Tyler Florence Relies on Local Organic Foods to Keep His Family happy and healthy
By Tom Citrano
Tyler Florence leads a double life. By day and sometimes, by night, he is an internationally recognized chef, TV personality (Food Network star, Oprah guest contributor) and author. Tyler’s creative and sophisticated food is served at charity galas, festivals and food and lifestyle events in some of the most glamorous and exotic locations around the world. But there’s another side of Tyler, as far removed from the world of duck confit and foie gras as one can get.
When Tyler isn’t cooking for titans of finance and heads of state at venues like the Versace Mansion, in Miami, he is sure to be cooking for another equally discerning group, one more interested in his macaroni and cheese than his walnut-celery pesto. Now that Tyler is married with three young children, he is looking at home cooking from a whole different perspective.
Tyler explains his approach: “How I cook at home is really, really simple. It’s more about the subtle nuances of what’s at the farmers’ market that week. It’s always fresh and healthy, lots of natural cooking, slow roasting and simple pasta dishes.”
Tyler shares that he was up early that morning to make pancakes for everyone. He readily offers some tips he’s perfected in his professional life: “I always cook everything from a restaurant point of view. You’ve got to prep. You’ve got to organize. And you’ve got to get everything all together to make sure it comes out hot for everyone at the same time. That’s what I focus on.”
Not that it still isn’t difficult to please everyone, all the time. “We do have a lot of different palates. It’s split into two camps. My wife loves certain things and our children like their things, and all of the kids are at different points in their growth and development,” he says.
Tyler believes it’s important to focus on local as well as organic products, “It makes such a big difference if everybody takes a few small steps towards eliminating fossil fuel wastes, by buying things that didn’t have to be trucked in from across the world. It makes a gigantic difference.” Chef Florence shares that sometimes he’s at the farmers’ market and sees a bunch of organic carrots that aren’t necessarily the most appetizing vegetables he’s ever seen, “But if it’s organic and local, then that becomes part of the decision-making process.”
Spring is a favorite time of year for Tyler, as he readies for the fresh, healthy foods that come along in the next months. Pea tendrils and shoots, lemon, mint, artichokes and wild Alaskan salmon are some of his favorite spring ingredients. He says, “I love the fresh, clean spring flavors combined with fresh olive oils. ”Tyler yields to a green point of view in his latest two books (Dinner at My Place and Stirring the Pot, both published by Meredith Books in 2008). “When you sell a few hundred thousand copies of something, it’s really important to think about how many trees you’re cutting down. How much does the book weigh? How much gas does it take to get them from point A to point B? We actually used 40 percent less paper pulp with these two books than we used in the last three,” Tyler advises.
In addition to his signature Mill Valley, California culinary gourmet store and a restaurant he’s about to open in San Francisco, the busy entrepreneur is also launching a new line of wines. “The grapes are from the Sonoma Coast in Northern California. We’re working with two grape growers who are producing some phenomenal grapes. We have a great chance to come up with the blends we want. It gives us a good solid direction. The wine is phenomenal,” enthuses Tyler. “We just bottled our zin, and I would put it up against anyone’s.”Father, husband, chef, restaurateur, vintner, and entrepreneur are all ingredients Tyler Florence has turned into a great recipe for an active, spicy and balanced life.
For more information about Tyler Florence, his projects and products visit his website at TylerFlorence.com.
Four healthy staples Tyler always keeps in his refrigerator.
Fresh fruits and vegetables: “I always try to have really impeccable produce. We have two services that deliver a basketful of organic produce every week. Everything as fresh and local as possible. The flavors are so incredible.”
Probiotics and fish oil: “Healing from the inside is important, too.”
Organic milk: “Always. I have three kids!”
Fresh organic pressed apple juice:
“There isn’t one thing in our refrigerator that has high fructose corn syrup.”
For some fantastic, healthy, kid-friendly
recipes, see page 14.
Tyler Florence shares a healthy and fun lunch for your kids in a repurposed new lunchbox:
The Food Tube
Take an empty tennis ball canister (or similar). Customize it with your own stickers and name and you have a cool lunch container for a healthy meal with the following components stacked up inside of it…
1. BEVERAGE
1 small can of all natural ginger ale (or alternate soda) or small bottle of water
Chill the small can of all-natural ginger ale or water and place it in the bottom of the tube. – this will keep your packed lunch cool and fresh (in the hot summer days try freezing your bottle of water to keep things even cooler!). Then stack the following components into the canister….
2. FRESH MOZARELLA BLT WITH PESTO
Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence
Yield: 1 sandwich
1/4 french baguette
2 slices of low-sodium applewood
smoked bacon,
1 medium heirloom tomato, thick cut slices
1 spear of romaine lettuce
1 thick-cut slice of fresh mozarella
1½ teaspoon of store bought basil pesto
1½ teaspoon of low fat mayo
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Slice the piece of baguette open but leave one side attached to form a hinge. Cook the bacon over low heat until crispy, slice the tomato and mozzarella. Combine the pesto with the mayo and smear it on the bottom of the sandwich. Layer the romaine spear followed by the tomato, bacon and mozzarella. Season with salt and pepper and wrap in parchment paper.
3. ORGANIC PINK LADY APPLE SLICES with a ‘SANDWICH BAG SQUEEZER’ of NUTELLA
Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence
Yield: 1 serving
½ Organic Pink Lady Apple (or whatever
variety is freshest at your local market)
1½ tablespoons Nutella
1 plastic ziplock sandwich bag (to hold the Nutella)
Cut the apple and remove the core. Slice into wedges and wrap tightly in plastic wrap to prevent it from going brown. In a small, sealable sandwich bag empty the Nutella in and secure—squeezing out all the air. To serve, cut the corner of the Nutella bag off and squeeze over apple slices.
4. PARMESAN POPCORN
1 cup of fresh popcorn with
grated parmesan
Put it in a small re-sealable bag and use it to fill in any empty space in the “food tube.” It’s a delicious and healthy low-fat snack.
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