February 6th Round-Up!

Well, the prognosticating rodent has seen it's shadow and we have 6 more weeks of winter. This doesn't come as too much of a surprise to those of us who live in the North, in fact we are braced for longer. The sun is shining though, spring will prevail in time.
It is true that the groundhog is greatly interested in meteorology, but more importantly he wants to know: What's for dinner?

Well groundhog, I am so glad you asked - check out some of these awesome dishes our TFF friends have cooked up this week!


One of our newest members, Donna of My Tasty Treasures, made this seductively tender and moist Pot Roast with Vegetables. Donna gives step by step instructions on her post guaranteed to make you laugh out loud and likely to make Tyler blush!

Deb of Kahakai Kitchen chose another healthy dish this week, Couscous with Apricots. Deb loved the combination of orange juice and apricots in the dish, and looks forward to making it again soon. Deb chose this as an accompaniment for some delicious sounding kabobs for her Cook the Books dish.

Leanne of Enjoying My Favorite Things found a real family pleaser with Tyler's Molton Chocolate Espresso cakes. The only problem? The family wanted more! Oh yeah, this is definitely going on the Valentines Day menu!

Andrea of Nummy Kitchen made these adorable Cranberry Baba Cakes for her children. She learned that Baba Cakes are related to Kugelhopf and Babka and was excited to try a new yeasted cake technique. Everything from Andrea's kitchen is so cute, I am convinced that bluebirds fly in the window to help with the baking!

Megan of My Baking Adventures made Tyler's Corn Pudding, which she found nice and creamy as a side dish but regretted leaving out the chives. There's always next time, Megan!

Kim of Stirring the Pot outdid herself this week! Kim is working through Tyler's entire new book, Stirring the Pot, and this week she made Caramelized Onion and Roasted Rosemary Focaccia, pictured above. Salt-Crusted Porterhouse Steaks and The Ultimate Onion Rings, pictured below, as well as California Bacon and Eggs and Shrimp with Sugar Snow Peas and Cashew Butter.

What was Kim's favourite? Why the rings of course! Check out Stirring the Pot for a whole host of delicious dishes!

Karen of Something Sweet by Karen made these beautiful Semifreddo Cookies and Cream with Salted Caramel. Karen discovered that semi-freddo means not only semi-frozen but freakin' good! I could eat that whole plate... Happy 100th post Karen!

Jenny from All Things Edible was satisfied but not blown away with Tyler's Roast Chicken Dinner. She was happy to have a good stock from the bones though and since she is under the weather, this might be a good opportunity to make some chicken noodle soup!

We welcome another new member this week, Michelle of Big Black Dogs. Michelle is a great lady with a great stove! Just take a look at it in her banner - positively drool-worthy.

For her Tyler Florence Fridays debut, she made Fish and Chips and was very pleased with the results. She even won over her husband, who generally doesn't eat cod. Now that is the sign of a good recipe!

Nancy of The Dogs Eat the Crumbs made Tyler's Herb Salt Roasted Potatoes with great results. She has named them her go-to roast potatoes and was thrilled to be able to make them with pantry staples. Hey, anything that keeps you out of the snow is a good thing!

Pam from Sidewalk Shoes made this Slow-Roasted Pork Shoulder, finding that a great marinade and cooking technique can turn even an ugly duckling frozen pork roast into a thing of beauty!

Over at Living in the Kitchen with Puppies, I made Tyler's Ultimate Spinach Salad with Bacon, Black Pepper and Honey. Well, you really can't go wrong with these ingredients, can you? I found it hearty and delicious and definitely able to stand alone as a meal.

Susy from Everyday Gourmet made this delicious looking Chocolate Banana Bread. The kids were disappointed not to get a chance to try it, so she will be making it again in a hurry! I just love the Jackson Pollock splatters of chocolate!

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Thus ends our delicious round-up, a hearty welcome to Donna of My Tasty Treasures and Michelle of Big Black Dogs who have joined us in the fun this week!

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Don't forget about February's optional challenge - Potato Gnocchi with Peas, Prosciutto and Ricotta - sounds delish! Click here for details.
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Congratulations to Reeni from Cinnamon, Spice and Everything Nice who won this month's cookbook giveaway!
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Lastly, we learned that Tyler has partnered with Macy's Department Store for an online 12-part Podcast Series and a Video Cooking Contest with some great prizes. (such as cooking with Tyler, shopping spree with Tyler!) Below are some excerpts from the press release and you can get all the contest details and see the actual podcasts by visiting the Macy's Keeps America Cooking link: here.

"Tyler has partnered with Macy's to find out what gets you cooking. Could it be that special someone in your life? Maybe it's a family tradition? Whatever your reason, we want you to show us for a chance to win a $2,500 Macy’s kitchen shopping spree with Tyler Florence in San Francisco! (In this dreaded state of the economy who wouldn’t want to jump on this offer?) We know you have a great, original recipe that has received rave reviews from your readers and loved ones. All you have to do is record it, upload it and be entered to win the Macy’s Keeps America Cooking contest!"

"In additional exciting news, Tyler produced a 12-podcast series in connection to Macy’s Keeps America Cooking. This podcast showcases what Tyler does best: cooking some of his favorite recipes. He will show you how to make truly gourmet and delectable meals from the convenience of your home with the help of some trusty kitchen tools and products"