Tyler Florence

Having traveled across the country to help everyday people with their cooking challenges, Chef Tyler Florence has developed a unique perspective on how Americans like to eat and cook today. He is a champion for uncomplicated recipes, bright flavors and fresh food, which he believes is the type of cooking that comes from a "real kitchen" - a place dedicated to culinary honesty.

Tyler has received acclaim from the national culinary community for his creativity and dedication to the art of cooking. He has been recognized as a leading chef by publications such as Food & Wine, GQ, Wall Street Journal, USA Weekend and People.

In 1991, Tyler graduated with honors from the College of Culinary Arts at Johnson & Wales University in South Carolina. After relocating to New York City in 1992, he honed his culinary skills under the tutelage of some of the city's premier chefs, including Charlie Palmer at Aureole, Marta Pulini at Mad 61 and Rick Laakonen at River Cafe.

Confident of his culinary talent, Tyler accepted the executive chef's position at Cibo in 1995, where his original creations received applause from New York City publications such as the New York Times, New York Magazine and Crain's New York Business.

In 1998, Tyler opened the critically acclaimed Cafeteria in Manhattan as executive chef, and under his direction, the restaurant received a nomination for "Best New Restaurant" in Time Out New York.

While firmly establishing his reputation and credibility on the New York food scene, Tyler also made his television debut in 1996 with guest appearances on Food Network. Tyler's national appeal was confirmed with the launch of Food 911 in 1999. He has also hosted other Food Network shows including Planet Food, All American Festivals and My Country, My Kitchen.

With Tyler's widespread experience, he has encountered every conceivable approach to some of the most crowd-pleasing classic dishes from fried chicken to burgers to spaghetti and meatballs. In 2006, Tyler launched a new Food Network series Tyler's Ultimate � a visual cookbook of America's most beloved dishes demonstrating his best of the best, or "ultimate," recipes.

Florence has written Tyler Florence's Real Kitchen, Eat This Book and Tyler's Ultimate. He has two new books � Tyler's Ultimate: Kitchen Handbook and Tyler's Ultimate: Dinner at My Place � scheduled for release in October 2008. Tyler's company, The Florence Group, will open a new kitchen retail store in Mill Valley, Calif. this summer as well as a new restaurant, Bar Florence, in San Francisco this fall.

He now sits on the board of the Culinary Council for Macy's Department Stores and has a new tabletop line with Mikasa. Tyler is a regular on NBC's The Today Show and has appeared on The View, Good Morning America, The Tonight Show, E!, and Access Hollywood, among others.