Friday, April 24, 2009

April 24th Round-Up!


April is ending and May is almost here. Spring is in the air, as are the delicious aromas of Tyler's recipes being cooked by all of our TFF bloggers. Speaking of TFF members, we have two new ones to welcome! Please join me in welcoming both Debby from A Feast for the Eyes and Jessica from Cooking Up Memories to Tyler Florence Fridays!

We'll get right to this week's round-up and all the wonderful dishes everyone came up with!

Starting things off is Jenny from All Things Edible with three Tyler recipes this week. Jenny just missed the round-up last week with Tyler's Ultimate Onion Rings from Stirring the Pot, and also whipped up some of his Sweet Potato Chips from Dinner At My House. She thought they were both very good but recommends more batter for the two onions in the recipe.


This week she was extra early with her version of Tolan's Birthday Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Icing. This cake wasn't a hit for Jenny, she found it too moist, boring and dull with not enough icing. But it did receive big compliments from everyone she gave it away to and her kids wanted seconds, so it was a success in that respect.



Getting serious about cooking from her freezer this week, Nancy from The Dogs Eat The Crumbs made the most of some local turkey she had brined and cooked from Tyler's recipe and frozen. She made Tyler's Green Peppercorn Sage Gravy to go with the turkey and loved how delicious it was. Nancy says the flavor was "complex and subtle the smoky touches and the cognac added an understated sophistication." She recommends bookmarking this recipe for next Thanksgiving!



Pam from Sidewalk Shoes has a new challenge for herself, roasting a chicken every week, which sounds like a great goal. She kicked it off with Tyler's The Ultimate Roast Chicken Provencal. She found it to be excellent, the herb paste was very flavorful and the vegetables were amazing, especially over pasta the next day. She would have liked a bit crispier skin but otherwise this dish was a winner.  



Pam and I must be on the same wavelength this week, at Kahakai Kitchen, I roasted a chicken too; Tyler's Chicken with Lemon, Garlic and Fresh Bay Leaves accompanied by his Lemon Roasted Fingerling Potatoes. Like Pam, I wanted a crisper, darker skin and would cook it at a higher temp next time. I liked the flavor and moistness of the meat and the potatoes were delicious, my favorite part, especially the next day, cooked with prosciutto and green onions.



Looking for an easy, delicious potato recipe for Easter, Susy from Everyday Gourmet made Tyler's Scalloped Potato Gratin. This isn't a health food recipe, Susy says the recipe should be renamed, "Potatoes in Cream", but the taste was "amazing". Her family loved the flavors and there were no leftovers which is always a sure sign of a recipe's success!



Debby from a Feast for the Eyes, is starting her Tyler journey with us inspired by the beautiful Blueberry Blintzes that Muneeba posted. Since she isn't a big fan of blueberries, Debby decided to use her favorite berry and make Strawberry Blintzes instead. Although they were not quite the same as the ones at her favorite cafe, they were delicious and quickly devoured by her husband and son. 



Our other newbie, Jessica from Cooking Up Memories, loved the recipe for Tyler's Ultimate Pulled Pork sandwiches so much she renamed them "Heaven on a Bun"! She says they are "The most delicious thing EVER. Period." High praise indeed! Jessica recommends that it be on the menu for your summer parties and barbecues or to just have a party around the pork, because "it's that good."



It's nice to have Kristin from Sogkonnite Living back to TFF this week. Kristen went Italian this week and made Tyler's Baked Rigatoni with Eggplant and Sausage. She liked how easy the dish was to make and her family all really liked it too. It fared much better in the reviews than the side dish of Kale Chips she made to use up an abundance of the leafy green stuff! 



Although she was unsure whether she would like this recipe, Michelle from Big Black Dog, may have found a perfect side dish with Tyler's Red Onions Roasted With Balsamic and Honey. Michelle says the onion is "FAN-TASTIC!" Even her husband loved it and the fact that it is so easy to make and tastes so great is a bonus, as is the fact that the onion's "color is gorgeous and would add drama to any plate".



Karen from Something Sweet by Karen has never been a huge French toast fan, at least until she tried it Tyler-style with his Croissant French Toast with Soft Caramel Apples. She really liked this recipe and says it is perfect for a weekend brunch because it is "easy to make, doesn't cost too much and most of the ingredients you'll already have at home."



Heather at girlichef was feeling the baking and breakfast vibe, and even got up early to bake Tyler's Blueberry Scones with Lemon Glaze. She really liked them and found them to be "tender and nicely flavored...the glaze was an awesome zesty contrast to the breadyness of the scone and the mild blueberries." Yum!



Sewing away madly, has not left Natalia from Gatti Fili e Farina much time to cook or stock the fridge fully, so Tyler's easy recipes have come in handy. Natalia made Tyler's Penne with Baby Artichokes, Black Olives and Peas out of her freezer and pantry. Her family (with the exception of one picky eater), really liked this one!



Natashya from Living in the Kitchen with Puppies got out all her pasta making gadgets and tools and pulled out all the stops for homemade pasta for Tyler's Pappardelle Bolognese. There is no way Tyler could make this one any better! With her basil pasta and sides of zucchini medallions and a green salad, she had a delicious and gorgeous dinner! 



Megan at My Baking Adventures found a new dish for dinner rotation in Tyler's Fajitas. The flank steak, marinated in a spicy mojo was "tender and juicy with just enough heat from the peppers to give it an incredible flavor." Megan does advise that you watch what peppers and how much you put in as she almost got hers a bit too spicy. (Read her post for all the details). 



Andrea from Nummy Kitchen, bookmarked Tyler's Parker House Rolls after seeing Natashya post, a while back. She found that they were easy to make and tasted "wonderful", especially loving the little "x" cut on the top of each bun. Her family loved them and Andrea says they would be great for little sandwiches or to enjoy with butter, honey or jam for a breakfast treat.



Great job everyone--I am now officially drooling and hungry! Thanks to all of you for participating and cooking along with Tyler this week.
 
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Don't forget there is still time to welcome spring with our monthly recipe challenge, selected by Megan. This month's Deep-Dish Ham Quiche with Herb and Asparagus Salad, is perfect for breakfast, brunch, lunch, even a light dinner and opens itself up to all kinds of adaptations. You can get all the details and the recipe here.

Have a fabulous weekend with good food and good fun!

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Tyler Florence Fridays Guidelines

Tyler Florence Fridays is Now Closed.

Welcome To Tyler Florence Fridays!

Want to have fun with the recipes of TV's hottest chef? Who wouldn't?

Here are a few guidelines for participation:

1. Make a dish from one of Tyler Florence’s cookbooks or online recipes. List the book if you are cooking from one of his books, or, if using an online recipe - link to that.

2. Link to Tyler Florence Fridays in your post. http://tylerflorencefridays.blogspot.com/

3. Send us an email to tylerflorenceFridays@hotmail.com by noon - Eastern Standard Time on Friday and include the following:

  • The post’s permalink
  • Your name, the dish that you made
  • Your blog name and a link to your blog
  • A medium sized picture (350x450 or smaller) so we can include it in the round up on Friday
  • Please put “TFF” in the subject line so we can avoid spam

4. We would love to read in your post any changes that you made and how you enjoyed the recipe. This is a great opportunity for all of us to discover his recipes!

5. You may post earlier than Friday if you wish but each post must be within the week of the round-up, round-ups are based on submitted emails with the above information, sent in each week.

6. Please let us know if you would like to be listed in the blogroll. We update the blogroll frequently, if you are going to be absent for a month or more and would like to remain a current member, please send us an email.

Tyler Florence Fridays
http://tylerflorencefridays.blogspot.com/

Friday, April 17, 2009

April 17th Round-Up!

Good Tyler Florence Friday to you!
I hope the approaching weekend has you in good spirits, and good food and good times await.
Tyler's gals have been busy cooking up a storm, we have a little of everything this week.

Before we get to the round-up, I thought I'd share a video of Tyler on CBS News, teaching Harry Smith how to make an easy chicken dinner. Everyone loves a spring quickie! Dinner, of course.


Watch CBS Videos Online
Here is the link to the recipe.

Isn't he cute? I mean talented?
Ok, on to the fabulous round-up!


Andrea of Nummy Kitchen made these adorable Cherry Poppy Seed Muffins, and I am just going to say it - they are as cute as a bug! She found that turning the heat down gave her the texture that she and the kids loved. I would love these little guys too, too cute!

Leanne of Enjoying My Favorite Things made these tasty Blueberry Blintzes using her most resourceful kitchen ingenuity. Leanne comes from a long line of bandits (kidding!) and found that although she didn't have all the supplies for her first pick, this recipe adapted wonderfully to what she had on hand.

Deb of Kahakai Kitchen was doing some creative combining this week in the kitchen. She made Tyler's Sweet Mango Chutney for the Barefoot Bloggers Savory Couer a la Creme that she made this week. Talk about combining flavours! Delicious.

Glennis from cantbeliveweate made Tyler's Pan Roasted Soy Lacquered Salmon (say that 10 times fast!) and was so thrilled with the outcome. She served it with Vietnamese Salad Rolls and a sweet-spicy dipping sauce. What a wonderful sounding meal! Glennis has been greatly enjoying Tyler's alternative processes to brining and curing meats. Very creative!

Hannah of Sweet Cupcake Torture made these absolutely adorable Banana Nut Muffins (sans nuts) for a class of hungry sixth graders, dressing them up with Peanut Butter Icing and topped with a Mini Hershey Bar. (The cupcakes, not the students!) What a wonderful post-testing treat!

Heather from Girlichef made Tyler's Cherry Poppy Seed Muffins as well, finding the flavour nice but the texture a little heavy for her liking. I think I know the answer Heather - bug pans! Clearly you and I need to pick up some of those groovy pans that Andrea has.

Joanne of Eats Well With Others is enjoying everything about the new spring weather, but still loves her comfort food. She whipped up a batch of Tyler's Cranberry-Orange Sauce and turned it into an upscale grilled brie and cranberry sauce grilled cheese sammie on her George Foreman grill. Perfect hip college gal fare!

Karen from Something Sweet by Karen made this popular Roasted Acorn Squash with Cheese Tortellini and ranked it as one of the best Tyler recipes that she has tried so far. These have dinner party wow factor without too much fuss. I am going to have to make these soon, how delicious!

Kim of Stirring the Pot was happy to have found her cookbook in time to make this Egg Salad, which made for some delicious sandwiches. Kim is currently prepping for a family vacation on a Disney Cruise and was happy to have found a nice, quick recipe to try. The addition of lemon juice was especially intriguing in this recipe, sounds great! Have a good time, Kim.

Megan of My Baking Adventures made Tyler's Chicken Paillard which she declared her family’s new most favorite way to eat chicken EVER. Now that is some high praise! Even though she made extra, this was all that was left to photograph once her family started eating. Success!

Michelle of Big Black Dog made Tyler's Chocolate Pudding combined with Dorie's Cinnamon Custard and found that they were perfect for each other. Such a beautiful story, I am a sucker for a good romance. That is true pudding love right there, and special new dessert glasses to show it off, nice!

Pam of Sidewalk Shoes made LinkTolan's Mom's Potato Salad which she has billed as one of the top faves so far. she loved that the eggs get grated into the salad after they are boiled. No more big chunks of egg whites! Perfect dish for BBQ season.


Reeni of Cinnamon, Spice & Everything Nice took Tyler's Black Bean Soup and, er, souped it up! She made it even spicier with chipotle peppers and served it with Spicy Chile Chips. I love taking a great recipe and making it my own, nicely done Reeni!

On my own site, Living in the Kitchen with Puppies, I made Tyler's Shrimp and Ginger Siu Mai Dumplings. They actually weren't my favourite Tyler dish, but hubby liked them and they look cute on their little plates! Well, there is always next week.
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Awesome dishes guys! Thanks for some wonderful submissions this week.
Don't forget about April's "Megan's Challenge", our optional monthly recipe challenge. This month's selection, Deep-Dish Ham Quiche with Herb and Asparagus Salad, is perfect for spring and of course you can adapt it any way you like. You can get the details right here.

Friday, April 10, 2009

April 10th (Good Friday) Round-Up!


Happy Good Friday and a wonderful Easter weekend to those of you who are celebrating. Actually it seems like every week has a good Friday when we get to see and drool over the recipe picks that everyone who stepped into the kitchen with Tyler made for the week!

Let's get right to it with this weeks selections:


Kicking us off this week is Pam from Sidewalk Shoes, who despite a sudden change in the weather and drastic drop in temperature, really enjoyed Tyler's recipe for a refreshing Crispy Asian Salad. Pam found this one to be "really wonderful", and versatile, as the chicken in dressing could be used in other Asian-inspired dishes. She also discovered a liking for raw zucchini, especially when it absorbs the yummy dressing.



Also feeling the Asian food vibe is Natashya from Living In the Kitchen with Puppies who made Tyler's Cold Sesame Noodles a part of a delicious light Asian-inspired meal. Natahsya found these noodles so tasty, "she couldn't stop eating them". She also loves the fact you can make them in advance and leave them in the fridge while you get the rest of your dinner ready to go. Perfect!



Jenny from All Things Edible likes breakfast, especially a breakfast you can make-ahead and that's where she took her inspiration for her pick this week, waffles from Tyler's Batter Three Ways. The recipe came from Tyler's recent Oprah show appearance, and all though Jenny just tried using the batter one way so far, for the waffles, (plain for her, with chocolate chips for the kids), the empty plates proved it to be a hit at her house!



Also feeling the breakfast urge was Andrea at Nummy Kitchen and she used Tyler's Muffin, Pancake or Waffle Batter, (are you suspecting like I am that this is the same recipe, different title as the one Jenny used?) to make pancakes. She found the pancakes wonderful, even leaving out the walnuts and bananas for the "picky eaters" in her house, and her husband couldn't decide if he liked these pancakes or their usual recipe better. Success! 



Muneeba from An Edible Symphony is back with the perfect breakfast or brunch dish, Tyler's Blueberry Blintzes. After a bit of a "falling out" with Tyler over not liking his Chicken Francese recipe so much, she was happy to find this wonderful recipe. Although this one takes some effort to put together, Muneeba says he has two words for all the Tyler fans out there; "MAKE IT!"



Megan from My Baking Adventures must "love her some brownies", so much so that she devoted a whole other blog to them, The Brownie Project, where you will find the post of her Tyler recipe choice this week, Amaretto Chocolate Brownies. Megan says they are "delicious" and her husband, self-certified "disliker" of brownies couldn't get enough of them. He says they are "simple, perfectly sweet, no chunky stuff, and the amaretto really made these exceptional." His only complaint? Megan needs to make more!



A carefully wrapped package of "airline chicken breasts" (boneless breasts with the bottom wing joint attached), in her freezer and Tyler's decadent recipe for Roasted Airline Chicken Breast built a lot of anticipation for Nancy of The Dogs Eat the Crumbs. Unfortunately, the recipe didn't live up to the hype for her. Although she found the recipe "tasty", it wasn't spectacular and its high fat, high effort qualities are not really her style of cooking. She did like some of the flavors and will play around with those to make a lighter dish.



Natalia from Gatti Fili E Farina loved her Tyler's Ultimate Barbecued Chicken and found that the brine made it really moist and tender. She found the sauce to be so good that although she made a couple of plain pieces for her kids, they wanted the ones with sauce and her daughter even dipped her potatoes in it. Natalia especially likes the fact that with Tyler's recipes she can "make something new, fast and good" with what she already has at home!



Kim from Stirring The Pot, is having a busy couple of weeks and needed a quick, easy Tyler recipe with ingredients she had on hand so she chose the popular Banana Bread with Pecans as her pick. She made the bread "mini" in small ramekins and found it to be good, although she is not normally a fan of nuts in her baked goods. Next time she would omit the pecans and bake it in a regular size loaf pan to make it a bit more to her liking.



Heading back to desserts this week is Christy of Enjoying My Favorite Things who picked Tyler's Caramel Apple Pie to make. Both an apple pie and a caramel lover, she was excited to try this recipe and even thought to build in some portion control by making mini pies. Christy found this to be a good pie, but still prefers her Grandmother's more traditional recipe. She found the caramel out of the pan to be "amazing" and says she should not be left alone with it!



Feeling spring in the air and finding a deal on artichokes, I made Tyler's recipe for Steamed Whole Artichokes this week and also added his Remoulade recipe for a dipping sauce over at Kahakai Kitchen. Tyler uses chicken broth, white wine, lemon and herbs in to steam the artichokes and I loved the flavor it gave them. I lightened up the remoulade and liked how well it paired with the chokes. Both recipes are keepers!



Posting a weekly grilled cheese sandwich for National Grilled Cheese Month, it was only natural that Michelle from Big Black Dog would choose Tyler's Grilled Cheese to make this week. Tyler's recipe calls for apple, bacon and Dijon and it sparked a little grilled cheese "competition" at Michelle's with different components going in and out of the cheesy sandwiches. I'd like to volunteer if she and "Mr. Tastebuds" need an extra judge!



Glennis from Cantbelieveweate has been into "brining" with Tyler lately with his chicken last week and his Pan Roasted Pork Chops with Spiced Apples this week. She loved the great flavor and moistness the brine gave the pork chops, making them survive an accidental slight overcooking. Glennis says the recipe is a keeper, even the brine on it's own, and thinks that it would be "fabulous" with a pork tenderloin.



Even with a busy holiday week and weekend, we have a wonderful collection of Tyler creations! Thanks to everyone who cooked along with us.

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Don't forget about April's "Megan's Challenge", our optional monthly recipe challenge. This month's selection, Deep-Dish Ham Quiche with Herb and Asparagus Salad, is perfect for spring and of course you can adapt it any way you like. You can get the details right here.

Friday, April 3, 2009

April 3rd Round-Up!


I know what you're thinking.

You wish you lived near enough to this store to check him, I mean it, out.

Have any TFFers had the chance to see Ty's store, now that it has been open for a bit? We would love to hear about it. Email in to play cub reporter, and let us know what the store is like. The rest of us can only dream, sigh. (Of course, some of us have more vivid imaginations than others... you know who you are!)

Now, let's imagine that we live in this pretty little town, with this pretty little store and ate off of Tyler's pretty little plates.

What will we eat? Why there is plenty of food right here, courtesy of TFF's finest home cooks.

Jenny of All Things Edible couldn't resist trying Tyler's Mixed Berry Bread Pudding with Lemon Fondant after seeing it floating around the blogosphere all winter. Although Jenny wonders why Tyler would call the icing sugar and lemon mixture fondant, she was quite pleased with the finished product. A little comfort for a cold, gray day. Yum!


Glennis of cantbelieveweate made Tyler's brine and Ultimate Roast Chicken recipes (hopefully not with my niece - hey, what did you name her anyway?) and deemed it "unadulterated HEAVEN!" High praise, Tyler!


Donna of My Tasty Treasures was all about the cocktails this week, making Tyler's Icy Lemon-Ginger Vodka Cocktails to accompany a beautiful antipasto platter. Believe me, you are going to need a cold drink after reading her post!


Hannah of Sweet Cupcake Torture was very impressed with Tyler's Ultimate BBQ Chicken. Although she is a little squeamish handling whole chicken, she did love the flavour of the sauce and the very tasty results. One to repeat, for sure.... maybe with boneless next time!


Deb of Kahakai Kitchen made this beautiful Prosciutto and Goat Cheese Bruschetta with Black Lentils out of artisan goat cheese and some lovely beluga lentils that she came across. I am so envious, I have only seen them on Iron Chef. What a glorious dish!


Andrea of Nummy Kitchen made Broa, Portuguese Corn Bread for Tyler Florence Fridays. It is a yeasted cornbread that was rather dense. Andrea is not sure if it came out how it was intended, but had lots of ideas for how to use this unusual bread.


Amanda of Oddball Oven Mitt made Gnocchi for the first time - and look how perfect they are! I have made them a few times and mine don't look anything like that.. plus they take me hours! I think Amanda is an instant aficionado of gnocchi.


Nancy of The Dogs Eat the Crumbs made Tyler's Guacamole, stating that it was very good.. but that she still likes her tried and true method best. A very good is high praise, maybe Nancy will have me over for a guacamole tasting party.. I'll bring the cervecas!


Michelle of Big Black Dogs had a TFF Twofer today, making these delicious Chive and Garlic Mashed Potatoes.....

And these beautiful Herb-Roasted Potatoes - seen with glistening roasted veggies. Nice!


Megan of My Baking Adventures tried the Deep Dish Quiche for the April Bonus Challenge, with little success. She veered away from the recipe, and found her changes made the dish far too sweet. Better luck next time, Megan!


Joanne of Eats Well with Others made Tyler's Penne with Artichokes, Black Olives, and Peas which she enjoyed but thought could use a little punching up. Maybe some wine and capers.. and really, what isn't made better with wine and capers? Right Deb?


Pam of Sidewalk Shoes made Tyler's Thai Coconut Chicken Soup, served in this adorable little bowl, and fell in love with the broth. She might forgo the chicken and straw mushrooms next time, and just add some red pepper and maybe some cute little baby corn.


Over at Living in the Kitchen with Puppies, I made Tyler's delicious Creamy Parmesan Potato Gratin, which I served with pan fried sole and zucchini. It was very tasty indeed, I just finished the last of it for lunch, yum!


Kim of Stirring the Pot made this very colourful and figure-friendly Endive, Orange and Radicchio Salad. Kim is trying to stay with healthy and slimming foods this month as she prepares for a cruise.. and she is not taking me! So unfair..
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Thanks guys, for such awesome cooking this week! Don't forget to check out April's Challenge.
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Ok, drumroll please..... the winner of this month's random draw for the Tyler Florence cookbook is.... Megan of My Baking Adventures! Congratulations Megan.