May 29th Round Up!...June Challenge Annoucement, and a Proposition...

Good Tyler Florence Fridays everyone!

May is fading slowly away and June awaits with warm weather, BBQs, and summer vacations.
Our pal George emailed us this video of Tyler giving a grilling demonstration at the Coca-Cola Quarter-Mile Cookout on the monster grill over Memorial Day weekend. Seems like we are giving Coca-Cola a lot of free press, we just want to invite them to give back! Feel free to donate prizes to hard working Tyler Florence Fridays participants, Coke!

Ok, lets check out the gorgeous dishes that our friends have cooked up this week, shall we?

Our first yummy dish comes from Reeni of Cinnamon, Spice and Everything Nice.

Says Reeni: I first had cold sesame noodles when I lived in Tucson. The gourmet sandwich shop where I worked made them extra spicy and kept them extra cold. They were perfect when it was 108 outside and just the thought of hot food made my stomach rumba. Never having made them myself I looked to Tyler for some help. I found what I was looking for in his Cold Sesame Noodle recipe that is heavy on the peanut butter and flavored with soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, chili sauce and rice wine vinegar. My free jar of organic, natural Peanut Butter from the kind people at Once Again Nut Butter(thanks, Food Snob!) came in handy. Do you ever wish for a natural Peanut Butter that didn’t need to be stirred? This is it. And it comes in an old-school glass jar. How can you not love it? I’m convinced this super creamy peanut butter made my spicy noodles especially delicious. Next time a heat wave hits you know where to find me. Standing in front of the open fridge with a fork in my sesame noodles.

Arlene from The Food of Love made Tyler's Curried Chicken Salad this week. She made a few adjustments to the recipe to make the salad more healthful and would tweak it again in the future by decreasing the amount of lemon juice. 'That said, it was a delicious salad, filled with contrasts, and was as satisfying over lettuce as it was as a sandwich.'

Welcome to our newest member, Beth of The Seventh Level of Boredom. Beth made Tolan's Pregnancy Pasta, Pancetta Carbonara with Fresh Baby Spinach. The liberal use of garlic, and a doubling of the Parmesan made this dish a real winner at Beth's house, well done!

Jenny of All Things Edible went to the opening of the Ottawa Farmer's Market and came home with lovely Red Cheiftain potatoes to make Tyler Florence's Crispy and Creamy New Potato Pie.
Says Jenny: My outside texture didn't work too well, most of it stuck to the pan, despite the oil on the bottom of it, but it was alright. This "pie" was very good, tasty, and simple to make, even on a busy weekday...I'm calling this one a winner.

This week Karen of Something Sweet by Karen was ready to get the cookout started. She chose to make Grilled Chicken with Peach Barbecue Sauce and Tolan’s Mom’s Potato Salad, both from the book Tyler’s Ultimate. When Karen realized that she was out of propane, her George Foreman grill came to the rescue. Says Karen: The Peach Barbecue sauce was AMAZING. It was sweet, smoky and had a fresh flavor burst from white wine vinegar. I was so happy with it I’m not sure I’d bother looking for any other BBQ sauce recipe to try out this summer.

This week, Kim from Stirring the Pot decided to chose a recipe based on necessity, she chose Tyler's Wonderful White Bread so that she could send packed lunches with her husband and daughter. Says Kim: The bread was golden tan on top and just looked marvelous. This bread has the same texture of good quality sandwich bread you are familiar with, except it is fresh and homemade. This recipe is a total keeper and I'm quite sure I will be making it often!! All of Tyler's baking recipes are a surefire hit with me.

Michelle of Big Black Dog made this Chicken Paillard with Creamy Parmesan Salad dish, complete with a bad breath warning. If you can call garlic breath bad, I think it's sexy.. on some people.. ok, me. She served it with a bottle of De Bortoli Petite Sirah, but somehow forgot to invite yours truly, although garlic and wine are some of my best friends...

Says Michelle: I am not much of a salad person but there are a few salads that I thoroughly enjoy and one is a good Caesar Salad. I know Tyler calls his salad Creamy Parmesan but it's really a darn good Caesar! And you will most definitely have some wicked breath after enjoying it. Just spread the goodness around and make sure that everyone at the table gets their fair share!

Over at The Dogs East the Crumbs, Nancy made Tyler's Smashed Fingerling Potatoes with Peas and Onions. Nancy is tackling her freezers this week, establishing a new relationship with the appliances and using up some long-time residents. Says Nancy: After tasting his portion, my husband stated, "That Tyler, he knows how to make good food." And that's high praise coming from a guy who would take rice or pasta over a potato dish any day.

And me? I gotta love any dish that we can eat 3 days in one week (and not be tired of it) and even more, one that helped me thaw my relationship with my freezers.

Pam from Sidewalk Shoes, caught up in the whole giddiness of summer vacation, made Tyler's Marinated Chick Peas. Pam found them quick and easy and liked that they can be made from everything found in your pantry, and, after adjusting to her own tastes and palate, she quite liked them.

Megan of My Baking Adventures had an unusual two-fer this week. She made Tyler's Red Onions Roasted With Balsamic and Honey, which, although she accidentally scorched a few.. and her pan.. she found pretty darn great.

Megan also tried Tyler’s 3-Way Pancake, Waffle and Muffin batter again, this time with muffins. She cut down on the sugar, subbed in some whole wheat flour, and added chocolate chips.

Says Megan: You know what? These were GREAT! Even better than before. The kids have eaten them every single morning.

Deb of Kahakai Kitchen made these adorable Stuffed Baby Eggplant (with Buffalo, Lemon and Mint) this week that I find almost too cute to eat.. almost. Deb found some baby eggplant at the Thai market, and went to Tyler for a great recipe to use them in. They were great served with some leftover Israeli couscous and raita, and would likely benefit from a little boost in the spices to satisfy Deb's (and mine!) love of big flavour.

And over at Living in the Kitchen with Puppies, I made Tyler's Mac and Cheese with Peas and Bacon. While it didn't live up to Ina's Adult Mac and Cheese, it had classic kid appeal and was very popular in our house, even though I snuck in whole wheat elbow noodles.

A very successful round-up indeed, you guys are great!

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Now, on to Announcements...

Remember to submit by Noon, Eastern US/Canada time, with a medium sized picture and the links to your post and site, check the guidelines if you forget the details, thanks! If you are too late for one week's round-up, there is always the next week.

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And by popular demand...

Seems that the TFF peeps miss the monthly challenge, so, just for you, Megan has picked out a seasonal challenge for the month of June, Summer Rolls with Sweet Chili Dipping Sauce.

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Ingredients
3 ounces Vietnamese cellophane noodles, cooked according to package directions
2 cups bean sprouts
2 carrots, julienned
1 large beet, julienned
1 fresh red chile, cut in circles
2 handfuls fresh cilantro, hand-torn
3/4 cup chopped unsalted peanuts
2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
1 lime, juiced
Sea salt
20 (8-inch) round rice paper wrappers
40 mint leaves

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Directions
Put the cellophane noodles, vegetables, cilantro and peanuts in a large bowl; toss with sesame oil and lime juice to give the filling some flavor; season with salt and pepper.
Pour 3 cups of hot, not boiling water in a large shallow bowl. One at a time, immerse the rice paper wrappers in the hot water for 10 seconds to soften, then place on a slightly damp towel. The rice paper is very delicate, don't soak them any longer or they will break apart. Keep them covered while you work to prevent them from drying out and curling.
To form the rolls, lay a rice paper wrapper on a flat surface. Grab a small amount of the cellophane and vegetable mixture and lay it across the bottom third. Use less filling than you think you should, if you overstuff the wrapper it will tear. Carefully fold the bottom of the wrapper up to cover the filling. Fold in the left and right sides, then tuck and roll it over once. Lay 2 mint leaves on top, then tuck and roll it over to close the whole thing up like a tight cigar. The mint leaves should show through the transparent rice paper. Arrange the finished rolls on a platter and cover with a damp towel.

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Sweet Chili Dipping Sauce:
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1/4 cup hot water
2 tablespoons sugar
1 lime, juiced
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon red chili paste, such as sambal
In a blender, puree the rice wine vinegar, fish sauce, hot water, sugar, lime juice, garlic, and chili paste until combined. Pour into a small bowl and serve with the summer rolls.
Yield: 1 cup

As usual, feel free to play with the recipe, submit your Challenge by June 30th for the round-up. I have actually made these before, and they are very light and tasty!

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And a question or two for the TFF peeps...

Reeni was kind enough to send me a blurb about her post this week, as I am suffering from the Blogger/Internet Explorer conflict that seems to still be going on and am not able to open some sites.

I enjoyed having her paragraph to use, and want to extend the opportunity to others who might wish to write their own piece for the round-up. Just submit it with your photo and links. We may edit for length or content (but probably won't).

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That being said, we were also considering the possibility of making this site open for posting by members, much as the old Daring Bakers was when it was on Blogspot.

Please let us know on the comments or email as to your opinions on this or other subjects. (Be kind, we cry easily.)

Ok, that's all I can think of, have an awesome weekend!

May 22nd Round-Up!

Welcome to Tyler Florence Fridays! We are kicking off a long Memorial Day weekend here in the U.S. and I hope, wherever you are, you join me in taking some time to think about the many people in military service all over the world who have given their lives to protect all of us. 

The weekend also kicks off the summer season and is the perfect chance to spend time enjoying your family and friends and of course some delicious food too. We have no shortage of great food in today's TFF round-up.

My favorite "Sweet Potato Queen", Joanne from Eats Well With Others, starts us off and takes Tyler's spaghetti carbonara to a new level with her version of Sweet Potato Carbonara. Using sweet potato pasta, broccoli for color and extra nutrients and some turkey bacon to lighten it up, she had a bright and delicious, make again dish.   

Jenny from All Things Edible, wants it known that despite her "lack of enthusiasm" for roasted chicken, she is really a chicken lover and she is happy to report that Tyler's Chicken Paillard recipe supports that fact. It was so good, her children "inhaled" the reheated leftovers the next day, making it a winning recipe at Jenny's house.

A bottle of wine, a loaf of good bread, some of Tyler's Baked Goat Cheese paired with her own tapenade, made a fun afternoon lunch for Heather of girlichef and her husband to share. She says "The nice crisp of the crostini with the soft, earthy goat cheese spread and the saltiness of the olives was nicely washed down with a crisp, fruity Pinot Grigio." A great way to kick off summer and the kids last day of school.

It's nice to see Kristin from Sogkonnite Living back at TFF this week! Kristin visited Tyler's Blog and found his recipe for Ultimate Barbecued Chicken, then stopped by the My Coke Rewards site where Tyler is teaming up with Coke this summer, and found the perfect accompaniment for the chicken, Grilled Potato Salad. Both were hits at her house and a great reason to fire up the grill!

Michelle from Big Black Dog, found the perfect way to a man's heart, Tyler's Ultimate Mac 'N Cheese with Bacon.  A decadent macaroni and cheese with an even more decadent topping of bacon, onions and herbs and loads of garlic, Michelle says this is a yummy and "very adult" version of a classic dish. The full recipe was quickly gobbled up, (mostly by her hubby), a definite hit!

Another classic dish, French Onion Soup didn't get such a rave review from Glennis at Can'tbelieveweate. Something, whether it was the proportion of ingredients, the cooking of the onions on her stove, the red wine; made this soup just "fine" for her, when she was expecting something more. Her husband liked it and Glennis found that when she added the melted gruyere, she liked it much better. Melted cheese makes everything better!

Looking for a good side dish for some crock pot barbecued pork, Megan from My Baking Adventures, tried Tyler's Coleslaw recipe from the Food Network site. She found the addition of some hot sauce in the slaw gave it "a nice bite without being overpowering". Crunchy coleslaw with savory pulled pork sounds like a perfect pairing to me!

Also trying Tyler's Coleslaw was Amanda from Oddball Oven Mitt. Looking for a basic side dish to serve with her Cheeseburger Buns, Amanda didn't have a small red chili, so she used part of a jalapeno. She found the coleslaw nice and creamy but thinks she'll add more pepper and a bit less mustard next time.

After her success with Tyler's Carbonara, Arlene from The Food of Love wanted to try another of his pasta dishes and chose his Baked Penne with Eggplant and Sausage. Lightening up some of the ingredients and reducing the oil greatly, Arlene found the dish to still be "very satisfying and flavorful" and a great one to serve a crowd.

Natashya from Living in the Kitchen with Puppies made two Tyler recipes into one delicious meal. She tried his Lemon Curry Chicken with Mango Basmati Rice. She found the chicken to be a simple and flavorful dish with  the unique flavor combination of lemon, curry and sesame oil. Natashya adapted the rice dish to work in her rice cooker, making it very easy to make. The whole meal was delicious!

Kim from Stirring the Pot, tried Tyler's Veal Picatta with Lemon, Capers and Parsley-Butter Sauce this week. She was happily surprised at the low price of the veal, and loved how flavorful it was in this dish. Kim says this would be a perfect meal if you are looking for a "quick, affordable, somewhat sophisticated dish".

With her husband asking for Shrimp Scampi all week, Susy from Everyday Gourmet, knew Tyler was the man for the job and used his recipe. Served with whole wheat pasta and a green salad and topped with some grated Parmesan, Susy says it "took minutes to make and tasted great!" The perfect dinner for a busy night. 

If you are looking for a delicious, impressive brunch recipe, look no further than Tyler's Salmon Potato Hash which I made over at Kahakai Kitchen this week. With roasted salmon, crispy potatoes and a poached egg, and topped with Hollandaise (I lighted my sauce up with yogurt), it was a winner. It requires a bit of effort but it is worth it and perfect for a special occasion breakfast/brunch or a light dinner. 

What a bunch of terrific recipes again this week!  Thanks to everyone who participated.

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Stay Posted! 

We have some very exciting things coming up at Tyler Florence Fridays in the next few weeks that we will be sharing with you on this site and through email to our lovely participants, so be on the alert! You won't want to miss what is coming up at TFF!

Have a wonderful weekend! 

May 15th Round-Up!

Happy May 2-4 weekend! Not the twenty-fourth you say? Doesn't matter, the 2-4 weekend is celebrated on the weekend of the last Monday on or before the 24th of May. Officially called Victoria Day, it is in celebration of Queen Victoria as well as the reigning monarch's birthday, regardless of when their birthday actually is.
The long weekend is punctuated with fireworks and generally signals the end of overnight frost and the safe planting date for tender annuals.
The 2-4 is a double entendre, also signifying the case of 24 beers that many will be toting to the cottage, bbq, or back deck for immediate consumption. Yes, we have named this holiday after beer, Canadians are cool like that.

Before we get to the delicious round-up, we have...
A Message from Megan to our awesome Tyler Florence Fridays participants:

* Tyler on Facebook *
"Did you know Tyler is on Facebook? Well, neither did I - but I became a fan, and YOU can too! Here’s the link to his site .
Now before you go, here’s a little question for you to ponder this weekend:
If you could ask Tyler a question, any question at all, what would you ask him? Seriously - I want to know. Send them to me at tylerflorencefridays@hotmail.com (Don't forget to add the TFF to the subject line of all emails, to avoid spam. Emails without the TFF in the subject line won't be opened)
You never know, you just might get the answer - from Tyler, that is, not me."
Megan.

Don't forget to write in with your questions... we with-hold the right to edit for content.. I'm talking to you Donna! Now, Let's eat!

Deb of Kahakai Kitchen made a Carpaccio of Raw Zucchini for Tyler Florence Fridays. Deb already loves this tried and true dish and was happy to play around with the cheese a little bit. Dotted with chevre and fresh herbs and chilled before serving, this make a wonderful hot-weather appetizer. Or whole meal even, just give me a baguette and a bottle of Pinot Grigio with this dish and I'm all set!
Deb does advise using a mandolin to get the super thin slices, so if you were on the fence about getting one - consider this your push!

Arlene of The Food of Love submitted The Ultimate Spaghetti Carbonara this week. She declared it a success and was thrilled that Tyler didn't let her down. She does recommend eating it all in one sitting though.. can do! Arlene has her wine in the shots, a gal after my own heart.

Andrea of Nummy Kitchen made these delicious looking Chocolate Banana Empanadas with the kids. She found them easy to put together and a fun family project. Andrea couldn't convince her husband to try one though, oh well, all the more for her and the kids!

Amanda of Oddball Oven Mitt made Tyler's Chicken Fried Steak from the Food Network website and unfortunately had no luck with it. The meal was tossed, hot dogs were eaten, we are hoping next week will redeem poor Tyler. Tyler, if you need a hug after this review, I am sure that there will be plenty of volunteers!

Glennis of Can'tbelieveweate made Tyler's Potato Latkes and just loved them. She served them with grilled steak smothered in mushrooms and I think I am in love. They were a definite success and were great with brunch the next day as well. She imagines that they would freeze well.. if only she could stop eating them first!

Heather of Girlichef made Tyler's Dad's Chili Cheese Dogs and was so excited to eat them that she almost forgot to take a picture! She adapted the recipe a little bit and declares it a real winner. What we want to know, Heather, is - did you eat the chili cheese dogs at the same time as the tuna salad? Just wondering. :)

Jenny from All Things Edible made Tyler's Steamed Asparagus in a Paper Bag. She loved the concept of it and found it pretty tasty, but thought there was a little too much oil for her taste. The kids did enjoy watching mom cook in a paper bag though!

Karen of Something Sweet by Karen made this delicious Peach Couscous when she discovered that dried peaches were on sale at her local market. She was happy that it came together so easily and had really interesting flavour combinations. She chose a milder version, but links to an amped up version of the dish online.

Kim of Stirring the Pot made a Chicken Spiedini served with Caesar salad and couscous. The dinner was marred only by the death of her indoor grill, one of those moments that wine was invented for. Hopefully Kim gets a nice, shiny new grill this summer - Father's day perhaps? And can grill in peace again.

Megan of My Baking Adventures made Tyler's Mexican Pot Roast Tacos for her family in her brand new 7 quart slow cooker. She loved how easy the pot roast was to make and how flavourful it turned out. Not to mention being able to christen her new machine, nice! Megan deems the dish fabulous and, if you don't like cilantro - just don't look!

Michelle of Big Black Dog made Tyler's Slow-Roasted Pork Shoulder and found it absolutely delicious. She includes a definition of the brining process and a recipe for her very own Strawberry BBQ Sauce, delicious!

Nancy of The Dogs Eat the Crumbs made Tyler's Roasted Broccoli with Chile, Parmesan and Lemon and found it a delicious way to eat broccoli. She loved the sweetness that roasting the vegetable brought out and found it only needed a little lemon juice to accent it. Wonderful! I would eat them with my fingers.. just saying.

Natalia of Gatti Fili e Farina made Tyler's Ratatouille with Feta and Black Olives which looks delicious. She saw the dish on a previous round-up and just had to make it. Natalia used black olives instead of the traditional green and the family just can't stop munching on that delicious topping!

Over at Living in the Kitchen with Puppies, I made Tyler's Green Curry Chicken from Real Kitchen and thought it was out of this world. We each had two servings and ate the rest for lunch. This definitely goes down as one of hubby's favourite dishes, his only regret is that I don't repeat what I make very often!

Pam of Sidewalk Shoes made these colourful Quick Pickled Radishes, in a kick-off of canning season. Pam is looking forward to the end of the school year and all the summer produce, sounds great! I am hoping to learn a few things about canning from Pam this year, as I am a canning newbie.

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Announcements!

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We're all a-twitter!

We have learned that we have more that a few Twits in TFF (heeheehee), and we would like to offer a side list of twitter addresses. Look for the new #TFFridays, and send in your Twitter address for our new TFF Twitter list.

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Tyler on Rachel Ray

Kim of Stirring the Pot has let us know that Tyler will be on the Rachel Ray show on Monday. He will be the judge on the finale of Hey Can you Cook. Tune in!

If you have anything to report on the show, let us know and we'll add it to next week's post.

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From the Press Release for Tyler's participation in MyCokeRewards.com:

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Chef Tyler Florence is known for the simple – yet brilliant – food he creates on the Food Network and in his best-selling cookbooks. Now, just in time for summer grilling season, he’s bringing the best of his mouthwatering summer recipes to www.MyCokeRewards.com/summer. Chef Florence also is joining Coca-Cola to ignite the summer BBQ season Memorial Day weekend in a BIG way by firing up the nation's largest grill at the site of NASCAR's longest race, the Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway. He'll oversee a team of 100 chefs cooking free lunch for racegoers on a specially built, 1,320-foot oval shaped grill.

Chef Florence’s free recipes include: Grilled Skirt Steak topped with Salsa Verde -- a lightly seasoned skirt steak, seared to perfection and finished off with a savory salsa that adds depth to the meat’s natural flavor
Grilled Potato Salad – textures from the crispy grilled potatoes and celery meld with creamy dressing highlighted by fresh herbs and grainy mustard.
Also included on MyCokeRewards are summer party planning tips, shopping lists, suggestions for fun backyard games and much more.

Whether you're hosting a summer gathering on the beach or just grilling out in the backyard, this summer’s hottest party accessory will fit in the palm of your hand. For the first time ever, summer's iconic refreshment - Coca-Cola - will feature five different designs synonymous with summertime, including BBQ grills, sunglasses, stars & stripes, surfboards and beach balls. Not only will the stylish cans look cool, they promise to quench your thirst on a hot day - allowing you to sit back, relax and enjoy summer. The first can in the series will hit store shelves nationwide in time for Memorial Day, with additional designs arriving in-store every few weeks through Labor Day. Available in single cans and multi-packs, the limited-edition collector series will be supported through point-of-sale displays and merchandising in supermarkets and convenience stores across the U.S.

To directly view Chef Florence’s recipes on MyCokeRewards.com/summer, visit http://www.mycokerewards.com/en_US/experience/pillar/8/Summer_Recipes_en_US.pdf

May 8th Round-Up!

See, everyone loves Tyler, even Max! Actually he has a love/hate relationship with my laptop, he gets annoyed when I am on it and he loves to rub himself against it and try to pull out the power cord with his paw and teeth. 

Take a minute to relax, put your feet up and take a look at the great selection of Tyler recipes cooked up this week and get ready to drool!

Pam from Sidewalk Shoes tried Tyler's Perfect Roast Chicken and brings up a good point about titling a recipe as "perfect" and where do you go from there if you come up with another version? Although she is not willing to call this recipe perfect, she is giving it a place in the top five and feels that all chicken should be roasted with mushrooms. Pam says that the mushrooms in Tyler's recipe are all  "buttery, chickeny" and "fabulous!"

 

Jenny from All Things Edible tried Tyler's Penne with Sausages and Cream Sauce and liked it, saying that it is tastier than it might appear. It will go on the re-make list with some modifications, as she just "doesn't get" what the peas bring to the dish besides the color, feeling they didn't add to the taste or texture. Since her husband doesn't like peas anyway, he definitely won't miss them either!

Paula, The Passionate Caterer is back with us and made Tyler's Basil Butter Slashed Salmon this week. Using some beautiful wild salmon fillets, Paula found the recipe full of incredible herb flavor and easy to execute. She ended up with perfectly cooked, moist fillets that "exceeded everyone's expectations of delicious salmon" and that she served over some ratatouille for a hearty meal.

Tyler's Lamb T-Bones with Mashed Potatoes and Peas turned out to be a huge hit for Kim at Stirring the Pot. Her family loved the flavor the lemony herb marinade gave the lamb and were only disappointed the T-bones didn't offer more meat. The potatoes and peas were creamy and delicious. 

Kim also made her first homemade Caesar Salad using Tyler's recipe. She found it easy to make and although she may continue to buy bottled Caesar dressing being leery of the raw egg, she likes knowing she can make her own. Her family loved the salad and proclaimed it to be "the bomb!"

Reeni from Cinnamon, Spice & Everything Nice tried Tyler's Asian Chicken Salad this week, loving the "gorgeous glaze". Not being a zucchini fan, she swapped it out for some cucumber slices and rested her chicken on a bed of grilled romaine. Reeni says that "the soy sauce wasn’t overwhelming; the sauce had a nice balance to it. The chicken was tender and juicy, the grilled romaine had a nice smoky flavor and the cucumbers added a nice, cool crunch."

I call Joanne at Eats Well With Others, "The Queen of the Sweet Potatoes" because she cooks so many amazing dishes with them. This week is no exception as she swapped out Tyler's fave "regular white potatoes" in his Roasted Rosemary Potatoes with her beloved sweet potatoes, deciding that rosemary would go just as well with them. Served with some roasted asparagus, Joanne liked them even better cold the next day!

Natashya at Living In the Kitchen with Puppies made two Tyler recipes this week. She recreated Tyler's Ultimate Fried Fish, this time using rice flour like the online version of the recipe used instead of the all-purpose flour in the book. She was really impressed with how crunchy it made the fish. Instead of serving it with chips and tarter sauce, she made the Cole Slaw with Pecans and Spicy Dressing, greatly enjoying the mild spiciness. With the apples and pecans, Natashya found it reminiscent of a Waldorf salad. 

Natalia at Gatti Fili e Farnia tried her hand at samosa-making by adapting Tyler's Chicken and Spinach Samosas into vegetarian Samosas with Chickpeas and Spinach. She also decided to bake them instead of deep frying. Natalia found them to be "very good" and next time she will follow Tyler's suggestion and make them a bit bigger to be able to get more  of the yummy filling inside.

We were afraid Megan from My Baking Adventures might not make it to TFF this week with her computer being down, but with lots of resolve and a brand new hard drive, she is back on track and comes bearing waffles. Inspired by Andrea's waffles last week, Megan tried Tyler's Waffle Batter recipe and made "by far the best waffles" she has ever made! she says they are "thick and cakey", just the way they like them at her house!

I tried Tyler's Fresh Corn Pancakes Topped with Cheese: Cachapas this week at Kahakai Kitchen and found the corn pancakes to be mild and good, but delicious when topped with spicy beans and fresh veggies. They are easy to make, healthy, and a great way to use up fresh corn. Fully loaded with the toppings, they make a great, colorful vegetarian dinner. Since I can get corn here pretty much year-round, this is a keeper recipe for me.

Another successful week of cooking with Tyler and another stack of recipes to add to the "must-try list".  Thanks to everyone who participated this week. 

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May Book Winner!

The winner of one of Tyler's Cookbooks, either Stirring the Pot or Dinner at My Place is Nancy from The Dogs Eat the Crumbs. Congratulations Nancy! (We will be contacting you to find out which book you would like and to get your mailing address).

Have a wonderful weekend! To all the Mothers out there, have a very Happy Mother's Day! You deserve it!