Chef Flay samples cocktails and refined bar food, then returns to his kitchen to prepare some of his own: crispy squash blossoms with pulled pork & black pepper vinegar, potato chips with bleu cheese sauce, oven-baked buckwheat flatbread with white beans hummus, caramelized onions, black olives and Spanish white anchovies. To drink are champagne cocktails and Hemingway daiquiris made with agricole rum, maraschino liqueur, fresh lime juice and grapefruit juice.

Chef Flay prepares his favorite soups. He begins with a rich chicken stock, then turns the stock into two soups: wild mushroom soup with arugula and crispy serrano ham and chicken-postole soup.

Chef Flay makes a tasty chicken tagine stew with saffron, cumin, apricots and a spicy-cool harissa sauce on the side. He then prepares couscous with currants and almonds, and a side dish of carrots in a lemon vinaigrette.

Chef Flay takes a culinary journey through India, and shows some of the best the country's cuisine has to offer. He prepares lentil and split-pea dip with roasted garlic naan, oven-roasted cauliflower with turmeric and ginger, garam masala-rubbed Cornish hen with maple-tamarind glaze, and mango with ginger-mint syrup.

Chef Flay invites his friends over to watch the big horse race and enjoy some southern food: Kentucky Hot Browns with ham, turkey and bacon smothered in a cheddar bechamel, a country ham salad with a fresh mozzarella and balsamic molasses dressing. He tops off the meal with frosty mint juleps.

Chef Flay makes the ultimate American comfort food, but puts his own spin on the recipes. He prepares roasted vegetable meatloaf with balsamic glaze, smoked chile scalloped sweet potatoes, and roasted green beans with shallots and hazelnuts.

Famed New York chef Tom Valenti, who is known for his outstanding braising skills, teaches Chef Flay how to make succulent lamb shanks with roasted tomatoes and toasted orzo, smoky roasted garlic bulbs, and a Bolo salad with chorizo and Cabrales bleu cheese.