Reviews Cooking, Food And Wine Book

Product Details

From Publishers Weekly
In what seems to be a bid to become a U.S. version of Naked Chef Jamie Oliver, Florence (who was chef at New York's Cafeteria and hosts his own cooking show) aims for a casual attitude. While organization is loose amorphous chapters on backyard cookouts and Dinner for Two sit side-by-side with highly focused ones on making your own sushi many of the recipes themselves are clever. Sage-Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Dried Plum Sauce features a tasty sauce made with red wine and prunes cooked until soft, and Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Miso, Orange, and Sesame would make a great snack as well as a tasty side dish. The author darts from one subject to the next and often combines flavors unexpectedly, as in Grilled Salmon with Watermelon and Black Olive Salad and Horseradish Burgers with Havarti and Tomato Remoulade. Sometimes Florence's claims that the best cooking is easy, casual and quick are belied by recipes such as the one for Blue Cheese SoufflE with Chamomile-Fig Compote that requires creation of a bEchamel sauce, not to mention the notoriously tricky soufflEs themselves. Florence's tone is light throughout, but readers may be turned off by airy pronouncements (It's often been my experience that many of the cleanest, best flavors are very simple ones) that under closer inspection are fairly meaningless. Others may roll their eyes at his off-color or immature remarks (a man of Thai ethnicity pulls out a karate move when asked to share a recipe; the flavors of a Green Curry Chicken are mental).
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Tyler Florence's cooking show on television's Food Network, where he rescues people from stovetop disasters, has an avid following. These fans will snap up copies of Tyler Florence's Real Kitchen, where their master shares his own recipes. Florence's recipes range widely from Chinese dim sum to rich, cheese-laden lasagna. He pleases vegetarians with a pan-fried tofu "steak" and a high-piled muffuletta sandwich with layers of roasted vegetables. Florence's prosciutto-wrapped, cheese-stuffed figs can easily be the hit of any cocktail party. His recommendations for stocking a pantry call for so many staples that only those with substantial storage space can possibly stock them all. Mark Knoblauch
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

From the Inside Flap
Bold. Unfussy. Irresistible. Real.

That?s the kind of food that comes out of Tyler Florence?s kitchen. With a culinary sensibility refined in some of New York?s most high-profile restaurants, and a down-home practicality gained as the cooking guru of Food 911, Tyler cooks food that?s fresh, flavorful, and totally doable. In Tyler Florence?s Real Kitchen, he?ll show you how to cook simple meals that taste amazing, from comfort-food to classics to vibrantly new dishes.

Tyler?s long-awaited first cookbook stays true to his cooking philosophy?use great, simple ingredients and then let the natural flavors speak for themselves. He offers can?t-miss recipes for all the crowd-pleasing dishes that you crave?cold fried chicken, a perfect meatloaf, or drop-dead lasagna. Tyler?s bold, uncomplicated style even makes sophisticated food easy, with recipes like Pan-Roasted Sirloin with Arugula, Sweet Peppers, and Olive Salad or Steamed Mussels with Saffron and Tomato. He?ll show you how to get a great meal from the grocery bag to the table with the least fuss and the most flavor, or how to throw a barbecue with the best burgers (spiced up with horseradish and Havarti cheese) that your friends have ever had. From weekend brunch (including Soft Scrambled Eggs with Salmon and Avocado and an assortment of dim sum) to quick weeknight dinners for two (like Hong Kong Crab Cakes with Baby Bok Choy), and a selection of great party food and cocktails, this is a cookbook you?ll use again and again and rely on for every occasion.

With helpful notes on essential pantry staples and a list of the kitchen equipment you really need, Tyler Florence?s Real Kitchen is a fresh, creative exploration of just how fun (and delicious) your cooking can be.

Customer Reviews

Excellent receipes and beautifully presented
Bought this for my 84 year old mother who watches Tyler's show daily. She has totally changed her way of cooking and has created many delicious meals out of this book. Thanks Tyler!

excellent
I have lots of cookbooks and I am a TOTAL foodie.
But this is my favorite book of the lot.
It's beautiful gourmet food but is totally easy to make and with few ingredients.
Everything I've made from this book has been excellent and my guests have loved it.
I've had it for several years but this year I ordered 3 used copies of it to give as Christmas gifts.

Geoff Walker
www.geoffwalker.com

know how to cook first
Echoing many of the sentiments already stated, I would say that it is almost a must that you have some experience in the kitchen before trying most of these recipes. Some of them are indeed wondeful and tasty, but Tyler's very informal way of communicating ("counts" of oil, no exact times for some preparations: "until it's perfumy") may leave your recipe ruined. For instance, if you don't know before hand that cooking crab cakes in a non-stick skillet (Tyler doesn't specify, he just says "skillet") is an absolute must, your $30 worth of lump crabmeat might just go into the garbage. Given that Tyler is a "celebrity" chef, and purchasers of this book will probably consist of a certain number of novice chefs, the shorthand communication style of the book is a massive oversight.