Tyler Florence Fridays

So long, farewell, auf weidersehen adieu - October 30th Round-up!

2009-10-30T12:38:00.006-04:00

It's hard to believe a whole year has gone by since Deb, Megan, and I said - "Hey, wouldn't it be great to be part of a cooking club where we got to actually choose what we made each week?" and "Somebody should start something like that" and "Why don't we start a group like that?"
Why Tyler Florence? Well, he has a very diverse range of recipes; several books; and a lot of recipes available online. Also, somebody may have thought he was cute.. I can't remember the details now.. but he turned out to be a fabulous choice and provided us all with lots to choose from every week.
By the summer we had questions and requests from some of the charter members, asking if we would be delving into the recipes of any other chefs or cooks. We considered that very carefully, and decided that it would be nice to have a gently evolving roster of chefs to choose from. We set an end date for TFF - at the natural seeming time of one year - and designed a new site not one one chef but on the idea of gradual change.
Our new site, I Heart Cooking Clubs, will feature a roster of cooks and chefs that change up every six months - a fun way to keep things fresh, to examine new styles.

So let's see who showed up for the good-bye party, shall we?

Michelle of Big Black Dogs made her very own Waldorf Chicken Wraps on Homemade Pita Breads.

"This week for Tyler Florence Fridays I made Pita Bread which I've never made before. Tyler's recipe was so simple and it basically fell together with no problems at all. However, I did add 1 tsp Organic Barley Malt Syrup to enhance the rise and taste a little bit and I just love it. I will be using the Organic Barley Malt Syrup in many of breads from now on!"

"This is the final Tyler Florence Fridays and I am sorry to see it close. You see I've never made so many recipes from one chef before and I've come to really respect Tyler....he is absolutely tops in my book. I've posted 27 recipes by Tyler Florence and each of them was excellent. But I've made many more of his recipes that I just did not have time to post or the photos did not turn out or I was just plain too hungry to bother with setting up a photo. I still have a list of Tyler's recipes that I want to try and I will continue to make his recipes when I can."

Megan of My Baking Adventures made Tyler's Chicken and Dumplings.

"Parting is such sweet sorrow :: sniff ::
It seems fitting that comforting, soothing food is in order – and with that in mind, I made Tyler’s Ultimate Chicken and Dumplings. A perfect wintry dish – and to boot, this recipe was a record of firsts for me:
1. The first time I ever made homemade stock.
2. The first time I ever made homemade dumplings.
Ok, I realize that’s only two, but work with me here.
I was proud of myself, because sometimes, I’ll put a lot of work into trying something new, and it flops. Which really gets to me – but this was outstanding, and therefore became another recipe that will go into my repertoire for the winter."

Kim of Stirring the Pot made Tyler's Baked Breakfast Apples with French Toast Crust.
"This recipe is easy to throw together and is a great way to serve breakfast/brunch without a lot of fuss. It smells wonderful baking in the oven! Six medium-sized apples filled my 10" cast iron skillet perfectly. I can never find challah or brioche locally, so I subbed a thick sliced whole wheat bread (I'm trying to lighten things up anyway). It is only fair to say that I don't LOVE cooked apples. That being said, I liked this dish, but probably would not make it again. I think if baked apples are your thing, then this is definitely a recipe worth trying out. I liked the crispiness of the crusty toast when it was first out of the oven. The pecans and cranberries are a great addition. This is great served on it's own, as dessert with a scoop of vanilla, or with a whipped or poured cream over the top."

Joanne of Eats Well With Others made Tyler's Spicy Chicken Coconut Curry this week.

"For my final TFF entry, I decided to make Tyler's Spicy Chicken Coconut Curry. It was filled with incredible amounts of flavor and satisfied my constant craving for Indian food. The only things I changed were to use chicken thighs instead of breasts and to add in some bell pepper and some cauliflower."
"Tyler Florence Fridays was one of the first blog events I ever participated in. I think I first saw it on Sidewalk Shoes, which I had both secretly (pre-blog) and publicly (post-blog) been reading religiously for a few months. Being a huge Food Network fan, I of course knew who Tyler was (my roommate and I commonly referred to him as "the cute one" when we rehashed our most and least favorite FN stars over dinner at least once every two weeks) and had a great admiration for his recipes."

Jess of Black Cat Kitchen made Tyler's Ultimate Flourless Chocolate Cake.
"It’s time to say goodbye to Tyler Florence Fridays and that makes me sad.
Know what makes me happy though? Chocolate cake.
And Tyler’s Ultimate Flourless Chocolate Cake certainly made this farewell party a little less depressing. How can you go wrong with eggs, sugar and chocolate? Impossible, I say.
Decadent. Moist. Melt-in-your-mouth delicious. Thank you, Tyler.
Tyler Florence Fridays may be over, but my love affair with Tyler will continue for a long time to come."

Jenny of All Things Edible made Crepes this week.

"Rather than end with a bang, I thought I would end with something simple and worth keeping in your repertoire: Tyler's basic crepe recipe."
"Crepes are such a worth while item to learn how to make. They are a blank canvas for just about anything you want to fill them with. Smear them with a bit of jam and sprinkle them with icing sugar, and they look impressive. Or saute them in butter sauce and flame them for major wow. Skip the sugar and fill them with chicken and spinach for a fancy main course.
Really, you can do anything you want with them!"

Erin of Erin's Wine Cellar made Tyler's Roast Loin of Pork With Stuffed Baked Apples & Cider Gravy.
"This week I prepared a Going Away Dinner, for my boys grandfather ( he is moving back to Colorado after staying with us for a bit ). I asked him to pick his favorite foods, and I would make him a meal he would not soon forget. He chose Pork Loin for the main course, I always go to Tyler when it comes to creating something memorable & tasty and his recipes have never let me or my guests down. This was No exception to the rule, It was not only Stunning in presentation, it was absolutely Succulent, Savory & Sweet with every bite. This was Tyler`s Roast Loin of Pork With Stuffed Baked Apples & Cider Gravy, A ULTIMATE treasure!! I found this recipe on the Food Network Web site. The pork was center cut & frenched, the apple stuffing is done with cornbread and sage , and the gravy is done with a hard cider; The dish was truly a Flavor explosion mixing all components with each bite. The only real change I did was brining the Pork Loin in Apple Cider/Salt & Seasoning Brine for 12 hrs., and then searing the Pork Loin before Roasting, Making a Beautiful Crust & A Extra Juicy Center. Tyler made Grandpa Glow with excitement last evening while he wiped his plate clean & then asked for seconds, Thank You Tyler!!"

Deb of Kahakai Kitchen made one of her favourites, Borlotti Beans with Woody Herbs.
"This Friday is a little sad for me as it marks the official end of Tyler Florence Fridays. Almost a year ago, it began as an idea; a cooking group with the recipes of a hunky and talented chef and flexibility--being able to select the recipes we wanted to make each week and not have them selected for us.
So what recipe to close this chapter with? I decided to go with a repeat performance of one of my Tyler favorites, his delicious Borlotti Beans with Woody Herbs.
They were as good as I remember--a perfect, comfort food dish with lots of flavor from the finely-chopped carrots, celery, onion and garlic. A delicious dish!"

Chaya of Chaya's Comfy Cook Blog made Tyler's Scalloped Potatoes.

"This is the last week of TTF, Tyler Florence Fridays and the feelings are bittersweet. While, this group lasted for a year, I only started blogging in June and probably found them, a few weeks later. At that, I have had four months to share in the group and have been relatively regular, in my posting. I am not sure how many recipes, I have made, between the two blogs. It could be as much as 15 or perhaps a dozen. I am only starting but I have cooked enough to know that Tyler has a lot to offer."
"He is diverse in his choices. At first, I thought, he was all poultry and meat but I have made his baked goods and salads amongst other recipes. Actually, I have done very few meat recipes. I want to make many of his chicken dishes and hope to do so, in the near future."
"I thought, for the last official posting, I would make a super complicated meat dish but then I thought about it. That is not what Tyler has been in my cooking repertoire. I chose a delicious potato side instead. This is easy and good which is how I have found Tyler Florence to cook."

Nancy of The Dogs Eat the Crumbs made Tyler's Lemon Pudding Cakes.

"I've enjoyed participating - however sporadically - in TFF over the past year, and couldn't miss posting in this final week. Funnily enough, this is the first Tyler Florence dish that I ever prepared, his Lemon Pudding Cakes. I baked these last November and the post has been in my drafts folder ever since!"
"On a chilly day last Fall we had another couple over for a casual dinner. I served a hearty beef stew and wanted to finish with something rather light and refreshing; Tyler's recipe for Lemon Pudding Cakes sounded perfect. I love serving individual-portion desserts to company."

And for my last dish, over at Living in the Kitchen with Puppies, I made Tyler's Roasted Acorn Squash Stuffed with Cheese Tortellini.

"Wow. I can't believe it has been a whole year of Tyler Florence Fridays. We have had so much fun exploring this versatile chef's recipes. This is the last official day of the cooking group, but I will definitely be revisiting Tyler's recipes again and again.
For my last submission to the group, I decided to make a dish many of my friends have tried and raved about - his Roasted Acorn Squash Stuffed with Cheese Tortellini.
This was such a fun, simple and delicious dish. The serving style gives it wow factor, and doesn't betray how easy it actually is to put together. I roasted the squash ahead of time, and just re-heated it as I prepared the tortellinis and alfredo-like sauce. Boil, toss, stuff, bake. Nothin' to it. This is also pretty family friendly, I am sure many kids would like it.
I loved how the sage crisped up in the oven, give this one a try soon."

Thanks everyone for making this an awesome year.

I hope you will join us in our new adventures at I Heart Cooking Clubs for more wonderful cooking and sharing!

October 23rd Round-Up!

2009-10-23T15:46:00.009-04:00

As mentioned in last week's round-up, Tyler is hard at work on a new season of Tyler's Ultimate and has been occasionally "tweeting" photos and videos of some drool-worthy recipes. For example this picture of his Ultimate Beef Bourgignon (although can anyone besides Julia Child really claim to have the ultimate of this dish?!), which looks just delicious. Can't wait for the new season to start airing so the recipes get posted on the Food Network site!

Let's take a look at some more drool-worthy Tyler dishes made by our TFF friends!

First up is Beth from The Seventh Level of Boredom who decided that as we wrap up TFF next week, she would make her first TFF dish Tyler's Pasta Carbonara (or Tolan's Pregnancy Pasta), one more time. Beth says, "Although I was a stealth reader for quite some time before actually submitting a recipe, my very first post for TFF was Tolan's Pregnancy Pasta. Since that time, I have been telling Ginny how amazing it was, so when she came out for a visit recently, we made it again. As we always do, we changed it up a bit, using some fresh bucatini instead of spaghetti, and made a few other minor tweaks. We also toasted up some little slices of baguette to mop up the sauce with. It did turn out slightly different, but every bit as tasty."

Erin, who is joining us via Twitter from Erin'sWineCellar made a couple of Tyler dishes this week. She says "I was Inspired to take some of Tyler's Warm Cozy Ultimates last week and make a nice New England Dinner for my family & Friends. The first is a Pomegranate Glazed Game Hen with Corn Bread Stuffing. An absolutely beautiful dish that pleased even my most finicky guests."

"For desert I served his individual Berry Brioche Bread Pudding with Lemon Fondant. I have made this many times, everyone just absolutely loves it.(Even guests that do not usually like a traditional Bread Pudding). I could not find Brioche at my local market, so I substituted with Portuguese Sweet Bread. Fabulous way to end the meal that evening!!"

Libby from Cooking With Libby is back for her second time at TFF with Tyler's Scalloped Potato Gratin. She says, "Dinner tonight was yummmo! This recipe goes wayyyyy back to the days when Tyler was hosting the tv shows, Food 911 and How to Boil Water. I LOVED How to Boil Water because it featured super easy recipes for those who were culinary challenged or who were just starting out. This recipe was from this show. I made this with Paula Deen's Pot Roast, which I will blog about in the next few days. Both of these dishes made the perfect pair."

Although it created many dirty dishes and pans, Kim at Stirring the Pot and her family still enjoyed Tyler's Swedish-style Slow-Braised Meatballs with Cranberry Sauce and Egg Noodles. Kim says, "Overall, we liked this dish. It was an extremely savory dish and fairly mild in flavor, even with the addition of the cranberry sauce. I enjoyed dunking my meatballs into the cranberry sauce. The cranberry sauce was a beautiful red color and really helped bring the meatballs up another notch. This was a stunning dish when it was plated with the saucy meatballs, red cranberry sauce, and pretty green dill sprinkled around the plate. It would be great at the holidays!! A very tasty dish indeed, especially if you can get around all those dirty dishes :D"

Chaya from Sweet And Savory Says It All was happy to find Tyler's version of a traditional dish. She says, "I couldn't believe that Tyler had a Potato Latke recipe. It was a fluke that I basically stumbled over it. I couldn't resist. I had to make them. That is our Tyler, cooking, everything and anything. What fun. This is part of my Jewish Holiday Series."

Tyler's Ultimate Beef Stew was on the menu for Natalia from Gatti Fili E Farina. Natalia says, "And here I come back to my dear Tyler ! This 'spezzatino' was a very comforting dish for the first cool nights. I used veal instead of beef and onions instead of the pearl ones, and I didn't have the mushrooms but it was good anyway !! I didn't mention the horseradish either......!"

Natashya at Living in the Kitchen with Puppies got exotic this week with Tyler's Pan-Fried Lamb Chops with Harrisa. She says, "When I do find some Canadian lamb on sale, I stock up. I found a nice tray of it a while back and divided it into servings of four and froze it. This recipe was a great, simple way to prepare it, and I loved the zing that the harissa added. I have made other harissas before, this one is nice and balanced with the addition of roasted red peppers to harmonize with the chilies and garlic."

Tyler's Roasted Acorn Squash Stuffed with Cheese Tortellini is a recipe that Pam from Sidewalk Shoes has had bookmarked forever and she finally made it this week. She says, "Let me say, the cheese sauce was wonderful. Well, of course it was, it was nothing but cream, garlic, thyme, and cheese. What's not to love about that? And all that cheesy creamy goodness on top of cheese tortellini was everything I imagined it would be. But stuffed into a squash..no. I found the squash distracting, it didn't seem to add anything to the dish. I think I would like this dish desconstructed. Serve the tortellini with the sauce and then maybe roast the squash for a side dish."

Jenny from All Things Edible used some fresh apples from a day of apple picking to make Tyler's Thick Pork Chops with Spiced Apples and Raisins. She says, "I did not use bone in pork chops, I had pork loin chops, but it seemed to work and was quite tasty. And used up some of the apples I have not had the time to make into apple crumble."

Jess from Black Cat Kitchen made Tyler's Buttermilk Biscuits this week, saying "Since I’m a bit tight on funds this week, I chose a really simple recipe for Tyler Florence Fridays – buttermilk biscuits. These were super easy and incredibly delicious. I think I rolled mine too thin, so they didn’t puff up as much, and subsequently made about 15, not 8 per the recipe, but they were still really, really good. I only gobbled up 4 right out of the oven."

Finally at Kahakai Kitchen, a need to use up some cooked chicken had me turning to Tyler's Easy Chicken Burritos with Mojo. (and his Spicy Black Beans too). It was an easy recipe made healthier with a couple of simple changes and a very spicy, flavorful mojo sauce. I liked how colorful it was on the plate. It tasted great and I would make it again.

What a great bunch of recipes! Thanks to everyone who cooked along with us this week.

So TFF peeps and fans, next week, Friday October 30 will be our last official weekly Tyler Florence Fridays Round-up. (Sniff, sniff) It has been a ton of fun over the past year and we have enjoyed getting to know so many great bloggers. We hope to see you all here for the party--with a new Tyler dish or maybe repeating a past favorite.

Have a great weekend!

Oct 16th Round-Up!

2009-10-16T14:13:00.006-04:00

Happy Tyler Florence Fridays, everyone!

Tyler is working away on his new season (8th!) of Tyler's Ultimate. I was trawling for photos of the new season but didn't find any, but I did find this video of him making a delicious looking Fettucine Diablo. I could go for a big plate of that right about now... plus a loaf of crusty bread and a big fat bottle of vino.. And if Tyler cooks it up, even better!
Ok, back to reality now. Let's see what's cooking with our TFF friends this week.

Beth of The Seventh Level of Boredom is on a soup kick this month, and made Tyler's Asian Egg Drop Soup. "It was.....okay. Sorry, Tyler, but while this is a good starting point, and very helpful in our process, the resulting soup was very.....bland. I know, I know, egg drop soup is not traditionally a show stopper, but I had higher ambitions this weekend."

Chaya of The Comfy Cook Blog made Spaetzle this week, something I have always wanted to try. "I loved this. It did bring back childhood memories. I sat down and ate two plates. That is not like me. My Mom is no longer alive but I think she would be happy to see one of her favorites re-created."

Deb of Kahakai Kitchen made a healthied-up version of Tyler's Chicken Green Chili this week.
"Healthy, filling and good, this was a unique chili with the poblanos, which I have not cooked a lot with. Since poblanos are a large, relatively mild chili and I wanted more of a flavor punch, I upped the amount of all of the spices and also added some cayenne pepper.
A good recipe that I would make again."

Jenny of All Things Edible made this delicious Cheesecake for Tyler Florence Fridays this week, to celebrate her son's birthday!
"My little sous chef requested cheesecake for his birthday cake, an odd choice for a 7 year old, but one I was able to do. And while cheesecake recipes are everywhere, I turned to Tyler for this special occasion cheesecake. Then made my own adaptions."

Jess at Black Cat Kitchen made these delicious Banana and Pecan Pancakes with Maple Butter.
"These were really good – I really liked the pecans (I left them chopped) in with the pancakes, it almost reminded me of eating a banana nut muffin. The only thing I’d do differently next time, is mash up the bananas and add to the batter as opposed to adding slices at the end."

Joanne of Eats Well With Others made this delicious Chicken Marsala this week.
"All I have to say is thank god for Tyler and this recipe. It was a winner all around. In fact, I think this is the only time that my brother, who generally only gives me ambivalent, non-descript opinions about my food, actually said that he liked what I cooked. The chicken and mushrooms were completely infused with the buttery, salty, marsala-y flavor of the sauce and each bite kept you going back for more. And more. Until you realize that 6 people have just eaten a meal that was supposed to feed 8. This is something that will go down in the history book as a recipe to make again and again."

Kim of Stirring the Pot is celebrating cooking her way half-way through Tyler's book of the same name. This week she made his Shrimp Scampi with Linguine.
"For me, the best part was the sauce. It was sweet, zesty, and a little spicy. I would make the recipe for sauce again. My mom, shrimp lover that she is, said that I could make it again anytime. She really liked it!! This recipe has received a five star review on the food network, so it is worth checking out!"

Mari of Once Upon a Plate made this colourful Green Bean and Bacon Salad.
"This is one of my favorite Tyler Florence recipes ~ it's fairly healthful (if you don't count the bacon), very flavorful and goes together quickly.
It's perfect for a potluck, or party because it can all be made ahead, then just tossed with the dressing when ready to serve."

And over at Living in the Kitchen with Puppies, I made Tyler's Cabbage, Apple and Bacon Slaw.
"The nice thing about slaw is that it is still crunchy the next day, making it perfect lunchbox fare.

And, of course, everything is better with bacon! Imagine if all-day breakfast joints topped up your bacon instead of your coffee - "Can I top up your bacon for you?" "Yes please!"

Thanks so much for cooking with us at Tyler Florence Fridays this week, everything looks awesome! Come November, our year of TFF will come to an end.

Feel free to join us at our new cooking club, "I Heart Cooking Clubs".

This cooking club will feature a revolving roster of chefs, changing every few months according to your votes, and weekly themes. Right now we are cooking up the delicious dishes of Nigella Lawson!

October 9th Round-Up!

2009-10-09T16:41:00.012-04:00

photo courtesy of MarjorieM_99 on Photobucket

Why the turkey and Canadian flag? Because this is Thanksgiving weekend in Canada, with the holiday on Monday. I am jealous they get to stuff themselves into a food coma over a month before we do here. ;-) Hopefully all of our Canadian TFF members and friends will have a safe and happy holiday weekend, and please do post your Thanksgiving dishes so we can all drool over them!

Speaking of drooling, let's see who made it into the kitchen with Tyler this week and what delicious dishes they made:

Jess of Black Cat Kitchen tried her hand at sushi making and says, "For this week’s Tyler Florence Fridays submission, I decided to try his Broiled Portobello Sushi with Soy Glaze from his book Tyler Florence’s Real Kitchen. Though I did have some issues with the sushi rice sticking together, this was really good. Really good. I wanted to put the glaze on everything and lick it off. (I actually saved what was leftover – a LOT – to put on some fish this weekend.) It was best first thing after making it – so don’t feel bad about gobbling it up right away."

Alex from Recession Recipes is here with an economical recipe and says, "This tasty Tyler Florence recipe for Roasted Hatch Green Chile, Black Bean, and Chicken Enchiladas takes an ordinary roasted deli chicken from the supermarket and turns it into a spectacular Mexican treat. Everything else in the rest of the recipe is made from scratch, aside from the tortillas, so not having to worry about roasting a chicken makes this recipe a little easier. This recipe with guacamole makes a huge baking dish of enchiladas that easily feeds 8 people at $2.54 a serving, or you can make the full amount just for yourself and have some great leftovers for a few days."

Jenny from All Things Edible reworked a Tyler recipe to find what she had on hand. She says, "The original recipe for my final choice called for pistachios and strawberries, for the Pistachio Meringues with Warm Strawberries found on page 256 of Eat This Book. I didn't have pistachios, I had cashews. And I did not have strawberries, I had peaches. I also had a bit of Grand Marnier, so I changed the recipe to Cashew Meringues with Drunken (instead of warm) Peaches. Hmmmm, these were tasty. Not as crispy on the outside as I'd have liked, but at the time it had been raining for days and the humidity was not low. Cashews and peaches go quite well together, and a splash of orange flavored alcohol really brightens up the fresh peaches."

Erin from @ErinsWineCellar on Twiiter is here and says, "This is Tolan`s Beef Stroganoff with Tyler`s Ultimate Twist. This is from the episode Tyler`s Ultimate Beef Stroganoff first aired 1/31/09 on the Food Network. I made this dish for the first time last night and it was absolutely succulent!! My guests enjoyed the tender slow roasted grass fed short ribs,with the earthy rubbed flavors that just exploded out with each bite. They also preferred this style instead of the classic Stroganoff they are use to which is mostly served with cut up bite size cubes of beef instead of a beautiful full loin on top. I paired this with a full bodied Pinot Noir, perfect combination!! For desert I also made his Apple Charlotte ( also from this episode ) with a Cinnamon Sabayon, Perfection!! A Beautiful Meal for a Cool New England night"

Pam from Sidewalk Shoes is making the most of the seasonal ingredients. She says, "So, it's fall. Fall means apples, and frozen bags of cranberries, and cinnamon sticks, and Apple-Cranberry Chutney from Tyler Florence: Stirring the Pot by Tyler Florence. this chutney was kind of different in that it was pureed. To me it came off more as a cranberry applesauce, than a chutney. Also, in the book, his is light orange (looks almost pumpkiny), whereas mine is red, so I'm not sure what's up with that. Doesn't matter it was yummy. It was the perfect fall side dish!"

Chaya from Chaya's Comfy Cook Blog says this about Tyler's Crispy and Creamy New Potato Pie, "I wanted to make something good for dinner, tonight. I had planned to make tacos and I found this potato pie by Tyler which I thought would go along with the tacos, beautifully and I admit it, I wanted potatoes. I love potatoes. A real comfort food……I baked it, in a cast iron pan and to my dismay, some of it stuck to the bottom. Regardless, this was good. One of the beauties of cast iron is that little sticks to it. I usually spray it which I did this time, as well. This is one of those minor mishaps and it did not affect the potato pie at all. This is another, “three cheers” for Tyler."

Arlene from The Food of Love tried Tyler's Chicken Marsala Ravioli. She says, "I've been missing my weekly Tyler "fix" since I returned to Weight Watchers, so this week's personal challenge was to find a new Tyler recipe that would be as delicious lightened as it was in the original. Let me tell you that in the process I found my favorite Tyler dish to date. I'm so excited to submit this to Tyler Florence Fridays. There's very little left to say except, "If you don't make these, you'll be missing out on one of the all-time great Tyler recipes!"

Kim from Stirring the Pot made the Tyler's Fish and Chips with Homemade Tartar. She says, "Tyler hits it out of the park with this recipe for batter. You will want to coat everything in this batter, I promise! In fact, you will probably start looking around for all kinds of things to fry so that you can use up this batter. It really is that good. The homemade tartar sauce is also delicious and worth making. The problem was with the potatoes. Tyler's recipe says to scrub and rinse them, prick them with a fork, and then place them on a baking sheet and bake. Well, this resulted in a very hard shell on the outside of my potatoes. Next time, I will use my method for baking potatoes.All in all, this is a great recipe and has great potential to be very delicious! I will make it again, using my method for baking potatoes!"

Beth at The Seventh Level of Boredom is taking advantage of soup weather this week. She says, "Since Tyler Florence Fridays is going to be wrapping up soon, I want to get as many posts in as possible this month, so I found Tyler's recipe for French Onion Soup from the Food Network. It turned out very nicely, and we couldn't wait to break through that layer of cheese (I used provolone since I bought it for the Blind Taste Test) and baguette. Also, my broiler doesn't work, never has, so since Ginny brought her torch for the Creme Brulee that I'll be posting later, we used that to work the cheese over."

Natashya from Living in the Kitchen with Puppies went with Tyler's Thick Pork Chops with Spiced Apples and Raisins. She says, "Another drizzley day here, mother nature is giving the ground a good soaking before it freezes up. And while the wind may blow cold rain around, inside is nice and warm. This dish celebrates autumn flavours with warm spices, and would be perfect accompanied by some roasted sweet potatoes. A buttery chardonnay and perhaps an appley dessert.. and soon you'll be singing the praises of the changing seasons, come what may".

Mari from Once Upon a Plate says, "For this week's Tyler Florence's Fridays I chose to make his version of Chicken Marsala. It's one of those dishes which is difficult to capture in an appealing way ~ but believe me, it is delicious! Using boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded thin ~ with strips of Prosciutto (Italian dry-cured ham), sliced mushrooms and sweet Marsala the dish goes together very quickly. This received raves at my house,if you like Chicken Marsala I think you'll like Tyler's version, too!"

Sheila from Welcome to My Kitchen is here with Tyler's Easy Chicken Mojo Burritos. She says, "This weeks recipe for Tyler Florence Fridays is a delicious chicken burrito made with black beans, yellow rice and a very delicious mojo sauce you will love.I saw this recipe on Food Network and had to make it."

Finally at Kahakai Kitchen, I went for an easy and tasty dish, Tyler's; "Crisp Potatoes with Salsa Verde. It isn't the prettiest Tyler dish I have ever made but it is tasty. Yukon gold potatoes are crisped and browned in a pan ad the served with a green sauce of olives, garlic, capers, parsley and lemon. It is a good side dish for company or for me, a small plate with a simple green salad made a nice dinner."

Thanks to everyone who cooked along with TFF this week! Some great recipes, just perfect for the fall season.

Have a great weekend and again, a very happy Thanksgiving holiday to our Canadian friends!

October 2nd Round-Up!

2009-10-02T13:06:00.008-04:00

What a gorgeous couple!
This is our very own Debby from A Feast for the Eyes who spent last weekend at the Harvest Festival in Carmel, California where she ate wonderful food, drank, watched demonstrations and, oh yeah, snuggled up with this guy!
Yes, Debby got to cuddle up with Tyler not once but twice last weekend, you can read all about it here for day one and here for day two, on her blog.
(Do you think she gave him a kiss for each of us?)

Ahem, let's see what's cooking (besides Debby!)...

Chaya of Chaya's Comfy Cook blog made Tyler's Sweet Potato Puree with Bananas and Buttered Pecans.
"I tasted this even though I still have to bake it with all the ingredients brought together. It is a great recipe. Those pecans on top with the salt and brown sugar – wow!…… The banana adds a subtle flavor to the sweet potatoes, a good one. I want to make this again and again. Hats off to Tyler."

Deb of Kahakai Kitchen made Tyler's Pan-Roasted Halibut with Prosciutto, Lemon, White Wine and Capers subbing in Swordfish as it is local to Hawaii.
"Delicious--a great combination of some of my favorite flavors and ingredients. The shutome worked really well, it was fresh and stayed very moist and tender."

Joanne of Eats Well with Others made Tyler's Pot Roast with Vegetables.

"Tyler certainly knows what he is doing with this recipe. Maybe it's his inclusion of diced tomatoes. And my favorite winter herb trilogy (bay leaves, rosemary, and thyme). Or maybe it's just because he's a genius. Either way, even if you think you don't like pot roast. You probably just mean you don't like any pot roast other than this one."

Kim of Stirring the Pot made Grilled Brie and Tomato on Crusty Bread this week.

"These little open-faced sandwiches are delicious. So delicious that I ate four of them!

The Brie cheese totally puts this over the top! "
.

Libby of Cooking with Libby made Tyler's Potato Salad.

"We served this with some left over Beer Braised BBQ Pulled Pork that I had froze back in the beginning of August. It was the perfect combination :) We are definitely keeping this recipe in our favorites! Tyler definitely rocks!!"

Michelle of Big Black Dogs made Tyler's Chicken with Apple Cider Sauce served over a bed of lightly Sauteed Fresh Apples.

"This simple dish was absolutely outstanding! When I had finished my Chicken with Cider Sauce I wanted more, so I'm thinking we might have it again for tomorrow's dinner."

Nancy of The Dogs eat the Crumbs made Braised Short Ribs with Gremolata this week.

"This was fantastic! The ribs were falling-off-the-bone tender and we loved the layers of flavor in the sauce. If you make this, do not skip the gremolata! It has a nice balance of sweet and savory ingredients and its freshness is the perfect complement to the warm richness of the sauce. Overall, these ribs tasted like more work than they really were. The modest investment of time in babysitting the pot paid off big dividends in the finished dish."

Natalia of Gatti Fili e Farina made these Fried Mozzarella and Zucchini to pair with Spaghetti with Summer Squash and Tomatoes.

"I suggest you to eat the mozzarella bites when they are hot they are so good !! Tyler fries other items too but I didn't have them on hand !"

"As for the pasta I used zucchini and pumpkin we don't get summer squash in Italy and I really can't understand why, when I lived in Santa Barbara I ate them quite often , I should get some seeds and plant them !!"
.

Sheila of Recipe Korner made Tyler's Ultimate Mac and Cheese this week.

"Today I was heating up my kitchen with Tyler!This recipe for his Ultimate Mac & Cheese is the best. As this being my first recipe submission toTyler Florence Fridays, I couldn't have picked a more delicious recipe. You can view this recipe and others at Food network.com"

And over at Living in the Kitchen with Puppies, I made Tyler's Chicken Breasts with Orange, Olives, and New Potatoes.

"I had this simple yet elegant one pan meal waiting for my chilly commuter when he came home the other night, delish!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~

We are now into our final month of a year of cooking Tyler's recipes. What great fun we have had. I can't believe we have been cooking together so long!

Our last round-up will be on October 30th. Still lots of time to cook up some great Tyler Florence dishes!

September 25th Round-Up!

2009-09-25T14:26:00.009-04:00

Happy Autumn to all our participants and friends! Even though some people are still suffering end-of-summer heat, I think we can all say that we are looking forward to fall foods and, dare we say it, Thanksgiving!

Mmm, one lucky thing about being Canadian - our harvest feasts, by virtue of our colder weather, are earlier in the year. I say think globally; celebrate in October and November!

While we are celebrating as many holidays as we can possibly muster, we are all also thinking locally, and this weekend Tyler is at the Food and Wine event Harvest: Farm to Table, an event celebrating agriculture, viticulture, cheese and good times. Read more about this event in Carmel, California on Tyler's site here, or on the event site here.

If any of you happen to go, feel free to send in photos and details, we will include them in the next round-up.

Let's see what's cooking, shall we?

Beth from The Seventh Level of Boredom seized control of the grill to make this totally yummy Grilled Honey Teriyaki Chicken.

"The chicken was LUSCIOUS. The flavors were intense and rich, and the chicken was moist and flavorful. I admit that I usually have to amp up the seasonings in Tyler's recipes to make them more to my taste, but this glaze was wonderful just as it is. I am attributing the juiciness of the chicken to the brine. The recipe says to brine for 2 hours, but I pushed the envelope and brined it before I left for work that morning, so it sat all day.

Very, very yummy.... I mean, can't you just TELL? Its making my mouth water just thinking about the leftovers waiting for me in the fridge for lunch today. "

Chaya of Chaya's Comfy Cooking Blog made these delicious looking Crunchy Roasted Rosemary Potatoes for her family this week, and found that she was quite successful making them ahead of time and heating them up when she needed them.

"Some crisped up too much and are burnt potato chips. Those that I did not cut too thin, came out like a dream. I love them. Another – Yeah Tyler."

Deb of Kahakai Kitchen made a "Tyler Two-fer" this week, Veal Saltimbocca Alla Romana with Roasted Fingerling Potatoes with Fresh Herbs and Garlic. This lovely meal served as a welcome feast for her visiting mother. Nice!

"Delicious dinner. Saltimbocca means "jumps in mouth" and once again, this recipe certainly did. They were incredibly tender and paired so nicely with the sage. In addition to serving it with a wedge of lemon, I like to add the juice of a lemon to the sauce and find that it really brightens the dish. If you don't do veal, try the recipe with chicken, so you don't miss out."

Debby of A Feast for the Eyes made something that I have always wanted to make - Fried Green Tomatoes.

"Mercy! Oh my! I love this! It's hot, and I was fanning my tongue...but the sweet and slight tanginess of the green tomato-- the crunch of the cornmeal and the cayenne paper was just right. My husband loved them, too. I know this is a Southern Dish, but it's going to be a regular dish in my repertoire. Oh, these are good. I served these with a wonderful dinner that I will share later on in the week. I just have to tell you my little secret!..."

I get to ~~meet~~ see Tyler Florence!!!

Yes, Debby is heading to Harvest and we hope to see lots of great pictures and hear all about it soon!

Jenny of All Things Edible made one of my very favourite desserts, a Peach and Blueberry Crostata. (Aw, who am I kidding, I would eat it for breakfast or lunch, too!)

"A crostata is a free form pie, with all the flaky goodness of a pie without the pan. Perfect for bringing somewhere and sharing, which we did with this crostata. It was enjoyed all around and made enough that 8 of us managed to share it."

Kim of Stirring the Pot made this colourful Heirloom Tomato and Black-Eyed Peas salad this week, after conducting a state-wide search for the ingredients.

"I made this tomato salad last night at my Mom's before going to work. It was very quick, maybe 5-10 minutes. We enjoyed it and would eat it again, but agreed that we missed the cheese like a Caprese salad would offer. This salad was stunning in presentation and would be healthier than a Caprese, a good option for anyone watching what they eat."

Matt from Concord, California emailed in this colourful Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Chile-Coconut Sauce, made with greens and herbs from his own garden! Welcome Matt!

Nancy of The Dogs Eat the Crumbs is back with this tasty Ultimate Chicken Salad.

"I liked Tyler's idea of pairing the chicken with sweet/tart fruit, so I put the apples and cranberries right into the chicken salad, which made a sort of hybrid waldorf/chicken salad. The apple was straight from my farm box, so I don't even know what kind it was, other than yummy!

We totally enjoyed our chicken salad dinner plate. There was a nice combination of tastes and textures, and we were quite happy to have the leftovers a couple of nights later!"

Natalia of gatti fili e farina made these delectable looking Teriyaki Glazed Pork Spareribs this week.

"Another week and another great 'supper saver' by our friend Tyler !!
I loved the recipe and it was faster than the one you find here because I used already divided ribs (here it is very uncommon to find a whole piece)."

And over at Living in the Kitchen with Puppies, I made these totally naughty but delicious Tempura Green Beans with Chili, Garlic, and Sesame Aioli.
"I love the light texture of tempura batter, it doesn't overpower what's inside. These beans were tender, crispy and delicious, and lots of fun to dip into the aioli."

Thanks guys for such awesome submissions, it has been fabulous cooking with you this week!

September 18 Round-Up!

2009-09-18T15:41:00.006-04:00

Hope you are enjoying the early autumn weather and the bright colors of the leaves as they begin to turn. We don't get to see that where I live, something I miss. So I just enjoy looking at gorgeous photos like this one from freephoto.com.

For me, fall means more thoughts of the kitchen and of delicious comfort food and judging from the recipes this week, I am not alone. Let's see who made it into the kitchen with Tyler.

Jenny from All Things Edible says, "My selection for this week's Tyler Florence Fridays features two recipes in one meal, Herb and Lemon Roasted Chicken with Smashed Broccoli and Garlic. It is listed in Tyler's Real Kitchen cookbook, under the heading Table for Two. I made it for four. Expecting left overs." Jenny wasn't completely wowed and found there to be a bit too much oil but says, "All in all, a pretty decent selection though. Not a throw together at the last minute kind of meal, and not the kind of thing I will make during a weekday, but a nice change for a Sunday dinner or for company with scalloped potatoes."

"Here's my dish for this week - Tyler's Amaretto Chocolate Brownies. YUM!" says Jess at Black Cat Kitchen. "While I didn’t really notice a strong amaretto flavor, I certainly liked how fudgy these brownies were. Yummy, yummy, yummy. I didn’t put nuts in these because I wasn’t sure everyone else would like nuts, and well, I’m pretty sure I didn’t have any. But, I bet they would be very tasty with them!"

Chaya from Chaya's Comfy Cook Blog made Tyler's Green Beans with Caramelized Onions as her selection for this week. Chaya says, "The Jewish New Year is upon us and I have been cooking up a storm. Alas, I made this, forgetting that we do not eat nuts for those two days. It will not go to waste though. Let me take this moment to wish each of our Jewish friends, a good and sweet year and a Happy Holiday."

Natalia from Gatti Fili e Farina is here and says, "Each week I really try to make one of Tyler Florence's recipes (mostly with the ingredients I have on hand) because we always love them so much!! This week's choice (due to the huge eggplant amount) was Baked Rigatoni with Eggplant and Sausage, which was very easy and tasty, I had lot of goat ricotta too so I used it instead of the mozzarella."

Joanne from Eats Well With Others tried Tyler's Cranberry Chutney this week. She says, "Earlier this year, I made Tyler's version of cranberry sauce, which I loved. Then, I came across his recipe for cranberry chutney and thought I would give it a try. I have a feeling it is not very chutney-esque however, although I can't really say since I've never had chutney before. It just didn't seem to be as heavily spiced as it could have been (okay it was not spiced at all). I really liked it a lot, although his actual cranberry sauce recipe is better. Then again, I think you would be hard put to find a cranberry and brie combo that I didn't like. Just saying."

Tyler's recipes and books have become such a fixture at her house that her husband has given him a nickname ("T Flo"), says Kim from Stirring the Pot. "Tonight I made T Flo's Crispy Asian Chicken Salad. It was easy and didn't require a sink full of dirty dishes! (Bonus points for Tyler) I loved everything about this salad and found it a welcome change to all the heavy Italian dishes, desserts and home cooking. I love the crunch of the wonton crisps, the bite of the sesame seeds, and the overall appeal of all the colors in this salad. It is a unique salad that is sure to please."

Natashya from Living in the Kitchen with Puppies says, "This week for Tyler Florence Fridays, I made his Argentinian Gaucho Steak with Chimichurri Sauce and Salsa Criolla. His recipe calls for skirt steak, which is grilled and then sliced thinly and fanned out for presentation. The steak is also served with grilled red peppers and rustic bread. The whole meal was delicious, and I served it on a bed of greens to absorb the wonderful juices and sauce. For me, the star of the dish was the chimichurri sauce. I don't think I have had one before and we just loved it. Definitely worth having on hand in the fridge, I imagine it would go great with any number of grilled meats and veggies."

"Time for a breakfast edition of Tyler Florence Fridays!" says Andrea at Nummy Kitchen. "This morning I made Tyler's Banana and Pecan Pancakes, this was a quick and easy recipe to follow, and the pancakes were wonderful. We are huge pancake fans here and these are a new favorite for us (except picky husband who does not like pecans, I made these after he went to work :) ) My four year old gave an unsolicited, "thanks for making these delicious pancakes, mom!" -- quite a surprise from a very picky little one. I loved the chunks of banana and crunchy pecans in every bite. We will be making these again for sure!"

At Kahakai Kitchen, I went for a breakfast favorite too (although I enjoyed it for dinner!), Tyler's Frog in a Hole. These eggs cooked in a circle of toast are known by many other names such as "Toad in a Hole", "Windowpane Eggs", and growing up at my house we called them "Ding Dong Eggs". Whatever you call them, they are delicious. I made mine healthier with less butter, whole grain bread and turkey bacon. Served with a fruit salad it was perfect and a nice trip back to childhood.

Some delicious recipes that look perfect for enjoying early fall. Thanks to everyone who cooked with Tyler this week! Don't forget to check out our new sister cooking group, I Heart Cooking Clubs. Currently we are featuring Nigella Lawson.

Enjoy the weekend!

September Eleventh Round-Up!

2009-09-11T14:09:00.006-04:00

Hello friends, I hope this day finds you and your loved ones healthy and, while never forgetting the past, looking optimistically forward to the future. We represent many countries here at TFF, and our fans represent even more. One thing that we all have in common is hope.

This site is non-political, but I would like to share with you one of my favourite philosophical and spiritual icons, Kermit the Frog, and his song of hope and peace.

Today is the perfect day to be kinder than necessary to others.

One of our favourite ways to make others happy is to share great food, let's see what's cooking today.

Pam of Sidewalk Shoes made these glorious Roasted Peppers in Olive Oil. "These were wonderful, everything that I want in roasted peppers. I served them on top of some grilled brats...Heaven. Then the next day, I added them to a quesadilla...Heaven The Sequel. Seriously a bowl of these in your fridge and you are good to go, in just about any direction."
I assume the brats in question were not her students!

Michelle of Big Black Dog made this vibrant Roasted Tomato Soup with a mix of tomatoes from her own garden.
"Well it's that time of year and our tomatoes are coming in. I was leaving town for a few days and I had to find a way to use about twenty tomatoes! Let's see, even if I had time there were just not enough tomatoes to bother canning them. Then it came to me..SOUP!
The recipe was quick and easy and made a delicious soup. I served the soup with some of my homemade breadsticks."

Kristin of Sogkonnite Living made Tyler's Chicken Enchiladas with some difficulty!
"I have learned that new recipe + school night + frazzled brain + 6th grade Spanish homework = nightmare! DO NOT try this at home! I think I'll be sticking to the simple weeknight meals and save by buddy TF for the weekends."

Kim of Stirring the Pot made Tyler's Spaghetti and Meatballs this week for her family.

"I really liked Tyler's idea of making oversized meatballs. The oversized meatballs were much quicker to put together, my husband really enjoyed them, and my daughter had an easy time leaving them off her plate. Overall, this dish pleased everyone! Tyler's oversized meatballs are very tender and a little harder to work with than my own recipe, but we did enjoy them! I think this is a good solid recipe that almost everyone will enjoy."

Jess of Black Cat Kitchen made Tyler's Grilled PB&J, served with lots of fresh fruit.

"You’ve had peanut butter & jelly, you’ve had it on toast. Grilled is a whole ‘nother story. The peanut butter & jelly get warm and gooey … so delicious. With fall closing in, this is a great way to make an old standby new again."

Jenny of All Things Edible made this very tasty looking Caramel Apple Croissant French Toast for her family.

"Caramel apple croissant French toast. Do I really need to explain more? No, I didn't think so.Wow! It was divine. I loved it, my kids loved it. My poor hubby, he didn't get any."

Heather of Girlichef made homemade Curry Powder this week, demonstrating how much more flavour you can get if you make it yourself.
Heather shares this tip about cleaning out your spice grinder, that I thought was brilliant!

"...a hint for cleaning out your spice grinder...put a couple little pieces of bread in and pulse. The bread will soak up the excess powders in the grinder. Throw away the bread. Yes, mine is stained from many whirls of anatto seeds...but that bread leaves my "well" nice and shiny!!!"

Deb of Kahakai Kitchen made Tyler's Crisp Soba Noodles (with chicken)
"The noodles have a nice texture, a little chewy (in a good way), combined with little bites of crispy. I topped my noodles with some sliced grilled chicken breast and with a small salad it made a perfect dinner. I would make this again."

Chaya of Chaya's Comfy Cook Blog made these Rocky Road Brownies twice this week. Read all about her success with them here.

"One of the pluses of this recipe is that it is a cinch to make. Can you imagine, the brownies are done in one bowl. Neither the marshmallow or toppings need a bowl so this turns out to be a one bowl recipe. I am tired enough to appreciate the lack of bowls to clean."

And "to prove that we share our failures", click here to see how these brownies can go terribly wrong if you have too many things on the go and forget about them under the broiler!

And over at Living in the Kitchen with Puppies, I made Tyler's Crispy Asian Chicken Salad, which was indeed crispy and delicious.
"Totally delicious, we just loved it. Then again, it really is hard to go too wrong with chicken salad!"

Thanks, everyone, for cooking with us this week! Don't forget to check out our new sister cooking group, I Heart Cooking Clubs. Currently we are featuring Nigella Lawson.

September 4th Round-Up!

2009-09-04T15:00:00.012-04:00

Well if anyone needed more evidence that fall is coming, here it is. This week Tyler was in Los Angeles shooting a Thanksgiving special with Food Network favorite, Giada DeLaurentiis. Yikes--Thanksgiving is coming! Here is a picture that Tyler "tweeted" on Twiiter.

On the menu for Tyler? Smoked Turkey with a Pumpkin Sage Gravy. Tyler's reply tweet when asked what was in it, "Dark turkey stock, smoked bacon, sage, onion, garlic and fresh pumpkin instead of a roux based thickener, reduce by 1/2. ..." Mmm... Bet we see this in a TFF round-up when the recipe comes out. ;-)

Speaking of the round-up, let's take a look at who cooked along with Tyler this week:

Heatherisathome and is apparently hard at work in her kitchen, posting three different Tyler recipes this week. First up, Tyler's California Cobb with Poached Shrimp and Green Goddess Dressing. Heather says, "I've already indicated on my blog that I love a good salad. And I have to say, this is one of the best salads I've ever had at home (and that says alot since I have made specialty salads on many occasions). The dressing was out of this world -- It had a certain tanginess, almost spicy flavor. Every ingredient in the salad complimented another ingredient. It was truly delicious."

Next she tried his Grilled Brie and Tomato on Crusty Bread, saying, "This was really, really good. I have made a couple different variations of pesto by Tyler. They've all been good and have complemented whatever dish we were using them in. All the ingredients were paired nicely together and for an added bonus, they looked really appealing."

Finally Heather tried Tyler's Ultimate Macaroni and Cheese and says, "This is the third Tyler recipe I've made this week. And each time I try one of his recipes, I think, this is the best yet. But I have to say, they've all been equally good this week and will join the list of "must make again"."

We have some new faces this week at TFF, starting with Kris from What's Cooking? Kris used Tyler's recipe for Pizza on the Grill for her dough and sauce saying, "First the dough. I'll spare you the details. Let's just say that for the first time ever - it's perfect. It's spongy, doughy, heaven. I am super excited. Next the sauce. It's really easy to make. It looks good and tastes good. Excellent. Voila! They're done! They're tasty and delish. I DID IT!!!! You'd think I won a marathon or something."

Another new face is Marisol from Once Upon a Plate who made Tyler's "Everything" Tuna Sandwich, using what she had on hand. Marisol says, "I was looking for a light, easy to prepare dinner on a warm summer evening and came across this recipe of Tyler's ~ this looked like it would fit the bill perfectly. All in all, it was a delicious sandwich which received thumbs-up around the table; I would definitely prepare this one again, next time on the 'everything' bagel, as well as with the tarragon and lettuce."

BigSis of BigSis/LilSis makes her first appearance at TFF with Tyler's Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Bars. BigSis says, "I’ve been wanting to try this recipe ever since I saw Tyler make it on his Tyler’s Ultimate show on Food Network a long time ago. These little dudes looked incredible, and have always stuck in my head. My expectations were not too high. These came out fabulous! I loved them, and they disappeared pretty darn fast from the office. So fast, in fact, that I didn’t get a chance to photograph them and had to make another batch over the weekend. Oh, darn!"

Making the most of a cooler day, Chaya of Chaya's Comfy Cook Blog tried Tyler's Creamy Corn Chowder. Chaya says. "I am a great fan of corn and a bigger fan of Tyler’s so I figured, this had to be a winner and it was. This soup is excellent. It is creamy, a tinge of sweetness, real corn flavor and very satisfying. I can see it becoming a staple, particularly in the winter."

Astounded by the amount of olive oil that eggplant soaks up, Joanne from Eats Well with Others still really enjoyed Tyler's Linguine with Roasted Eggplant and Cherry Tomatoes. She says, "This dinner was very simple and was one of those comforting meals that feels so welcoming after a long day of school and/or work. It is also really good topped with feta cheese. Especially if you're like me and just happen to have some lying around."

Jenny from All Things Edible says about Tyler's Roasted Corn with Parmesan. "This might not sound so appealing to everyone, but here is how this works: Bake your corn in the oven, still in the husk (this is a technique I am going to use again and again and again...), then peel back the husk and grill the corn. Give it some good color. When it is to your liking, smear it with mayonnaise. Yes, mayo. I used store bought this time, but you could make homemade. Then sprinkle on Parmesan cheese. That's it. Eat it. Trust me. Eat it. It really is good."

Jess from Black Cat Kitchen wasn't too enamoured with Tyler's Shrimp and Egg Fried Rice with Cabbage this week, saying, "Hubby picked this out for this week’s submission for Tyler Florence Fridays. We both think it was missing something, but can’t decide what. It was just kinda … blah. On the up side, it was super easy to prepare and it came together really fast. I’d like to try this again, but next time, with napa cabbage instead of purple. Though the purple cabbage did give it quite the beautiful blue hue. I felt like I was cooking with Dr. Seuss."

Tyler's Sicilian-Style Spaghetti was on Natashya's menu this week at Living in the Kitchen with Puppies. She says, "I kept promising myself, every time I passed this recipe in his book, that I would make it as soon as I had a nice head of cauliflower in my possession. I loved the idea of it before I even tried it. Cauliflower is simmered and sauteed, seasoned, and tossed with pasta, raisins and nuts. It sounded so crazy, it had to work.The dish was very tasty, and I loved the crispy breadcrumbs on top."

We missed Andrea from Nummy Kitchen and are happy to have her back cooking with us this week. Andrea says, "Time for Tyler Florence Fridays! I really missed participating in TFF over the summer and am so glad to be back. Today for breakfast we made Tyler's Banana Nut Muffins -- only I left out the nuts, I was planning on using walnuts but completely forgot, oops! These muffins were buttery, moist, and delicious, with crispy edges that my husband loves. I would make these again for sure, they were a nice easy morning muffin recipe."

Kim from Stirring the Pot says, "This week, I made Tyler's Corn Chowder with Chorizo from Stirring the Pot. Tyler's includes Fried Hog Island Oysters with his soup, but I couldn't find oysters anywhere around town, so I had to leave them out. I was very excited to actually find some Spanish style chorizo to include with this soup. I even got to chose between the regular version of Spanish chorizo and a spicy version. I totally chose spicy!! I really enjoyed this chowder and found it to be the perfect consistency. It was somewhat addictive as I have ate it everyday since I made it. It would be a great addition to any fall table or perfect for a Thanksgiving meal."

And finally over at Kahakai Kitchen I was looking for an easy Tyler recipe for a crazy week and found two, Angel Hair Pasta with Pesto and a Ripped Baguette with Garlic-Parsley Butter. The pasta was a good basic pesto recipe that went together quickly with the fresh angel hair. The bread was delicious--I liked how the garlic-parsley butter soaked into the middle of the warm bread. Together with some shrimp, it made a perfect meal and both are worth making again.

What a great round-up of dishes this week and you can see how we all are enjoying the last days of summer and transitioning into the autumn season with our cooking as we kick off this Labor Day Weekend. Thanks to everyone who participated this week and welcome to our new bloggers!

You may be wondering about the featured recipe for this week. It seems that Tyler's peeps are having some struggles keeping up with all of us and have not even posted last week's winner (Kim's Chicken and Smoked Sausage Etouffee) yet. Rather than create a bigger backlog and pick another recipe, we are taking a break to see if they can catch back up. We'll keep you posted on what happens!

Have a great weekend!

Avocado, Cilantro and White Onion Salad Re-Cap!

2009-09-01T13:01:00.005-04:00

Happy First Day of September!

I don't know about your area, but we have definitely cooled down here, especially at night. It won't be long before we start thinking about pumpkins and fleecy sweaters. On the other side of the world, Australia and New Zealand are celebrating the first day of Spring!

This is the 241st day of the year, only 121 days left until 2010. One third to go. This might be a good time to start thinking about your Christmas list..

On that alarming note, let's see how our friends did with Tyler's totally tasty Avocado, Cilantro and White Onion Salad this month.

With a half of an avocado just waiting to be used, Nancy from The Dogs Eat the Crumbs decided to put it to good use by making this month's challenge recipe, Tyler's Avocado, Cilantro and White Onion Salad. She liked it so much--she made it again! Nancy says, "This salad was so delicious! Although I would have been tempted to throw in some tomato, the avocado and onion made for a great duo, with fresh and flavorful support from the lime and cilantro. I licked the plate. Both times I made it. I'll be making this recipe again and again, no matter the season."

Natalia of Gatti Fili e Farina made Avocado, No-Cilantro, and White Onion Salad.

"This week thanks to Megan's choice I made a very fresh salad without cilantro, which I can't find here, but using some parsley instead. It's a great refreshing treat !!!"

Jenny of All Things Edible made this very pretty Avocado, Cilantro and Red Onion Salad.

"So pretty, easy to make, and good for company. Provided they like avocado and cilantro."

Deb at Kahakai Kitchen, had a "Tyler Twofer" with a pair of cold salads for a warm, muggy night's dinner. First was the Crab Parfait, featured in August 21st's round-up, and then the Avocado, Cilantro and White Onion Salad, a simple side dish with bright flavors that would be perfect with grilled dishes or Mexican food. Both are keeper recipes.

Over at Living in the Kitchen with Puppies, I paired my Avocado, Cilantro and (Sweet) White Onion Salad with cherry tomatoes and queso blanco cheese. We absolutely loved this salad and hubby is still talking about it. It is his new favourite food.

If all this praise for Tyler's salad has made you hungry, here is the recipe again so you can make it at home. Enjoy!

Avocado, Cilantro and White Onion Salad
Tyler Florence, Food Network

Ingredients

1 garlic clove, chopped

2 limes, juiced

Pinch sugar

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 medium, ripe avocados

1/2 medium white onion, thinly sliced (I would make them sweet white onions)

1 cup fresh picked cilantro leaves

Directions

In a large mixing bowl, add the garlic, lime juice, sugar, and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and give it a quick whisk to combine.Split avocados in half and remove the pit. Spoon out the flesh, put on a cutting board and slice into chunks. Transfer to a serving bowl and add the onion and cilantro leaves. Add the vinaigrette and toss lightly to coat just before serving.

August 28th Round-Up!

2009-08-28T14:41:00.007-04:00

Labour day is soon upon us, and the bulk of the students are gearing up to go back to school. A collective sigh runs through the parents, or at least in my house! Actually, mine are older and prone to rolling out of bed at 2pm if not required to attend either school or work that day. Still, I look forward to their going back, if only to add structure to their days... and get them out of the house!
We have a couple of educators in TFF, noticeably absent today, getting ready for back to school, and one or two already there. I think we can expect some quick cocktail posts from them for TFF in these coming months, they are going to need the booze!
~
Let's see what's cooking this week, shall we?

Chaya of Chaya's Comfy Cook Blog made Tyler's Tuna Everything Bagel, a personal favourite of mine.
"I am so glad I made this. I never would have splurged with a bagel like this. Mine is usually skinny compared to this one. It turned out to be such a good combination, one I want to eat again and again."

Deb of Kahakai Kitchen made this comforting Saag Paneer, a gal after my Indian food-loving heart.
"I served mine with a jeera (cumin) rice mix and some paratha, an Indian flatbread, from the Indian market. A perfect vegetarian meal, creamy and satisfying and a great way to work those greens into your diet in a tasty way. I would make this again."

Heather of HeatherIsAtHome made Tyler's Chicken Parmesan, another dish I really loved too.

"This week I decided to feature TF's Chicken Parmesan from Stirring The Pot. I thought it was an exceptional dish and plan to replace it with my tried and true chicken Parmesan recipe. I'm 100% a fan. He wins me over again~"

Jenny of All Things Edible made this very pretty Avocado, Cilantro and Red Onion Salad.
"So pretty, easy to make, and good for company. Provided they like avocado and cilantro."

Jess of Black Cat Kitchen made Tyler's Green Beans with Caramelized Onions this week.

"This was a super simple dish, but not my favorite from Tyler Florence. I did use a different spice than the thyme, so maybe that was my fault. Either way, this turned out beautifully and looks like something you get at a restaurant."

Kim of Stirring the Pot made Tyler's Chicken and Smoked Sausage Etouffee this week.
"We loved it!! My husband called it a delightful change from the normal dinner! He must have said how delicious it was at least ten times: ) A Perfect combination of flavors and ingredients."

Congratulations Kim! Your Etouffee has been selected as the feature dish this week! It will be posted on Tyler's site early next week.
.

Megan of My Baking Adventures made something that I have always wanted to try, Spaetzle.
"The final verdict? I am pleased to report that not only were these good, the recipe went into our new, completely organized recipe binder – which means we liked it enough to make it again."

Melissa of The Kitchen Canister made Tyler's Black Bean Soup vegetarian this week.

"The only thing I might do differently next time is add some chili powder or red pepper flakes to kick it up a notch. It wasn't quite as spicy as I like my black bean soups. Another A+ for Tyler!"

Natalia of Gatti Fili e Farina made Avocado, No-Cilantro, and White Onion Salad.
"This week thanks to Megan's choice I made a very fresh salad without cilantro, which I can't find here, but using some parsley instead. It's a great refreshing treat !!!"

Over at Living in the Kitchen with Puppies, I made Tyler's Chinese Spareribs #5 with Teriyaki Glaze.
"These ribs are savoury, salty, sweet and sticky. And, because I got ahead of myself and reduced the sauce to 3/4 of a cup instead of 1.5 cups.. very intense! They were great with some Asian slaw and steamed rice. Yum!"

Awesome dishes guys, very inspiring.

Congrats again Kim, keep up the good dreams!

Don't forget, you have only a couple of days left to submit your August bonus dish!

Congratulations Jess!

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Jess of Black Cat Kitchen captured the essence of summer with her post on Tyler's Mojito Slushy, and we thought it would be perfect for this week's featured post. Click here to see the frosty treat in all of its green glory on Tyler's own blog! Congrats Jess!

August 21st Round-Up!

2009-08-21T15:04:00.009-04:00

Can you believe summer is winding down and it is almost September? Where does the time go?! Hope you all are enjoying those last few of weeks of the season and getting a little relaxation time in.

Let's take a look at who was in the kitchen with Tyler this week!

Heather from Heatherisathome found time to work in a Tyler recipe before heading off on a mini-vacay. She says, "For this Sundays dinner, I planned to grill some chops, heat some seasoned collard greens, and make Tyler Florence's Spicy Black-Eyed Peas. Verdict - Absolutely delicious!!! This was a price-friendly dish (5 cents for the chiles, less than a couple of bucks for the dried peas, several of the ingredients staples in my kitchen), that was super easy to cook up, with lots of flavor. This will, without question, be a repeat."

Jess from Black Cat Kitchen is back with us this week with two dishes from Tyler. First up she made Tyler's Broccoli, Parmesan & Lemon. Jess says: "This was a really nice side dish. Super easy, simple ingredients and great flavor. I really liked the lemon flavor, though Scott said it was a bit overpowering. However, he may just have gotten a bite with lots of lemon."

Next she tried the frosty Mojito Slushy, Jess says "Oh, yes, Tyler … you’ve done it again. Summer in a glass. While trying to decide what to make with the mint that came in our CSA box, I came across this recipe and knew I had to make it for Tyler Florence Fridays. This was simple and incredibly delicious. Then again, it’s mint, rum, and simple syrup – how much can go wrong? I loved that there were specks of the mint in here, but not chunks of mint like you sometimes get when muddling."

Let's welcome Alex from Recession Recipes who tried her hand at the Baja Fish Tacos with Mexican Slaw after seeing it on Tyler's "Twiterlicious" cooking lessons. Alex says, "I’m a big fish taco fan and have already posted about our favourite fish taco recipe. However after making these Baja Fish Tacos, me, Carlo, and our friend Mike, who came over for dinner, all agreed that these fish tacos are way better. It is probably the fried fish, which creates a nice crunchy base for all of the flavours from the spicy chipotle mayo and mango-radish salsa."

Chaya from Chaya's Comfy Cook Blog made Tyler's Peanut Sesame Noodles this week. She says, "Whenever I need a recipe for TFF, I either look in my cookbook or the Food Network. I have not been let down yet. I type in the type of food, I want to make and up comes something tempting. So far, we have enjoyed each dish. Over the years,I have found numerous sesame noodles with peanut butter recipes but I have not come across one with the brown sugar." Did she like it? Chaya says, "I have been heating a bowl of this in the microwave, just to warm, and it is even better than cold. The flavors seem to seep into each other when warm."

Natalia from Gatti Fili E Farina combined two Tyler recipes. She says, "I'm finally back to Tyler's recipes with another success !! I had two corn cobs around so I found his recipe for a Corn Pudding that sounded very nice, then my brother called saying they were coming to Rome for a few days so I decided for 'the works' and I made his Chili as well. I must confess right away that other than growing them myself I wouldn't know where I could find all the wonderful peppers I needed so I just substituted them with Italian hot chili but the results were very nice even so."

Jenny from All Things Edible says, "Did I mention it was 34C, before the humidity, when I made this? Okay, so sometimes I'm not so bright. But I was in the 'need' for a comfort food and Tyler's Recipe for Macaroni and Cheese with Bacon and Cheese was calling out to me. I couldn't help it. The bacon added a nice saltiness to the mac and cheese, as well as a good crunch. I admit, this tasted better two days afterwards, when it seemed to be cheesier and gooeyer. I like gooey mac and cheese. Now I like gooey mac and cheese with bacon on it."

Tyler's Chicken Paillard with Creamy Parmesan Salad was this week's pick from Kim at Stirring the Pot. Kim says, "My family loves the chicken paillard and I have already made it twice this month. The chicken has a wonderful crunch from the panko and is very moist and juicy on the inside. It is delicious served warm and equally delicious served cold and sliced atop a salad the next day. I followed Tyler's tip about refrigerating the chicken breasts after breading them. Refrigerating them helps to dry out the breading and ensures an extra crispy coating."

Mourning summer's decline but taking advantage of some slightly cooler weather, Beth from The Seventh Level of Boredom found two perfect companion recipes in Tyler's Stirring the Pot; Roasted Tomato Soup with Fresh Basil and Grilled Cheese (Smoked Mozzarella and Basil Pesto). Beth says, "The sandwiches were gooey and chock full of flavor, and the soup was rich and creamy. I have a feeling this soup is going to become a staple in my kitchen."

Tammy from Sassafras Cafe says, "I am a good southern girl who has been making black-eyed peas since she was in diapers (I exaggerate...). Every New Year's feast, as well as every summertime farmer's market meal has been graced by the presence of black-eyed peas, good black-eyed peas that have cooked long and hard with ham, onions, and garlic. But this little recipe here changes history to replace the one I have used for several decades. Tyler Florence's Spicy Black-Eyed Peas left the others in the dust."

Natashya from Living in the Kitchen with Puppies tried Tyler's Watermelon Gazpacho this week. She says, "I am on a cold soup kick this summer. I don't even know if I had ever had one before this year but I seem to be making them regularly lately. A soup you can make in a blender, what can be better than that? This gazpacho is lighter and a little sweeter with the addition of watermelon. I found it very refreshing. Perfect for a hot summer day."

And for me at Kahakai Kitchen, I had a "Tyler Twofer" this week with a pair of cold salads for a warm, muggy night's dinner. First was the Crab Parfait, a perfect combination of layered crab, mango and baby greens; a wonderful mix of flavors and textures. Then our optional challenge pick of Avocado, Cilantro and White Onion Salad, (we will save that photo for the challenge round-up), a simple side dish with bright flavors that would be perfect with grilled dishes or Mexican food. Both are keeper recipes.

A great group of delicious Tyler recipes this week! Thanks to everyone who joined us.

So what is our featured recipe this week to be posted on Tyler's Blog? A tough choice but there was something about the Mojito Slushy from Jess at Black Cat Kitchen that just seemed to capture these last sultry summer days before the real world kicks back in! Congratulations Jess! We will look for your thick, frosty cocktails on Tyler's site next week.

Don't forget there is still time to make this month's optional challenge recipe selected by Megan. I can personally vouch for how easy and good the Avocado, Cilantro and White Onion Salad is and it's a great starter salad or simple side dish. You can find the recipe here.

Have a great weekend!

Congratulations Karen!

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Karen of Something Sweet by Karen made a gorgeous and seasonal Bourbon Peach Cobbler after being away from the kitchen for awhile, and we thought it would be perfect for this week's featured post. Click here to see Karen's cobbler on Tyler's own blog!

August 14th Round-Up!

2009-08-14T12:44:00.008-04:00

Happy Birthday Dorothy Tyler Florence! This week, August 8th to be exact, the youngest Florence baby celebrated her first birthday. Isn't she a cutie?
Check out her baby picture below. I love them when they are so tiny and cute! She looks just like Tyler in that bottom picture, don't you think?

One, two, three... aaaahhhwwww! So cute!

Ok, fawning over, back to the serious business of cookery. What have the Tyler Florence Fridays family members cooked up this week?
(Sorry for the jump in picture size, blogger is playing tricks and I didn't want to start over!)

Arlene of The Food of Love made these fabulous Tyler's Ultimate Burgers.
"This was burger heaven and we both ate two burgers, one on the bun and one naked just to use up every last topping." If anyone is picturing Arlene eating burgers naked - cut that out! This is a family blog. ;-)

Chaya of Chaya's Comfy Cook Blog made Tyler's Country Meatloaf with Tomato Relish this week.
"I do love Tyler’s country meatloaf. I usually take a tiny piece and I am satisfied. I took two portions of this meatloaf. I am not sure what made it as good as it was but there is no doubt, it was delish. The relish on top was integral with the loaf and not an add-on."

Deb of Kahakai Kitchen made this colourful Salmon Carpaccio with Hearts of Palm Salad & Coconut Dressing.

"A very pretty dish that makes a nice starter salad or pupu, or even a light, warm weather lunch or dinner. A make again recipe that I might also try with some ahi or another local fish."

Heather of Girlichef made Tyler's Curried Cauliflower with Chickpeas and Tomatoes. Like me, she felt the flavours needed amping up. I think they purposely keep things mild for the general population.
"I am keeping curries and curry-type dishes part of my repertoire...I've come to adore the complex flavors and open invitation to experiment with new additions. This one is from Tyler Florence..."a good, fast vegetarian meal."

Heather of Heather is at Home made Tyler's Martini Noir.

"I selected to feature his Martini Noir from Tyler Florence's Real Kitchen. I was excited, I mean Tyler and alcohol...where could I possibly go wrong.
First, apparently I'm a weakling. I could not drink a whole drink, much less more than a few sips..."

Don't worry Heather, I am sure some of your TFF friends can help you out with the leftovers!

Jenny of All Things Edible made Tyler's Shrimp Scampi with Linguine.

"My little shrimp monster and I enjoyed it, my other two boys liked it, but prefer regular spaghetti sauce over shrimp on their pasta. Oh well, I can't please everyone with every meal."
Truer words were never spoken!

Joanne of Eats Well with Others made a tasty Peach-Blueberry Pie.
"This pie was very good - not too sweet, which really allowed the flavors of the peach and blueberry to shine through. The crust was also AMAZING. My favorite part, actually, it was infused with this lemony flavor from all of the zest. It will definitely be my go-to fruit pie crust recipe in the future."

Karen of Something Sweet by Karen made Tyler's Bourbon Peach Cobbler after being away from the kitchen for awhile.

"This cobbler is full of fresh peaches, has a thick sauce with a background note of bourbon and just the right sweetness and spice. The biscuits on top are brushed with heavy cream and sugar before baking and are perfect – crunchy on top, moist underneath. I’m telling you, you won’t even need ice cream to go on top of this (although I’m sure it wouldn’t hurt!)."

Congratulations Karen! This lovely and seasonal dessert has been chosen to be profiled on Tyler's own blog!

Kim of Stirring the Pot made Tyler's Greek Yogurt with Fig, Date and Honey Swirl.

"This recipe is insanely delicious and I am craving it daily. Tyler gets bonus points for this easy and healthy breakfast treat. The yogurt is very creamy, the dried fruit and honey adds a very balanced sweetness, and the nuts add the perfect crunch. This is a keeper recipe and one that I would recommend to all."

Michelle of Big Black Dog made Tyler's Blueberry Crumble.

"I love using what's commonly thought of as savory herbs in desserts. I've used Tarragon and Basil in cream cheese frosting and it's just wonderful! So when I found Tyler's recipe for Blackberry Crumble and he had added fresh Rosemary I knew I had to try it."

Nicole of Bay Area Foodie made Tyler's Corn Chowder with some fresh ears of corn that they received.
"We made a couple changes to the Tyler Florence recipe we found included adding BACON! Instead of using the butter we used the bacon drippings to saute the onion, garlic and thyme. We also sprinkled in some additional herbs and we substituted half and half for the cream to make it nice and light. Delish!"

Pam of Sidewalk Shoes made this stunning Carpaccio of Raw Zucchini.

"I've always thought that I was not a big zucchini fan. It turns out that I'm just not a big cooked zucchini fan. Raw, it's a whole different ball game."

Over at Living in the Kitchen with Puppies, I made Tyler's Coconut Shrimp with Basmati Rice, Apricots, and Lime. Like Heather, I increased the spicing.

"Even though I only made half a batch, I used all of the seasonings. I love intense flavour. This dish was perfectly delicious. I am sad to say that I don't have any left."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks for a great round-up guys, such wonderful food!

Remember our "Megan's Challenge" optional recipe is Tyler's Avocado, Cilantro and White Onion Salad. You have until the end of the month to make it, the round-up will be on September first. (Get the recipe and details here).

Congratulations again Karen!

Congratulations Arlene!

2009-08-11T15:00:00.004-04:00

Congratulations to Arlene of The Food of Love. Her Ultimate Jerk Chicken took us all on a trip to the islands and it was selected as the feature TFF recipe for Tyler Florence's Blog this week. Click here to see it in all of its glory! What a fun and tropical dish!

August 7th Round-Up!

2009-08-07T03:55:00.014-04:00

Tyler has been busy the past few weeks, cooking with the hosts of The View and on Tuesday, canning with Ann Curry on The Today Show and making the most of the summer's bounty. Here is a photo Tyler Twittered, doesn't it all look delicious? Here is the link to the show and Tyler's tips and recipes for pickling. You can also read about it on his blog.

Speaking of delicious...we have some delicious and delectable TFF recipes to drool over!

Jenny of All Things Edible says, "I see a trend happening here...Me. Tyler. Deep frying. See? A trend. I decided one day to make Tyler's Tempura Green Beans with Chili, Garlic and Seasame Aioli. But I couldn't let it go with just green beans, which were great, btw. So I doubled the tempura..." Tempura carrots, sweet potatoes, tilapia fingers, scallops and shrimp all followed. She says, "Oh boy, oh boy, it was soooo good."

Making two Tyler dishes this week is Heather from Heatherisathome. Trying The Ultimate Lasagna Bolognese first, she says, "It was good. Not my favorite lasagna but definitely a dish I would recommend others to try if you want something different than your typical everyday lasagna. The only reason I don't think it stacks up high on my list, is because of it's sweetness (which I'm guessing comes from the mix of cinnamon and nutmeg)"

She had better luck with Tyler's Creamy Parmesan Potato Gratin, saying "The potatoes were almost a given that they'd be a hit. Doesn't cheese make everything better?! I was glad I did a second dish of Tyler's this week, since I wasn't thrilled with my first pick."

Finding Greek yogurt in her local grocery store made Beth from The Seventh Level of Boredom very happy as she could make Tyler's recipe for Greek Yogurt With a Fig, Date and Honey Swirl. She states, "This unctuous concoction is like a little mouth full of heaven....superbly creamy, decadently sweet, with little bits of rich date and fig, and a crunchy crumble of toasted nuts on top. The swirl was like a little treasure trove of candy hiding in a milky cloud. I'm seriously considering putting it in my little popsicle molds and making frozen yogurt treats to last all summer! If you love yogurt....I don't care if you've never tried figs before, you are gonna LOVE this!"

For The Ultimate Jerk Chicken, Arlene from The Food of Love says, "Let's set the mood. You're on a beach, the sun is setting. In front of you is an icy tropical drink with rum and the requisite paper umbrella. Marley's singing in the background and...who's that I see over there? Why, yes, it's none other than Tyler Florence behind the grill. The sharp scent of allspice mingled with thyme and brown sugar wafts across the terrace and, while your salivary glands begin a dance, you look up and suddenly you're back in upstate New York, it's hot and that's a bottle of water in front of you as you peer out the window to make sure Larry isn't messing with the smoker you rigged up because it's time to cook some jerk chicken, Tyler style."

Crazy about Pita Bread and wanting to make them at home was Kim from Stirring The Pot who tried Tyler's recipe and says, "Who knew making pita bread was SO MUCH FUN??" She used Tyler's pitas to make both PB&J and Philly Cheesesteaks. Kim says, "I loved this recipe and thought it was big fun to watch the pitas puff up in the oven!! This yeast dough was a little bit quicker than baking breads with yeast. I wouldn't normally want to put my oven on 500F in the summertime, but these pitas were well worth it!"

Chaya from Chaya's Comfy Cook Blog found another favorite recipe to love with Tyler's Spaghetti with Summer Squash and Tomatoes. Chaya states, "This is Tyler’s recipe and like all the recipes I have tried, it is the best. It has spaghetti – it is a comfort food...This should be titled, “Thank you, Tyler.” The pasta is given flavor from the vegetables and we loved it." Her hubby enjoyed it along with some cornbread, and she says that this pasta dish is "filling."

With a half of an avocado just waiting to be used, Nancy from The Dogs Eat the Crumbs decided to put it to good use by making this month's challenge recipe, Tyler's Avocado, Cilantro and White Onion Salad. She liked it so much--she made it again! Nancy says, "This salad was so delicious! Although I would have been tempted to throw in some tomato, the avocado and onion made for a great duo, with fresh and flavorful support from the lime and cilantro. I licked the plate. Both times I made it. I'll be making this recipe again and again, no matter the season."

Grilling a chicken every week has given Pam of Sidewalk Shoes, plenty of leftovers. She says, "I flipped through Eat This Book: Cooking with Global Fresh Flavors and found Spicy Chicken Broth with Tortillas, Avocado, and Lime. I also found Mexican Tortilla Chicken Soup online which is very similar, but includes the addition of cheese. I am always, always, appreciative of the addition of cheese. I made the recipe as directed, though I didn't pan fry the tortilla strips, I just used some purchased tortilla chips. This was really good, very fresh tasting and also...wait for it...that magic word...easy!"

Michelle from Big Back Dog says, "I made Tyler's Creamed Garlicky Mussels last week and they were so delicious that I decided to try Tyler's Steamed Mussels this week! The Creamy Garlicky Mussels and Streamed Mussels are very similar but the Steamed Mussels recipes does have fresh tomatoes and hot pepper flakes added to the sauce. I enjoyed this meal but Mr. Tastebuds loved it! In fact he said several times that he liked this version over the Creamy Garlicky Mussels. But, I like the Creamy Garlicky Mussels. So the next time I make this dish I will just make the sauce and divide it and add the tomatoes and hot pepper to his half!"

A new (adorable!) puppy has kept Karen of Something Sweet By Karen too busy to do much cooking lately. Still she wanted to join in the TFF fun this week and says, "I made this back in January and never posted it because I felt I couldn’t take a decent picture of it to save my life. But this Apple Cider Chicken was so GOOD and I thought it should be shared since apple cider season is getting into full swing. I also had made Tyler’s Rice Pilaf as an afterthought, just kind of throwing it together using dried herbs I had on hand. The chicken had a great flavor and was slightly sweet. I will make this again without a doubt, especially now that apple cider is starting to pop up everywhere again."

Melissa from The Kitchen Canister tried and liked the Sesame Chicken Salad with Spinach, Cucumber and Cilantro from her newly purchased Tyler's Ultimate. She says, "I was flipping through the book and thought this chicken recipe would be a really great summer meal. It was light, not too much prep work involved, and I had almost all of the ingredients in my cupboard. A real shocker, since I almost never have the ingredients Tyler cooks with. This is partly my fault, though. When I make up my own recipes I'm not very out of the box. Now that I have been cooking with Tyler Florence Fridays, I find it more and more exciting to venture into the kitchen."

Natashya from Living in the Kitchen with Puppies says, "This week I made Tyler's Ultimate Fried Chicken from Tyler's Ultimate. I thought it was pretty good but did have some room for improvement. When I looked up the recipe online, I found one which read as vastly superior. I would make the online version next time. That being said, the book one was nice. I liked the idea of flavouring the oil with garlic and herbs. Nice! It was also good cold.. standing in front of the fridge in the morning eating it out of the tupperware container... not that I do that..."

At Kahakai Kitchen, finding a second round of fresh figs at the farmer's market had me back "getting figgy" with Tyler this week and making his Prosciutto-Roasted Figs. YUM! All those great flavors--both sweet and salty; figs, cheese (blue and manchego), prosciutto (or in my case Serrano ham), honey and black pepper, came together in these perfect little treats, Easy to make and way too easy to eat, they are a great appetizer or part of a light meal. Another keeper fig recipe for me!

Another great selection of Tyler recipes!

That means it is time to chose our winner for the featured recipe this week, to be posted on Tyler Florence's blog. And the winner is....

Arlene of The Food of Love with her delectable and tropical Ultimate Jerk Chicken! Such a fun, summer-perfect treat, we just loved the island mood her chicken and her post put us in! Congratulations Arlene! Your dish will be posted on Tyler's blog next week.

Remember our "Megan's Challenge" optional recipe is Tyler's Avocado, Cilantro and White Onion Salad. You have until the end of the month to make it and you can see from Nancy's feedback it is a good one and perfect for summer. (Get the recipe and details here).

Have a wonderful weekend!

Congratulations Deb!

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Congratulations to Deb of Kahakai Kitchen who made this gorgeous Chicken Paillard with Fresh Fig Salad and Blue Cheese. What a wonderfully colourful and seasonal dish.

Deb's post is featured on Tyler Florence's own blog this week! Click here to check it out.

Quinoa Pilaf Round-up!

2009-08-01T14:03:00.004-04:00

Tyler knows how hot you are, honest he does!

Here he is making you (and me!) cocktails, to cool us down this summer. What a gentleman. Notice the very cool way he opens those ginger beer bottles. Just a touch of danger there, nice!

Anyway, where was I? Oh yes, the round-up.

Check out the quinoa pilafs submitted this month, each so unique and delicious.

Jenny of All Things Edible made Tyler's Quinoa Pilaf her own this month, using feta and green onions, yum! Jenny is the only one in the house who eats quinoa, oh well, more for her!

Kristin of Sogkonnite Living made Tyler's Quinoa Pilaf her own as well this month, tailoring the challenge to what she had on hand.
"It makes an excellent pilaf. This was quick & easy and had a very nice flavor."

Deb of Kahakai Kitchen made the pilaf earlier this week and was happy with how healthful it was.

"This one is pretty healthy so I didn't make many changes, other than using things I had on hand and adapting it a bit to my tastes."

Over at Living in the Kitchen with Puppies, I served the pilaf with some lamb chops. I loved the combination of flavours and would definitely make it again. I am a sucker for anything with kalamata olives in it.

Curious about August's Challenge?

Megan chose a simple..

...

Avocado, Cilantro and White Onion Salad

Tyler Florence, Food Network

Ingredients
1 garlic clove, chopped
2 limes, juiced
Pinch sugar
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 medium, ripe avocados
1/2 medium white onion, thinly sliced (I would make them sweet white onions)
1 cup fresh picked cilantro leaves

Directions
In a large mixing bowl, add the garlic, lime juice, sugar, and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and give it a quick whisk to combine.
Split avocados in half and remove the pit. Spoon out the flesh, put on a cutting board and slice into chunks. Transfer to a serving bowl and add the onion and cilantro leaves. Add the vinaigrette and toss lightly to coat just before serving.

As always, this challenge is optional and adaptable - have fun with it! The round-up will be September 1st. (My daughter's 20th birthday!)

July 31st Round-Up!

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Good Tyler Florence Fridays everyone!
I hope that you are all enjoying your summer and are managing to keep cool.. and well fed of course!
Let's see what our fabulous friends have been cooking up this week....

Arlene of The Food of Love made An Intoxicating Bourbon Peach Cobbler this week, that looks to die for!
"The cobbler is a cinch to make, but one taste will assure you that no one will care about anything but gobbling it up so they can have seconds. It was hard to eat dinner; both Larry and I wanted to cut to dessert, but reason prevailed. Rest assured that I will be making this with blueberries, apples, pears...you get the picture."

I propose a new guideline that submissions must now come with a delicious sample for the people working on the round-ups. (Which would be Deb and I) What do you think?

Chaya of Chaya's Comfy Cook made My Big Fat Chocolate Chip Cookies this week.
"It certainly is bigger but what could be wrong with a big cookie? We are not discussing calories now, not after eating two of those cookies. This chocolate chunk cookie was different. The flavor of the dough did not pop out at you but worked together with the chocolate to make something that varies from your average chocolate chip cookie. (I take it back. When it cooled, the taste did pop and was like a different cookie.)I usually use chips and I think I have to make my chunks larger to get more chocolate taste. (Yup, it was different cool and it seemed to have a lot more chocolate. When I took a look, there were many chocolate chunks peeking from the dough. I wonder if this is because the cookie flattened some as it cooled.)"

Deb of Kahakai Kitchen made this gorgeous Chicken Paillard with Fresh Fig Salad and Blue Cheese.
"Just when I think I have reached the pinnacle of Tyler's brilliant recipes, I find another gem out there that impresses me all over again.
This is so good and it is such a gorgeous dish too! I was thinking it might possibly be too many things on the plate and that the flavors might compete with each other, but I should not have doubted Tyler. Everything works so well together; the juiciness of the figs, the sweetness of the honey, the assertive, sharpness of the blue cheese, the peppery arugula, the crisp, salty pancetta, and the lightly anise flavor in the tarragon; they all compliment each other and add a new dimension of flavor to the chicken."

Congratulations to Deb, this beautiful dish has been chosen as the featured dish this week to be published on Tyler Florence's own blog!!

Your gorgeous post will be up next week.

Heather of HeatherIsAtHome made two dishes this week. White Cheddar Macaroni and Cheese from Real Kitchen, and Bacon and Brussels Sprouts Hash from Dinner At My Place.
"Oh my holy goodness, he has yet again won my heart.
Okay, the mac and cheese was a given. It was oozy, gooey with some cheese. Won my heart over before I had the first bite. And did I mention, easy!!! It will definitely be a repeat, over and over again.
Now, for the real Tyler test. Brussels Sprouts -- I had my doubts. But oh my holy goodness, they were delicious."

Jenny of All Things Edible made Tyler's Quinoa Pilaf her own this month, using feta and green onions, yum! Jenny is the only one in the house who eats quinoa, oh well, more for her!

Katy of Alphabet Soup made Tyler's Country Meatloaf with Tomato Relish.
"The recipe involves a little bit of work, but really the end result is worth it.
We like this recipe because the meatloaf stays moist and has a lot of flavor. Even Kade ate some of this, and he's not a big meat eater."

Kim of Stirring the Pot made these cute little Strawberry-Lemon Puddings. A labour of love as she made every part from scratch.
"It was really good and would be even better if I had followed Tyler's directions and actually bought store-bought ingredients. Why do we do these things to ourselves??"

Kristin of Sogkonnite Living made Tyler's Quinoa Pilaf her own as well this month, tailoring the challenge to what she had on hand.

"It makes an excellent pilaf. This was quick & easy and had a very nice flavor."

Megan of My Baking Adventures made two dishes this week, to make up for missing a couple of weeks of TFF!
"First up – the mac and cheese. Somehow, I don’t think this is exactly what Tyler had in mind when he created this recipe. But in all fairness (to me), I had to make do with the ingredients on hand – and it still came out amazing. Isn’t that what really counts?"

"And the broccoli – well, my kids are certified broccoli lovers, so this will be a definite repeat. The lemon juice added that certain “something” that really perked up the flavor. I am a huge proponent of roasting vegetables – it gives them so much more flavor."

Melissa of The Kitchen Canister made this gorgeous Roasted Chicken with Moroccan Spices.

"Not a big shocker, but I really enjoyed this recipe. However, the next time I make it, I think I might go a little lighter on the cloves."

Michelle of Big Black Dog made Tyler's Creamy Garlicky Mussels.

"Tyler's Creamy Garlicky Mussels was fantastic!! Oh how I wish I had bought 4 lbs of mussels and made an entire loaf of broiled Garlic French Bread. While making the dish it smelled so fabulous, my mouth was watering and this does not happen to me very often! Tyler's recipe for Steamed Mussels is very similar and I think I might make that next week!"
Hmm, methinks I will be making this soon..

Miranda of My Food and Life Encounters made Tyler's Coconut Bread with Pineapple Butter.

"My husband loves coconut and bread. I was so far from disappointed. It rocked! It was gone in a few hours. It is served with........
PINEAPPLE BUTTER!!!!!
Really, Can you get any better? I will answer for you...NO! "

Pam of Sidewalk Shoes made Tyler's Heirloom Tomatoes and Black-Eyed Peas.

"When I eat good tomatoes, I don't want much done to them. I'm more than happy to eat them like an apple, taking big, messy bites out of them, with pauses for fresh sprinkles of salt. But sometimes, one needs to step up to the plate, and do a little something with them, and what I did was Tyler Florence's Heirloom Tomatoes and Black-Eyed Peas. Well, I sort of did it, since I didn't have any watercress or red onion, so I subbed in a little fresh parsley for color. And then I kind of diced them instead of artfully slicing them and arranging them oh-so-prettily like Tyler (we are on a first name basis) does."

Over at Living in the Kitchen with Puppies, I made Tyler's Juicy Pork Chops with Black Olive Tapenade.

"I have been intrigued by his brining techniques that so many of my fellow TFF friends have raved about. It really does make the meat so moist, well worth adding to the regular repertoire."

And, of course the tapenade is to die for. I had some more of this for lunch today, fantastic!

Thanks for all your delicious submissions this week guys, they are mouth-watering good!

Congratulations again Deb, you deserve the spotlight for your gorgeous, colourful, and seasonal dish, as well as your amazing hard work that you give to Tyler Florence Fridays.

Come back tomorrow for the Quinoa Pilaf round-up!

Congratulations Beth!

2009-07-27T15:31:00.005-04:00

Check out Tyler Florence's Blog to see the gorgeous and green Roasted Tomatillo Salsa from Beth of The Seventh Level of Boredom. Beth's dish was our TFF featured recipe this week and is a perfect accompaniment to your grilling this summer. Stop by Tyler's site and take a look, and if you haven't yet, take a minute to visit Beth and say congrats!

July 24th Round-Up!

2009-07-24T15:06:00.013-04:00

When browsing for some kind of new Tyler photo to kick off this week's round-up, I saw this photo of the book section inside of Tyler's Mill Valley store on DailyDanny.com, the blog of green living guru Danny Seo. (Fun blog by the way!). Danny says, "One aspect of the store that I loved is that it has a “collected” feel to it that makes you want to plop yourself down in the chair and read books and take your time shopping. Shopping to me is a bit of a stressful experience, so it was kind of a relief to find a bit of an oasis this day. In the back, there are these built-in bookcases overflowing with all types of cookbooks. If you’re a foodie, this is the place to go to browse, read, and pick-up a few great cookbooks." (You can see other pictures and read more about Danny's visit to the store here).

Nothing gets my heart a-flutter more than a cozy nook, full of ~~food porn~~ cookbooks to salivate over. Makes me want to curl up in that chair for a few hours and read through all of those gorgeous cookbooks and hopefully get a glimpse or two of Tyler. ;-)

On now to more food porn; the gorgeous Tyler dishes our TFF group have created this week:

Kristin from Sogkonnite Living is here with a Potato & Chourico Tortilla. Kristin says, "This was made by all things I had in the house already- thus continuing my (mostly) grocery shopping free summer." Although good hot, Kristin found it even tastier cold the next day and says, "I'm thinking this would make a great recipe for a brunch or for a pot luck dinner. Easy to make, better prepared ahead and easily transported. Another TF hit!!"

Welcome to Melissa from The Kitchen Canister, joining us for the first time at TFF this week with Tyler's Stir Fried Beef with Tangerines, Green Beans and Chiles. Melissa says this recipe is sure to be a favorite at her house, saying, "As far as the taste of this recipe goes, it was incredible.... The only thing I was disappointed with was the oranges. Maybe I didn't cook them enough or something, but the skin definitely did not lose all of its bitterness. We ended up peeling the skin off. Next time I make this, I will peel them ahead of time."

Beth from The Seventh Level of Boredom says that her tastebuds would give Tyler a standing ovation if they could, for his Roasted Tomatillo Salsa recipe! Beth says, "So, really, this recipe couldn't be easier, and now that I know it is this good, I'll be making another batch just as soon as I can get my hands on some more tomatillos, and I'm going to freeze jars of it for later! I really hope you do try this...I think it is the perfect summer food. I'm wondering how I could work it into a marinade for chicken or pork and then grill that up.....hmmm.... you might be seeing THAT post soon, too!"

Jenny at All Things Edible had several Tyler recipes ready to go but found his Chili Dogs suited her mood and sore toe this week--simple and easy. Unfortunately, they didn't end up being her favorite Tyler recipe--a bit too much ketchup taste for her. Jenny says, "Would I make this again? Maybe, but only if I had people over to feed that I knew would enjoy a basic chili. And I'd increase the chili powder, and maybe find something else to go in there to counter the ketchup and its sweetness."

Tyler's recipes have become a mainstay around her house for Glennis from Can'tbelieveweate and his Tacos Carne Asada was no exception with it's flank steak marinated in citrus and spices. Glennis calls this a "serious keeper recipe", saying, "These were really wonderful. A little different than the fajita recipe...They were re-born today as carne asada quesadillas."
I really love dual purpose recipes! Way to go Tyler!

"This stuff is called "ultimate" for a reason!" says Tammy at Sassafras Cafe about Tyler's Ultimate Barbecued Chicken. "The ultimate barbecue sauce is some of the best I have had, with a perfect balance of spice and sweetness and a thick, velvety texture that clings to the chicken. The Ultimate Barbecued Chicken was delicious with corn-on-the-cob, baked beans, and potato salad. I can't wait to make this again!"

Chaya from Chaya's Comfy Cook Blog made Tyler's Coleslaw with Pecans and Spicy Dressing her way, making a few changes and adding some craisins and yellow raisins. She says, "This was a delicious salad. Everyone, at the table, liked it and had seconds. I would make this again and again and again. The crunch and dressing made this just enough special to set it apart from so many run of the mill cabbage salads. Hats off to Tyler."

Welcome to Katy from Alphabet Soup who joins us for the first time this week. Katy took advantage of a rainy chilly day in Texas to make Tyler's comforting Chicken Noodle Soup. With a lot going on in her house and life, and missing some ingredients, it turned out to be a harder process than she thought. Still she says, "I thought it was very good. Although I wish I'd had the fresh thyme. I think it would have punched up the flavor a bit. This recipe will be going in my keeper file, though it probably won't see the light of day again until the middle of winter. :)"

Also with rainy weather and hearing the soup calling is Natashya at Living in the Kitchen with Puppies who made Tyler's Thai Coconut Chicken Soup, saying that there is nothing nicer to come home to on a blustery day. Natashya says, "The soup I made according to the recipe, except that I minced the ginger and Thai chilies right into the soup and I subbed bamboo shoots for the straw mushrooms. Ooh, and doubled the garlic of course! It was so fragrant and soothing." Served with some yummy-looking Sesame Breadsticks, it is a perfect meal.

Happy 100th post to Joanne at Eats Well With Others! She is celebrating with Tyler's Ultimate Barbecued Chicken. (Miraculous since she is on the 12th flour of an apartment in Manhattan!) Taking creative license with "barbecued" she brined her chicken, covered it with BBQ sauce and baked it. She says, "Personally, I believe the brining is the key because the chicken became infused with this sweet/salty almost buttery chickeny flavor. It tasted more like chicken than any chicken I've eaten in a while. And the barbecue sauce? Good stuff."

A big fan of all kinds of pasta, Kim of Stirring the Pot celebrated her 101st post last week with Tyler's Penne with Baby Artichokes, Black Olives and Peas. Congrats Kim! She says, "The pasta was very bright from the lemon and very fresh tasting with the artichokes, lemon and olives. The tomato paste created a pretty color and a nice tomato flavor. I really enjoyed this as a light lunch. I think it could even be eaten cold as a pasta salad."

After some days of healthy eating, Pam from Sidewalk Shoes was ready to indulge in some meat and cheese and chose Tyler's Chili Cheese Dogs as her indulgence. Pam says, "These were good, just what I had in mind. Now, the topping felt, and tasted, a little more "Manwichy" than chili to me, but that was okay. Nothing better than a beefy hot dog, topped with more beef, and then topped with cheese."

At Kahakai Kitchen, I chose Tyler's Mushroom, Goat Cheese and Truffle Oil Panini, a mushroom lover's delight. The combination of ingredients and flavors really work in this one; it is savory and earthy and really, really good. I had trouble not eating all of the mushrooms in their various stages before I even got them on the sandwich! A keeper recipe for me and a great vegetarian sandwich.

Great recipes--a blend of old and new favorites!

And so that brings us to the pick for our TFF featured recipe for the week that will be posted on Tyler's blog for the world to see. Another tough decision but we just had to go with the green, spicy beauty of the Roasted Tomatillo Salsa from Beth at The Seventh Level of Boredom! The perfect condiment for everything from chips to tacos to grilled meats, it screams summer. Congratulations Beth--we look forward to seeing your salsa on Tyler's blog next week!

Finally there is still time to make our optional "Megan's Challenge" Quinoa Pilaf by the end of the month. (Get the recipe and details here). Screaming for your creative variations, this dish makes a good veggie entree or a healthy side dish for your summer grilling.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Congratulations Heather!

2009-07-20T22:50:00.003-04:00

Heather of Girlichef made this beautiful Roast Chicken with Wilted Butter Lettuce and Peas from the latest issue of Food Network Magazine and was selected to have her post profiled on Tyler Florence's own blog! Click here to check it out. Congrats again Heather!

July 17th Round-Up!

2009-07-17T14:02:00.013-04:00

Did you know that Tyler Florence made baby food? Not just any baby food but organic baby food.
"My wife Tolan and I want our children to eat food that is wholesome and delicious, but like most parents, we have careers and busy lives. So as a father, I'm always thinking about what I want my children to eat and how I can treat them to the healthy and delicious meals they deserve...even when time is an issue.
My longtime friend Max and I put our heads together to try and create a new food product for babies that would help parents make easy and smart decisions for their children. We looked at everything from the packaging and presentation to how the food was cooked and of course, the ingredients themselves. As a chef, I focused on complimentary food combinations and ways to cook them to bring out all of the gorgeous natural flavors inside. With thousands more taste buds than even adults have, babies love great taste. And with Sprout, we are determined to give them the flavors they crave.
Sprout Baby Food is the result of many years of research, development and most importantly, fatherhood. And I know that you and your baby will agree that my love of food and flavor comes through in every delicious bite."
Tyler Florence, as quoted on sproutbabyfood.com

I couldn't resist showing you the Tyler with Baby shot one more time. Is there anything sweeter than a man with a baby? One, two, three, now... aaawwww!
Oh, and in case you were wondering.. no. This does not mean that I have baby fever. My kids are grown and the only babies I have are of the four legged variety. Hey Tyler, when is your organic dog food coming out?

Speaking of feeding the family.... (ok, not sure if that worked as a segue) Let's see what the Tyler Florence Fridays family whipped up this week!

Arlene of The Food of Love made Grilled Brie and Tomato with Arugula Pesto on Crusty Bread, accompanied by a nice bottle of wine to toast her 60th birthday!
"I had bought a lovely baguette and some rocket at a local farmers' market and had a piece of brie just waiting in the wings. I've made pesto with any number of herbs, so an arugula pesto sounded like a terrific variation.
My special lunch went together very quickly and I have a good-sized jar of pesto leftover to enjoy, perhaps in a pasta or maybe a chicken entree.
Turning 60 is a huge milestone. Being able to enjoy a glass of Corvo and a lovely, toasty adult version of grilled cheese is one of the upsides of getting older."
Happy Birthday Arlene!!

Beth of The Seventh Level of Boredom made these beautiful Thai Grilled Beef Skewers.
"Just look at those grill marks....doesn't it make your mouth water? Hmmmm? Now, imagine me, kicked back on my new, nicely shaded deck, leaned back in my adirondak chair, beer on one armrest, plate of grilled beef in the other, pulling little pieces of tender meat off the skewer and dipping them in my spicy soy, then tipping my head back to keep the juice from dripping on my chin while I drop the juicy tidbit in my mouth....finger food at its finest....jealous? Don't be! Go make your own! Cuz I know you're not getting any of mine!"

Our newest participan, Chaya of Comfy Cook, made Tyler's Amaretto Chocolate Brownies with Walnuts.

"I have to tell you that these brownies were the best. They were not the fudgiest which I love. They were not oozing chocolate which I also love. They were dark and firm and not too sweet. I often find that many cakes, cookies, brownies and all sweets, live up to their name (sweets) and are cloying and leave an aftertaste.
Tyler’s brownies are my kind of brownies. The taste was superb."

Deb of Kahakai Kitchen made Tyler's Hong Kong Salmon Cakes with Baby Bok Choy.

"Tyler does it again! The salmon cakes are a great combination of flavors with the ginger, garlic, shallot, green chili and cilantro. The syrupy sauce, drizzled over the baby bok choy and salmon cakes is delicious. I used a beautiful piece of wild sockeye salmon and the cakes turned out really moist. I am used to breaking up cooked fillets for my salmon cakes and I loved the difference in texture that came from starting with the little cubes of raw salmon."

Heather of Girlichef made this beautiful Roast Chicken with Wilted Butter Lettuce and Peas from the latest issue of Food Network Magazine.

"This was a fabulous meal for summertime...or anytime I'm sure. The gorgeous wilted lettuce salad was amazing...the beurre blanc was a silky cover for this mild lettuce, with the sweet little pops of the peas and the addition of the radicchio added a nice little bite. Paired with the beautiful, juicy thyme-essence of the chicken with its golden-crisp skin...I could have been back in my first apartment just as easily as in my current kitchen with my hubby and kiddos. Joy!"
We think this is just fabulous too! That is why we have selected Heather's post as the feature post of the week, to be admired by all, next week on Tyler's own blog! Congratulations Heather!

Glennis of Can't Believe We Ate made Tyler's Grilled Corn on the Cob.

"Not only does it feed the eyes with the bright colors, it feeds the sense of smell with the slightly smoky aroma that wafts up from the grill. Lastly this recipe tantalizes the taste buds. The sauce cloaks the creamy sweet corn with more creaminess, the deep musky flavor of the chiles and the tang of lime juice. We were sorry there was only one ear of corn each this time!"

Heather of HeatherIsAtHome made Tyler's Grilled Cheese and Chicken Noodle Soup to go with it.
"This week I was looking for an extremely quick and easy recipe to try, just because I've had so much else to do.

First, WOW, what a great sandwich!!! It was such a great combination - mozzarella and basil pesto, and that was with using plain mozzarella (my store didn't sell smoked mozzarella). This will most definitely become part of my regular summer rotation. I highly recommend our friends at TFF try it, if they haven't already; they'll pleasantly be surprised.

The soup earned an A, even served on a hot summer night. I did serve it room temperature rather than piping-hot and thought it completed the meal nicely."

Jenny of All Things Edible made a variation on Tyler's Grilled Steak Salad with Texas Peaches, Pecans and Limes.

"See any pecans in there? Well, that's cause there aren't any. I'm not a big fan of pecans, so I subbed my pecans for goat cheese. And trust me, that sub works just fine!

Yes, I deviated quite a bit from Tyler's actual recipe, but that's okay, I'm sure Tyler of all people would be okay with that. Especially since it was tasty and enjoyed by all. My children loved having peaches and goat cheese on their salad, my husband liked that I did not put goat cheese on his."
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Michelle of Big Black Dog made this gorgeous Risotto-Style Strawberry Rice Pudding.

"This is the first summer I've been able to concentrate on summer themed meals and it's been fun. Our dinners have been light meals and my desserts pretty and refreshing. When I found Tyler's Risotto-Style Strawberry Rice Pudding I knew I had to try it."

The lovely and talented Pam of Sidewalk Shoes is lamenting the end of her summer vacation. Back to school so soon! To console herself she made a simple yet delicious Cucumber and Watercress Salad.

"We all know that Tyler can do complicated. He can do pots and pans, and more pots and pans, and even more pots and pans. But I am here to tell you that, he can also do simple. And "simple" is my middle name. I used to say "easy" was my middle name, but I like the sound of "simple" better, don't you?"
Heeheehee, I couldn't resist putting that up!

And over at Living in the Kitchen with Puppies, I made Tyler's Whole Wheat Pullman Loaf with great success. It is a healthy and delicious sandwich bread that makes excellent toasted cheddar and tomato sandwiches!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Don't forget about our optional "Megan's Challenge" pick of Quinoa Pilaf this month. This will be a fun one to adapt and get your favorite summer veggies in there. Get the details here.

~~~~
Thanks to everyone who cooked along with Tyler this week, congrats again to Heather of Girlichef! Enjoy your weekend!

Congratulations Michelle!

2009-07-16T04:03:00.003-04:00

Congrats again to Michelle of Black Black Dog who made Tyler's Strawberry Lemon Puddings, the dish we selected to be featured on Tyler Florence's site this week.

They are now posted on Tyler's blog so click here to see them. They look gorgeous!

July 10th Round-Up!

2009-07-10T14:56:00.010-04:00

Enjoying July so far? Hopefully you are getting a chance to have some summer fun! Some of that fun may be in the kitchen or at the grill, cooking Tyler's delicious recipes.

Let's take a look at who cooked with Tyler this week!

Even slicing off the tip of her finger didn't discourage Heather from Heatherisathome from loving Tyler's The Ultimate Potato Gratin. She says: "All I have to say is DELICIOUS!!! These were, by far, the best potatoes I have ever had, made, eaten, put in my mouth. The aroma coming from the oven was amazing. They were beautiful, tasteful, and left me with a sense of, I have found my favorite Tyler Florence recipe."

Michelle from Big Black Dog says "For our 4th of July weekend we were having BBQ Ribs and I wanted the dessert to be something light and refreshing! Tyler's Strawberry Lemon Puddings were perfect. I added blueberries and sprinkled a few on top for our red, white and blue!" She also loved her dessert title saying, "Isn't that the cutest name for a dessert!"

Wanting to pamper her husband after a rough day, Beth of The Seventh Level of Boredom decided to try Tyler's Salt Crusted Porterhouse and Smashed Potatoes with Peas. She says, "The first bite you take, the salt hits you first, but immediately mellows and you get the robust taste of the steak, sealed in the juices by the salt crust. This recipe got an A+ from my husband."

The fact she couldn't get calamari didn't prevent Pam at Sidewalk Shoes from making one of Tyler's Ultimate salads, she made an easy substitution and had The Ultimate Greek Salad with Grilled Scallops. Pam says to, "Think of it as calamari with the hole filled in. This, of course, was wonderful. I've had Greek salads with grilled chicken, but never grilled scallops. They added a sweet and smokey flavor that was very enjoyable."

An abundance of fresh local blueberries in season had Arlene at The Food of Love looking for a great, easy recipe to use them in, and she found it with Tyler's Blueberry Cheesecake Bars. Arleen says they are "super-easy, super-fast, and super-scrumptious" and that she "found the citrus amount a perfect counterpoint to the sweetness of the cream cheese and sugar mixture."

Joanne from Eats Well with Others made an easy and delicious casserole out of Tyler's Chicken Enchiladas for her family before leaving for school. She says, "My dad loved them, extolling their virtues to my brother, who was doubtful. I thought they could have been a little spicier and more seasoned but that's probably because I toned down the spices and seasoning for my aforementioned father. It's also probably because I could douse all my food in red pepper flakes and still beg for more."

Megan of My Baking Adventures has fallen in love with Tyler's Grilled Focaccia, even though she "changed it so much it may not be what Tyler Florence originally had in mind." Megan declares, "I’ve died and gone to carb~lovers heaven. Bread, mozzarella cheese, fresh basil, spicy sausage, olive oil, and fresh black pepper. A perfect union. Ahhhh…….I’ll bet it’s even better with the salad on top -but I loved it just the way it was."

For her first TFF post, Lorra from Glitterkitchen, made Tyler's Chicken Francese. A big fan of the dish with her own regular recipe, she gave Tyler's version a shot and was happy she did, saying, "This will now be my go to recipe for chicken francese. It was literally almost gone from the time it hit the table. Matter of fact... my girls and hubby were fighting over my portion."

Kim from Stirring the Pot thought that Tyler's Watermelon Nectar with Lime Salt looked like "the perfect mixed drink for summer" and decided to try it this week. After adding half of the amount of tequila Tyler called for she still found the drink to be pretty strong. Kim says that "The drink is beautiful, refreshing, and crisp. If you enjoy a strong drink, make this one!! Or, try it without the tequila. I think that would be great too!!"

Ready to try her very first Chili Cheese Dogs, our sheltered friend Natashya from Living in the Kitchen with Puppies, looked to Tyler for the recipe. Natashya says, "In Canada chili is generally just eaten with some crusty bread in the depths of winter, usually after hockey games and other toe-chilling events. Tyler's chili is one like I have never seen before, this recipe is surely designed solely to top hot dogs, being made primarily out of condiments. And you know what? It's good, really good."

Tyler's Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Squares have proved very popular with our TFF group. Although blueberries aren't quite in season yet in her neck of the woods, Jenny from All Things Edible finds that "they freeze fabulously, so good berries are always available to make this tasty little bar. Okay, it is really a cheesecake baked square and cut into bars, but it's still tasty!"

At Kahakai Kitchen, I needed the perfect easy recipe that matched with the movie "Ramen Girl" for a couch potato night in. After seeing Jessica of My Baking Heart's version of Tyler's Chicken Noodle Ramen Soup, I knew it was the perfect match. Oh so easy and delicious it was the perfect "comfort food" dinner and is a big step up in flavor and much healthier than instant ramen. Yum!

Announcements! Announcements!

Our featured recipe for this week, representing Tyler Florence Fridays this week on Tyler's site is....

A perfect summer dessert, Strawberry Lemon Puddings by Michelle at Big Black Dog! Congratulations Michelle! Your post will be placed on Tyler's blog next week!

The winner of our final monthly cookbook giveaway, Dinner at My Place, (hint, hint Tyler and his his peeps!) is Heather from Heatherisathome! Congrats to Heather! I will be contacting you to get your mailing address. (Hope the book makes up for the finger slicing!)

Don't forget about our optional "Megan's Challenge" pick of Quinoa Pilaf this month. This will be a fun one to adapt and get your favorite summer veggies in there. Get the details here.

Thanks to everyone who cooked along with Tyler this week! Enjoy your weekend!

Congratulations Jenny!

2009-07-06T17:47:00.003-04:00

Jenny of All Things Edible made Tyler's Salt and Pepper Shrimp which we selected as the featured dish this week on Tyler Florence's Blog!
Click here to see her yummy version of Tyler's recipe on Tyler's own blog.

July 3rd Round-Up Part Two!

2009-07-03T14:06:00.004-04:00

Happy holidays, welcome to Part Two of the July 3rd Round-Up!

This week we celebrate Canada Day and America's Independence Day, a chance to celebrate the best that our countries have to offer with friends and family.

We have one book left to give away, Tyler's Dinner at My Place. If you would like a chance to win this book, and if you are a participant in Tyler Florence Fridays, please leave a comment here or on Part One of the round-up about why you are proud of your own little corner of the world. Maybe you have a fabulous museum, awesome mountains, a great bike path or a kind-hearted mayor. We want to know what makes you proud of your neighbourhood.
And Tyler, if you are reading this... we need more books... or something.. for our fabulous TFF participants to win!

Speaking of fabulous, let's see what else is cooking this week...

Arlene from The Food of Love tried Tyler's Chicken Parmesan this week. "Keeping it real," as Randy would say, "this wasn't one of our favorite Tyler recipes.
The wonderful thing about food, though, is that we all have our own proclivities, so you may find the Kalamata enhanced tomato sauce is just your thing," says Arlene.

Jessica of My Baking Heart made Tyler's Chicken Noodle Ramen Soup this week. "There are so many ways you can change this one up, but I decided to stick with it as written since I was short on time. This took just a few minutes and was so yummy… perfect for kiddos this summer and such an awesome way to jazz up Ramen noodles. This is definitely a keeper!"

Deb of Kahakai Kitchen made Grilled Brie and Tomato on Crusty Bread this week, opting for a delicious but simple dish to nibble on in the hot weather. "Delicious! A great combination of textures, the crusty bread, creamy, nutty Brie and the tomatoes, broiled until they split and all of their flavor comes through. I added a few flakes of what is probably my favorite salt, (Although with my vast and beloved salt collection this is a bit like picking a favorite a favorite child), Halen Môn."

Kim of Stirring the Pot made Dr. Tyler's Chicken Meatball and Tortellini Soup this week. "I chose this recipe as a way to use up some pantry and freezer ingredients. I thought Tyler's take on chicken noodle soup was unique and original. I enjoyed the flavor of the chicken meatball and the cheese ravioli and thought it was a very flavorful and substantial soup. "

Over at Living in the Kitchen with Puppies, I made two tomato dishes from Tyler's recipes, this one is Summer Tomatoes, Slashed and Stuffed. I loved the soft and buttery tomatoes with the hint of basil. This would be perfect as a side for a grilled steak dinner, it just tastes like summer.

And our choice for feature dish this week - is the pop-in-your-mouth delicious dish by Jenny of All Things Edible who made Tyler's Salt and Pepper Shrimp

Congratulations Jenny! Your dish will be up on Tyler's blog next week.

If you haven't read Part One of our July 3rd round-up, click here or scroll down for more delicious dishes.

Thanks for all your awesome work guys! Have a wonderful holiday.

July 3rd Round-Up Part One!

2009-07-03T11:23:00.004-04:00

Happy (almost) 4th of July to all our American friends and participants. Enjoy a safe, joyous and loving holiday - with lots of good food, of course!
This week our TFF family have been cooking up a storm - here is the first half of the July 3rd round-up, check in later this afternoon for the second half.

Beth of The Seventh Level of Boredom has gotten over her fear of roasting chicken and made Tyler's Perfect Roast Chicken. "I have one word for this chicken. PHENOMENAL."
Mmm, is there anything more inviting than a nicely roasted chicken?

Glennis of Can't Believe We Ate made Tyler's Chicken Fajitas this week and loved them. But it was the goldmine of recipes that she found that really had her excited. "I think the big discovery for me this week was that fabulous recipe store Tyler has on his site now!!"
I am coveting that nice mortar and pestle in the picture, such a beautiful colour of stone, too.

Heather of HeatherIsAtHome made Tyler's Roasted Acorn Squash Stuffed with Cheese Tortellini. "While I thought this was great, earning especially high marks for presentation, it would be a recipe that I would in the future reserve for a special occasion or for an "impress someone" meal."
It is hard to impress small children, even harder to convince them that squash is "good eats".

Jenny of All Things Edible made Tyler's Salt and Pepper Shrimp this week. "Look at that plate, the golden, crispy shrimp. With more crunch added from pieces of scallion and ginger and garlic. Isn't it beautiful to look at? Doesn't it make your mouth water? And it should, it tasted FABULOUS!!!"
Jenny, I only live a few hours away from you. I would have made the trip for these babies, they are calling my name.

Mitch is a huge Tyler fan and couldn't wait to try his Ultimate Mac and Cheese. "This recipe is excellent and I had to show it off! I followed the steps word for word and it turned out great. The only thing I would do differently next time is use canned peas instead of frozen."
Men love their mac and cheese, so comforting.

Pam of Sidewalk Shoes made Tyler's Spaghetti with Summer Squash and Tomatoes this week, with the fresh veggies from her CSA box. "Tyler's Spaghetti with Summer Squash and Tomatoes was perfect. It was light and summery and lends itself to just about any veggies that you have."
I love this kind of meal, it just says summer to me.

Thomas of The GFCF Experience made Tyler's Crispy Potato Pancakes this week. "One of the great things about this dish is its versatility. There are many people that like to serve them with a dollop of sour cream (CF in our house, of course). In Tyler's case, he serves his as a side dish with applesauce. As for me - it was a perfect complement to oven fried chicken."

This is a dish that I have always wanted to try. I have never made any sort of potato pancakes before.

A lovely assortment of dishes so far... stay tuned later in the day for more wonderful food! Also, we will be announcing the dish of the week to be profiled on Tyler's Blog and how you can win our last Tyler Florence cookbook. See you soon!

Don't forget July's optional bonus dish - Quinoa Pilaf

Congratulations Natashya!

2009-07-02T04:24:00.004-04:00

Well it took them a few days due to a busy week and a Today Show appearance for Tyler, but our TFF winner is finally posted on Tyler's blog! Congratulations again to Natashya of Living in the Kitchen with Puppies with those thirst-quenching Cuban Mojitos!

You can see Natashya's minty mojitos on Tyler's blog, here and of course you can go here to see Natashya's original post on her own blog. If you haven't already, be sure to take a minute to stop by and congratulate her for a job well done!

Can't wait to see tomorrow's Round-up to see what amazing Tyler creations you all come up with!

Let the Good Times Roll!

2009-07-01T09:09:00.004-04:00

Happy Canada Day to all Canadians and honorary Canadians!
On this festive day, we have our Summer Roll Round-up, and the announcement of July's Megan's Challenge.
The summer rolls were lots of fun, and very versatile. Let's check them out, shall we?

Megan of My Baking Adventures kicked off the challenge with these yummy rolls.
"This was a fantastic recipe to kick off the summer – and I highly recommend you try these!"

Karen of Something Sweet by Karen made these cute little rolls, saying "These were the perfect summer dinner. The rolls are full of flavor from the vegetables and fresh herbs."

Jenny of All Things Edible found Tyler's Summer Rolls with Sweet Chili Dipping Sauce to be "A beautifully cool and healthy Asian wrap with a sweet chili sauce."

Over at Living in the Kitchen with Puppies, I made these tasty rolls. "Summer rolls are the perfect summertime dinner. They are relatively easy to make, don't require that you turn on your oven or even your stove-top, and they are infinitely adaptable to what you have on hand."

Deb of Kahakai Kitchen made these lovely rolls, saying "These summer rolls are excellent, perfect for a warm night and so adaptable to adding what you have on hand."

Great Rolls!

July's Megan's Challenge is....

Quinoa Pilaf

Ingredients
2 cups vegetable broth
1 cup quinoa, rinsed well
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon salt and pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon preserved lemon rind, finely diced
1 tomato, finely chopped
1 (15-ounce) can artichoke hearts in water, drained and quartered
1/2 red onion, diced
1/2 cup black olives, pitted
1/4 cup currants
Fresh mint leaves, for garnish

.
Directions
In a small saucepan, combine broth, quinoa, bay leaf, turmeric, salt, pepper and olive oil in a saucepan. Stir in preserved lemon and cover. Simmer until water is absorbed, about 15 to 20 minutes. Turn off heat. Add tomato, artichokes, onion, olives and currants, mix well to combine. Top with mint and serve.

As always, this challenge is optional and adaptable - have fun with it!

June 26th Round-Up!

2009-06-26T14:58:00.012-04:00

What a crazy week it has been, actually a crazy couple of weeks...OK, let's face it, we just live in a crazy world right now with so much going on everywhere.

Peace be with those the world has lost and peace be with the world.

What keeps me (mostly) sane in times like these is the time spent with family and good friends and that so often that ends up being set over wonderful food. I had a chance to hang out with some old friends last night and to enjoy some incredible tapas, made by my friend Natalie. It was relaxing to sit on her deck with Spanish music playing softly and fill our bellies and souls with delicious food and good conversation; a break from the real world. That's also why I like Tyler Florence Fridays, as I love getting virtually together and sharing our food and thoughts with each other. It is something to look forward to at the end of each week. Since there are a lot of amazing dishes, photos and posts for this week, let's get to sharing.

Kim from Stirring the Pot found a new favorite Tyler recipe to add to her list, his Ultimate Lasagna Bolognese. Kim says, "This recipe gets the five-star rating from me. It will be added to my dinner rotation AND I will recommend it to everyone!! My husband, who is never quick to dole out compliments, declared this recipe one of the top ten best things that I have ever cooked!!"

With dinner and dessert this week is Beth from The Seventh Level Boredom who made Tyler's Penne with Spicy Italian Sausage, Cream, Tomatoes and Peas. Beth comments, "What a great, EASY weeknight dinner this one was!" And her husband cleared his plate!

As if that wasn't enough, hot weather and a need to celebrating finishing the deck on their house had her making Tyler's refreshing Baked Lime Pudding Cakes. Improvising a bit by using the red grapefruit she had on hand, Beth says, "These would be the perfect finish to a barbecue....a refreshing little bite, in individual portions."

Heather from Heatherisathome liked her TFF experience so much last week she came back and says, "For my second submission to TFF, I made Tyler's Chicken with Mushrooms & Marsala from Stirring the Pot. I thought this was a good dish, but was missing some color (not really a complaint though). Again, another great weeknight meal... I followed the recipe pretty much to a "t"."

Finding a way to get some nutritious Brussels sprouts into her family is Megan from My Baking Adventures with Tyler's Bacon and Brussels Sprout Hash. Megan declares, "All I can tell you is that if you think you don’t like Brussels sprouts, try this recipe, and get back to me. You’ll never feel the same way about those little cabbages again." She says this has even become her kids favorite side dish!

Speaking of Megan's kids, let's welcome her daughter Sabrina from Sabrina's Sweet Treats to TFF! Sabrina loved her Mom's second recipe for TFF so much, she decided to make Tyler's Pork Tenderloin with Chimichurri Sauce. Sabrina had a good time making this, (you can see all the great prep shots on her blog), and says. "I want to try his Macaroni and Cheese with Bacon next." (BTW: Sabrina, if you want to make that mac-n-cheese in Hawaii, you are welcome to cook in my kitchen any time!)

Let's also welcome Debby from A Feast for the Eyes who is joining us this week. Debby made a hearty Tyler dinner with his Pan Roasted Cowboy Ribeye with Creamed Swiss Chard and his Caramelized Onion Potato Tart. Debby says, "We loved it! This meal has so many flavors going on-- the texture of the panko crumbs, the creaminess of the Swiss chard and the tender cut of rib eye."

Although she isn't blaming Tyler for the death of her barbecue grill when she set it on fire last month, Jenny from All Things Edible is finally revealing what she was cooking on it; Tyler's Ultimate BBQ Chicken! Jenny says, "Was the chicken worth killing my bbq over? Sorry, no. NOTHING would taste so good it would be worth the death of my summer kitchen. And despite that tragedy, this was still some very tasty chicken."

Jessica from My Baking Heart is overcoming her normal dislike of the heat of summer by chowing down on plenty of the season's bounty of berries. With her berry leftovers, Tyler's Lemon Pudding Cake with Fresh Mixed Berries was an obvious choice to make for TFF this week. Jessica says, "They were delicious! This is a perfect little dessert to serve at a dinner party. Just double the recipe and you’ve got enough for 8!"

Since the berries at her local orchard are so beautiful right now, Karen at Something Sweet By Karen, just had to make Tyler's Spring Panna Cotta with Fresh Strawberries and Balsamic Syrup. Karen comments, "I really loved this panna cotta. It was smooth, creamy, and a little tangy. The vanilla was very present and the touch of lemon was nice. The balsamic strawberries were the perfect topping."

To delay the inevitable advancement on her house by her renegade, "bully" mint plants, Natashya at Living in the Kitchen With Puppies, tries to use it often. What better way to utilize fresh mint than in Tyler's cool, refreshing Cuban Mojitos?! Natashya says, "These cocktails are cool and sweet and pack a nice punch. Two or three and your troubles will just melt away. Take the afternoon off, the phone off the hook, and share a toast to summer."

Finding the recipe for Tyler Florence's Croissant French Toast with Soft Caramel Apples in Real Simple magazine, Kristen at Sogkonnite Living kept trying to make it but her kids kept eating the croissants. Finally, for Father's Day she got it made. Kristen says it was "very good. Super sweet though. A half of this plus something like hash browns to balance out the sweetness would probably be a good idea."

After seeing blood oranges at her grocery store, Pam of Sidewalk Shoes found Tyler's recipe for Citrus-Glazed Quail with Roasted Peaches, Polenta, and Bitter Greens. Unfortunately when she went back to get them there were none to be found. Even missing the blood oranges and the bitter greens, Pam says it was still "wonderful", and comments, "The combination of the citrus flavored quail, the sweet grilled peaches and the rich cheesy polenta was outstanding."

Showing her love for her Dad on Father's Day, Joanne from Eats Well with Others, whipped him up a great dinner which included Tyler's Cornbread. Since her Dad isn't into spicy things, Joanne made this recipe which includes bacon. She says that it "turned out really well. My dad ate 1/4 of the loaf! I will definitely make it again WITH the chiles for myself."

Made as a side dish with last week's prime rib dinner, Glennis from Can'tbelieveweate is back this week with Tyler's recipe for Yorkshire Popovers. Glennis says that they "came out fabulously! We had them with the prime rib initially, but they were good enough to eat out of hand by themselves! The next day we used them as a cup for steak and and a poached egg...what a great brunch! Thanks Tyler!! This is a keeper!!"

Finally at Kahakai Kitchen, if you can't actually eat dinner with Tyler, you can at least have a great dinner with all Tyler recipes. I made his Grilled Chicken Breast with Ginger, Soy Cold Sesame Noodles and Sweet Chili Cucumbers for one easy and delicious summer dinner. I really liked all three dishes on their own and combined, you get a great combination of Asian flavors.

Great job as usual everyone--a diverse collection of Tyler's recipes this week.

There are still a few days left to make our "Megan's Challenge" recipe for this month, Tyler's Summer Rolls. They have gotten rave reviews, and you can find the details on them here.

You don't know how hard all of you are making selecting just one post and blog to be featured on Tyler's site each week! We are so proud of all you and your cooking skills and passion. Please keep it up--we love a challenge! ;-)

This Week's Tyler's Blog Pick Winner

The dish and post selected to be profiled on Tyler's site is the gorgeous and perfect for summer, Cuban Mojitos from our own Natashya of Living in the Kitchen with Puppies. Using fresh mint from her garden and the lovely outdoor photos with all that calming green, make this one a winner.

Congratulations Natashya, the post should be on Tyler's Blog on Monday and we'll do a separate announcement when the post is up on Tyler's site.

Enjoy your weekend!

Congratulations Pam!

2009-06-22T21:23:00.004-04:00

As you know, this week's dish selected to be profiled on Tyler Florence's own blog is the California Cobb with Poached Shrimp and Green Goddess Dressing by the talented Pam of Sidewalk Shoes.

Tyler and his peeps have the post up now so you can see Pam's gorgeous salad on Tyler's blog, here and of course you can go here to see Pam's original post on her own blog. If you haven't already, take a minute to stop by and congratulate Pam!

We are so proud of all of you and your wonderful recreations of Tyler's recipes, keep up the awesome work and keep making it so difficult to select a winner! ;-)