tricks in a future video!
You mentioned grilling the pineapple. We grew up with a lightly salted garlic butter used to baste the pineapple on the grill. What an unexpected flavor treat! Try it sometime.
Wow, Tara! That sounds delicious. We’ll have to tell Bobby to give that a try, too!
I love this! I swear my wish was for a show on the food network where people open a misfits market box and have to cook from it. This is great! Every time I get my box, I start researching what the heck the items are (Because I’ve never heard of them before) and how to combine them in recipes (and I do not know how to cook at all, but have had awesome results). I’ve even been trying to cook with a no waste mentality … can you use the green stalks on celery root? Yes, I put in a soup! Green tops of carrots? Absolutely – made greens and a chimichurri! Stalks and fronds of fennel … still haven’t figured that one out yet. I would love to see Bobby Flay cook with the items in the box and how to use what would normally be cast off scraps, destined for the stock pot or garbage can.
That is such a great idea, Tara! Bobby feels the exact same way about no-waste cooking, which is why he’ll go as far as using celery leaves in salads, stalks in stocks (ha!), and so much more. And sounds like fennel is something a lot of people have questions about, so we’ll be sure to ask Bobby to talk about fennel in a future video as well as his best no-waste cooking tips. Thanks!
Hi Tara,
I was new to fennel and find its lovely! I too wanted to use all of it.
I was making a cream sauce (w/ minced onion And lemon pepper) and at the last minute I threw in the fennel fronds to simmer for a few minutes before putting in the nice fat salmon filets. Simmered for 5 minutes or so (just until the bottom half was done), turned the fish and turned it off with a lid on to finish cooking. It was a delectable mild flavored dish!
The stalks I put in a stew and again they added a subtle flavor of yum.
I would love to know what recipe Bobby likes to use fennel in.
Thanks, Marcia! Seems like fennel is a popular suggestion, so we’ll be sure to have Bobby talk about fennel in a future video!
I would like to learn more about cooking with beets and squash, particularly how to use them in pasta sauce, stews and soups.
Great suggestion, Jennifer! We’ll ask Bobby to talk about beets and squash in a future video. (In fact, we have a zucchini squash pasta recipe from Bobby coming up very soon!)
Well I usually get some nice greens but not enough to make a large serving, and I wonder what other vegetable I could pair with it.
Great question, Joyce! We actually have a video with Bobby in a few weeks with a great way to use greens, so keep an eye on our Instagram page and the blog here. We’ll also ask Bobby to share his favorite tips for using smaller amounts of greens. Thanks!
I belong to a CSA (Raynham, MA) and also receive a box from Misfits Market every other week. Many time there are items that I’d like to try and I just can’t find that many recipes with NORMAL ingredients. Here are some that I’d appreciate Bobby covering: Celeriac (celery root), Jicama, Parsnips, Bok Choi, Komatsuna, Hakurei Turnips, Fennel, Sage, and Tulsi.
Great suggestions, Alicia! Bobby does discuss celery root briefly in this video around the 5 minute mark, and jicama around 7:18—with a great tip to make a salsa with pineapple!—but we’ll ask him to review parsnips, bok choy, fennel and everything else in a future video!
I have a terrific parsnips recipe if you like horseradish. It’s the ONLY way I eat it now!
I’d love it if you would post your parsnip recipe, Laura!
Would love to know more about how to prepare celery root! I LOVE all vegetables but never cooked with it before and I thought I would give it a try next week!
Thanks Bobby I watch you on Food shows all the time!
Great suggestion, Diane! Bobby talks about celery root around the 5 minute mark in this video, but we’ll ask that he does a deeper dive in a future video, too!
We also have this great video about celery root, which should hopefully help you out when cutting and cooking for the first time: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2R9oL6fugdw
Enjoy!
What is Bobby Flay’s favorite way to use Leeks?
Great question, Penni! We’ll let Bobby know that leeks is a popular veggie to discuss in a future video!
This video was great & very helpful to get tips on cooking up the various types of squash & lettuce. So glad Bobby is part of the Misfits family!
I’d like to know how to properly prepare beets.
Hi Veronica, great suggestion! We’ll let Bobby know to focus on beets in an upcoming video. Thanks!
I’d like to learn more about using Misfits Market to make autoimmune protocol (AIP) recipes. It’s basically close-to-the-earth (minimally processed) meat, fruits and veggies.
And I’d like to know how to use celery root. I know it must be good for me with a name like celery + root but I’ve just never used it????????
Thanks ☺️
Hi Grace, great suggestion! Bobby does briefly mention celery root in this video but it sounds like many need a few more tips! We’ll be sure to include more celery root tips in a future video. Thank you!
I thought Bobby (can I call him that?) did a great job. I love his style, his ideas. He’s easy to understand and I liked that he tasted things. I love to cook, but have never watched him before. I wonder if he has ideas about preserving (freezing) extras. I have 5 heads of celery now and don’t want them to go to waste. Sometimes I make a double batch of something (soup?) and freeze half of it in small batches. This is the time of year when the freezer is getting pretty full…
Hi Patty, thank you for your comment. And that is a great suggestion! As our freezers become fuller and fuller, how can we make space and use all of those random frozen bits and pieces? We’ll ask Bobby (we call him that, too!) to include some freezer storage tips and tricks in a future video. Thank you!!
Great ideas! Hey, Bobby, that spaghetti squash makes a nice substitute for pasta for diabetics. Every now and then would you do a diabetic friendly recipe? Liked your idea for jicama… can’t wait to try it. We were making it into fries.
Thank you for explaining what to do with all these vegetables. I’ve been making a lot of beef stew. I’m looking forward to future videos.