September 25th Round-Up!

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."

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

September 18 Round-Up!

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!

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!"

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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!

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!

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.