Being a self confessed Food Network junkie I have watched Bobby Flay for year and made a few of his dishes. Last fall I visited Mesa Grill while on a trip to NYC and was blown away by the flavor in all of the dishes.

When I came home I bought his Mesa Grill Cookbook, an updated version of the original one I had several years ago.

This weekend I decided to try the Yucatan Chicken Skewers With Red Cabbage Slaw and Peanut Red Chile BBQ sauce. I know, a mouthful! But it is a flavorful combination and would be a hit as an appetizer at a BBQ or as a dinner served as a quesadillo, taco or wrap.

It is not a quick recipe but a series of recipes, many of which can be made ahead.

The Mesa Grill BBQ Sauce is good on its own and is the base of several other recipes in his book.

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Summer means BBQ’s with friends and family. I am getting ready to host a BBQ for my friend Deanna and her husband, who is visiting from Texas. We share a love of cooking and great restaurants. I am searching through my recipes to put together the perfect meal and came across an old favorite.

I thought I would start with these Brie with Grape Salsa served on a toasted slice of French bread.

Back when I was a personal chef I would serve these in little tartlets. People would gobble these ups. A little brie, a little grape and a crunchy finish…sort of hard to resist. Now I serve it up on toasted sliced baguettes.

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Today I decided to make a pizza using some of the veggies I had left over from the week. At Pizzeria Mozza, my favorite restaurant in LA, they make this goat cheese pizza with caramelized shallots, leeks, garlic and bacon. I decided to make my own version.

Nothing can compare to Nancy Silverton’s dough so I don’t even try. I was opting for quick and easy so I used the Trader Joe’s dough. It is easy for that spur of the moment urge to cook! I had some bacon so I cooked up a couple of pieces to crumble over the top.

I caramelized the shallots and garlic in a small saute pan. I roasted a red pepper over my grill pan. You can use whatever vegetables in your frig. You could also grill this outside on your barbeque.

Serve as an appetizer or with a salad for a quick and easy meal.

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