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Southern-born Tyler Florence has made his mark on American cuisine with such hit Food Network shows as How to Boil Water, Food 911, and Tyler's Ultimate. Now he is teaming up with Macy's for its "Macy's Keeps America Cooking" contest to film 12 podcasts at his Mill Valley home kitchen.
Home viewers are invited to submit their own videos of themselves preparing their favorite recipes, and at the end of the contest, one Grand Prize winner will receive a trip to San Francisco and a $2500 shopping spree with Tyler at Macy's. Nine runners-up will also get $1000 Macy's gift cards. The contest ends April 13, just in time for Tyler to open his new restaurant, Bar Florence, at the Vertigo Hotel in San Francisco.
We took a few minutes to ask Tyler, who is also the Dean of Culinary Education at Napa Valley's COPIA American Center for Wine, Food and the Arts, about his kitchen, his cuisine, and what he has cooking next.
LA.com: What made you decide to become a chef? How long have you wanted to work in the food industry and what do you love about it?
Tyler Florence: Cooking just came to me naturally. It was more of a calling than a conscious decision. I love the creativity and the never-ending possibilities when creating new dishes. And nothing beats putting a smile on someone's face when you feed them something delicious.
LA.com: On your Food Network show, Tyler's Ultimate, you have a special take on classic, simple American dishes like burgers and mac 'n cheese, but you have also trained in some pretty fancy restaurants like Charlie Palmer's Aureole and Rick Laakonen's River Café, not to mention your own kitchens at Cafeteria and Cibo. How do you reconcile those two levels of cuisine? What do you appreciate most about each kind of cuisine?
TF: Yes, I've got a pretty diverse background, and it's those experiences in those kitchens that ultimately allow me to distill my recipes on Tyler's Ultimate down to something that is easily relatable for the non-professional cook. Understanding flavor and technique at the "fanciest" level allows me to communicate what works in an easy format.
LA.com: What are some of your favorite dishes to make, and why?
TF: Lasagna Bolognese, and oyster stew are two favorites of mine right now. They are delicious and my family loves them.
LA.com: What will you be preparing on your Macy's podcasts?
TF: Macy's and I partnered up to create a series of podcasts that highlight all of the great kitchen equipment and house wares that you can find in their stores. For the podcasts we do things as simple as grilled steak with rosemary roasted potatoes, to new takes on classics like French toast waffles with maple bacon.
LA.com: Are there any upcoming cookbooks we should be on the lookout for?
TF: I just released two new books simultaneously this past fall: Dinner at My Place and Stirring the Pot.
LA.com: Can you talk a little about your work with Afterschool Alliance? In your own words, what is the program's mission? Are there any particular after school programs you have worked on, or that you would like to see instituted?
TF: As a parent, I'm very aware of the necessity of having positive environments for children to thrive in the hours between when school gets out and when busy parents get home from work. The Afterschool Alliance does amazing work in advocating programs that provide children with a save a constructive place to go where they can learn anything from sports to cooking, to just getting some help with their homework. It's an important mission and I'm proud to be a part of it.
LA.com: And finally, any special plans for your upcoming birthday?
TF: Take a nap?
