Table Of ContentCOPYRIGHT © 2006 BY TYLER FLORENCE
PHOTOGRAPHS COPYRIGHT © 2006 BY PETRINA TINSLAY
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
PUBLISHED IN THE UNITED STATES BY CLARKSON POTTER/PUBLISHERS,
AN IMPRINT OF THE CROWN PUBLISHING GROUP,
A DIVISION OF RANDOM HOUSE, INC., NEW YORK.
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“Baby Beets, Avocado, Grapefruit, Quinoa, and Sorrel Salad” from Tyler Florence Fresh by Tyler
Florence, copyright © 2012 by Tyler Florence. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, an
imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
“Herb-and-Lemon-Roasted Chicken with Smashed Broccoli and Garlic” from Tyler Florence’s Real
Kitchen by Tyler Florence, copyright © 2003 by Tyler Florence. Published by Clarkson
Potter/Publishers, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc.
All rights reserved.
“Crispy Potato Pancakes with Cinnamon Apples and Fresh Thyme” from Eat This Book by Tyler
Florence. Copyright © 2005 by Tyler Florence. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, an
imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
eISBN: 978-0-30795371-1
v3.1
FOR MY SON, MILES
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
APPETIZERS
SURF
TURF
BIRDS
NOODLES
GARDEN
DESSERTS
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
INDEX
INTRODUCTION
…AN EXPERIENCE OF THE “ULTIMATE” IN PLEASURE FOR ME—A STATE OF
MIND ABOUT FEEDING MYSELF AND MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY WELL AND
ENJOYING SIMPLE PLEASURES OVER AN AMAZING MEAL.
ONCE A YEAR I GET THIS DEEP ITCH TO GO TO EUROPE, SOAK UP THE CULTURE, COOK,
EAT, LIVE, AND DREAM GREAT FOOD. So last summer I packed up the family and
went off to spend the last two weeks of July in one of my favorite spots, a
small town in the south of France about 30 minutes north of Nice. It was
lavender season. The air was sweet, and I was hungry—hungry to re-charge
my batteries, clear my head, immerse myself in food, and write this book.
Twice a week I drove along country roads lined with fields of huge, yellow
sunflowers into Nice, where I strolled through open-air markets and reminded
myself why I love being a chef. Shopping in these markets is a truly amazing
experience: The scent of tomato vines clings to the air as shoppers and
merchants haggle over prices, each enacting the rituals inherent to the
mysterious French religion of food. Everywhere you look there is something
delicious. Rounds of un-pasteurized cheeses taste as rich as butter, frozen in
time. Briny oysters covered in perfect, tiny barnacles taste like little sips of
seawater. Young chickens, cavities stuffed with fresh herbs, spin slowly on
rotisseries; their skin is crisp and golden and the smell is just incredible.
There are crocks of gleaming multihued olives as juicy as grapes, hanging
ropes of smoky saucissons, and aubergines, black as midnight, practically
begging to be stewed into ratatouille. Standing there among the food stalls, I
drank in all of those colors and smells and tastes and I couldn’t wait to get
home to cook. I’d leave carrying so many plastic bags that the tips of my
fingers turned purple and I couldn’t have been happier.
Once back at the house I’d head straight for the kitchen, unpack the bags,
and fire up the stoves. And then I was on my way, transforming what I’d seen
at the market into great, simple home cooking. One night, inspired by those
gorgeous rotisserie birds, I smeared a chicken all over with a rich, green paste
of chopped parsley, thyme, tarragon, garlic, and olive oil, threw the chicken
in a roasting pan with hunks of zucchini, tomato, and onion and roasted it all
until the chicken was infused with the scent of the herbs and the vegetables
melted alongside it.
Another day, inspired by the pizza-like onion tarts native to that part of
France, I spread hunks of baguette with caramelized onions, tossed on olives,
thyme, and anchovies for flavor and local color, then showered it all with
grated Parmigiano and threw it in the oven to crisp. The smell brought the
kids running in from the pool where they’d been hanging out. We scarfed that
down and followed it up with sautéed sausages served with apples
caramelized in the pan drippings and a little brown sugar, buttered cabbage,
and mashed potatoes. Simple and delicious.
That summer was an experience of the “Ultimate” in pleasure for me—a
state of mind about feeding myself and my friends and family well and
enjoying simple pleasures over an amazing meal. This book is an expression
of all that in recipes—the ultimate in delicious simple home cooking, the
ultimate in accessibility, the ultimate in translating food from around the
world—from restaurants, from homes, from street food—into a dish you can
put together in a reasonable amount of time in your own home with the
ultimate confidence that you’re going to knock it out of the park.
You don’t need to be in the south of France to cook this way. When I got
home to New York, I scoured my local grocery stores for my favorite
ingredients (and yeah, it helps to live in Chinatown, but supermarkets these
days carry an abundance of ethnic foods so it’s easier and easier to find great
stuff from all over the world). And I kept searching for those amazing,
ultimate dishes that anyone can make at home—for a birthday, a backyard
barbecue, or just because it’s Tuesday night.
Check out the Ultimate Crab Cakes, the best crab cakes I’ve ever eaten,
made with big hunks of jumbo lump crabmeat and fresh breadcrumbs. What
you taste is sweet, fresh seafood just barely held together by light breading;
they’re dynamite with smoky chipotle mayonnaise. The Ultimate Fried
Chicken, borrowed from my good friend Cesare Casella at Maremma
restaurant in New York City, is just about the best fried chicken you can
make because the chicken is perfumed with fresh herbs and garlic. And you
don’t have to own a restaurant in New York to make it. Or Lemon Curry
Chicken, a simple chicken stew inspired by the flavors of India and served
with a rice salad spiked with sweet mango, crunchy cashews, and mint; you’ll
whip it up in under an hour—the quickest trip to India you’ll ever take.
I love the craft of cooking, I love traveling, and I love sharing it all with
you. As the years go by I will still be here slugging away in the kitchen and
finding amazing recipes that we can cook together. It’s been a great ride so far
and I can’t thank you enough for your continued support. I hope that with
this book I have created a cooking tool that you will really use. So don’t be
shy … dig in!
TYLER FLORENCE • NEW YORK CITY
Description:As his millions of fans know from watching him on Food Network, Tyler likes to rock the kitchen with big, bold flavors and sophisticated yet accessible fare. Whether you’re dishing up a family favorite like spaghetti and meatballs or pulling out all the stops with a succulent tenderloin steak topp
