Thank you for checking out The Mighty Rib—the new and improved version. Mondays are typically dedicated to bringing you a restaurant review.  But not this Monday.

Tyler Florence Book Signing and Cooking Demo (and Interview) at Macy’s

I was invited out to cover this event, and as with so many other culinary assignments from this past year, I accepted.  Molly, my partner in crime, web-editor, and great friend, came along (as well as our spouses Keith and Sara). We arrived at Macy’s, headed to the second floor Kitchen section and sat our butts down.  Twenty minutes later, out came Tyler Florence.

The Scene

The well-oiled machine that is Tyler Florence is impressive to watch.  He’s been on the Food Network for 15 years, and it’s easy to tell how that experience has made him such a crowd pleaser.  There’s never a wasted moment with him, no glitches, no hesitations, no stress.  But here’s the thing, it comes off genuine.  It’s real and his love for cooking is real—even in front of 150 people.

The Presentation

Tyler’s first five minutes in front of the crowd had me a little leery of the situation—filled with restaurant and book promotions, plugs for the wine he’s about to launch, and highlighting all the various projects that make him what he is.   I did the eye roll, but hey, the guy was here to promote.  Just how much was the question?  Then he stopped, focused on the cooking demo and his interaction with the crowd.  He was in his element.  He cooked seared salmon with Brussels sprouts and a veal demi glaze and never missed a beat.

The Tips

I was impressed by all the tips Tyler passed along to the crowd (comprised mostly of 20 and 50-something gawking women).

-Cut the ends off your unused herbs, soak in water, and they’ll stay good for a week.

-To get all the water out of your mushroom tips after rinsing them, put in a salad spinner—eliminates moisture

-Turkey…why bake the entire thing?  Break it up into pieces, sear, then bake.  Don’t brine.

This led to a great quote from Tyler: “I’ll put my turkey up against Alton’s any day of the week.”

The Aftermath

After the demo, Tyler took questions from the crowd.  He spoke for about twenty minutes, but if not for the PR rep prompt, could have stayed there for hours talking about infused oils and honey.   The event concluded, Tyler stationed himself between Mens’ Clothing and Housewares, and the book signing line formed.  Boy, did it form! I was told the food media would get a 15-minute session with Tyler after the signing.  The thought of waiting an hour for one or two questions and a photo op was none too appealing.  I told my crew we should take off. I felt bad making them wait around for what seemed to be a road to nowhere.  They wouldn’t allow it.  So we waited, and waited.

Really?…No, really?

After about an hour, the PR rep came up to me, introduced himself, and let me know we’d be heading down to the “Green Room” for the interview session.  Tyler signed his last book, took a picture, and began to walk.  We followed.  This is what quickly became apparent–The Mighty Rib team, comprised of Molly, me, Sara and Keith, were it—we were the media!  Within minutes, we were sitting face-to-face, in a 10×12-foot closed room, with Tyler Florence.

The Talk

Here’s the thing, I say interview, but it was more like a 30-minute conversion with a laid back foodie.  He was no different with us than he was with the 150 people during the demo, or the millions of folks who watch his shows.  Tyler has always struck me as genuine.  Today was no different.  There was never a wasted moment during his multi-tasking of signing books and talking.  But he found balance–he’d stop signing to really talk to us, and made us feel engaged.  He was good.

I had questions about the Houston food scene,  food blogging and how he felt about food bloggers, but honestly…I scrapped that sh*t.  I wanted to know a little about what made him tick. Tyler is fast-paced and getting a question in during his pauses proved to be a challenge.  But I did.  We talked about cooking for large groups of people and he expressed how important it is to pay attention to the seasons when cooking—really telling your guests what time of year it is through your food.  I asked him about cooking for kids and how to get them to eat vegetables—roasting, roasting, roasting.  It turns the starches to sugar.  With his life completely consumed by food, I was very intrigued how Tyler detached himself from it all. I was figuring on the stock answer—“I play golf, do some yoga, etc”. Truth is, he doesn’t detach himself from food, and he readily admits it.  His food is his art, and we just got a 30-minute session with a Picasso. Sitting with Tyler, listening to him go on about all the different avenues of food, and feeling that passion that one must have to reach this high level, was something to behold.  It was a pleasure.

The Conclusion

Our time with Tyler was up.  We began to walk out but he motioned for me to come over.  He asked questions about my writing, my blog, and my future aspirations with food.  I told him this piece was going to be the big feature for my blog’s re-launch, and the dumb-luck timing of it all.  I told him nine months ago I started a little food blog to get my thoughts out there.  It grew a little.  Then some people like Sara and Molly, and my cousin Melissa motivated me to make it grow even more.  Then I started doing some pieces for Eating Our Words (Houston Press food blog).  Now, I’m getting the chance to talk with Tyler Florence, and loving every opportunity that food and writing about it has afforded me.

The Mighty Rib is a collection of my thoughts, my friends’ thoughts, and I only hope that same passion for food comes through in our writing–much like I witnessed with Tyler Florence.

I hope you enjoy The Mighty Rib–new and improved!

Tyler Florence Family Meal: Bringing People Together Never Tasted Better