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!

May 1st Round Up! (Quiche Round-Up Below)

Happy May Day to all!
Among many other things, this day celebrates that the worst of winter is over (sorry to anyone who's winter is just beginning) and that the gentler seasons are upon us. For those of us that think with our tummies, this means grilling, picnic-ing and ice cream season has begun!
We have a full house of fabulous treats to share today, let's get to it!

I am starting with the cutest of today's submissions, Andrea of Nummy Kitchen made these adorable Mickey and Minnie Waffles for her family. She used the muffin, pancake, or waffle batter that she tried last week for pancakes, and made chocolate chip waffles with some whipped cream, sprinkles, and strawberries. That has to be the most fun breakfast ever!

Deb of Kahakai Kitchen made Tyler's Ratatouille with Feta, Green Olives and Almonds that she found on the Food Network site. I have to remember to look there for recipes, I am always just thumbing through the books. I forget that there are over a thousand of his recipes online. Deb says that the feta-almond mixture takes it to another level and that "This a great healthy and hearty vegetarian meal, especially with some good multi-grain bread to soak up all the flavorful juices." Sounds awesome!

Dianne of Flapper Food made Tyler's Dad's Meatloaf with Tomato Relish and was very pleased with the vibrant flavours. She "flapperfied" it by using ground turkey (instead of pork & beef), whole grain bread slices, non-dairy milk, and turkey bacon for a heart healthy version. Best of all, she served it with beer. Good beer too. Yep. Nice!

Dianne also made Tyler's Hunter's Minestrone and "flapperfied it" by using chicken sausage instead of pork sausage, and whole wheat pasta instead of regular. She enjoyed the flavours, and the lack of zucchini, and thought it tasted even better the next day.

Glennis from can'tbelieveweate made Tyler's Grilled Chicken Breast with Ginger and Soy and found it was absolutely fabulous. She served it with peanut noodles and an artichoke, with fresh cilantro from her garden. Another keeper!

Heather from Girlichef says "Bring on the cheese...the stinkier the better!!!" We couldn't agree more. She made Tyler's Sauteed Feta Cheese with Parsley, Raisin, Caper and Pine Nut Sauce and paired it with a nice Chardonnay. Anyone else wishing they lived closer to Heather?

Jenny from All Things Edible is still on the search for the perfect Roast Chicken and, while she liked this one a lot better than the last one, she is still searching. She is happy to have gotten a golden colour on this bird but the real star of dinner was......

..... The Parmesan Potato Gratin. Yep, this one is fast becoming a TFF favourite. Creamy, cheesy, potato goodness. It's like the mac and cheese of the potato world.

Kim from Stirring the Pot just got back from vacation and made cute little Chocolate Puddings for her daughter Olivia. Olivia got candy toppings and Kim is thinking about making some nice, liqueur flavoured whipped cream for the adults, nice!

Megan of My Baking Adventures made Tyler's Chicken Cordon Bleu with much editing from her family. She found that this one was not the dish to please her crowd but her hubby was smart enough to keep his head down and avoid any chicken related violence over poorly chosen comments. Tough crowd.

Michelle of Big Black Dog was being very creative this week and made Spinach Crepes with the crepe recipe from his blueberry blintzes, minus the sugar, and subbing the sweet fruit filling for Tyler's creamed spinach. She topped the crepes off with a bottle of Larochette Manciat Macon Les Morizottes for an exquisite meal. Says Michelle, "I'm going to be having fun with wine this summer!" All I can say in return is - I'll be there at six!

Muneeba from An Edible Symphony made these resplendent Mozzarella Grilled Cheese Sandwiches that she would be perfectly happy to eat every day for the rest of her life. She served them with a salad of avocado, kidney beans, roasted corn, red onions and fresh lime juice. What a beautiful meal!

Natalia from Gatti Fili e Farina made Tyler's Braised Chicken with Peanuts and Raisins. This was the dish that he had made in the video on our last round-up and Natalia was inspired to make it. She used peanuts and basil in her sauce rather than the original cashews and watercress and loved the flavour. Another winner for Natalia!

Pam of Sidewalk Shoes made this very pretty Pomegranate Margarita which, unfortunately, looked better than it tasted. Might have been the golden tequila, she isn't sure, but she did finish it.. you know.. so as not to be wasteful. Good woman, that Pam.

Over at Living in the Kitchen with Puppies, I made Tyler's Blue Cheese and Chive Dip for the late night arrival of my commuter. He was thrilled with the snack and we both loved the delicious combination of flavours.

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Susy of Everyday Gourmet made Tyler's Vanilla Bean Butter Cream Frosting for a cake she was making for a small gathering. She loved the flavour and found that it paired nicely with fresh strawberries and ice cream. No pics today, sorry! The cake got eaten up too fast.

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Just a quick note - I am changing the deadline for submissions from 3pm to noon on Fridays, Eastern Standard Time, just because the round-ups take a few hours sometimes and I still need to get dinner going after! Thanks so much for understanding.

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For May's Cookbook Giveaway: We are down to our last couple of free books from Tyler's crew. To win either Stirring the Pot or Dinner at My Place for the May random drawing, leave a comment on today's round-up. Since Mother's Day is coming up, include a thought or a memory about being a mom or about your own mom, step-mom, grandmother... you get the picture.

*To be eligible to win, you must be a current, active participant in Tyler Florence Fridays and have not won a book yet.*

Quiche Me, Dahling!

Good Heavens! Our quiche round-up landed on a Friday, meaning double posting for me! Pity me, send flowers, wine... no? Fine. I suppose I will survive.

A smaller turn-out today for the challenge, but high in creativity. Our TFFers (ha! just called you f-ers!... ok, I called me that too...) Anyway... our participants made this recipe their own, demonstrating the versatility of the humble quiche.

Although quiche is now a classic dish of French cuisine, quiche actually originated in Germany, in the medieval kingdom of Lothringen, under German rule, and which the French later renamed Lorraine. The word ‘quiche’ is from the German ‘Kuchen’, meaning cake. The original ‘quiche Lorraine’ was an open pie with a filling consisting of an egg and cream custard with smoked bacon. It was only later that cheese was added to the quiche Lorraine. Add onions and you have quiche Alsacienne. The bottom crust was originally made from bread dough, but that has long since evolved into a short-crust or puff pastry crust. Quiche became popular in England sometime after the Second World War, and in the U.S. during the 1950's. Because of its primarily vegetarian ingredients, it was considered a somehow ‘unmanly’ dish, - “real men don’t eat quiche.” Today, one can find many varieties of quiche, from the original quiche Lorraine, to ones with broccoli, mushrooms, ham and/or seafood (primarily shellfish). Quiche can be served as an entrée, for lunch, breakfast or an evening snack.
Food Reference.com

Hungry yet? Let's get to those quiche! (Quiches?)


Nancy of The Dogs Eat the Crumbs made a healthier version of the quiche, in single serving sizes. She did love the salad, which seemed to be the most popular part of the recipe, and loved that her herbs were up in time to make it. How cute is that little quiche!

Megan of My Baking Adventures had no luck with her quiche this time, she found that the low-fat milk substitute that she used was rather sweet, leaving her with an oddly sweet pie with onions. Oh well. We have all been there. We can't be perfect all of the time!

Deb of Kahakai Kitchen made a heart healthy version of the quiche by combining Tyler's recipe with Ellie Krieger's - with a few ideas of her own too. Deb loved the light and tart herb salad and would definitely make it again.

Natalia of Gatti Fili e Farina loved this dish, needing only to scale back a bit on the eggs and cream. Her family ate it up so fast, she forgot to get a picture! Here is a remaining slice, yum!

Over at Living in the Kitchen with Puppies, I made the whole thing! It is huge, but got eaten for dinner, lunches the next day, and breakie the day after that. I loved the experience of making a deep dish quiche, certainly something I have never done before. It was so light and moussey, but I have to say that the salad was my favourite part too.

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The Bonus Challenges are going to take a warm-weather break, so you can concentrate on grilling and the great outdoors. Tyler Florence Fridays will continue in it's already scheduled awesomeness.