Thanks to everyone who came out to see me today in Portland! I had a blast and it was great to see you all!

I'm in the airport right now on my way to Orange County and I can't help but think about all of the Californians who have been so affected by the fires in Malibu, LA, Orange County and the San Diego area. I was trying to think of ways to help and after checking out some related charities, I realized that in an emergency situation like this, the best way to help is by donating cash...it's a quick and easy way to make a big difference.

Below I've listed a few links to organizations that are really making a big difference. If you have the ability to help, please do! Thanks!

• American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund: 800-HELP-NOW or 800-257-7575 for Spanish speakers, http://www.redcross.org/donate/donate.html

And for the poor animals ...

• Los Angeles Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals: 888-SPCA-LA1,
http://www.spcala.com/

Tyler

Hi everybody!

I wanted to let everyone know how sorry I am that I was unable to attend the Fall for Greenville event a few weeks back. Due to bad weather, I spent more than 7 hours sitting at the San Francisco airport trying to get on one plane after another until I exhausted all of my options to get there. I was really looking forward to going back home to see my family, friends, and Greenville locals. Fall for Greenville is one of my favorite culinary events & in my hometown, so it was especially upsetting to miss it.

Thanks for your understanding, Greenville, and I hope to see you all soon.

Tyler

Hi everybody!

It is so beautiful in Northern California right now I can't stand it! The Fall is truly the San Francisco summer. Its perfectly warm right now, even at night, yet you can still see the colors start to change. In the morning, you can smell the Winter beginning to creep up on us but still enjoy warm sunshine throughout the day. And it seems that love is in the air too as the male bucks come down from the hills to chase the does around! Jake Bacon had an amazing standoff with a huge buck in the creekbed the other day...he's a tough little dude!!!

For a peek at what's it like at my house this time of year, check out this month's InStyle! Enjoy...

Hayden has his first tooth! He's getting really big and now that he's got a chomper, it won't be long before I can start cooking for him...I can't wait until we eat our first rib eye together!

I hit the road tomorrow and I hope some of you can come and see me in either Portland or Costa Mesa. Here is the schedule:

Friday, October 26, 1-3pm, Book Signing:

Macy's Portland:
621 South West Fifth Ave., Portland
(at Meier & Frank Square)


Saturday, October 27, 2-4 pm, Cooking Demonstration:

Bloomingdales South Coast Plaza:
3333 Bristol Street, Costa Mesa, CA

Hope to see some of you!


Tyler

Hi everybody!

Wow, has it been busy! I just got back from a looong road trip and I am so happy to be home.

My month in NY was amazing! I miss the city a lot, so it's always nice to be able to spend some real time there. This was Hayden's second big trip to the Big Apple, so I think he's really getting a feel for it! I can't wait for you to see the new episodes of Tyler's Ultimate...more great dishes that I know you will love.

So, I've got a couple days here at home in California, and then I've got a few appearances that I hope some of you can catch...details to come next week but keep an eye out for me at Macy's in/around Portland, Oregon on October 26 and at Bloomingdales at South Coast Plaza in Orange County, California on October 27.

Keep on cookin'!

Tyler

Hi there-

If you've had trouble viewing the link that I posted to the Macy's commercial, please try this one. This should work better!

http://www1.macys.com/campaign/macystv/index.jsp

Cheers!

Hi everybody!

The shoot is going great! You are going to love the new episodes of Tyler's Ultimate...I can't wait for you to see them.

If you have a minute, check out these links to the Macy's campaign that I worked on a couple of months ago. It was so amazing to work with such a creatively talented group of people like Marc Ecko, Usher, Martha Stewart, Tommy Hilfiger, Kenneth Cole and of course, The Donald. Take a look below:

http://www.jwtwo.com/jwtproduction/MCM_Morning_90/

I hope you enjoy the spots as much as I enjoyed working on them!

And if you haven't already, please take a look at www.tylerflorence.com and be sure to sign up for my monthly newsletter!

Hi everybody!

I'm here on the set of 'Tyler's Ultimate' and wanted to let you all know how great it is going. We are shooting some really great stuff for you!

Tolan, Hayden and I are living the hotel life in NYC right now and I have to admit, it is a lot of fun. Our quarters are tight, but it has been really nice to have some quiet, alone time with the family. Hayden is growing and changing every single day and has taken quite a liking to both NYC and the life of a chef. He's been taking some time to make the rounds with some of my peers at the Food Network...check him out picking Cat Cora's brain on what it's like to be an Iron Chef. We love Cat!



It's great to be back in NYC for a while....Tolan and I both miss it a bit. It's fun to be back in hustle and bustle of the city, but it'll still be nice to get back home to California in a couple more weeks.

If you happen to be in the Atlanta area, I'd love to see you on Saturday, September 22 from 1-3pm at Belk at the North Point Mall in Alpharetta, GA. I will be doing a cooking demonstration, signing books and showing off my tabletop line with Mikasa. See you there!

And if you haven't already, please take a look at www.tylerflorence.com and be sure to sign up for my monthly newsletter!

Well, maybe the calendar doesn't say it, but as far as I am concerned, Summer '07 officially wrapped up over Labor Day Weekend. But that doesn't mean we didn't enjoy every last minute of it.

While many people opt to hit the road on Labor Day, I decided that this would be a great time to stay around the Bay Area and avoid the crowds. And for those of you from California, you'll understand that with the Bay Bridge closed for repairs, road travel was all but impossible. So, I stayed away from the airport, 'Burning Man' and Lake Tahoe, to enjoy a weekend around the house and a few short outings that proved to be really quite fantastic. On Saturday morning, I was invited to be the guest chef at the Point Reyes Farmers Market, up the coast from San Francisco about 40 miles...40 miles of the most incredible coastline I've ever seen, I might add. With the help of my friend Jeremy from Emergency BBQ, we dished up some gorgeous Pulled Pork Shoulder with Lemon Aioli, Salsa Verde (see recipes below) and some vibrant young market lettuces. If you ever get the chance, visit this rustic, quaint market and really taste the flavors of the who's who of Northern California's organic farming community.

On Sunday, Tolan and I ventured into San Francisco (Hayden stayed behind with Grandma Marge and Grandpa Larry) for a charity event at 'Jack Falstaff' to benefit the Afterschool Alliance. My friend Joey Altman (Bay Café) and I 'battled' local heroes Nate Appleman (A16) and Craig Stoll (Delfina) in what turned out to be a fantastic warm-up for my upcoming 'Iron Chef' battle. Thanks to everyone who came out on a holiday weekend to support a great cause.

Believe it or not, Tolan and I actually got some much needed home-time with Hayden as well as we are on our way to New York for an entire month. That reminds me...I've got to get him a frequent flyer number! So, I'll talk to you soon from my home-away-from-home, NYC...cheers!

And if you haven't already, please take a look at www.tylerflorence.com and be sure to sign up for my monthly newsletter!

- T



LEMON AIOLI
Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence

Serves: 6-8 servings
Time: 10 minutes

4 cloves of garlic
Extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large egg
juice and zest of half a lemon
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup sour cream


Place the garlic in a foil pouch with a little extra-virgin olive oil and roast in a hot oven until tender. When done, remove from pouch and add the garlic, along with the egg, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a blender and process. Pour in the olive oil in a slow, steady stream until the aioli emulsifies. Fold in sour cream and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve with salsa verde and BBQ pulled pork.


FENNEL AND OLIVE SALSA VERDE
Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence

Serves: 4-6 full servings
Time: 10 minutes

1/4 cup reserved fennel fronds
1/4 cup parsley leaves
1/4 cup pitted green olives
2 tablespoons capers
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tangerine, juiced
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper

Place the fennel fronds, parsley, olives, capers, and anchovies on a cutting board. Chop them with a knife until they are very fine. Put them into a bowl and stir in the olive oil, tangerine juice, and vinegar. Taste the salsa and season with salt and pepper.

Some of you might remember me talking about Palmetto Bluff before, as it's the incredible property where Tolan and I were married last December. But, I just can't resist taking the opportunity to bring it up again as I have been hard at work putting together a really exciting event that I know you will all want to be a part of.

To me, the Carolina Lowcountry is one of the most special places on Earth. And Palmetto Bluff, all 20,000 acres of it, is the best of the best. A virtual island defined by three historic rivers, the May, the Cooper and the New Rivers, 'The Bluff' is a truly pristine oasis, and a place that makes me feel at home unlike anywhere I've ever been. This part of the country is very much steeped in history, culture and tradition and in my mind, the culinary traditions of the Lowcountry are amongst the most important to be found anywhere. For this reason, I am very excited to be heading back to Palmetto Bluff this November for what I hope will become an annual pilgrimage for anyone and everyone who shares my love of this part of the country and most importantly, its flavors!

Along with my friends at Palmetto Bluff and Coastal Living Magazine, I am very proud to invite you all to my Palmetto Bluff Lowcountry Celebration, to take place November 16-18 at Palmetto Bluff. We have an amazing weekend of food , wine, music and fun planned and a variety of ways in which you can enjoy the festivities. Whether it's a full weekend getaway at the Inn at Palmetto Bluff or enjoying the Saturday afternoon party on the Village Green where I will be doing a cooking demonstration, there is going to be something for everyone.

Please take a look at www.musictoyourmouth2007.com to find out all about the event and I look forward to sharing this special place with you all!

We had a great shoot here at our new house last week. We did a big Thanksgiving spread for the November issue of InStyle.

The article will have a bunch of new recipes for Thanksgiving. One thing that we did that will be in the article is an old fashioned drink called Ratafia. It is very similar to an infused vodka with the addition of sugar, it becomes almost like a cordial. This is something that you could make now and put it away until the holidays. The longer it sits the better! We made some the other night with fresh cherries, blackberries, and currants. Here is a basic recipe to make your own at home while the summer fruit is still ripe and at it's peak:

Be on the look out for the November issue of InStyle.

Sadly, the summer is coming to an end. Miles & his best friend Kyle returned to Charleston to start school this week, so our house is very lonely and quiet. Hayden is doing great. He is changing and growing each day, and he is sleeping through the night. This week marked his 3 month birthday, but he is already wearing 6 month clothing. The kid is a nursing machine!

We are excited to move our family unit to New York for 5 weeks starting in September. I am shooting a new season of Tyler's Ultimate, a few new specials, more holiday online tips for the Food Network and a special episode of Iron Chef with Paula Deen, Robert Irvine, and Cat Cora. It's going to be a blast!

Hope that you all have a great weekend.

Cheers!

- Tyler

Hi everybody!

Busy, busy, busy! So, I'm writing today from Kansas City where my sous chef, Anthony, and I are working with the Applebee's team to put together some fantastic new menu items for you. We've come up with some really delicious new dishes and I can't wait for you to try them.

We are also knee-deep in working on some great new ideas for 'Tyler's Ultimate' as we will be shooting a new season next month in NYC. Can't wait to get back in front of the camera and to enjoy NYC in the Fall!

The next couple of months are very busy with appearances and the like, so stay tuned and I'll be sure to keep you posted.

And if you haven't already, please take a look at www.tylerflorence.com and be sure to sign up for my monthly newsletter!

Hi everybody!

I can't believe that summer is already coming to an end! But never fear, its not time for the sun to disappear just yet!

In case you didn't notice, we've got some fantastic new content up now, so please make sure to browse around and see all of the fantastic new recipes and videos!

http://food.aol.com/tyler-florence

And if you haven't already, please take a look at www.tylerflorence.com and be sure to sign up for my monthly newsletter!

Hi everybody!

I hope you are all having as great of a summer as I am!

I just got back from a fantastic trip to New York City with the entire family. It was great to be back in the city for a while and to be able to show it to Hayden for the first time. Miles was particularly happy to be back as we have had a lot of great times there over the years.

If you have a chance, I'd love to share with you all the new issue of '7x7 Magazine' which features me on the cover this month. '7x7' San Francisco's hottest lifestyle magazine and I was lucky enough to get to work with them on this fun story. Follow this link to check it out:

www.7x7sf.com/eat_drink/food_finds/8465517.html

I hope you enjoy the piece as I had a lot of fun working on it.

And if you haven't already, please take a look at www.tylerflorence.com and be sure to sign up for my monthly newsletter!

I hope that everyone has an amazing 4th of July. I just returned for our annual family trip to Montana. Tolan's best friend Nikki and her parents have a ranch there & we had an unbelievable time. We took Miles and his best friend Kyle, and Hayden went on his first airplane ride.

The "Candy Bar Ranch" was filled with things to do including their own carnival with rides, bumper cars, laser tag, and games. There was a huge bocce tournament, a bingo night, and on the 4th of July - Lionel Ritchie performed after dinner, followed by a fireworks show like I have never seen. The boys said that it was their best Fourth of July ever...

The five of us discovered a great hotel in town called The Lodge at Whitefish Lake. If you ever are looking to plan a great family vacation, this is the place to do it. They have family friendly condos right on Whitefish Lake. We rented a boat and I spent hours pulling Miles & Kyle around the lake on an inner tube. The restaurant at the hotel has a great menu with something for everyone. Tolan loved the caesar salad, and it had a really interesting twist - fried capers added on top. The boys sampled everything on the kids menu, and gave it a thumbs up. Local huckleberry's are a delicacy in Montana, so look for them to be added to everything from the morning muffins at the coffee shop to the daiquiris!

Whitefish is a really fun town to visit with interesting shops and other great local restaurants. We love:

The Bulldog - for spicy buffalo style chicken fingers & sweet potato fries

Buffalo's - for some of the best biscuits and gravy

The Boat Club - the scallops, caesar salad, and the virgin Huckleberry Daiquiri's for kids.

Visit the hotel site for more information:

www.lodgeatwhitefishlake.com

We are home enjoying the nice weather in Mill Valley, and I just took the boys to see Ratatouille. We have friends coming in to stay with us this weekend, and we are going to have a ratatouille themed dinner party. In honor of the movie, I am including one of my favorite recipes for ratatouille and including some photos from our recent trip.

- Tyler

THE ULTIMATE RATATOUILLE
Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence
Yield: serves 4-6

1/3 cup plus 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound smallish Italian eggplants, cut into 1-inch cubes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound zucchini, cut crosswise into 1-inch sections
3 anchovy fillets, finely minced
2 onions, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Leaves from 1/2 bunch of fresh basil, coarsely chopped
Leaves from 4 fresh thyme sprigs
2 pints cherry tomatoes
1 dried chile
splash of balsamic vinegar

Line a large platter with paper towels. Heat 1/3 cup olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the eggplant, season generously with salt and pepper, and let that cook down for 10 to 12 minutes, until the eggplant is nice and soft and wilted. Move the eggplant out of the pan and onto the platter to drain. Next stop, zucchini: cook it the same way in ¼ cup oil, then add it to the platter with the eggplant.

Add another 1/4 cup olive oil to the pan, then the anchovies, onions, garlic and herbs. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, until the onions get nice and caramelized. Add the tomatoes and cook that down for 10 to 12 minutes, until pulpy. Return the eggplant and zucchini to the pan, crack open the chile, and add that, too. Season with salt and pepper and let the ratatouille cook slowly for about 20 minutes, until the mixture is soft, mushy and juicy; you want all the flavors to come together. Stir in the vinegar and let cool to room temperature.

Hi everybody!

Happy 4th of July! Let's all make sure to have some
fun, but keep it on the safe side when it comes to the
fireworks! I hope everybody gets to spend some time
grilling in the great outdoors and enjoying the
sunshine. If you do, give these recipes a shot (see
below).

Well, I'm off to Montana with the entire family to
spend time on a ranch with some close friends. So, I
hope you all have a nice relaxing day off and some
much deserved R&R.

And if you haven't already, please take a look at
www.tylerflorence.com and be sure to sign up for my
monthly newsletter!


THE ULTIMATE BURGER BAR
Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence
Yield: 8 servings

2 pounds brisket, ground twice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 hamburger buns, split
8 thin slices Swiss cheese

Preheat an outdoor gas or charcoal barbecue to medium
hot. Take a few paper
towels and fold them several times to make a thick
square. Blot a small
amount of oil on the paper towel and carefully and
quickly wipe the hot
grates of the grill to make a non-stick surface.

Season the ground meat in a bowl with salt and pepper.
Give it about 3 turns
in the bowl with your hands or a big spoon and it¹s
done. Shape into 8
patties. When the grill is hot, put the burgers on the
grill and cook 7
minutes per side for rare; 8 minutes per side for
medium, adding the cheese
during the final minute or 2 to melt. Remove the
burgers to a plate. Rub the
grill with the folded paper towel again to clean it.
Then toast the buns cut
side down for about 1 minute, just to mark them. Serve
the hamburgers in the
buns with the accompaniments below.

THE SIDES... everything you need to top the Ultimate
Burger!

Sautéed Mushrooms:
Sauté 1 pound thickly sliced mushrooms in 1/4 cup
olive oil with 2 sliced
garlic cloves and 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves over
super-high heat until
nicely browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in a couple of
drops fresh lemon juice
to brighten the flavor.

Caramelized Onions:
Heat 2 tablespoons unsalted butter with 2 tablespoons
olive oil in a large
pan over medium heat. Add 2 onions, cut into
1/2-inch-thick slices, sprinkle
with salt and pepper and cook slowly until well
caramelized, 15 to 20
minutes.

Tomatoes with Sea Salt and Chives:
Thickly slice 2 pounds heirloom tomatoes, drizzle with
olive oil, and
sprinkle with sea salt and 1/2 bunch chopped fresh
chives.

Bacon with Rosemary:
Lay out 1/2 pound sliced bacon on a baking sheet,
strip leaves from 1 sprig
rosemary and throw them on top with lots of cracked
black pepper and roast
at 400š F until the bacon is crisp, about 10
minutes.

Herbed Horseradish Mayonnaise:
Stir together 1 cup mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon prepared
horseradish, 1/4 cup
freshly minced herbs such as parsley, basil, chives or
scallion, 2
tablespoons olive oil, a little squeeze of lemon
juice, and salt and pepper.

Chile Ketchup:
Stir enough sambal into ketchup to make it as hot as
you like ¬ for
starters, try 1 teaspoon sambal to 1/4 cup ketchup.


WHITE SANGRIA PITCHERS
Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence
Yield: 20 to 30 servings

4 bottles dry white Spanish wine
1 cup Spanish fino sherry
1 cup orange flavored liqueur (Recommended: Cointreau)
1/2 cup sugar
1 bunch seedless white grapes
3 lemons, sliced with rind
3 white peaches, pitted and sliced with skin
1 honeydew melon, sliced
1 liter club soda, or seltzer

Combine liquor, sugar and fruit together in a large
pitcher or punch bowl.
Let flavors blend for several hours. Add the club or
seltzer water and serve
over plenty of ice.