Hey guys,

for those of you out there following: Shaq's Big Challenge has started airing on ABC 9/8c Tuesday nights. I help Shaq tackle childhood obesity in a Middle School in Florida and am set to appear in episode 2 onwards so check it out...

excerpt from www.abc.com

Shaq's Big Challenge was designed to be a wake-up call - to prod us into taking action against one of our nation's most critical health issues: childhood obesity.

Someone had to do it, and who else but an athlete, a father, and an all-around champion? Shaquille O'Neal, the 7-foot-tall star of the NBA's Miami Heat, has spent the last year leading the charge against childhood obesity – first by designing a program for six overweight middle-schoolers in Florida, then by leading the fight into the school cafeteria, into the gymnasium, and onto our TV screens.

In talking to the kids who were chosen to participate in the show, Shaq realized that a child's weight problem can begin at school, where physical education programs have been cut and cafeteria options are heavy on the soft drinks and fast food. He took it upon himself to go into the schools to see what was going on - and he discovered that PE programs had been cut due to budget issues and that industrial-size cartons of frozen food are the most affordable way to provide lunch for more than 1,000 students. In visiting the six kids at home, Shaq also realized that family dynamics, poor eating habits, and cultural traditions can all compound the problem. It didn't take long for Shaq to realize that reversing the trends would be a big job.

Shaq enlisted his personal physician and trainer, Carlon Colker, to help him with the effort. Before long, he had signed up his old LSU basketball coach, Dale Brown, along with nutritionist Joy Bauer, Miami Children's Hospital pediatrician William Muinos, Food Network celebrity chef Tyler Florence, and tough-talking trainer Tarik Tyler. Together the team tackled the food, fitness, and medical aspects of childhood weight issues. It soon became clear that the quest to help six kids lose weight was only the first step in a nationwide movement to conquer childhood obesity.

So, did I mention how great it is to be a dad? This past week was officially Miles' birthday week and we had a blast. While Hayden has surely been getting a lot of attention as of late, this past week brought some very special time for Miles and I to hang out and have some fun. We started off with an outing to the local Six Flags for some rollercoasters and a dolphin show, followed by the obligatory pizza party with the family, including my father, Winston, my stepmother Jan and my brother Ryan. Then, on Saturday, we hit the Giants-Yankees game at AT&T Park.. And believe it or not, the Giants actually won! Miles and I even made it onto the jumbotron!

I was also lucky enough to get some real work done for a favorite cause of mine, 'Share Our Strength', and emcee their 'Taste of the Nation' event. We raised over $90,000 to help end hunger in Bay Area and had some amazing food and wine to boot. I'd like to thank my friend and Traci Des Jardins for allowing me to be a part of such an amazing evening with such a talented group of chefs.

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, summer is in full swing! It's about 80 degrees here in the Bay Area and I don't think it could possibly be more beautiful...warm sunshine throughout the day and then a slight cool-off at night to make for a perfect sleep temperature. One thing that I notice is how much the weather can differ from area to area here in the San Francisco/Marin area. Its these 'micro-climates' that account for all of the unique farming regions and of course, the amazing wines of our neighbors, Sonoma and Napa.

This week has been great so far with a lot of family time. Its so nice to watch Miles and his new little brother play together. Well, as much as a three week old can play! We've just been hanging around the house, swimming at 'Three Wells', a local swimming hole, and enjoying the nice weather.

Next week (June 21) I am really excited to be hosting the Share Our Strength's 'Taste of the Nation' event here in San Francisco. This is a great cause and Share Our Strength is truly amazing in their efforts to end child hunger. If you'd like to learn more, please visit www.tasteofthenation.org.


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

Hey everyone...

Thanks to all of you who came out to see me at Applebee's in Denver this week! I had a blast and it was great to meet you all and hear your thoughts on the food we are doing together. All of your comments are appreciated and we take them all very seriously, the good and the bad!

Well, I'm here at the airport with my son, Miles, and we are getting ready to fly back home to San Francisco where Miles will get to meet his new little brother for the first time! I can't wait to see them together and spend the summer with my two guys...we've got a lot planned!

If you are in the Greenville SC area, I will be at the Applebee's near Haywood Mall in on Tuesday, June 12 from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Please come by and say hello!

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

Wow! What an amazing week!

We are home from the hospital and doing everything we can to make little Hayden comfortable and try to get some sleep ourselves in the meantime. I won't lie...I'm a bit tired! But, he's done a pretty good job of sleeping so far, so our fingers are crossed that he will be one of those magical kids that can sleep through an entire night.

Yesterday, we took him to the local Memorial Parade for his first outing. We thought he would enjoy all of the sights and sounds but of course, he napped through the entire parade! It was so cute.

If you are in the Denver area, come out and say hello to me on June 4 as I will be appearing at the Applebee's in Parker at 9932 S. Twenty Mile Road (702-851-0885). Come by and say hello1

Until next week, I will leave you with the first picture we've released of me and Hayden. He's a big boy weighing in at 9 pounds, 6 ounces at birth and 21 inches long!

Hi everybody!

I am so happy to announce that early this morning, Tolan and I welcomed Hayden Florence into the world and he and his mom are doing great! What an amazing day.

So, needless to say, I've got my hands full today, but I wanted you all to know and I thank you for all of your kind wishes.

I guess I better start making some baby food!

- T

Last week was a fantastic week of work here in the Bay Area. I've been lucky enough to shoot shows all over the world, but there is something special about shooting on your home turf. This past week, the folks at AOL came out to San Francisco so that we could put together some great new material for all of you. We put together some fantastic new recipes and some helpful new tips that I hope you will enjoy. To wrap it all up, the AOL gang and I had an amazing dinner at the birthplace of California cuisine, Alice Waters' Chez Panisse in Berkeley. Amazing fresh flavors, great creative conversation and a dash of laughter were shared by all.

The new epiodes of Tyler's Ultimate are airing on Saturday's at 1pm, 12 Central. Check out this link for all of the information you will need:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/show_tu/0,1976,FOOD_10228,00.html

Also, please check out this excerpt from a press release about the 'Great American Bake Sale' on which I am working with Share Our Strength.

Thanks!
- T

"...Share Our Strength is one of the nation's leading organizations working to end childhood hunger in America. On May 19 it will launch its fourth annual Great American Bake Sale campaign that mobilizes people of all ages to help end childhood hunger in America by holding bake sakes in their communities. Funds raised are granted to local organizations that work to increase participation by low-income children in summer and after-school feeding programs and to support nutrition education programs for low-income families. Funds will support a variety of efforts to end childhood hunger in local communities, such as purchasing equipment and utensils to serve children meals, covering the cost of opening additional meal sites, hiring additional staff to serve children meals, or paying for outreach that informs parents about the availability of free meals.

The campaign is being supported by Food Network as national television partner. Food Network will run PSA's featuring network stars Rachael Ray, Sandra Lee and Tyler Florence. In addition, Food Network will feature an "In the Kitchen" Bake Sale on May 19 during its popular daytime programming block. The special bake sale will include Paula's Home Cooking, hosted by Paula Deen, Tyler's Ultimate featuring Tyler Florence, and Healthy Appetite with Ellie Krieger. This year's top bake sale fundraiser will win a trip for two to Food Network, tickets to a taping of Emeril Live!, and a behind-the-scenes tour of the Food Network Kitchens.

Registration for Share Our Strength's Great American Bake Sale is free and available at www.greatamericanbakesale.org"

Hi everyone!

I can't say anything more about my weekend than it was absolutely gorgeous. The sun was shining and it was about 85 degrees. The sailboats were out in the San Francisco Bay and I felt like I was living in a postcard. Plus, my new home team, the Golden State Warriors, advanced in the playoffs...GO WARRIORS!

I made a quick trip up to Seattle for a Macy's appearance on Thursday so for those of you who made it out, thanks for coming and I hope you enjoyed it. I had a lot of fun, as always!

As we speak, I am on set shooting some new AOL segments for you, so keep checking back for some new recipes and tips. I've got some great stuff for you and I can't wait to share.

Well, back to the set...

Hi everyone-

I hope you all had a great weekend!

While I started out the week in Los Angeles, shooting a new TV commercial for Applebee's, I was back in San Francisco by Thursday for a cooking demonstration at Macy's Union Square with my friend and fellow Macy's Culinary Council member, Tim Scott. Over 500 people turned out for the event and it was a lot of fun! If you made it out, thanks and I hope you enjoyed it.

The weekend brought some much needed R&R and some good times with friends. I threw together a small dinner party with some friends at our home and I can't tell you how much fun it was to create an amazing meal almost exclusively from local Bay Area products, from the veal chops to the white peaches to the Syrah. I topped off the meal with a clafouti of fresh, local cherries that we enjoyed on the porch and I must say, I felt very lucky to live where I do, in what is essentially a food utopia.

Have a great week - here's my recipe for the clafoutis...

CLAFOUTIS WITH FRESH CHERRIES
Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence
Yield: 6 servings

2 cups pitted cherries
¼ cup sugar, plus extra for dusting the pie pan
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt
3 large eggs
1 1/4 cups milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup slivered almonds

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter a 9-inch pie pan and dust it with sugar. In a mixing bowl, sift together 1/4 cup sugar, flour, and salt. Add the eggs, milk, and vanilla and beat until smooth. Arrange the pitted cherries over the bottom of the prepared pan. Pour the batter over the fruit and smooth the top; sprinkle with the slivered almonds. Bake the clafoutis for 30 to 40 minutes, until risen and just firm. Serve warm.

Hi everyone!

Spring is finally here! It was great to spend some time in NYC, but I must say, it is very nice to be back home in sunny California. This is my favorite time of year to get cooking as all of the beautiful California produce becomes available. Anybody have any favorite spring ingredients? I'm going to be home for a pretty good stretch right now as I await the birth of my new son, so I'm looking forward to some family time as well as the opportunity to really explore San Francisco and all of the great restaurants that it has to offer. I will be doing a demonstration at the Macy's Union Square Macy's in San Francisco on Thursday, April 26 at 6:00pm. If you'd like to come by and say 'hi', check out www.macys.com to RSVP.

- Tyler

Hi All, I wanted to share this small article with you that gives some more information on the new show I did last January with Shaquille O'Neal. Make sure to tune in this summer! - Tyler Childhood obesity is a fast-growing epidemic in the U.S. - obese children face a shorter lifespan due to weight-related illnesses such as increased risk of heart disease and diabetes. But hope has arrived for America's children. Shaquille O'Neal, a four-time NBA champion and a role model to millions, is on a quest to battle this scourge and help kids across America live more healthfully. His new series, Shaq's Big Challenge, will debut TUESDAY, JUNE 26 (9:00-10:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network. Shaq and his hand-picked "dream team" of experts embark on a crusade to help transform six obese middle school youngsters from Florida into healthy, fit kids - and along the way, demonstrate how other communities nationwide can help fight childhood obesity. In Shaq's Big Challenge he puts six obese youngsters through the most intense, emotional and rewarding time of their young lives. He is aided by six specialists, including: Shaq's own physician and trainer, Dr. Carlon "Doc" Colker, M.D.; personal trainer Tarik Tyler; nutritionist Dr. Joy Bauer; childhood obesity expert Dr. William Muinos, M.D. from Miami Children's Hospital; Food Network celebrity chef Tyler Florence; and Shaq's Louisiana State University coach Dale Brown. Together they go into the kids' homes and, schools, then expand their scope to meet with the local school and government officials to develop and implement a wellness program for the children of the community, and later for the entire state of Florida. This mission does not end with these six children. The goal is for every child in the local schools to take part in Shaq's plan. His dream team addresses the challenges of providing tasty, kid-friendly nutritious meals on a budget, as well as incorporating more exercise into the kids' days. For instance, physical education is no longer mandatory in many public schools across the U.S., so Shaq and his team will develop revolutionary programs to allow every child to get consistent exercise while at school. Once he has accomplished his mission at this school, Shaq and his team will have laid the groundwork to achieve their ultimate goal: to create a fitness plan that could be accepted across the whole of Florida and serve as a template for the entire country. Shaq's Big Challenge will change the way we approach the health of a nation -- one child, one community, one state at a time, until we truly are a happier, healthier, fitter America.

We've posted the InStyle article on my website:

www.tylerflorence.com

The article is in the press section.

Make sure to sign up for our mailing list while you are there so that you can get our monthly newsletter and be entered to win a personal set of autographed cookbooks.

Tyler

Greetings from New York! Thank you to everyone that sent all of the wonderful emails and posts for my Chefography. I am glad that it was well received. It's strange to see the story of your life all laid out in a one hour special! I am deep in production on a new season of 'Tyler's Ultimate". Today we shot the Ultimate Chicken Salad, and it was delicious. We have three more weeks of production, and then I head back to California to prepare for the arrival of my little boy. I saw a copy of the InStyle article on my recent wedding today. Make sure to check it out when it hits the newsstands this week. It's the InStyle Weddings Spring 2007 issue and features Jordana Brewster on the cover. It is a 9 page spread all about the food, the events and the planning that went in to our three day event. I hope that everyone enjoys seeing it, and the beautiful property where we were married - The Inn at Palmetto Bluff. I have had some wonderful meals since I have been back in NY. Pastis, Union Square Cafe, Peasant, and Del Posto are all must try places next time you find yourself in NY. Have a great week. Tyler

Hi everybody! Be sure to tune in to the Food Network tonight, Wed March 21, to watch my "Chefography" at 9:00pm.

And, if you miss it at 9:00pm, it will air again at 12:00am, and again this Sunday March 25 at 6:00pm.

Cheers,
Tyler

Hi All,

I had a wonderful weekend in Charleston with my family, and really enjoyed the Charleston Food & Wine Festival.

My wife and son gave me a Vespa for my birthday. I have wanted a Vespa for years, and have been riding around our new neighborhood morning, noon, and night.

I just wanted to thank everyone for all of your birthday wishes. It means a lot to hear from all of you, and I really appreciate it.

I am including some photos from my birthday dinner...