Lately, he's even become a kinder, gentler Iron Chef, he says.

``It's hard to have my friends coming in to compete against me. I want them to have a great experience. Winning or losing is not that important to me.''

He's still raving about Miami star chef Michelle Bernstein's Iron Chef win in 2005.

``She beat me, and the ingredient was onions. How often do you make onion a focal part of a dish? I think Michelle is one of the best chefs in the country. She just has so much soul to her food. But she also has this pristine edge. It's not just soulful, but it has finesse. But I don't think she really believes all of this about herself. She is incredibly humble.''

After graduating from culinary school, Flay worked with Jonathan Waxman, one of the first chefs to take California cooking to the Northeast.

''That was the first time I was introduced to fresh and dry chile peppers, corn, even cilantro. We really didn't have that stuff on the East Coast. I fell in love with it all,'' Flay says. ``Later I went to the Southwest and worked at a bunch of restaurants. The colors and the flavors of the ingredients are so vibrant. When you know how to dial it up or dial it down, chile peppers are invaluable. People think they're either hot or not hot. But that's just the tip of the iceberg. They create unbelievable nuances in sauces, marinades, whatever.''

Flay has long been an advocate of American regional cuisine. He hates it when foodies look across the border for a great meal.

MAP OF FOOD

''I don't know what people are thinking about when they say they have to go on culinary trips to Italy, France, Asia to find fabulous food. This country may have the most diverse food in the world. But we don't get credit for it. People think American food is cheeseburgers, hot dogs, macaroni and cheese and meatloaf. When I look at a map of the United States, I don't see states; I see ingredients,'' Flay says.

``In the Pacific Northwest there's wild salmon, halibut, Dungeness crab, pinot noir. In the Southwest there are the red beans, blue corn, all the chile peppers. There's the barbecue belt of Kansas City, Memphis. In Miami you have all the tropicals, the Cuban food and Latin food, pork, plantains, mangoes, grouper. In the Northeast the chowders, lobster. We haven't even talked about Louisiana and the South, which to me has some of the best American food, period.''

While he's in Miami, Flay will no doubt find a way to take a break and drive to Palacio de los Jugos on Flagler and 57th Avenue, the Latin-flavored farmers' market that has become an underground favorite for visiting chefs.

``I love the flavor of Miami. Literally the flavor. I love Michelle Bernstein's place. I love Palacio de los Jugos. I always go there no matter what. I get the chicharrones, a bottle of coconut water, a tropical juice of some kind, roasted pork. I also go to Versailles and drink Cuban coffee with the guys hanging out at the window killing Castro every day.''

The other local spot he never misses: Joe's Stone Crab.

``I always host an informal lunch when I'm there. I take about 20 people. They have the perfect stone crabs and the perfect mustard sauce. Add some fried green tomatoes and creamed spinach. And a lot of wine.''

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