Cooking for My Name's Sake

I once admitted my secret desire to have the “fabulous cook” reputation. Although I love the change of seasons, without tomatoes straight off the vine and basil picked outside my kitchen door, good cuisine becomes a little more complicated for me, the dream vanishing into a challenge. Maybe autumn is the excuse, but I’m desperate to improve. When I saw that Tyler Florence was doing a cooking demonstration at Copia last Saturday I walked right over. While it’s true the name caught my attention, I didn’t honestly know who he was until I got there. I’m just not up on any cooking shows. (Sorry, but I’ve been saving up for a TV for the past year and am presently limited to movies on my laptop in bed. It’s not so bad…)

I was impressed at the demonstration and happy to learn about boiling potatoes in cream and making crepes. Of course, professional chefs make everything look faster and easier than my amateur hands can manage. I knew the real test would be at home later. Still, it was nice to meet another Tyler who I could actually get a cookbook from, even if it was a little confusing when I introduced myself. The name is a winner (I’m obviously biased.) so I knew my luck would subsequently be at its peak in the kitchen. I invited my grandparents over for dinner the next day and bam, that night I became "Tyler the fabulous cook". Tonight I try again, but no matter what, one night counts, right?