October 1,2009 at 9:44 AM

Meeting Tyler Flo at Harvest Carmel

Posted by Chris | Posted in Events, Restaurants/Chefs

 

A standout experience for me was meeting the culinary superstar, Tyler Florence.  Not just because he’s a superstar — and exceptionally hunky-dory! — but because he’s so approachable and down to earth.  There’s not a hint of self-importance and he clearly loves what he does.  His passion is contagious, and the way he engages with people makes you want to know more about the guy behind the chef.  Alas, I only had a brief encounter, but this I know for sure: he’s happy, he loves what he’s doing and wants to share it generously with all who care to pay attention.  His cooking demo, a highlight of the event, was as filled with enthusiasm and useful information as he is. Besides learning how to made a perfect succotash, I finally discovered the best (tear-free) way to cut an onion. Here’s roughly how it goes:  
1. Cut root system (stem) and tip off
2. Lightly score and lift off outer skin
3. Cut onion in half (tip to tail)
4. Dip the halves in water (keeps you from crying)
5. Place the cut side down then slice it into 1/4″ planks by slipping a sharp knife  sideways (horizontal to the cutting surface), starting at the bottom. Be careful not to cut all he way through; you want to leave a bit to hold the planks together.
6. Then cut planks into ’sticks’ lengthwise. (the width of sticks determines the size of dice)
7. Then dice the ‘sticks’ into cubes and voila! Done, faster than you can say, ‘I hate cutting onions!’

 

Tyler & MeA standout experience for me was meeting the culinary superstar, Tyler Florence.  Not just because he’s a superstar — and exceptionally hunky-dory! — but because he’s so approachable and down to earth.  There’s not a hint of self-importance and he clearly loves what he does. His passion is contagious, and the way he engages with people makes you want to know more about the guy behind the chef.  Alas, I only had a brief encounter, but this I know for sure: he’s happy, he loves what he’s doing and wants to share it generously with all who care to pay attention.  His cooking demo, a highlight of the event, was as filled with enthusiasm and useful information as he is. Besides learning how to make a perfect succotash, I finally discovered the best (tear-free) way to dice an onion. Here’s how it goes:  

1. Cut root system (stem) and tip off
2. Lightly score and lift off outer skin
3. Cut onion in half (tip to tail)
4. Dip the halves in water (keeps you from crying)
5. Place the cut side down then slice it into 1/4″ planks by slipping a sharp knife through it sideways (horizontal to the cutting surface), starting at the bottom. Be careful not to cut all he way through; you want to leave a bit at one end to hold the planks together.
6. Then cut planks into ’sticks’ lengthwise (the width of the sticks determines the size of the dice)
7. Then dice the ‘sticks’ into cubes and voila! Done, faster than you can say, ‘I hate chopping onions!’

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