The first time I heard the name Tyler Florence it was in connection to the New York restaurant Cafeteria, which was a favorite spot for the Sex and the City girls and at the time known for having the best Macaroni and Cheese in town.  But, the South Carolina native has made the transition well from Master of Mac and Cheese to Food Network Star and virtual household name.  In his new book, Dinner At My Place, he shares with us some of his favorite menus.  Menus, that is, that he's prepared at his Mill Valley California home where, as he once told a neighbor his, "my house is the best restaurant in town".  Tyler - I feel the same way about my own home! 

This cookbook has a menu designed for everyone and just about every occasion from the common to the obscure.  A celebration for Dungeness crab season, Guys Game Night, Sick Day, Happy Hour, and my current favorite, Baby in the Kitchen where he shares his recipes for making homemade baby food (Tyler is a father of three).  The one menu that felt most appropriate right now with the cold weather settling in on the East Coast was "Sunday Night Dinner By the Fire".  Wonderful Braised Beef Brisket, Parsnip Puree, and Arborio Rice Pudding with Rum-Raisin Mascarpone (see recipes below).  Simple Food prepared well and enjoyed with loved ones by the fire - thanks Tyler!

Braised Beef Brisket

From Dinner at My Place by Tyler Florence, Meredith Books (2008).

Serves 10
Time: 3 hours 30 minutes

4 large garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
½ teaspoon kosher salt      
4 fresh rosemary sprigs, needles stripped from the stem and chopped
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 4-pound beef brisket (first cut)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 large carrots, cut into 3-inch chunks
3 ribs celery, cut into 3-inch chunks
2 onions, halved
2 cups dry red wine
1 16-ounce can whole tomatoes, hand-crushed
1 handful fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley
3 bay leaves
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour (optional)
2 tablespoons water or dry red wine (optional)
1 bunch hydroponic watercress, for garnish (optional)
1 recipe Parsnip Puree (see below)

Preheat oven to 325°F. On a cutting board, mash the garlic and ½ teaspoon salt together with the flat side of a knife until it turns into a paste. Add the rosemary and continue to mash until incorporated. Put the garlic-rosemary paste in a small bowl and add 2 tablespoons of the oil; stir to combine. Set aside.

Season both sides of the brisket with plenty of salt and pepper. Rub the rosemary-garlic paste over the brisket. Drizzle with additional olive oil. Place a large roasting pan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, place the brisket in the roasting pan and sear to form a nice brown crust on both sides, adding additional oil as necessary to prevent sticking. Lay the vegetables all around the brisket. Add the wine, tomatoes, tomato liquid, parsley, and bay leaves. Cover the pan tightly with a lid or aluminum foil and bake in the preheated oven for 3 to 4 hours, basting every 30 minutes with the pan juices, until the beef is fork-tender.

Remove the brisket from pan and place on a cutting board. Allow brisket to rest for 15 minutes. Remove vegetables from the pan with a slotted spoon; discard vegetables. Skim some of the excess fat from the pan juices, leaving about ¼ cup fat in the pan; place the roasting pan with the pan juices and fat over medium-high heat. Boil and stir about 5 minutes, until the sauce is reduced by half. (For a thicker sauce, mix the 1 tablespoon flour with the 2 tablespoons water and whisk into the gravy.) Slice brisket and serve with sauce over Parsnip Puree. If you like, garnish each plate with watercress.

Parsnip Puree

From Dinner at My Place by Tyler Florence, Meredith Books (2008).

Serves 4 to 6
Time: 35 minutes

1 pound parsnips, peeled and sliced
Kosher salt
4 garlic cloves
1 thyme sprig
1 cup milk
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 stick unsalted butter, cut into pieces
Freshly ground black pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil

Put parsnips in a pot, season with salt, and add garlic and thyme. Cover with the milk and cream. Place pot over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 12 to 15 minutes, until tender (the tip of a paring knife should go through parsnip pieces without resistance). Drain parsnips and reserve cooking liquid. Place parsnips in a food processor with butter. Process and add enough of reserved cooking liquid to achieve texture of whipped cream. Season to taste with salt and additional pepper and finish with a drizzle of oil.

Arborio Rice Pudding with Rum-Raisin Mascarpone

From Dinner at My Place by Tyler Florence, Meredith Books (2008).

Serves 4
Time: 45 minutes

Rum-Raisin Mascarpone

• 1 cup raisins, packed tightly
• 1 cup sugar
• ½ cup dark rum
• 1 lemon, juice only
• 2 cups mascarpone cheese
• 2 cups heavy whipping cream

Pudding

• 3 cups whole milk
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
• 1 cup Arborio rice
• Pinch kosher salt
• ½ cup crème fraîche
• Lemon zest
  

To prepare Rum-Raisin Mascarpone, soak raisins in a mixture of the granulated sugar, rum, and lemon juice. Muddle (squash) raisins with a wooden spoon to help them soak and rehydrate a little. Set aside while you prepare the rice pudding.  Put milk, butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla bean contents, rice, and salt into a large saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat; stirring constantly. Simmer Arborio rice for 20 to 22 minutes, until tender, yet firm (al dente). (The rice mixture should have slightly more liquid than regular risotto.) Remove from heat; stir in crème fraîche.

Strain the liquid from the raisins; reserve liquid. Combine mascarpone and cream and whisk until light and creamy in a large bowl. Swirl in the strained raisins and drizzle a little of the soaking liquid over top. Garnish rice pudding with lemon zest. Top rice pudding with a generous spoonful of Rum-Raisin Mascarpone. Serve pudding with additional Rum-Raisin Mascarpone on the side.

About Dinner at My Place

A peek into life at home with Tyler Florence. He shares the dishes he likes to prepare for his family and friends when he's off the clock. Dinner at My Place is organized by occasion, such as his son's first birthday party, a romantic meal for two, Christmas dinner for the whole Florence family, and a simple meal for a rainy Sunday afternoon. Tyler's menus and recipes feature twists on comfort food classics and showcase his secret family recipes as well as his personal favorites.

Available at Amazon.com

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